The State of the Distributions (Spring 2010)
A comparison of the most popular Linux Distributions
- Introduction
- The Installation Routines
- Managing the Distributions
- Available Software - Enabling Multimedia Support
- Desktop Environments
- Final Thoughts
Whether you are new to Linux and asking "Which Distribution should I use?", or if you have been using Linux for years and want to see what the other distributions offer, this article highlights the differences between the major Linux Distributions. For those new to Linux, we will also try to fill you in as to what makes a good Linux distribution and what sets each distribution apart.
For starters, the Linux Operating System is different than proprietary Operating Systems, such as Microsoft Windows. Linux has a community based development model where many people, organizations and businesses jointly develop the software. With this style of development, there is no one entity that controls everything, but because of this, it is quite difficult to build a coherent system that will run on personal computers. This is where distributions come in.
Distributions are complete Linux Systems that are built by companies or organizations to aid in the support and installation of the Linux Operating System. Distributions take care of all of the rudimentary tasks of building the system, such as building and testing the software, providing technical support and to provide security updates and bug fixes, etc.
There are all types of distributions available, from ones that are very user friendly to advanced ones that allow you to build your system from the source code. This article covers the four most popular Linux distributions available today; Mandriva Linux, Ubuntu Linux, Fedora Linux and openSUSE Linux.
There is usually no distribution that will perfectly fit everyones needs. Each one has its own strengths and weaknesses which will vary from person to person. This article covers all the major advantages (and disadvantages) each of these distributions have to offer and will hopefully give you enough information to help guide you in choosing which Linux Distribution is right for your computer.
NOTE: Linux is actually only the kernel of a complete system. Many contributors like to call a complete Linux system a GNU/Linux system. The GNU stands for GNU's Not Unix (a recursive acronym) and is the system first started by Richard Stallman, then later developed with the coordination of the Free Software Foundation. The idea of GNU/Linux is to get the point of freedom across when you discuss the operating system. We have decided that our site will use the generic name Linux to signify the whole system, but please, keep software freedom in mind when reading our Linux articles.
Mandriva Linux
Mandriva Linux was first started in 1998 under the name Mandrake Linux. It was built as a custom built Redhat Linux distribution (optimized for Pentium Computers) and focused on ease of use for Linux novices. In 2002, Walmart decided to stock both the Mandrake Linux software box, as well as sell computer systems with Mandrake Linux pre-installed on them, although this was short lived.
In 2004, just after getting out from bankruptcy, they lost a court case that required them to change their name. In 2005, after losing the court appeals, and after acquiring Conectiva, they decided to change their name to Mandriva.
We will be looking at their latest release, Mandriva Linux 2010.0, which was released back in November 2009. Their next release is slated to be released on June 3, 2010.
Fedora Linux
Fedora Linux was started by Redhat Linux in September 2003 as a community based open development Operating System based on the Redhat Linux distribution. The first release of the Fedora distribution was in October 1994 and has since progressed to be one of the most popular Linux Distributions available today, just behind Ubuntu Linux.
Fedora Linux has about a 6 month release cycle and updates are maintained for about a year or so after the initial release. In this article, we will be looking at the Fedora 12 release, which was released in November 2009. The next Fedora Linux release is slated for May 11, 2009.
Ubuntu Linux
Ubuntu's first release was in October 2004 and it quickly became the most popular Linux Distribution since it's main focus is on usablility and ease of installation. Ubuntu Linux is based off of the Debian Distribution, which means that it is the only distribution here based on "DEB" packages instead of "RPM" Packages.
Ubuntu, like Fedora, is a community based Distribtuion. Ubuntu's main sponsor is Canonical, which is owned by billionaire Mark Shuttleworth. Ubuntu's name is derived from the South African ethical ideology Ubuntu, which stands for "humanity towards others".
In this article, we will be looking at the Ubuntu 9.10 "Karmic Koala" release, which was released in late October 2009. The next Ubuntu release is scheduled for April 29, 2010.
openSUSE Linux
openSUSE is the community version of the Suse Linux Enterprise Distribution. Suse Linux was started in 1992, and was the first "real" commercial Linux vendor to appear. In January of 2004, Novell acquired Suse, and another Linux company, Ximian. Since the acquisition, Novell started off strong and successfully transitioned Suse Linux to a major Enterprise Distribution. However, the late 2006 deal with Microsoft, where the two companies agreed on "patent cooperation" muddied the waters with the Open Source / Free Software community.
We will be looking at openSUSE's 11.2 release, which was released in November 2009. openSUSE's release cycle is approximately 8 months, and the next version is scheduled to be released on July 15, 2010.
