Linux distributions

Ubuntu is probably the most well-known Linux distribution. Ubuntu is based on Debian, but it has its own software repositories. Much of the software in these repositories is synced from Debian’s repositories. The Ubuntu project has a focus on providing a solid desktop (and server) experience, and it isn’t afraid to build its own custom technology to do it. Ubuntu used to use the GNOME 2 desktop environment, but it now uses its own Unity desktop environment. It offers releases every six months, with a more stable LTS (long term support) release every two years.

Mint is a Linux distribution built on top of Ubuntu. It uses Ubuntu’s software repositories, so the same packages are available on both. Originally, Mint was an alternative distribution loved mainly because it included media codecs and proprietary software that Ubuntu didn’t include by default. This distribution now has its own identity. You won’t find Ubuntu’s own Unity desktop here — instead, you get a more traditional Cinnamon or MATE desktop. Mint takes a more relaxed approach to software updates and won’t automatically install critical software updates. 

Debian is an operating system composed only of free, open-source software. The Debian project has been operating since 1993 — over 20 years ago! This widely respected project is still releasing new versions of Debian, but it’s known for moving much more slowly than distributions like Ubuntu or Linux Mint. This can make it more stable and conservative, which is ideal for some systems. Ubuntu was originally founded to take the core bits of stable Debian and improve on them more quickly, packaging the software together into a user-friendly system that’s more frequently updated.

Fedora is a project with a strong focus on free software — you won’t find an easy way to install proprietary graphics drivers here, although third-party repositories are available. Fedora is bleeding edge and contains the latest versions of software.

Unlike Ubuntu, Fedora doesn’t make its own desktop environment or other software. Instead, the Fedora project uses “upstream” software, providing a platform that integrates all this upstream software without adding their own custom tools or patching it too much. Fedora comes with the GNOME 3 desktop environment by default, although you can also get “spins” that come with other desktop environments. Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, and is the foundation for the commercial Red Hat Enterprise Linux project. Unlike RHEL, Fedora is bleeding edge and not supported for long. If you want a more stable release that’s supported for longer, Red Hat would prefer you use their Enterprise product.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a commercial Linux distribution intended for servers and workstations. It’s based on the open-source Fedora project, but is designed to be a stable platform with long-term support. Red Hat uses trademark law to prevent their official Red Hat Enterprise Linux software from being redistributed. However, the core software is free and open-source. CentOS is a community project that takes the Red Hat Enterprise Linux code, removes all Red Hat’s trademarks, and makes it available for free use and distribution. It’s a free version of RHEL, so it’s good if you want a stable platform that will be supported for a long time. CentOS and Red Hat recently announced they’re collaborating, so CentOS is now part of Red Hat itself.

openSUSE is a community-created Linux distribution sponsored by Novell. Novell purchased SuSE Linux in 2003, and they still create an enterprise Linux project known as SUSE Linux Enterprise. Where Red Hat has the Fedora project that feeds into Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Novell has the openSUSE project that feeds into SUSE Linux Enterprise. Like Fedora, openSUSE is a more bleeding edge version of Linux. SUSE was once one of the great user-friendly desktop Linux distributions, but Ubuntu eventually took that crown.