FOSS Force’s Top Ten for January

Here’s what people were reading the most on FOSS Force during the month of January, 2026.

Origami Linux’s COSMIC Desktop on Fedora Atomic Almost Wins Me Over by Larry Cafiero: Origami Linux pairs the Cosmic desktop with a Fedora Atomic base and a deliberately sparse default install, leaving most of the customization to you.
Arch the Easy Way, With Manjaro 26.0 by Larry Cafiero: One of Distrowatch’s top 10 distros, Manjaro 26.0 aims to deliver Arch speed with fewer sharp edges; here’s how it handles installation, performance, and everyday tasks.
Our Top Five Most Underrated Linux Distros for 2025 by Larry Cafiero: Not every great distro makes a splash on the front page of DistroWatch or in mainstream coverage. These are the five Linux distros from 2025 that we think merit a closer look.
MiniOS Ultra 5.1 Shrinks the ISO, Not the Experience by Larry Cafiero: From Russia with software freedom, MiniOS Ultra 5.1 serves up a compact Debian‑based distro with an impressive range of built‑in tools. We have screenshots!
CachyOS — Distrowatch’s Top Distro Has Speed, Polish and Features by Larry Cafiero: CachyOS delivers top‑tier performance, modern desktop choices, and hassle‑free software management — a standout among Arch‑based distros.
CuerdOS 2.0 Skycatcher Xfce: Spanish Distro Takes Chances, Mostly Succeeds by Larry Cafiero: CuerdOS 2.0 Skycatcher’s Xfce edition leans on Debian Trixie, custom tuning, and unconventional app choices like Vivaldi and Harmony Music.
Pop!_OS 24.04 and COSMIC Betas Have Arrived — We’ve Got Screenshots by Christine Hall: Cosmic’s Rust-powered debut is here! Dive into the revamped Pop!_OS 24.04 beta and get your first look at the modern desktop that’s rewriting Linux history.
Try Joplin: Your Open Source Evernote Alternative by Jack Wallen: If you rely heavily on note-taking apps and want to switch from a proprietary to an open-source solution, this app might be what you’re looking for.
Modified Pixabay image.

My Five Linux and Open Source 2026 Resolutions (Oh… and BSD) by Jack Wallen: After a rough 2025, Jack Wallen maps out five practical resolutions for 2026, from covering BSD more seriously to actually speaking up when people complain about Windows.
Seven Years After, Stallman Is Still Stallman by Christine Hall: Nearly seven years after Richard Stallman left MIT under pressure and resigned the presidency of the Free Software Foundation he founded, he’s back on a U.S. campus giving a talk that is pure RMS.