Rolling Linux distros

Linux distros come in two major variants: rolling release and stable release. Stable release distros only send you updates to new software every once in a while; this allows its maintainers to make sure all the updates work properly. Rolling release, on the other hand, provides updates to you as they become available. Of course, rolling distros are still thoroughly tested to make sure they are problem-free.

Our recommendation #

openSUSE Tumbleweed provides a rock-solid rolling release distro. It’s very rare for an update to cause issues, and in the unlikely case that it does, openSUSE lets you roll back those updates when you reboot your computer. Pair that with the YaST system configuration tool, and you’ve got an experience that’s perfect for beginners and experts alike.

Others #

Manjaro is another popular rolling distro. Known for its software management tool Pamac, Manjaro has a well-deserved reputation as a great beginner distro, and for those who simply cannot wait to get updates, Manjaro has an option to switch to the bleeding edge of software updates (although this is more likely to break your system).

openSUSE Slowroll is a version of openSUSE that’s based on Tumbleweed. However, instead of receiving major updates several times a week, you’ll only get them once a month. This release cycle gives more time for maintainers to fix any issues that may occur before they reach your computer.