Which Linux distribution should you choose? A Linux distribution overview

Linux distributions are software packages that include the system kernel and a large set of various applications and software for installing the OS.

You may have heard of large Linux companies like Red Hat ( RHEL/CentOS/Fedora distributions ), Canonical ( Ubuntu distribution ), or SUSE ( SUSE Linux Enterprise Server/openSUSE distributions). There are literally thousands of other smaller companies and organizations that also create their own Linux distributions, and you can check them out at DistroWatch, a website that provides news, information, and rankings on all Linux distributions.

When choosing a Linux distribution, you’ll always find that distribution X offers a wider range of options and features than distribution Y. However, in some cases, distribution Y may suit your specific needs better than distribution X. The choice is yours. Since most Linux distributions are free, you can try different distributions until you find the one that suits you best. This article is designed to help you make your choice.

Features of distributions

Although all Linux distributions are based on the Linux kernel, each of them has a set of key distinguishing features that characterize a particular distribution:

Architecture – the type of processors that the distribution supports.

The init system is a fundamental approach to starting and managing processes.

The package manager is the default package management tool for the distribution.

The desktop environment is the graphical user interface of the distribution.

Now we will look at all of this in detail.

Architecture

Architecture is the type of processors supported by the distribution. Common processor architectures include:

x86 (or i586/i686 ) is a 32-bit processor compatible with Intel and AMD.

x86_64 is a 64-bit processor compatible with Intel and AMD.

ARM is a processor architecture optimized for use on mobile devices (tablets, smartphones).

PowerPC is an outdated processor architecture that was once used in Apple computers.

Initialization system

The init system is the very first process ( daemon ) that starts when a computer with an OS based on the Linux kernel boots and operates for the entire time the system is running; it is the parent process of every subsequent process that starts on the device.

The choice of an init system is hotly contested: there are both supporters and opponents of the SysV init system, and supporters and opponents of systemd. Considering that this software determines how the system manages processes, the choice is not as simple and trivial as it might seem at first glance.

SysV is a traditional init system with roots in Unix System V. It is considered more stable, but perhaps less feature-rich, than systemd.

systemd is a more modern init system. It’s faster than SysV and allows you to not only start processes once at boot but also monitor them (whether a process has started, crashed, etc.).

Package manager

A package manager (or “package manager” ) is a distribution’s default package management tool.

In Linux, all software is delivered as packages. Package managers archive and manage these packages. Most packages are not interchangeable, although utilities like alien can convert between certain package types.

Different distributions have different package managers:

dpkg — manages Debian-specific packages ( .deb ) common on Debian-based Linux distributions, including Ubuntu and Linux Mint, using the apt (short for “advanced packaging tool “ ) tool.

RPM Package Manager — installs and manages .rpm packages. Uses tools such as dnf, yum, and zypper.

Flatpak is a cross-platform sandbox/container format.

Pacman is a package manager in Arch Linux and its derivatives.

Portage – developed for Gentoo Linux, and now also used by ChromeOS and several other distributions.

Snap is an Ubuntu-specific form of deploying containerized applications.

eopkg – used in the Solus distribution.

Desktop environment

When it comes to the main differences between Linux distributions, people somehow assume it all comes down to the desktop environments they use. The irony is that most distributions support a wide variety of desktop environments.

The best desktop environments strike a balance between configurability and relative resource consumption. A brand-new computer or a high-spec computer can run any desktop environment. However, on weaker or older hardware (especially netbooks), choosing a resource-intensive desktop environment can negatively impact overall system performance.

Modern desktops tend to be less customizable, focusing on aesthetic design and appearance.

Desktop environment configuration :

   More customizable desktops include Xfce, LDXE, Cinnamon, MATE, and KDE.

   Less customizable desktops include DDE (Deepin), GNOME 3, and Pantheon.

That which remains unchanged

The following basic principles remain the same in any distribution:

There’s always the Linux kernel. The kernel is the core component of Linux distributions, written by Linus Torvalds back in 1991 (it now has thousands of contributors!). The kernel is the interface between your computer’s hardware (keyboard, mouse, display, etc.) and its software.

Standard GNU software (tools like bash, ls, rm, etc.). These are mostly command-line utilities that form the core (but critical) part of any Linux system. Think of the kernel as the bus that runs between the computer’s hardware and software, and GNU software is the set of tools you need to keep the bus on the road!

General-purpose software is included with a Linux distribution. Typically, this includes text editors, a web browser, an email client, (possibly) a word processor or office suite, etc.

To pay or not to pay?

Purchasing Linux can give you benefits that free versions don’t, such as:

   Physical manuals (SUSE Linux Enterprise Server & Red Hat Enterprise Linux are especially good).

   Support from distribution providers for a specified period of time. Distributors like Red Hat provide corporations with guarantees of high-quality customer support.

   Additional commercial software (which is protected by copyright).

Linux distribution overview

There are many companies and organizations that have created their own distributions or variations of Linux systems to suit the needs of any user. Perhaps too many distributions! In our guide, we’ll try to keep this list simpler and shorter, covering only the most popular distributions.

Debian

Debian is the granddaddy of all Linux distributions, with numerous offshoots, including Ubuntu. The distribution was released in September 1993. Initially, Debian differed from Red Hat Linux-based systems in that it had a huge library of software packages (around 50,000 libraries) and an automated software management system called apt. This meant that instead of downloading numerous application packages individually, you could simply tell Debian which application you needed, and it would automatically handle the rest. The distribution is traditionally known for lagging behind some other distributions in terms of availability of the most up-to-date packages, but it makes up for this with good stability, as the core packages are well-tested.

                                       Ubuntu

Ubuntu was released in 2004 by Canonical and quickly gained popularity. Canonical positioned Ubuntu as a simple Linux distribution with a graphical desktop that would replace the command line. It is the most well-known Linux distribution.

Ubuntu is an easy-to-use system for beginners, a fork of Debian Linux. It comes with a large number of pre-installed applications and an even wider variety of software available in its repositories. Canonical also offers commercial support for Ubuntu. There are many different Ubuntu-based distributions:

   Edubuntu is a build aimed at educational institutions.

   Kubuntu uses KDE as its desktop environment.

   Lubuntu is a lightweight version of Ubuntu.

In addition to the official builds, there are more than 40 third-party versions in circulation today!

Ubuntu is released twice a year (in April and October). In addition, every two years, Ubuntu LTS (short for “Long-Term Support “ ) is released — a version with a long-term support period, which will receive updates (including bug and security fixes) for five years. Regular “interim” releases offer support for nine months.

                                                                Linux Mint

If you don’t like the look of the Ubuntu desktop, you might want to consider Linux Mint. It’s based on Ubuntu and aimed at beginners, and you can choose from Cinnamon, Xfce, MATE, LXDE, or KDE as your desktop environment.

                                                        Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)

Red Hat was founded in 1993. They have become arguably the most commercially successful Linux distribution company in the world and are now owned by IBM.

Red Hat Linux (a Red Hat distribution released between 1995 and 2003) had nine major (free) Linux distribution releases until 2003, when the company decided to focus on a commercial approach to Linux distribution. This resulted in the creation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). This product is used by many companies worldwide and is a commercial Linux distribution with full support. Most RHEL users use it as a server operating system, not a desktop one.

                                                        CentOS

CentOS is a free version of RHEL that is binary compatible with RHEL (i.e., it runs the same software). Many companies that don’t require commercial support use CentOS.

                                                           Fedora

When Red Hat transitioned to a commercial distribution model in 2003, it also released a distribution called Fedora. Fedora is a cutting-edge, completely free desktop Linux distribution from Red Hat. It uses the GNOME desktop by default, but, like Ubuntu, there are many different Fedora-based builds. Because Fedora strives to be at the cutting edge of technology, its stability can be lower than that of other distributions, such as Debian or Ubuntu LTS.

                                                             openSUSE

SUSE was once an independent German Linux distributor, later acquired by Novell and then by Micro Focus. Since then, they have been acquired and sold several times.

Like Red Hat, SUSE has also added a commercial distribution model to its distribution.

SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is an excellent, all-in-one product aimed at enterprises, including customer support and corporate partnerships with companies like SAP. The distribution’s commercial distribution model isn’t the only similarity between SUSE and Red Hat. SUSE was originally built on Red Hat Linux and therefore shares the same RPM-based package management system, but over the years, it has evolved enough to become a standalone distribution. SUSE Linux distributions use YaST as their operating system configuration and package installation utility.

SUSE’s completely free version of Linux is called openSUSE. There’s also openSUSE Tumbleweed, a rolling-release system that continuously updates software. The distribution includes various software development tools, including the openQA utility for automated software testing, and Kiwi, which creates Linux images for deployment on real hardware. By default, openSUSE uses the KDE desktop.

                                                                   elementary OS

Elementary OS is a desktop distribution based on Ubuntu. It’s incredibly intuitive for new users coming from other operating systems (especially macOS). Some of its most interesting features include a custom desktop environment called Pantheon, which takes its macOS look and feel from afar.

                                                              Gentoo Linux

Gentoo is a free Linux-based operating system developed since 1992. Because software packages are built directly from source code on the user’s computer, the system can be automatically optimized and configured for virtually any hardware or task.

At the heart of Gentoo is Portage, a powerful and flexible software configuration and distribution system (a package manager) that performs many key functions. For example, when installing new software, Portage automatically creates a customized version of the package optimized specifically for the target hardware, ensuring that the package doesn’t contain unnecessary functionality that clutters your computer. Thanks to Portage, Gentoo can be the perfect secure server, developer workstation, embedded solution, or anything else you desire. Because of its nearly unlimited adaptability, Gentoo is often referred to as a metadistribution.

Also worth noting are the Sabayon Linux and Calculate Linux distributions, which are based on Gentoo:

Sabayon Linux is a Gentoo Linux-based distribution released in late 2005, primarily aimed at beginners. According to Sabayon’s developers, their distribution follows the philosophy of “everything should work out of the box,” while striving to provide users with a large number of ready-to-use applications, unlike Gentoo, with its source code, while retaining the ability to customize software packages.

Calculate Linux maintains an optimal balance between the latest software versions and flawless system operation, providing users with the latest application versions and stable library versions. Typically, Calculate Linux is used in conjunction with Calculate Directory Server, a directory service that provides centralized and managed software installation, mail and file storage, user profile migration, and more. Since Calculate Linux is a rolling-release distribution (i.e., a distribution with a continuous update cycle), you install the system once and then only update it for the life of your hardware.

MX Linux

MX Linux (short for “MEPIS and anti X “ ) is a lightweight Linux distribution based on the stable version of Debian and jointly developed by the antiX and MEPIS Linux distribution communities. It is positioned as a lightweight distribution that combines a decent desktop environment with high system stability, adequate performance, and easy configuration. Xfce, KDE, and Fluxbox are used as desktop environments.

                                           Kali Linux

Kali Linux (formerly known as BackTrack Linux ) is a Debian-based Linux distribution containing several hundred programs and utilities aimed at solving various problems affecting aspects of information security, such as:

   testing for the possibility of penetrating computers and computer networks;

   web application vulnerability research;

   computer forensics;

   software reverse engineering and much more.

The available desktop environments are Xfce, GNOME, KDE Plasma, LXDE, and MATE. Kali Linux also supports a wide range of devices with ARM-based processors. The distribution is developed, funded, and supported by Offensive Security, a leading information security training company.

                                                     Arch Linux/Manjaro/Slackware

Arch Linux isn’t a derivative of Debian or Red Hat Linux. It stands apart and is revered by geeks for being an incredibly fast distribution, built on a simple (yet solid) foundation. Everything else can be added through its package management system, pacman.

Manjarois a standalone distribution based on Arch Linux. It positions itself as a user-friendly desktop distribution. Both Arch Linux and Manjaro are rolling-release distributions.

Slackware was arguably the first true Linux distribution, dating back to 1993! Like Arch Linux and Manjaro, it uses .tar.gz packages rather than the more popular apt or yum systems. If you consider yourself an advanced user but don’t want to mess around with compiling packages, Arch Linux or Manjaro might be a better choice for you, as they offer the same level of customization as Slackware.

If you’re just getting started with Linux, Arch Linux, Manjaro, and Slackware probably aren’t the best choices.

Zorin OS/Solus/Deepin

If you enjoy distributions that have a similar look to Windows or macOS, or perhaps just something with a truly beautiful interface, be sure to check out Zorin OS, Solus, and Deepin. For example, Solus has its own window manager called Budgie, and it was created entirely from scratch rather than being a derivative of Ubuntu or Fedora.

So which Linux distribution should I choose?

The following table briefly presents the criteria for choosing a Linux distribution: