5 Best Linux Distro Releases of 2022 (imo, ofc)
In this post I look back at the best Linux distros of 2022 — and spoiler: they’re not all Ubuntu-based!
I know: I make the same joke every year I do this. But hey: I write about Ubuntu. I use Ubuntu. You may expect me to keep it all about Ubuntu. But the Linux ecosystem? It’s more than just Ubuntu. There are a ton of top-tier Linux distros out there deserving of praise, celebration, and recognition. This list is my small way of giving ’em that!
That said, what follows is not a posit of superiority, nor a ranking of importance. It’s just me, a person, giving a shoutout to some of the year’s best Linux releases. Is it comprehensive? No. And it’s also not a critique, so if an OS you love isn’t featured below the omission is not because I think it’s awful!
With the SEO gods (hopefully) satiated by that lengthy introduction, lets look at my top 5 Linux distros of 2022!
1. Ubuntu 22.04 LTS
Arguably the best Linux distro release of the year for me was Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, which arrived back in April.
Long-term support releases are always big deal as tens of millions of people use them. Thankfully, Ubuntu’s dedicated developers dished out a release worthy of the attention.
Snap qualms aside (see the video) the Jammy Jellyfish bought GNOME Shell 42, configurable accent colours, Wayland by default, new multitasking options, new dock options, a better desktop icons extension, Linux kernel 5.15, Raspberry Pi 4 support. Plus reams upon reams (upon reams etc) of updated apps, tooling, and packages.
Though I am an interim release rider — always have been, probably always will be — most folks stick with an LTS release. And with Ubuntu 22.04 they get a release that’s genuinely good enough to be used for the duration of its support period, with no FOMO.
2. Fedora Workstation 37
Fedora Workstation is a flagship desktop Linux distro for good reason: it’s robust, it’s reliable, it’s impeccably produced — it distils what a lot of folks seek most: a “pure” GNOME experience, delivered as devs intend, atop a strong and stable base.
Autumn’s offer of Fedora 37 Workstation features GNOME 43 – an update that majorly improves the GNOME Shell user experience with Quick Settings. There’s also a more-featured Files rebuilt in GTK4/libadwaita; a revamped Calendar app; a Device Security panel; Raspberry Pi 4 support; GRUB instead of syslinux on BIOS; and more.
Folk often overlook Fedora Workstation because, as Linux distros go, it’s rather understated, unassuming, and drama-free. Yet, it is a finessed and functional distro that forgoes fancy flourishes to focus entirely on its performance, its integration, and its cohesion.
If you’ve never tried Fedora you’re missing out, so sort it!
3. Manjaro 22.0 ‘Sikaris’
That a version of Manjaro had to feature in this list was obvious. And as Arch-based Linux distros go Manjaro is one of the best. Oh, I know: there is chatter around Manjaro within the wider Linux community but for me, those storms-in-a-tea-cup never impact on the quality (or should that be flavour ☕️) of the distro itself.
Manjaro 22.0 ‘Sikaris’ isn’t just a distro: it’s an experience
Exemplifying that is the Manjaro 22.0 release put out in December. The “main” favour with KDE Plasma serves up a flawless experience. Everything from the shell to the package manager to bespoke touches and apps are cohesive, considered, and choreographed.
Manjaro 22.0 isn’t just a distro, it’s an experience.
Manjaro’s desktop-specific “editions” are also terrifically compiled. They never feel like Manjaro plus Xfce, plus GNOME, etc. Each is a carefully curated and beautifully integrated showcase of their respective desktop’s strengths — or to put it in less flowery terms: regardless of which Manjaro edition you pick, it always feels like the MAIN one.
Plus, the Manjaro community is large and active. For any issue that arises chances are I can find a Manjaro forum post about it (or someone willing to point me in the direction of a solution). Community is an important aspect of any distro. The Linux kernel is the heart of most distros but its community that is the lifeblood.
Manjaro is the full package, and a definite distro of the year.
4. Linux Mint 21
Linux Mint 21.1 is the newer and more visually interesting (cf. new applets and updated artwork) update, the original Linux Mint 21 release made the biggest impact this year, of the two.
The oft-promoted “newbie” distro, Linux Mint’s core aims of offering a light and familiar computing experience that stays out of the way continues to resonate with users in tune with the Windows…