The Linux distro makes it super easy for me to create, edit, and stream - here's how

Jack Wallen / Elyse Betters Picaro / ZDNET Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways Neptune Linux is geared toward multimedia but offers more. Casual and advanced users will appreciate this distribution. Neptune Linux can be downloaded and used for free. There are plenty of niche Linux distributions on the market, some of which you've probably never heard of or would never use. Then there are those with a purpose that might entice you to consider them as your daily desktop OS. Consider this: How much multimedia do you consume? I'm talking videos, music, images, YouTube, podcasts, you name it. If you spend a good amount of time with multimedia (either listening/watching or creating), why not use an operating system that was created specifically for that purpose? After all, you don't want to have to take the time to install the applications you need or the codecs required to consume all of that multimedia, right? That's why there are Linux distributions such as Neptune on the market. According to the Neptune website, "Neptune focuses on providing an elegant out-of-the-box experience for users. Therefore, we ship a nice and simple overall look and feel as well as a whole bunch of multimedia tools, like codecs, Flash player, audio, and video player." Also: Ready to ditch Windows? 'End of 10' makes converting your PC to Linux easier than ever To that end, you'll find apps like Amarok, Ardour, Kamoso, Kdenlive, Audacity, Encode, VLC media player, Xjadeo, GIMP, Darktable, Inkscape, and KColorChooser. On top of that, the developers have baked in Flatpak to the desktop app store, so you can easily install proprietary apps like Spotify. Not only did I switch the default theme, but I installed Spotify for even more music enjoyment. Jack Wallen/ZDNET Neptune is a Linux distribution for those who place a premium on multimedia and don't want to take the time to configure their OS such that it can play or create audio, visual, and artistic media. What is Neptune? Obviously, Neptune is a Linux distribution. More specifically, Neptune is based on Debian Stable and ships with the KDE Plasma desktop environment. On top of that, Neptune was created such that it can be used directly from a USB flash drive, so you can carry your favorite Linux distribution with you. Plug that USB drive into any PC, boot it up, and you have Neptune Linux at the ready. Neptune ships with a fairly recent kernel (6.12.43 out of the box) as well as KDE Plasma 6.3, updated applications, and core libraries, a new installer, and a refined KDE Plasma desktop. Neptune 9.0 ("Maja") is based on Debian 13 ("Trixie") and is only available for 64-bit hardware (which has become the standard at this point). Get the biggest stories in tech every Friday with ZDNET's Week in Review newsletter. After installing Neptune, I logged in and was greeted by a dark-themed KDE Plasma (which is a pet peeve of mine). I immediately switched the KDE Plasma theme to a lighter version (Settings > Plasma Style) and went about the business of testing. Also: I found a Linux distro that combines the best parts of other operating systems (and it works) My first test was for audio. I played several formats (such as .mp3, .m4a, .ogg, .wav, etc.) and each played flawlessly. I also streamed music from Spotify with zero issues. I then did the same thing for video (both local files and YouTube) and found zero issues. In fact, everything I did with regard to multimedia worked… out of the box. If Spotify is your music service of choice, you'll find it in KDE Discover. Jack Wallen/ZDNET With most Ubuntu or Debian-based Linux distributions, you get the choice of adding third-party codecs during the installation process. With Neptune, that is assumed, so you don't have to do anything to ensure your music and video files will play. "It just works" is such a nice thing to say about a Linux distribution (which happens to be more and more commonplace these days). Beyond multimedia Neptune Linux isn't just about multimedia. In fact, there are plenty of pre-installed applications that will let you be creative or produce right out of the gate. I've already mentioned some of the creative tools (such as GIMP and Audacity), but you also get LibreOffice, Chromium, Thunderbird, Kate (text editor), KDE Connect, Konversation (IRC client), Back In Time (backups), Timeshift (system restore), and more. In other words, I would call Neptune more of an all-around Linux desktop distribution with a focus on multimedia. And because Neptune is based on Debian Stable, you can bet it's rock solid. During my testing period, I didn't encounter a single issue that had to be dealt with. From installation to usage, Neptune was as good as any OS I've used. And with KDE Plasma at the heart of the desktop, you know it can be configured to look and behave however you want. To that end, I can happily report that Neptune is a Linux distribution that is perfectly suited for all user types. Whether you're a creator, a consumer, a worker, a developer, or only need an OS for casual browsing, Neptune could be the ideal replacement for Windows 10. Also: Want to save your old computer? Try one of these 8 Linux distros for free There is one caveat I would mention: if you're a gamer, there will be a bit of extra work needed. You'll have to install Wine, Steam, and a few other bits and pieces to ensure you can play the games you like. However, I would also recommend gamers try one of these distributions. All in all, Neptune is a great distribution for multimedia as well as general usage. Download an ISO, burn it to a flash drive, and install it (or just carry it around with you to use when Windows is the only option).