Choose two or three systems and compare consistent, editorially reviewed information.
| Feature | SmartOS | Ubuntu | Debian GNU/Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version | rolling | 26.04.1 LTS | 13.7 |
| Base | illumos | debian | independent |
| Family | illumos | ubuntu | debian |
| System type | hypervisor appliance | linux distribution | linux distribution |
| Release model | rolling | lts | stable |
| Architectures | x86_64 | x86_64,arm64,ppc64le,s390x | amd64,arm64,armhf,ppc64el,riscv64,s390x |
| Desktop | Not applicable or user selected | GNOME | Not applicable or user selected |
| Use cases | server, advanced, rolling | desktop, server, beginner, enterprise | desktop, server, advanced |
| Available images | desktop | desktop, server | minimal, desktop |
| Editorial review | 2026-11-09 | 2026-09-03 | 2026-09-03 |
SmartOS is an illumos-based hypervisor operating system combining zones, ZFS, DTrace and hardware virtualisation for infrastructure hosts. It boots from separate media and publishes timestamped platform, ISO, USB and VMware images on an approximately two-week build cadence.
View downloads Official websiteUbuntu is a Debian-derived distribution developed by Canonical and its community for desktops, servers, cloud platforms and containers. Ubuntu 26.04.1 LTS Resolute Raccoon is the current long-term-support desktop release and receives five years of standard security maintenance.
View downloads Official websiteDebian is an independent community distribution known for stability, an extensive package archive and support for several hardware architectures. Debian 13.6 Trixie is the current stable point release and is suitable for desktops, servers, containers and infrastructure.
View downloads Official website