Before we get to the rankings, we’d like to say that all five of the distros on test here are key distros; a title they’ve earned for having made a positive impact to the Linux ecosystem at a profound level.
Slackware, the oldest surviving Linux distro, is a shining example. Those who know how can use it for anything. That said, the distro isn’t for just anyone. It comes with a steep learning curve, which severely impacts its usefulness on the desktop.