I've used and covered Linux for nearly 30 years. Here's my top pick for my favorite open-source distro in 2024.

Ah, 2024. You were a year, that's for certain. You had 365 days, each a slat on the roller coaster rails that moved us forward while also taking us to higher highs and lower lows.

One thing is for certain: 2024 saw a lot of incredible Linux distributions released. There was a new Ubuntu, Fedora, Linux Mint, Rhino Linux, EndeavorOS, Manjaro, Zorin OS, openSUSE, Nobara, Garuda, and many more, all of which shined in one way or another.

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But, for me, there was one distribution that rose above all the rest and deserves the title of Best Linux Distribution for 2024.

That distribution is elementary OS 8. I tell you why below.

But first, how do I select a "best distribution?" Isn't this all subjective? Of course it is. But I like to think that, with nearly thirty years of using and covering Linux, I have developed a fairly deep understanding of the OS, what it can do, and what it means to the community of people who use and depend on it.

So, my criteria for being the best include the following:

Many distributions fit the above list, but one stands out above the rest: elementary OS 8.

When I reviewed elementary OS 8, I claimed that it continued the tradition of being a beautiful, user-friendly desktop, and that checks two of the boxes right off the bat.

But let's hold it up to my criteria.

For a long time, elementary OS has been a very polished desktop distribution. The release of version 8 really shows that off. The look of elementary OS 8 has barely changed since inception, which means the development team has been able to focus on polishing instead of reinventing. That rather MacOS-like desktop proves you can keep the same interface and build on it year after year. With version 8, elementary OS does just that. Every aspect of this release feels improved.

I have long held elementary OS as a distribution for any type of user, and version 8 cements that opinion. The latest elementary OS is a Linux desktop distribution that anyone, regardless of skill level, would find highly familiar. Yes, it's very MacOS-like, but that doesn't mean you have to know Apple's OS to succeed with elementary OS. This distribution offers a desktop that is very intuitive -- there are no secrets with elementary OS.

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Version 8 improves on what it already has with features even more advanced users might enjoy, such as Secure Session and better multitasking. New users will appreciate the newly rewritten dock and the inclusive design.

The tagline for elementary OS is "The thoughtful, capable, and ethical replacement for Windows and MacOS." There is no doubt to me that 2024's version 8 holds true to that mission. In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find a Linux distribution that better embodies its mission.

There are several Linux desktop distributions that might look like elementary OS, but they tend to simply be themes applied to one of the many common desktop environments. It's fairly easy to re-theme KDE Plasma, GNOME, or Xfce to look like MacOS, but elementary OS looks and feels like MacOS by design. That's the Pantheon desktop, and it has stood out as unique for a long time.

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Elementary OS was also one of the first distributions I can remember that delivered a unified design throughout the desktop, and version 8 improves on that with aplomb.

If there's one thing that's certain, it's the reliability of elementary OS. I've used this distribution quite a bit, and I've always found it to deliver rock-solid reliability. The same thing holds true with version 8. When you log into the desktop, you immediately feel like you're working on a desktop that will never let you down.

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Given how much work went into this release -- and how much was changed under the hood -- it's an impressive feat for a new release to not depend on the next point version to fix the issues that come along with major releases. Version 8.0 feels more like 8.1, and that's special.

While looking very much like a modern desktop distribution, elementary OS 8 is also very capable of giving life to aging hardware. That computer you're using with Windows 10 (you know, the one that won't support Windows 11) would make a great home for elementary OS. In fact, if you're looking for a replacement for Windows 10, elementary OS will not let you down.

I honestly cannot think of a more elegant Linux desktop distribution that is as simple to use as elementary OS 8. Sure, there are some desktop distributions that might be cooler or could blow your socks off with the theme and layout, but elementary OS 8 stands above the crowd for elegance. The transparent dock, the top bar menu, the inclusive theme -- it all comes together to make for a beautiful desktop experience that is, at the same time, as easy to use as any operating system on the market.

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Elementary OS has held a special place in my heart for a long time, but 2024 is the first year that I have crowned it best, and that title is well deserved.

If you've not experienced elementary OS, I highly recommend you download an ISO and either install it as a virtual machine or use it as a replacement for Windows 10. Either way you go, elementary OS will impress.