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hansencomputers
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 Posted: Wed Jul 02, 2008 11:16 pm Post subject: different Linux types |
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HI,
Is there a simple explanation for the differences in the various types of Linux?
I have heard of Fedora, Red Hat, Debian, Slackware, and I think there are more, but I don't know what this means.
Thanks,
Mike
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john maclean
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:47 am Post subject: |
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GNU = The software. The tools that you use knowingly, (vi, X11, make, your window manager...) and unknowingly.
Linux = The kernel. Software that make all of the hardware walk and talk.
Distribution = A combination of the kernel, (with optional changes) and the GNU software (also with optional changes). Software can be made into convenient bundles called packages and it's up to the distributors how that is done.
Debian = apt
Fedora, Red Hat, Centos... = rpm
BLAG = apt AND rpm
slackware = .tar.gz
gentoo = yikes!
So a distro is just a kernel and all of the free software. The package management systems, update policy, support, maintenance of the distro and overall goals of the distro is what separates them all.
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BLAG 'em up! |
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hansencomputers
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 2:48 am Post subject: |
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Thanks, that helps. At last this is clear to me.
Mike
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jebba
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hansencomputers
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 12:49 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks Jeff, I have used that site.
I have a follow-up question, not really related to the original.
Do you know of a WEB site that tracks the share of computers that Linux runs on, vs Apple and Microsoft? Maybe like a pie chart? And is Linux making any headway in expanding use?
Thanks,
Mike
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noldrin
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 1:57 pm Post subject: |
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Occasionally people make estimates, but that's the best one can do.
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hansencomputers
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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OK, thanks all.
I continue to learn :)
Mike
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john maclean
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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You will never get an accurate picture for Linux servers. Banks, financial companies, defense and other chaps will never publicly state what they are running on their infrastructure.
These chaps have a chart for apache, mac and fail, (aka doze) http://news.netcraft.com/
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BLAG 'em up! |
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noldrin
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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It's a fairly bogus chart. Microsoft bribed most of the name registrars to switch the server they were hosting their parked domains on from Linux to Windows.
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john maclean
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| Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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Microsoft? Bribe? Say it isn't so! ;-)
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BLAG 'em up! |
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wabash
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 2:32 am Post subject: Re: different Linux types |
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| hansencomputers wrote: |
I have heard of Fedora, Red Hat, Debian, Slackware, and I think there are more, but I don't know what this means.
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There are philosophical and organizational distinctions that characterize different distros and families of distros too. For instance, there are community driven distros like Debian and commercial distros like Red Hat, Suse, and Mandriva. And lots of distros driven primarily by a single person, such as Slackware.
There are no-cost clones of commercial distributions, such as CentOS, which tracks Red Hat Enterprise Linux.
There are distributions like Yellow Dog which target a specific architecture, in this case PowerPC.
Most distros are based on other distros. I think Yellow Dog is based on Red Hat. Ubuntu is based on Debian. BLAG is based on Fedora, which is a community-driven distro sponsored by Red Hat.
Some distros aim for maximum freedom. Others adopt different priorities. Some aim for ease of transition from windows--Ubuntu sort of claims this, PCLOS probably does this best. Some aim for maximum tweaking and customization--Lunar, Gentoo, Source Mage.
A map or flow chart showing the relationships among distros would be interesting. But with hundreds of distros out there, hard to maintain.
@John Maclean--also arch linux and its derivatives, which use the pacman package manager.
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john maclean
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jebba
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 3:39 am Post subject: |
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Hmm. I think i posted the link here somewhere, but there's a better map that shows the history better--blag isn't originally from fedora, but redhat...
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john maclean
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| Posted: Sun Jul 06, 2008 11:52 am Post subject: |
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I now the one you mean....
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BLAG 'em up! |
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renilgh
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| Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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I'd guess you mean one of these, don't you?
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