Six Linux distributions Jack Wallen says could rise in 2026

Jack Wallen, writing for ZDNet, highlights six Linux distributions he expects to stand out in 2026, saying Linux is set for a big year and that the end of Windows 10 has helped drive interest in alternatives. Wallen praises AerynOS for being fully atomic (but not immutable) with a vanilla KDE Plasma desktop and automatic boot, kernel and rollback management, including automatic EFI repair.

He describes AnduinOS as an Ubuntu-based, Windows-like distro that uses GNOME with bundled extensions and, the author notes, does not collect user information. Wallen tested Besgnulinux himself in a virtual machine with 2 GB of RAM and a single CPU core and reports it ran like a modern desktop; he says it is Debian stable–based, uses the JWM window manager, and targets older hardware.

BigLinux is described as a Manjaro-based distro using KDE Plasma that includes many web applications, a choice of browsers during install, and a Big Driver Manager to simplify drivers. Wallen also highlights Pop!_OS and System76’s COSMIC desktop, which he has used since early alpha and calls fast and configurable, predicting COSMIC could become the most popular Linux desktop environment by the end of 2026.

Zorin OS is noted for already seeing more than a million downloads in two months after Windows 10 support ended, with 78% of those downloads coming from Windows machines; it is Ubuntu-based and offers multiple desktop layouts including Windows- and macOS-like options.

Key Topics

Tech, Linux, Aerynos, Anduinos, Besgnulinux, Pop!_os