Distributions and linux evolution

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A typical Linux distribution comprises a Linux kernel, GNU tools and libraries, additional software, documentation, a window system (the most common being the X Window System), a window manager, and a desktop environment. Most of the included software is free and open-source software made available both as compiled binaries and in source code form, allowing modifications to the original software.

Linux Distributions

A distribution is a collection of software (called the packages) bundled together in a coherent set that creates a fully functional environment. The packages contain software titles (build by other projects) and possibly patches (updates) specific for the distribution so that the package integrates better with other packages or blends in better with the overall environment. These packages are usually not just copies of the releases made by the other software projects but contain a lot of logic to fit the software in the global vision of the distribution.

Take KDE for example. KDE is a (graphical) desktop environment which bundles several dozens of smaller tools together. Some distributions provide a pristine KDE installation to their users, others change KDE a bit so that it has a different default look and such.

Another example would be MPlayer, a multimedia player especially known for its broad support of various video formats. However, if you want to view Windows Media Video files (WMV), you need to build in support for the (non-free) win32 codecs. Some distributions provide MPlayer with support for these codecs, others without. Gentoo Linux lets you choose if you want this support or not.

Distributions are maintained by private individuals and commercial entities. A distribution can be installed using a CD that contains distribution-specific software for initial system installation and configuration. For the users, most popular distributions offer mature application management systems that allow users to search, find, and install new applications with just a few clicks of the mouse.

There are, at last count, over 350 distinct distributions of Linux. Various distributions will allow:

• Different tools and methods to set the system up.
• Different choices with regard to setup.
• Various choices of packages to install.

The core of the operating system is still likely to be the same or similar and many of the packages used will be the same. Also the user can get additional packages and install them on the operating system.

The various packages are created by different groups of developers on various computers and tested individually under different circumstances. There is a pretty good consensus of programming methodology among the Linux community with regard to program compatibility. There are various libraries that are used for compiling programs, and there are libraries providing various functions that are considered to be the “standard of the day”. Although these issues are dealt with, there is no guarantee that all packages will work well together. Therefore some system testing should be done before a distribution is made available. The amount of testing varies widely from one distribution to another.

Distribution Differences – There are multiple different Linux distributions. Many have different philosophies – some, like Fedora, refuse to include closed-source software, while others, like Mint, include closed-source stuff to make it easier on users. They include different default software – like how Ubuntu includes Unity, Ubuntu derivatives include other desktop environments, Fedora includes GNOME Shell, and Mint includes Cinnamon or MATE.

Many also use different package managers, configuration utilities, and other software. Some distributions are bleeding edge and won’t receive support for very long. Others, such as Ubuntu LTS or Red Hat Enterprise Linux, are designed to be stable distributions that will be supported with security updates and bug fixes for many years.

Some Linux distributions are intended for desktop computers, some for servers without a graphical interface, and others for special uses, such as home theater PCs. Some are designed to work out of the box – like Ubuntu – while others require a bit more tweaking, such as Arch Linux.

Selecting Distribution – Different Linux distributions are suited for different purposes. Which Linux distribution you should choose will depend on what you’re doing with it and your personal preferences.

If you’re a desktop user, you’ll probably want something simple, like Ubuntu or Mint. Some people may prefer Fedora, openSUSE, or Mageia (based on Mandriva Linux). People looking for a more stable, well-tested system may want to go with Debian, CentOS (a free version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux), or even Ubuntu LTS.

There’s no one right distribution for everyone, although everyone has a favorite. Linux distributions offer choice, which can be messy, but also very useful. Anyone can make their own distribution by assembling it from the source code themselves, or even taking an existing distribution and modifying it – that’s why there are so many Linux distributions.

Linux Evolution

On August 25, 1991, a Finn computer science student named Linus Torvalds made the following announcement to the Usenet group comp.os.minux:

“I’m doing a (free) operating system (just a hobby, won’t be big and professional like gnu) for 386(486) AT clones. This has been brewing since april, and is starting to get ready. I’d like any feedback on things people like/dislike in minix, as my OS resembles it somewhat (same physical layout of the file-system (due to practical reasons) (among other things).”

The “Minix” Torvalds referred to as a variant of the UNIX operating system, used as a guideline for his the free operating system he wanted to run on the x86-based consumer PCs of the day. “gnu” refers to the set of GNU (GNU Is Not Unix) tools first put together by Richard Stallman in 1983. UNIX, the operating system that started it all, had its origins in the old Bell Labs back in the early 60s.

Torvalds built the core of the Linux operating system, known as the kernel. A kernel alone does not make an operating system, but Stallman’s GNU tools were from a project to create an operating system as well–a project that was missing a kernel to make Stallman’s operating system complete. Torvalds’ matching of GNU tools with the Linux kernel marked the beginning of the Linux operating system as it is known today.

Linux is in many ways still only at the beginning of its potential, even though it has enjoyed tremendous success since Torvalds’ first request for help in 1991.

Linux has gained strong popularity amongst UNIX developers, who like it for its portability to many platforms, its similarity to UNIX, and its free software license. Around the turn of the century, several commercial developers began to distribute Linux, including VA Linux, TurboLinux, Mandrakelinux, Red Hat, and SuSE GMbH. IBM’s 2000 decision to invest $2 billion in Linux development and sales was a significant positive event to the growth of Linux.

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