Gallery: My top five Linux desktop distributions

Once you're in SystemRescueCD though, you don't have to stick with a character-line interface. You can start up an Xfce lightweight X Window desktop with the
command “startx” from a command line.

From SystemRescueCD's you can run tools like the GParted disk partition editor - perfect for bring dead hard drives back to life.

If there's data you need to move and edit on a semi-functional hard drive, Midnight Commander Norton Com—which looks a lot like the long gone but fondly remembered Norton Commander - is a very handy file manager.

Number 4: OpenSUSE

Welcome to the openSUSE desktop. This is a very typical KDE 4-style Linux desktop.

OpenSUSE's YaST administration program gives the administrator unparalleled control of every aspect of his or her system.

 OpenSUSE makes it easy to see what's what on your PC.

 YaST also makes it possible to easily set openSUSE up as one of many different kinds of server. Here, I'm getting ready to set up a Samba Common Internet File System (CIFS) server.

Number 3: Mepis 11

This is MEPIS' default KDE desktop. To my eye, even before I've customized it, it's a more attractive take on KDE than openSUSE's more standard KDE approach.

And, after a very little fiddling with it, I'm very happy with my MEPIS KDE-based destkop.

One of my favorite MEPIS features is that it comes with “Assistant” panels. These make it very easy to find all the settings you need for a particular feature set. In this case, it's networking.

 To install software on MEPIS, you use the good old dependable Synaptic Package Manager.

Number 2: Ubuntu

 When it comes to sheer pretty, it's hard to beat Ubuntu's radical Unity interface.

Unity, which is based on GNOME 3.0, uses its left-hand launcher bar to start applications and gets you to the file manager. If that doesn't work for you, there's always the search everything, everywhere interface.

Need a new application? Ubuntu Software Center, which works somewhat like CNET's Download.com, makes it easy to find, pick, and install programs.

Under Unity, Ubuntu still makes it easy to manage your PC's settings.

Number 1: Mint

Mint 11: Based on Ubuntu 11.04, but using GNOME 2.x instead of Unity, I find Mint 11 to be the best of the Linux desktops for daily use.

Mint's GNOME interface may be old-fashioned but it still makes finding applications when you need them easy to do.

Like Ubuntu, Mint makes finding and installing software programs easy.

One Mint plus, as far as I'm concerned, is its use of the Evolution mail and groupware client.