GNU Linux started as one man's personal project ? it's now one of the most popular operating system bases in the world. But unlike macOS and Windows, there's not just one Linux OS. There are hundreds of individual platforms assembled from components and built upon the Linux kernel. Different distributions (distros) can vary wildly from one another.So what's the best choice for your small business? We've approached this selection with a few criteria in mind. Stability is first and foremost, because if you're putting a distro to work, uptime is critical, and solid support provision comes a close second.We've also considered practical capabilities, which is why you'll find a couple of non-desktop distributions on our list: Linux is perhaps better suited to managing your behind-the-scenes hardware than it is being put in front of users who may be unfamiliar with Gnome or KDE.