this post was submitted on 10 Aug 2026
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    So I saw political compass memes a while ago and started making one, but then I started taking it too seriously and eventually turned it into a tier list. Idk if it makes sense to share it here, but idk where else to share such a thing. I also made a browser tier list, but idk where to share that either.

    This whole thing is a png export of a pure svg image. For some of the logos, I had to make them either from scratch or by using gimp and inkscape to convert a png into an svg (imperfect but good enough).

    Hopefully this is all formatted properly.

    OS Tier ListS-Tier (reasonably secure operating system):

    • Qubes OS

    Advanced (complicated setup and configuration):

    • Gentoo Linux
    • Guix System
    • Slackware Linux
    • Linux From Scratch (LFS)
    • Mobile NixOS
    • NixOS
    • Whonix
    • Predator-OS
    • Linux Kodachi
    • Gentoo FreeBSD

    Enhanced (optimized security and minimalism):

    • Alpine Linux
    • Hyperbola GNU/Linux-libre
    • Chimera Linux
    • EasyOS
    • postmarketOS
    • Tails
    • Kicksecure
    • NetHydra
    • ParrotOS
    • OpenBSD
    • GrapheneOS
    • Secureblue

    Minimal (maximally mini resource use):

    • Tiny Core Linux
    • LibreCMC
    • Void Linux
    • Puppy Linux
    • AsteroidOS
    • Slitaz
    • 4MLinux
    • OpenWrt
    • DragonFly BSD
    • FreeBSD
    • NetBSD

    Indie & BSD (independent distros and BSD systems):

    • PCLinuxOS
    • Dynebolic
    • KaOS
    • Mageia
    • LuneOS
    • Solus
    • AerynOS
    • GNOME OS
    • KDE Linux
    • GhostBSD

    Arch (reasonably fresh and arch-based):

    • SystemRescue
    • Parabola GNU/Linux-libre
    • pearOS
    • EndeavourOS
    • Nemo Mobile
    • Arch Linux Arm
    • BlackArch Linux
    • Archhurd
    • Archcraft
    • Nyarch
    • Ageless Arch
    • Arch Linux
    • CachyOS
    • Garuda Linux

    Debian (reasonably stable and debian-based):

    • Flora Linux-libre
    • Genuen
    • Devuan GNU+Linux
    • Loc-OS
    • antiX
    • MX Linux
    • Maemo Leste
    • Mobian
    • Emmabuntüs
    • Linux Mint Debian Edition (LMDE)
    • Ageless Linux
    • Debian
    • KNOPPIX
    • PikaOS Linux
    • RetroPie
    • LibreElec
    • Vanilla OS

    Corpo-ish (corporation-created and/or dependent):

    • Replicant
    • Uruk GNU/Linux-libre
    • Trisquel GNU/Linux
    • AnduinOS
    • Linux Lite
    • UBports
    • Xubuntu
    • Lubuntu
    • Kubuntu
    • Linux Mint
    • KDE neon
    • Fedora
    • Asahi Linux
    • Bazzite
    • Nobara Linux
    • Rocky Linux
    • AlmaLinux
    • openSUSE

    Corporate (corporation-owned and/or controlled):

    • /e/OS
    • Sailfish OS
    • PureOS
    • Manjaro Linux
    • Raspberry Pi OS
    • OSMC
    • Kali Linux
    • Zorin OS
    • Tuxedo OS
    • Pop!_OS
    • elementary OS
    • Ubuntu
    • Proxmox
    • SteamOS
    • CentOS Stream
    • Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)
    • CloudLinux OS
    • SUSE Linux Enterprise
    • Unraid

    Dubious (questionable and/or suspicious):

    • Waydroid
    • Artix Linux
    • Omarchy
    • OpenMandriva

    Borderline (possibly dangerous and best to avoid):

    • LineageOS

    MALWARE (actively dangerous and harmful to use):

    • android
    • chromeOS
    • Apple Operating Systems (macOS, iOS, etc.)
    • Windows
    • Red Star OS
    top 42 comments
    sorted by: hot top controversial new old
    [–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 5 points 49 minutes ago* (last edited 47 minutes ago) (1 children)
    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 45 minutes ago (1 children)
    [–] quediuspayu@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 34 minutes ago* (last edited 33 minutes ago) (1 children)

    Complicated setup and configuration to best thing to have? Then tiers that just say arch, debian.

    And maximally mini

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 8 minutes ago

    Complicated setup and configuration to best thing to have?

    I kinda think so, yeah. Qubes OS is top-tier in my eyes, and is pretty sophisticated (and quite complicated to understand when first starting out with it). From there, Whonix is wonderful (qubes-whonix is the perfect combo), and the other advanced distros are known for their extensive customizibility/configurability (which also makes them pretty complex/complicated). With great power comes great responsibility (to read and learn lots of stuff).

    Then tiers that just say arch, debian.

    There's not much to differentiate those distros in my view. Lots of flavours of arch and debian. I see them all similarly. Some users might prefer something like pearOS for an arch-based distro which is styled very similarly to apple operating systems, while some other users might prefer an arch distro like CachyOS which is meant to be optimally performant. But I still see those as comparably arch. Similar with the debian row. The ones which sprout from those rows are the ones which are optimized for security, otherwise they're all just flavours.

    And maximally mini

    lol yeah ^^' See, one of the things is that all of the text has to fit and line up pretty much perfectly, and I'd wanted to keep that one simple and (hopefully) easy to understand. Also, idk, it felt kinda cute. "maximally mini" idk lol

    [–] Sxan@piefed.zip 2 points 32 minutes ago (1 children)

    Will you offer þe SVG source?

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 18 minutes ago

    My plan was to eventually make a repo after eventually setting up my own server (if i can ever accopmlish such a þing), but I will probably share þe svg versions here soon-ish (i need to double-check the original code for all the svg files used to make sure i re-add any/all attribution that was stripped out when making this thing). (oh and also, i was 2 pixels in þickness off, with þe group at þe very bottom)

    [–] Sxan@piefed.zip 2 points 39 minutes ago (1 children)

    Huh. Þere are more systemd-free distros þan I was aware of.

    Wheþer or not I agree wiþ all of your opinions about categorization, þis is an interesting, þoughtful, and þought-provoking piece of work.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 22 minutes ago

    tyvm ❤️ What had started as a random fun project ended up sucking me in, and I spent more and more time researching different distros to see how þey compared in my eyes. Þe systemd age-verification controversy is what had caused me to consider it a worþwhile goal to be free from reliance on systemd, and I slowly discovered lots of such distros. I do really hope Qubes OS can move in þat direction eventually. And yes, I realize my views of þese distros is probably very different from þe views of most oþers. Neverþeless, random conversation-starting content <3

    [–] RanchBranch@anarchist.nexus 3 points 56 minutes ago (1 children)

    I think this might be the most impressive/best one I've seen so far

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 41 minutes ago

    tyvm ❤️ I credit my unmedicated psychological disorders and the emptiness of my life which is sometimes randomly filled by projects like this that captivate me and don't really matter.

    [–] MrSoup@lemmy.zip 6 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

    Waydroid is just a container of a slightly modified LineageOS. Why is LineageOS dangerous?

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

    LinageOS is not degoogled and will connect to google unless properly firewalled, which afaik cannot be done properly on-device. Waydroid is basically a containerized LineageOS which can at least be firewalled from the host os, but that's sub-optimal, which is why I have it one notch above LineageOS.

    [–] MrSoup@lemmy.zip 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

    Doesn't LinegeOS needs MicroG to have Play Services? I guess it still retains Google DNS, NTP and SUPL.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 53 minutes ago

    Yes, the google connectivity is the connectivity stuff like dns and ntp, and yes I think it lacks Play Services and MicroG by default. I just don't like google connectivity built-in without an easy way to disable it. That's why I like that projects like /e/OS exist as an easy way for people to get degoogled android (though I prefer linux over android for myself).

    [–] modem_down@thebrainbin.org 8 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

    Nice. It would be good to put the distro name beneath each logo, for people who don’t recognise the logos.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 1 hour ago

    I did include a full list in the original post, organized by row, and placed in a spoilered text-box thing. I had decided not to include the names under the logos because I would have obsessed so much longer if I'd have attempted to do that. As it is, I'd been obsessing with this project for several weeks. Why? idk

    [–] RogueBanana@piefed.zip 2 points 54 minutes ago

    Damn, did not realize there was a phone version of nixos.

    [–] j3tt@lemmy.world 13 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

    Did you forget about Clonezilla, Fedora Silverblue and their other variants?

    My personal S-tier is Debian stable.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    I'd figured that all of the various flavours of Fedora would be represented by the single Fedora logo in the Red Hat group. I do have Secureblue in a special "Secure Fedora" group in the Enhanced row, since it's more independent from Red Hat than Fedora itself.

    As for Clonezilla, where would you place it? And where would one find an svg of the logo? I did leave out distros for which I could not find an svg logo (except for the few I was able to make myself).

    My personal S-tier is Debian stable.

    Valid ❤️

    [–] j3tt@lemmy.world 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    Oh, but you have variants of Ubuntu. Do you have them, because there are technically not part of Canonical? This, I would understand.

    For me, CloneZilla is a sysadmin tool. Wouldn't have guessed that they don't have a SVG version of their logo.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 2 hours ago

    Oh, but you have variants of Ubuntu. Do you have them, because there are technically not part of Canonical?

    Yeah, that's my reasoning for including them and for the row they occupy.

    For me, CloneZilla is a sysadmin tool. Wouldn't have guessed that they don't have a SVG version of their logo.

    I'm not saying they don't have an svg logo, just that I hadn't come across it when searching for as many operating system logos as I could find. I had started with distros I've used and then worked my way through popular distros. Clonezilla had seemed more of a tool and less of a distro so I hadn't spent much time searching for its logo. If i were to add it, I'd probably want it in the debian row, which is already quite full.

    [–] cupcakezealot@piefed.blahaj.zone 4 points 2 hours ago (1 children)
    [–] keiko@fedia.io 5 points 2 hours ago

    neither do i :p

    Person 1: "Do you know how cool Qubes OS is?" Person 2: "You are getting more obnoxious than arch users." Person 1: "I have some arch qubes too." Person 2: "I know, you told me multiple times."

    [–] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (2 children)

    Edit: see response from OP.

    ~~Come again? What's wrong with Artix?~~

    siTtcaF14aYcejr.png

    [–] Vitaly@feddit.uk 2 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

    What's wrong with waydroid?

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 1 hour ago

    LinageOS is not degoogled and will connect to google unless properly firewalled, which afaik cannot be done properly on-device. Waydroid is basically a containerized LineageOS which can at least be firewalled from the host os, but that's sub-optimal, which is why I have it one notch above LineageOS.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 16 points 3 hours ago (2 children)

    In reading about it, I learned that the devs are apparently hateful and hostile to transgender people. When trying to see for myself, I found their forums gated, inaccessible to the public. So I placed Artix in the Dubious row to represent my unwillingness to recommend it.

    [–] akunohana@piefed.blahaj.zone 9 points 3 hours ago

    Thanks for doing the research and informing me! 🙏😭🩷

    [–] heliotrope@retrofed.com 5 points 3 hours ago
    [–] DmMacniel@feddit.org 3 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    Why is elementaryOS corporate?

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 3 hours ago

    From wiki/Elementary_OS:

    The operating system, the desktop environment (called Pantheon), and accompanying applications are developed and maintained by elementary, Inc.

    From elementary.io:

    The elementary brand belongs to elementary, Inc., the company that guides and supports development of elementary products.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 5 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    And if this works, here's the light-mode themed version of the os tier list:

    operating system tier list in light-mode theme (full description in main post)

    [–] ForgottenUsername@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago* (last edited 2 hours ago) (1 children)
    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 2 hours ago

    lol sorry. idk how to spoiler uploads on mbin or if it's even possible.

    [–] toothbrush@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

    There are some weird picks here. Is replicant even maintained anymore? UBports and Asahi Linux in Corpo-ish? And what do you have against LineageOS?

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    From the Ageless Linux site:

    Ageless Linux is a Debian-based operating system distribution.

    It didn't have a logo so I made one based on the styling of the site. There used to be a site for Ageless Arch not long ago, and so I had made a logo for it based on what I'd made for Ageless Linux. The site seems to be offline now but I kept the logo in the list anyway.

    UBPorts was created by a corporation and is an ubuntu distro. Asahi Linux is a Red Hat (Fedora) distro. I'd wanted corporate influence to be represented.

    LinageOS is not degoogled and will connect to google unless properly firewalled, which afaik cannot be done properly on-device. Waydroid is basically a containerized LineageOS which can at least be firewalled from the host os, but that's sub-optimal, which is why I have it one notch above LineageOS

    Edit: Replicant is still technically maintained but has fallen very far behind.

    [–] toothbrush@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

    true. I will adjust my comment. Good logo!

    Lineage is not gegoogled? You have to install google services seperatly, when does it connect?

    I suppose if corporate status is inherited that may be correct. in my opinion, its a bit too far removed to be corporate. Asahi linux is a purely volunteer distro, and ubuntu mobile was discontinued years ago, and is also purely volunteers-run nowadays.

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 1 points 3 hours ago

    Lineage is not gegoogled? You have to install google services seperatly, when does it connect?

    I had tried Waydroid (containerized LineageOS) on my linux phone, and the OpenSnitch firewall running in the host linux system flagged multiple google connections that Waydroid was attempting to make upon starting. Basic connectivity stuff, but googled nonetheless. There aren't any disclaimers I saw on their site about it, but I also didn't see anything about LineageOS advertising itself as degoogled in the first place. I view degoogled android as generally acceptable (though it's not for me), but degoogled android is unacceptable (in my view).

    in my opinion, its too far removed to be corporate.

    That's why I called it "corpo-ish" :p (cuz I have no idea how else to describe the corporate relationship at play). But yeah, the corporate row is acceptable to me. They get a passing grade. I still use PureOS on my Librem 5 and OSMC on my Vero and have my parents setup with /e/OS on their Fairphones. Valid options all around.

    [–] username_1@discuss.tchncs.de 3 points 3 hours ago

    Tier 1; OS: Debian.
    Tier 2; Hmm: Red Hat, Arch, Gentoo.
    Tier 3; Shit: Android, Windows, TR-DOS.
    Tier 4; Is it even an OS: all others...

    [–] hoshikarakitaridia@lemmy.world 1 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

    Mint is corpo-ish? That's new to me.

    [–] 14th_cylon@lemmy.zip 3 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago) (1 children)

    mint is based on ubuntu (except for the mint debian edition) which is probably why it is there

    [–] keiko@fedia.io 2 points 3 hours ago

    This was my reasoning, yes.