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CHAPTER 1: DDCHAPTER 1
Distributions
As I explained in the Preface, Linux is really just the core of
an operating system, not particularly useful for your desktop
by itself. The other components that make it a usable OS are
developed by thousands of individuals and groups. Because
there is no single point of control exerted on the entire OS, as
Microsoft exerts on Windows and Apple on Mac OS X, there
is no “definitive” Linux operating system. Instead, individu-
als, groups, and businesses package the different open source
components together, add a few unique programs (installers,
configuration programs, and artwork), and call the result a
Linux distribution.
There are hundreds of Linux distributions that you can use
as your desktop operating system. Choosing from among
them can be a difficult task, particularly when you are new to
Linux and don’t know the distinguishing characteristics of
each distribution. If you aren’t experienced with Linux or
haven’t yet branched out beyond your first distribution, I
hope you’ll find this chapter a valuable introduction to the
popular distributions.
Choosing a Distribution
The good news is that Linux distributions are more alike
than they are different. They are all stable, fast, and secure,
and they run the same web browsers, email clients, and desk-
top environments. Once installed, you can get most any dis-
tribution to do what any other distribution can do. What
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Chapter 1: Distributions
makes each distribution truly different is the path it takes to
get you there. Some will be difficult to install but very easy to
configure afterwards; some have almost nonexistent docu-
mentation but are so simple to keep up-to-date that you
might not need any. After using Linux on the desktop for six
years and trying more than a dozen distributions, I’ve identi-
fied four broad factors that you can use to compare distribu-
tions; these factors will help you determine which
distribution may be most appropriate for your skill level and
needs. These are:
Installation
I define “installation” as the act of getting Linux placed
upon your hard drive and getting your system to boot.
Most distributions provide equally capable installation
programs. You typically install the distribution only once
per machine, so this isn’t as important as many people
would have you believe. However, the better the installa-
tion routine of a distribution is, the more you’ll enjoy
your first interaction with the system, and, more impor-
tantly, the less work there is to do to completely config-
ure the system afterwards.
Configuration
Configuration is when you make sure your network,
sound, and video cards are fully working; when your
peripherals are attached and operational; and when your
user environment is set up the way you want. Techni-
cally, configuration never ends, but most people consider
it to be at an end once they have all of their hardware
configured. The ease of configuration is where many dis-
tributions distinguish themselves.
Program installation and upgrade
Another way that a distribution distinguishes itself is by
the ease with which you can install new programs or
update or remove exiting ones. This is typically called
Choosing a Distribution
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“package management.” Although many distributions
share a common package format, how well it works in
practice can vary dramatically.
Documentation and community
While using Linux, you will occasionally have problems;
in this regard, it is no different than using Windows XP
or Mac OS X. Your ability to solve these problems is
directly related to how much you already know, the qual-
ity of available documentation (both on the Web and in
print), and the willingness of the distribution’s commu-
nity to help out. Good documentation and a friendly,
knowledgeable community go a long way toward mak-
ing up for weaknesses in other areas.
Table 1-1 ranks the five distributions discussed in this book
using the four criteria I just mentioned. Keep in mind that
these are my numbers only, based upon personal experience.
I weight each category to show how important I regard it
with relation to the others.
Table 1-1. Weighted comparison of five popular distributions
Item Fedora Gentoo Mandriva SUSE Ubuntu
Installation (15%) 424 43
Configuration
(25%)
334 43
Program
installation (30%)
444 3
a
a
Despite the general excellence of the YaST program installation tool, I gave SUSE a slightly lower
score than other RPM-based distributions because it does not provide a capable command-line
variant.
5
Documentation
(30%)
353 3
b
b
The boxed set of SUSE comes with a couple of excellent books, and the same documentation is avail-
able from within SUSE as online help. Though good,this documentation is not as helpful for trouble-
shooting and system configuration as a dynamic online community—thus the average score.
4
Weighted average 3.45 3.75 3.70 3.40 3.90
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Chapter 1: Distributions
As you can see, the distributions are fairly close to each other
when all the factors are considered. My suggestion is to start
with a distribution that ranks high in installation and config-
uration first (such as Mandriva or SUSE). Get your toes wet.
If you’re ever ready to move on, the knowledge you gained
from using this “easy” distribution will prove valuable when
working with one that’s slightly harder to install, but more
forgiving or informative with regard to the last two criteria.
Though understanding the relative strengths of distributions
can aid you in deciding which one to use, it might not be
your only concern. For example, you might want a distribu-
tion that uses a particular package management scheme, one
that has a GUI installer, one that lets you resize a Windows
partition during installation, or one that supports your pro-
cessor’s architecture. Table 1-2 allows you to easily compare
features across distributions. To compare an even broader
range of distributions, see their respective pages at http://
www.distrowatch.com.
Table 1-2. Feature comparison across distributions
Criteria Fedora Gentoo Mandriva SUSE Ubuntu
Processor
architecture
i386,
a
x86-64,
PPC, SPARC
x86,
b
x86-64,
PPC, SPARC
i586,
c
x86-64, PPC
i586,
x86-64
i386,
x86-64,
PPC
Package
format
RPM Source RPM RPM Debian
package
Package
manager
Yum and
apt-rpm
portage urpmi and
apt-rpm
YaSTand
apt-rpm
apt
GUI installer Yes No
d
Yes Yes No
e
Resize
Windows
partitions
No No Yes Yes No
Default
desktop
GNOME None KDE KDE GNOME
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