One thing for consideration is what system each student has access to. If they are Window users, you can have them install Linux. The same could not be said for a Mac (albeit I'm a Mac user myself). It should really depend on your students and whether or not they have access to a Mac and more importantly Mac tools you aim to use for teaching purposes as they'll most likely go off what you're using to teach them even if the tools in the end are different for different people.