Best Linux Distributions for Servers and Homelabs

Servers reward boring, predictable releases with long support windows and small unattended upgrades.

24 distributions suited to servers

• Debian GNU/Linux — Debian family, systemd, apt
• NixOS — Independent family, systemd, nix
• Alpine Linux — Independent family, openrc, apk
• Devuan GNU+Linux — Debian family, openrc, apt
• Slackware Linux — Slackware family, sysvinit, pkgtool
• DietPi — Debian family, systemd, apt
• Armbian — Debian family, systemd, apt
• Raspberry Pi OS — Debian family, systemd, apt
• Proxmox VE — Debian family, systemd, apt
• OpenMediaVault — Debian family, systemd, apt
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• Rocky Linux — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• AlmaLinux — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• openSUSE Leap — openSUSE family, systemd, zypper
• Clear Linux OS — Independent family, systemd, swupd
• 4MLinux — Independent family, sysvinit, custom
• Flatcar Container Linux — Gentoo family, systemd, ignition
• Talos Linux — Independent family, custom, none (api driven)
• TrueNAS SCALE — Debian family, systemd, docker
• Oracle Linux — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• CentOS Stream — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• Clonezilla Live — Debian family, sysvinit, apt
• ClearOS — Fedora/RHEL family, systemd, dnf
• OpenWrt — Independent family, procd, opkg

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