Section 2.3. Choose Your Linux Distribution
2.3. Choose Your Linux DistributionIf there is a disadvantage to Linux, it is that there are so many distributions from which to choose! Many large companies, small companies, and even individuals create their very own distributions of Linux, often to address specific needs. This is the strength of Open Software, but it might not seem like it when all you want is to pick one to run on your desktop. Linux distributions are available for all manners of boot media, hardware platforms, and user environments. Several distributions of Linux (e.g., Knoppix, Linspire, MEPIS, and SuSE) can run "live" directly off a CD-ROM, without having to be installed on the hard drive. FeatherLinux can be booted from a USB pen drive. Yellow Dog Linux runs on an Apple Power Mac. The good news is that only a few distributions are widely deployed. While many more distributions exist than could be discussed here, we can limit ourselves to a discussion of the most popular and least expensive distributions. A great deal of information on these (and many other) distributions can be found at the following web sites:
The code for Linux and the GNU utilities is open source, so there is no charge for the code itself. However, depending on the distribution you select and the packaging, media, and support that does or does not come with it, you may pay "real money" for it. Most of the distributions we survey here can be downloaded, and all are available on CD-ROM for nominal fees, as we will see later. 2.3.1. DebianDebian GNU/Linux is a truly noncommercial distribution of Linux in that it is managed by volunteer developers worldwide and not any corporate entity. Debian has been ported to more different hardware platforms than most other distributions. Although Debian has a reputation for being a bit hard to install, this is being actively addressed by the development of a new install program. There are many options during Linux installation, and the current Debian installation requires that the user be knowledgeable about these options. The installation is text based (rather than using a graphical interface), which seems more difficult to novice users. The X Window System must be configured in a separate step after installation, so Debian initially comes up without a graphical display. Once Debian is installed, however, it receives high marks for its Advanced Packaging Tool, which is used to install Linux packages rather than the more common Red Hat Package Manager (RPM). Debian is a very reliable distribution and popular with experienced users. For more information about Debian GNU/Linux, see these web sites:
2.3.2. FedoraRed Hat, Inc., was founded in 1994 and was an early, and arguably the most successful, commercial producer of a Linux distribution. Over time, Red Hat has focused on business customers who wanted higher levels of support for enterprise applications. With the addition of the Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) certification program, corporate users felt confident that the information, update, and support resources would be available long into the future. This success took Red Hat away from the smaller customer and individual Linux user. To avoid neglecting this large and loyal class of user, Red Hat created an entity they named Project Fedora, a community-directed project separate from the retail offerings of the company. The objective of Project Fedora is to provide a new distribution at a fast development pace, so it's always on the leading edge of new functionality, while accepting slightly less stability. The distribution produced by Project Fedora is known as Fedora Core Linux and is popular due to its ease of installation and use. While Red Hat sponsors Project Fedora, they do not support the Fedora Core distribution as they do their commercial Red Hat distributions. Like most distribution creators, Red Hat adds quite a few enhancements to the basic GNU/Linux system. Fedora Core comes with Red Hat's Disk Druid graphical disk partitioning tool as well as the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM), which is now found in many Linux distributions. Fedora Core includes a nice graphical installation tool and is better than many other distributions at recognizing a variety of devices during installation. It also does a nice job of helping you decide which optional packages to install. Officially, Fedora Core is listed as experimental and not for critical environments, but for many uses, Fedora Core is quite satisfactory. In business enterprise and other more critical environments, you are more likely to encounter Red Hat's Enterprise distributions. For more information on Fedora Core and Red Hat, see:
2.3.3. MandrakeMandrake Linux is a commercial distribution, created by MandrakeSoft, a French company founded by Linux enthusiasts in 1998. Mandrake was originally based on an early Red Hat distribution, but many features have been added since. Mandrake is arguably the most popular distribution today. Mandrake's popularity is largely due to its ease of installation. The graphical installation program includes an excellent disk partitioning tool that can even shrink a Windows partition to make room for Linux (more about that later). Mandrake also does excellent hardware detection. In fact, it was the only distribution I installed that did not have even a minor failure or misstep due to unrecognized hardware or partitioning problems. This is probably one reason Mandrake is very popular with beginners. The installation tool is also helpful when selecting which optional packages to install. For more information on Mandrake Linux, see:
2.3.4. SlackwareSlackware Linux was the first distribution of Linux, originally created by Patrick J. Volkerding while at Moorhead State University (and he is still heavily involved today). Somewhat like Debian, Slackware is a noncommercial distribution and tries to stay more traditional and closer to a "pure" Linux distribution. The installation process is text, not graphical, so it can be more intimidating for novice users. To install, you boot the kernel and then run a disk partitioning tool (fdisk or cfdisk) manually, and then run the setup program. Like Debian, the X Window System must be configured in a separate step after installation, so Slackware initially comes up without a graphical display. What Slackware lacks in bells and whistles, it makes up for in stability. Experienced users (with whom Slackware is most popular) appreciate that it doesn't clutter things up with a lot of "unnecessary" third-party code. One way Slackware differs from most other Linux distributions is that it uses BSD-style boot scripts when booting instead of the more common System V style. It also includes its own package tool (called pkgtool) instead of RPM, but pkgtool can read RPM-format package files. For more information on Slackware, visit their web site:
2.3.5. SuSESuSE Linux was originally created in Germany, and has been a favorite in Europe. It is a derivative of the Slackware distribution but with the typical additional features of a commercial distribution. SuSE is now owned by Novell and is becoming a favorite in the United States. SuSE adds its own graphical installation and configuration tool called YaST (which stands for "Yet another Setup Tool"). YaST performs the installation (sometimes in text mode, which is a bit painful), including disk partitioning, and is also the main system configuration tool on a running system. This consistency is comforting and provides a single place to do everything. SuSE also provides a unified X Window System configuration tool called SaX2. Like many distributions, SuSE uses RPM for packages. For more information on SuSE Linux, visit their web site:
2.3.6. TurboLinuxWhile American readers may not run into TurboLinux very much, Linux users in other parts of the world will. TurboLinux is the leading supplier of Linux in the Asia Pacific region and is very popular there because of its excellent multibyte language support (thus it runs well in Chinese, Korean, and Japanese). TurboLinux includes an easy-to-use installation program. TurboLinux is a wholly owned subsidiary of Livedoor, a Tokyo-based information technology company, who acquired it in mid-2004. For more information on TurboLinux, see:
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