Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google.
ZDNET’s key takeaways
- Atomic distributions guarantee successful upgrades.
- Some atomic distros are also immutable for added security.
- Each of these OSs is free to download and use.
Imagine you’re using Windows 11 and you’ve learned that an upgrade is available. You struggle to approve the upgrade, but you know you will eventually have no choice. The reason for your struggle is that you’ve either experienced or know someone who’s experienced a Windows upgrade gone wrong.
Also: I replaced Windows with Linux, and there’s only one feature I miss
You don’t want to risk losing data or having to reinstall your OS.
Now, imagine using an operating system that guarantees that upgrades will either 100% succeed or not happen at all.
That’s what an atomic distribution is. When an update is made available, it happens in the background, in an isolated location (so it doesn’t affect you or the OS). If the upgrade succeeds, it will be applied the next time you reboot. If the upgrade fails, it’s scrapped.
Sounds good, doesn’t it? Well, you’re in luck because there are plenty of atomic Linux distributions ready to ensure your upgrades work.
Here are my favorites.
1. Vanilla OS
Vanilla OS is impressive. Even beyond its atomicity (and immutability), Vanilla OS has plenty to offer. During the installation, you get to make some customizations, such as which office suite and web browser to install. I look at Vanilla OS as a “frankenlinux” because it uses a unique package manager (Apx), which allows you to install software from various sources.
Those apps are installed within containers, so they cannot access the root file system, which adds an extra layer of security to the system. So, not only are you getting atomic upgrades, but you also get containerized applications that can be installed from multiple sources. Vanilla OS also supports Flatpak, AppImages, and Android apps. Add Wine into the mix (which is not preinstalled), and there’s no end to the software you can install.
Also: How to run a Windows app on Linux with Wine
During the installation, you also get to configure how often the updates occur. You can even set up the upgrade to happen only when your computer is idle.
Vanilla OS is a great option for those who want a customized Linux OS that uses atomic upgrades and can install software from just about anywhere.
2. AerynOS
AerynOS is a Linux distribution that doesn’t exactly hold your hand during the installation. Instead of offering a user-friendly GUI, you get a text-based installer that even requires that you manually partition the drive. If you’ve been around Linux long enough, you can remember when that was the norm.
The good news is that you don’t have to partition the drive from the command line. You can fire up GParted (a GUI partition tool), get the job done, and fire up the text-based installer.
Also: The most beautiful Linux distributions
Don’t let that scare you away from trying this atomic distribution (that also happens to be immutable). AerynOS defaults to the KDE Plasma desktop, so it’s both beautiful and flexible. It’s also a vanilla KDE Plasma installation, so there are next to no changes from the basic Plasma configuration.
Upon logging in for the first time, you’ll notice there is no update to run. That’s because AerynOS takes care of that during the installation.
3. Fedora Kinoite
Fedora Kinoite is another atomic and immutable desktop operating system. Kinoite is a part of Universal Blue, which is a repository that contains customized, bootable OCI container images based on Fedora.
Fedora Kinoite defaults to the KDE Plasma desktop and is suitable for nearly every type of user, especially those wanting a highly stable and secure environment.
Also: Fedora KDE is a brilliant desktop operating system ready for any type of user
As with most immutable distributions, all packages are installed as containers (via Flatpak), which prevents them from accessing the base system.
Another nice feature of Kinoite is that the system is updated every 13 months (separate from the usual updates), so you can not only count on the upgrades working, but also know when the major upgrades are going to happen, making this a highly predictable operating system.
4. Aurora
Aurora is the atomic and immutable Linux distribution that is sure to be a hit with those migrating from Windows. Yet another distro that uses the KDE Plasma desktop, Aurora is ready to go out of the box. You’ll get all the apps you need, along with sensible default settings, so there’s very little for you to do after installation.
Also: This is my favorite Linux distro of all time – and I’ve tried them all
There is one thing that sets Aurora apart from the other immutable distributions, and that’s a tool called Distroshelf. This tool allows you to run different Linux distributions as virtual machines so easily that anyone can do it. With this tool, you can explore a variety of Linux distributions to either see what’s out there or discover your next OS.
There’s also the offline docs app, which is really just the Okular document viewer configured for access to plenty of documentation to help you along the way.
5. Bazzite
If you’re a gamer, Bazzite is the distro you want.
Bazzite is a SteamOS clone, based on Fedora, so it’s ready to have you playing your favorite Steam games with little setup required. This distribution is not only built for gamers, but also for new and seasoned users. You could say that Bazzite is an all-around distro for all-around users.
Also: The 7 Linux distros I recommend most for gaming – including my favorite
Although Bazzite is not exactly a 1:1 clone of SteamOS, it’s close enough. You even get a SteamOS-like KDE Plasma theme.
Other features found in Bazzite include improved hardware support, proprietary driver support for GeForce GPUs, the System76 CPU scheduler for optimized performance, Waydroid (an Android emulator), DisplayLinux support, atomic upgrades, LUKS full-disk encryption, game controller support, a handheld daemon (for enhanced functionality and support for handhelds) … and even some productivity apps tossed in for good measure.