Fedora 23 is here -- download the free Linux-based operating system now

Not all Linux distributions are created equal. The focus of its maintainers can vary wildly, leading to very different experiences. I still insist that there are too many distros, leading to confusion and resources being spread too thin, but c'est la vie.

Today, my favorite Linux distro, Fedora -- which is also the operating system of choice for Linus Torvalds -- reaches a new milestone. Yes, Fedora 23 is finally here and it comes with Linux kernel 4.2. If you are a fan of open source, security, frequently updated packages and free-software ideology, this is the Linux-based operating system for you.

"The latest edition of the Fedora operating system, Fedora 23, brings updated and enhanced versions of Fedora's three editions, all of which are built on a foundation of base packages, which includes updated versions of the Linux kernel, RPM, systemd, DNF and Anaconda. New to Fedora 23 is a 'hardening' of these packages through the use of compiler flags, helping to prevent corruption, buffer overflows and other vulnerability issues", says The Fedora Project.

Matthew Miller, Fedora Project Leader explains, "The Fedora operating system needed to be both more flexible and more targeted, and last year, we released the first Fedora distribution with three separate editions for users in the cloud, for those in the server room, and for users looking for a desktop platform. The release of Fedora 23 highlights the important successes of this initiative, including the delivery of these three distinct editions as well as infrastructure improvements to help our community continue Fedora's role as a leader within the open source operating system world".

If you are a huge GNOME fan like me, you will be happy to know that 3.18 comes as the default desktop environment -- woo hoo! Of course, if you do not like it, you can opt for other "spins", such as KDE and Xfce, plus the newly introduced Cinnamon option.

Need to get work done? Don't worry, LibreOffice 5.0 comes pre-installed. While it is not as full featured as Microsoft Office, it is still extremely powerful. Heck, some would argue that the UI is superior to Microsoft's.

Ready to download one of the best operating systems on the planet? Go ahead and grab the ISO here. If you download it, tell me how you like it in the comments.