I had some free time this week, and the Sidux Linux I am using has drifted from leading edge to leading as the Sidux Team introduced a new revision. I was very happy with Sidux and recommend Sidux if you want a stable fast Linux on your computer.

With that being said it was off to Distrowatch for another round of trying out new flavors of Linux. The current roundup is very impressive, and my final decision still is not made. I started downloading PCLinuxOS from their server using my Mac. The download rate was pretty slow, so I killed it waiting for a different time of day to try again.

As I looked over the current offerings, Crunchbang Linux caught my attention. It is purported to be a smaller faster Ubuntu Linux. I downloaded the most current version and installed it on my little Asus 1000. It is a snappy little distribution. It is complete as it comes for most users. I would have been happy with it, with the exception of the color scheme. It is shades of black upon shades of black. I do not know if there was a statement in the color scheme, but with so many choices I decided to let Crunchbang go for something a little more colorful. If black is your favorite color, and you desire a fast lighter distribution, check out Crunchbang Linux.

My next choice was Vector Linux. Vector has a new version out, and I know from past experience that Vector Linux is one very fast distribution. It has been some years, and many revisions since I ran Vector, but knowing how quick it was, I was curious to try Vector Linux again. I was not disappointed! Vector is everything it always has been, and more.

One of the options during the install was to load the works, that was not the option name, but the idea is the same, so I chose it. The whole meal deal was exactly that. Vector Linux was stuffed with more software than I imagined one cd could hold. So much in fact, I felt it was more than I wanted. It was replaced, but I plan to go back and install the regular flavor next week.

Puppy Linux is making a bigger name for itself every week. At around one-hundred megs one is challenged to find a competing distribution that packs so much software and is so fast. As luck would have it, Puppy Linux released two new versions yesterday for revision 4.2.

Puppy Linux from Puppy's site

Being greedy, I downloaded them both, and ran the version that is not the retro edition. What a pretty desktop I had! Loaded with all the software I could want and then some, with the exception of a few games, Puppy is a very pleasant Linux. I had a problem making my memory stick bootable, but once I figure that out, I will have a portable Puppy on a flash drive, and Puppy Linux may make it to my hard drive.

I always wanted to give Zenwalk Linux a spin, but I was never too sure about my wireless support. Since I have decided that wireless on my Asus is not all that, I downloaded Zen Linux and completed an install.. Zen Linux is everything it claims to be. Zen Linux is a nice mix of software. Each program is a leader in its separate category. Zen is very fast, and responsive, with a nice collection of software in the repositories. Zen Linux claims a place on my hard drive this go around.

I am ever curious about Mepis Linux, so I downloaded Mepis. For whatever reason the server timed out in the last thirty seconds of downloading, and I never managed a complete ISO. Mepis is a good distribution, though probably a little heavy for my little netbook.

Along the same lines, I managed a complete download of PCLinuxOS, and burned a cd. It is a little too much for my netbook without undergoing some major changes. It is very pretty as always and performed well for me on my desktops. I am sure that remains the same

I am torn between Zen and Puppy Linux. They are the best for my needs right now, and it is a tough decision. Maybe I will use them both as my mood changes?