Linux Distributions - An Easy Guide

If you have read my previous article and are still confused on how are Linux Distros different and which one should you select to install it on your system, then this is a easy guide for you.

In any distribution, the fundamentals stay the same:

• There is always a Linux Kernel (the core component of the Linux operating system)
• The default GNU software (tools like ls, rm, etc)
• General software to be expected of a Linux distribution (text editors, etc)

What differs from distribution to distribution is usually:

• Installation Software (for installing software, or the operating system)
• General software: (Office Apps, Prog. Languages, Games, Web Software etc)
• Documentation and Manuals (Quality of, Lack of, Quantity of)
• Cost – whether you pay nothing, a little, or a lot for a distribution depends on what you need from it and the business model the distributor works to.
• Quality of software (buggy or not buggy software, latest versions of software)
• Whether it is up to date or not
• Whether the distributor offers a good channel of support or not
• How easy it is to use overall.

You get Linux, whatever distribution you choose. You may get a better range of options with distribution X over distribution Y, The choice is for you to decide, and because of Linux’s excellent Copying/Licensing properties, you can often download a distribution from the net, or have a copy made for free by a friend without having to part with any cash.

Bundled Software with your Linux distribution

When you buy a mac, or a Windows PC you will find you get a nominal amount of software with it, made (usually) by either Microsoft or Apple. If you buy the PC from a vendor such as HP, you might get some extra tools as well like Multimedia software, but what you will undoubtedly notice is that you have to buy or download most of the software you want to use on your system. With a Linux distribution, you generally find that it comes with some important softwares already pre-installed. Some large software like office suites (OpenOffice.org) to smaller but powerful tools like DVD/movie software such as VLC.

Small guide on 'Live' Distributions

In today's time, so called ‘Live’ distributions have become very popular, because it let’s you try out a Linux distribution without even installing it onto your hard disk. This is great because you don’t have to repartition the disk (will be referred in next article) or install it over your Windows/Mac OS software. You can simply drop the CD or USB for a Live Distro into your CD Drive or USB Port and start up your computer from that. You usually get most of the main functionality of the distribution so you can really evaluate if the distribution is for you before you choose to install it for real. Canonical’s Ubuntu Linux has a great installer that has an option to install Ubuntu on the same disk partition as your Windows XP or Vista setup using an installer called the ‘wubi installer’. It runs a tiny bit slower than normal Linux, but it’s a very easy way to install Linux alongside Windows if you want to test it first. Also Live Linux can be used when you want to operate your HDD when you have forgotten your Windows user account password. There are many more uses which we will discuss in my upcoming articles.

Why should you buy Linux even when it is available for Free?

Buying Linux often provides us with extra benefits that downloaded-free versions do not provide, such as:

• Physical manuals (SuSE & Red Hat Enterprise Linux are particularly good) to help you out when you need a complete reference.
• Vendor support for a particular period of time
• Distributions like Red-Hat Enterprise give corporations a guaranteed Service Level Response
• Sometimes you may get more software than with other distributions (eg extra DVDs instead of downloads).
• Commercial software titles can be included (as it is non-free), these can include copyrighted or patented technologies such as DVD and MP3 players, as well as commercial software like Adobe Flash Player and so forth.

Which distribution to choose? 

Below are some opinions which will help you choose your Linux distro.

• Red Hat Enterprise (RHEL) - You are a manager and you want a good support contract.
• CentOS - You want Red Hat without the support contract from Red Hat.
• Fedora - You want Red Hat on your laptop/desktop.
• Linux Mint - You want a personal graphical desktop to play movies, music and games.
• Debian - Some people's personal favorite for servers, laptops, and any other device.
• Ubuntu - Very popular, based on Debian.
• Kali - You want a g hacking interface.
• Others - Advanced users may prefer Arch, Gentoo, OpenSUSE, Scientific, ...