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Linux.com : Distributions
One of the great features of Linux is the abundant choices. Linux technically refers to the operating system kernel, but it's usually understood that when you refer to Linux you're referring to the kernel as well as the applications and supporting software that surround it.
The packaging of the kernel and various supporting software and applications composes what is called a distribution. There are many different Linux distributions. The distribution center is aimed at providing an overview of various distributions. The content provided here comes directly from the distribution project or vendors themselves. We believe distributions, community or commercial, should have the right to be properly represented on Linux.com. This area will continue to grow along with other distribution resources. If you would like to see a distribution represented here that isn't, please contact the distribution project or vendor and tell them to submit their information to us.
If you're trying to set up a computer system using older hardware, then Linux is a perfect solution that gives you several options, depending on your needs and available hardware. Read this in-depth article to find out more.
Need to set up a system for someone with little or no computer experience? The goal is to set up an interface that's user-friendly, intuitive, and requires minimal tinkering. This article shows you how.
If you want to know what you're getting into before you download and install a distribution, then be sure to watch these video tours on how to install Fedora and Kubuntu before you get started.
CentOS - The Community Enterprise Operating System
CentOS is a distribution based on source RPMs from Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), and strives to be 100% binary compatible with RHEL. Packages are changed to remove Red Hat branding and artwork, to avoid trademark infringement, but the distribution is otherwise compatible with RHEL for users and organizations who wish to run a RHEL compatible distribution, but do not have a need for outside support from Red Hat.
Damn Small Linux
Many Linux distributions focus on having the latest and greatest versions of software, with the most features and aimed at users with newer computers. Damn Small Linux (DSL), on the other hand, is a live CD distribution that fits on a business card CD and is light enough to run on a 486 computer with as little as 16MB of RAM. What started as an experiment to see how much software could fit onto a 50MB CD-ROM is now a popular Linux distro.
Debian GNU/Linux
Debian GNU/Linux is a distribution produced by the Debian Project, which is governed by a social contract that requires that OSes produced by Debian will be 100% "free," as determined by the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG).
Elive
If you want a Linux distribution with the look and feel of Mac OS X, then Elive is worth checking out. This Debian-based distro got its start as a live CD but the latest version, 1.0, works well as a typical hard drive installation. Elive uses Enlightenment as its windows manager, and has over 19,000 software packages available for download.
FaunOS
FaunOS is based on Arch Linux and is one of a growing number of distributions available for use on a USB flash drive (minimum 1GB). It comes the KDE desktop environment and a full complement of useful applications, including The Firefox Internet browser, OpenOffice.org word processing suite, Audacity audio editor and recorder, and the Google Earth mapping tool. One feature that makes FaunOS stand out is its ability to save system changes at shutdown. Although you'll need to be mindful that the drive to which you're saving has enough free space to accommodate the new or changed data, it's possible to resize the system partition using a good partition manager.
Fedora Linux
Fedora, formerly known as Fedora Core, is a Linux distribution sponsored primarily by Red Hat, with significant community participation. The Fedora Linux distro produced by the Fedora Project was based on the original Red Hat Linux distribution and is made up entirely of free and open source software.
Gentoo
Gentoo Linux is perhaps the most-used source-based Linux distribution. "Source-based" means you compile the operating system and its applications from source code, rather than installing binary packages. As a result, you can build a system that's optimized for your individual machine. Source-based distributions, as a general rule, require more time to install and maintain that normal distributions.
GoblinX
GoblinX is a desktop distro based on Slackware and contains some of the most popular Linux-based applications in use today. In addition to Abiword, The Gimp, Pidgin, and Firefox, the developer has also created several task-specific apps to help you get the most out of GoblinX. This distro is often lauded for its visual appeal and attention to artwork, themes, and wallpapers.
Knoppix
Knoppix is a popular live Linux distribution known for its excellent hardware support. While Knoppix is known primarily as a live CD or DVD, you can install it on a hard drive for use as a desktop system as well.
Linspire/Freespire
Linspire is an Ubuntu-based distribution whose chief distiguishing feature is the ease of installing new software with its Click-N-Run (CNR) installation utility. While Linspire costs $50, its sibling Freespire is free.
Linux Mint
Linux Mint, which debuted in 2006, is an Ubuntu-based distribution that comes in two main CD versions. The Light Edition avoids non-free patented software. The Full Edition includes proprietary plugins and codecs. Both use the GNOME desktop environment by default. You can also download a KDE Community Edition DVD or miniKDE Community Edition CD, or an XFCE Community Edition CD.
Mandriva Linux
Mandriva Linux is a consumer-oriented distribution available in both freely downloadable form and as a boxed retail product. Its parent company Mandriva represents the combined might of three once separate Linux distributors: Mandrake, Conectiva, and Lycoris.
Openwall GNU/*/Linux (Owl)
Openwall GNU/*/Linux (Owl) is a security-enhanced server platform that's compatible with other major Linux distributions. Also available in German and Russian, one of Owl's main goals is to "provide a wide range of security tools with Owl, available for use 'out of the box.'" As a result, this platform employs several methods to reduce security issues, incuding: the use of safe defaults, a proactive source code review, and "strong" cryptography within core components.
Paldo
Paldo stands for "pure adaptable linux distribution" and its developers say they want the distro to "just work" without a lot of user intervention. Instead of including several applications that all do essentially the same thing, developers have selected the a single app for each task and included only that one in the distro. Paldo also dones't split packages which means "all development files will be installed if you install a library. All files you need around a package will be available as soon as it is installed." Available packages include Abiword, MPlyer, KDE, and Amarock.
Pardus
Gentoo-based Linux distribution Pardus is an advanced Linux distro but, thanks to its set of custom tools, it's also very easy to use. Pardus comes packaged with the KDE desktop environment and numerous software options, including Amarok music player, Firefox Internet browser, OpenOffice.org word processing suite, and a handful of games. It also has wireless hardware support and an assortment of advanced power-saving features. Since Pardus is hosted by Turkey's National Research Institute of Electronics and Cryptology, the installation process begins in Turkish, but can be easily switched to English using the install wizard.
Parsix
Parsix is a Debian-based Persian distribution that is available as an installable live CD and designed for use on a desktop or laptop computer. It uses the GNOME desktop environment and comes packaged with a wide array of software, including an Internet browser, media player, a multilanguage dictionary, and a webcam viewer.
PC/OS
Xubuntu-based PC/OS comes bundled with a range of applications that appeal to experienced and new users alike. Developers have provided multimedia codec, Web authoring, and other tools aimed at the tech crowd. People who are unfamiliar with or are just learning about Linux will appreciate easy-to-learn apps like OpenOffice.org and Totem music player.
PCLinuxOS
PCLinuxOS was founded in 2003 by developer Bill "Texstar" Reynolds. Originally based on Mandriva, it comes as a live CD with a hard drive installation utility. It uses the KDE desktop environment and Advanced Package Tool (APT), usually found in Debian-based distributions, to install RPM packages. The distro includes non-free codecs and utilities, and is a great option for Windows users seeking their first taste of Linux.
Puppy Linux
Many Linux enthusiasts like taking Puppy Linux for a walk around the block. This distribution is often heralded for its ability to get old hardware up and running quickly and efficiently thanks, in part, to mix of features that save system resources without sacrificing useful applications. In fact, for a distro package that's less than 100 MB, Puppy comes packed with text editors, PDF converter, spreadsheet app, note-taking wiki, calendar, IRC client, media player, DVD and CD ripper, Mozilla Seamonkey Suite, and more. Puppy can also detect a wide array of hardware, include graphics and wireless cards, monitors, mice, and keyboards.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat sells the most successful commercial distribution of Linux today. The company offers versions of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) for server and workstation configurations. It also sponsors the non-commercial distribution Fedora.
Sabayon
Gentoo-based Sabayon Linux bills itself as "the most advanced, scalable, and community-driven Linux distribution of this odd world." This distro is available as a Live DVD and, according to the developer, can be installed in less than five minutes. Sabayon can also be installed right onto a hard disk for permanent use on a desktop PC. Applications include: GNOME, KDE, KOffice, Open Office.org, Kaffeine, and several games. If you want still more apps then use Portage, Sabayon's package management system, to add more.
Sidux
Sidux has built -- and lived up to -- its reputation as having a fast release cycle for its Debian sid-based live CD. This is not a distro for inexperienced Linux users since it's considered cutting-edge, but anyone who knows how to manage Linux will enjoy and easy installation process and outstanding hardware detection.If you do run into any issues using Sidux, there's an active community ready to help.
SimplyMEPIS
SimplyMEPIS, based on Debian and Ubuntu Dapper Drake, is primarily the product of master developer Warren Woodford. It aims for ease of use, making it a suitable distribution for Linux beginners. It's free to download, and you can run it as a live CD or DVD to see how you like it before you install it to your hard drive.
Slackware Linux
Slackware Linux is the world's oldest surviving Linux distribution. It wasn't the first Linux distro, that distinction belongs to the Softlanding Linux System (SLS), but Slackware has been going strong since its first release in 1993 and shows no signs of slowing down.
Slax
As the name implies, Slax is a Slackware-based Linux distribution. Since it can be run from a CD, USB drive or even an MP3 player, it's popular with users looking for a portable distro. To keep it's diminutive size (less than 200MB), developers have opted to include only one type of each app. As a result, you'll find only one text editor instead of 10 options; a single music player instead of three choices. Slax is easy to customize, however, by installing pre-configured "modules" of additional software.
SUSE Linux
SUSE Linux is a family of Linux distributions developed by Novell. The family includes the commercial distribution SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop (often referred to as SLED), several commercial server products targeting businesses, and the completely free-of-charge openSUSE. While Novell controls the make-up and release schedules of SLED and the server lines, openSUSE is an open source community project whose direction is guided by its users and developers.
Ubuntu
Ubuntu is a community developed Linux distribution with the slogan "Linux for human beings." Ubuntu is one of the most popular Linux distros for laptops and desktop machines, and is also gaining popularity on servers. Ubuntu is based on Debian GNU/Linux, and also serves as the foundation for several other Linux distributions in its own right. The name "Ubuntu" is an African word that can be translated as "humanity towards others," or "I am what I am because of who we all are."
X/OS
X/OS is derivative Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) that is aimed at business and corporate users and available for installation via 6 CDs or a single DVD image. While X/OS ships with common open source software like Pidgin, Firefox, Open Office.org, Evolution, and RhythmBox, users can also add over 2,300 additional software packages.
Yoper
Built from the ground up and optimized for today's latest processors, Yoper aims to be "the fastest out-of-the-box distribution." It's an all-inclusive distro that comes already bundled with programming, office, multimedia and graphic applications, and there a total of 1,200 package available for additional download. According to its Web site, Yoper also has an "automatic hardware detection system which should detect most modern hardware." Keeping up with news in the Yoper community is easy since the developer added an RSS feed to the distro's Web site.
Zenwalk
ZenWalk is a Linux distribution based on Slackware. Formerly known as Minislack, this lightweight distro focuses primarily on Internet applications and programming tools. While the full version of Zenwalk is designed to be a stand-alone operating system, other versions allow for more customization or server usability. Zenwalk current GUI is Xfce, but there are also packages available for GNOME and KDE.