Born from Red Hat

LinuxCentOS was developed from the source code of the popular, stable and commercial Red Hat Enterprise Linux distro. This is possible due to the usually open source nature of Linux. Because of its basis in Red Hat, CentOS boasts stability, usability and reliability comparable to its pay-per-use brethren. LinuxCentOS also piggyback’s Red Hat’s familiar release schedule, so much so that Red Hat reclassified its own version numbering scheme to mirror CentOS. LinuxCentOS is a perfect free alternative to anyone who wants Red Hat stability and support without Red Hat prices.

Long Support Schedule

Unlike many distros who feature spotty updates, unreliable release schedules and that might flame out soon, LinuxCentOS features reliable releases. CentOS follows the release schedule of its base, Red Hat. Since Red Hat is known for its frequent, tested and stable releases, the CentOS version of LInux is a very safe bet.

Scheduled releases are just part of the reliable update plan for CentOS. To truly see the benefit, one need only look at CentOS’ planned lifecycle. Just like Red Hat Enterprise Linux, LinuxCentOS has a planned life cycle of ten years. This means that CentOS users can rely on updates and support until 2014.

Widespread Use

The final key benefit of LinuxCentOS is its widespread acceptance. A large number of the world’s web servers run CentOS, meaning it has a vibrant online support community. THius OS is actually named based on its community roots and support. CentOS stands for “Community ENTerprise Operating System.” What this means to anyone considering LinuxCentOS is that there’s no need to rely on commercial paid support; there is a rabid user community willing to help.

Do you enjoy being on the bleeding edge of computing? Do you like to spend your time tinkering with every option available, from the kernel to the office suite? If so, Gentoo Linux may very well be the distribution for you. The main advantage to be had from Gentoo Linux is that every single application is compiled from the source code. This means that the executables are optimized for your exact model of processor, and it also means that you can install just the functionality needed within each application. Don’t care about having a GUI? It’s not necessary to install one in Gentoo Linux. Don’t want hyperthreading options installed in your compiler? Gentoo Linux doesn’t need that either.

There are hundreds of pages of documentation on Gentoo Linux which will really appeal to the Linux hacker inside you. Each application has all kinds of flags that can be set to ensure the experience is perfect for you. It is available for a variety of computer architectures, including x86, amd64, alpha, and sparc. While the initial installation, compilation, and configuration of everything can take a lot of time, the end result is worth it with the improved speed and ease of use.

If you have some Linux experience but were looking to improve your skills, going through a full install of Gentoo Linux will definitely give you a strong background in all things Linux. If you already have a lot of knowledge, Gentoo Linux will give you that optimized experience you have been looking for.

Fedora Linux comes with popular open source desktop softFedora Linux is the third most popular Linux distribution available today, only following Mint and Ubuntu at first and second, respectively. Fedora Linux is a community-supported distro funded by the Red Hat company. It is a free operating system, in the sense coined by GNU, though its derivative project, Red Hat linux, is not. The Fedora Project is governed by a community-elected board.

Fedora Linux comes with popular open source desktop software out of the box, including the LibreOffice suite, Firefox, Empathy, and GIMP. Gnome 3.2.1 is the desktop management tool provided with version 16, the current version at the time of this writing. There are enough tools to satisfy most office and desktop needs. Package management is handled through the yum, although apt-rpm is available as an alternative to those who are more comfortable with Debian tools. Additional repositories can be added to access packages that aren’t officially supported for Fedora.

Fedora has a fairly short life cycle. New versions of Fedora are released approximately every 6 months, and are supported and updated for 13 months following their release. This can be nice for desktop users who would like to keep on the cutting edge of free software, but may not be suitable for developers who require long term support for an operating system, e.g. in embedded systems.

Fedora is the progenitor of many other Linux distributions, the most well-known of which is Red Hat Linux, a corporate project developed for enterprise users. Other derivatives include Fusion Linux, a desktop-oriented distribution, and Moblin, which is developed specifically with netbook and mobile devices in mind.

Fedora Linux is a flexible, all-purpose distribution. It can be adapted to suit the home, the office, or the server rack. As one of the most influential distributions of all time, it can probably be adapted to meet any other specialized need as well.ware out of the box, including the LibreOffice suite, Firefox, Empathy, and GIMP. Gnome 3.2.1 is the desktop management tool provided with version 16, the current version at the time of this writing. There are enough tools to satisfy most office and desktop needs. Package management is handled through the yum, although apt-rpm is available as an alternative to those who are more comfortable with Debian tools. Additional repositories can be added to access packages that aren’t officially supported for Fedora.

Fedora has a fairly short life cycle. New versions of Fedora are released approximately every 6 months, and are supported and updated for 13 months following their release. This can be nice for desktop users who would like to keep on the cutting edge of free software, but may not be suitable for developers who require long term support for an operating system, e.g. in embedded systems.

Fedora is the progenitor of many other Linux distributions, the most well-known of which is Red Hat Linux, a corporate project developed for enterprise users. Other derivatives include Fusion Linux, a desktop-oriented distribution, and Moblin, which is developed specifically with netbook and mobile devices in mind.

Fedora Linux is a flexible, all-purpose distribution. It can be adapted to suit the home, the office, or the server rack. As one of the most influential distributions of all time, it can probably be adapted to meet any other specialized need as well.

How did Debian Linux get its start?

Debian Linux was first announced by Ian Murdock in 1994 after frustration with the bugginess and closed nature of Linux’s first distribution, Softlanding Linux System. The Debian Manifesto laid down Murdock’s vision of a complete operating system mirroring the ideals of the Free Software Foundation. He was able to gather support from the GNU project, leading Debian Linux 1.0 in 1996. Debian was one of the first modern Linux distributions, joining Red Hat and Softlanding-based Slackware.

Murdock left the project that year, and his replacement, Bruce Perens, sought to maintain the distribution’s openness by working with the developers on writing the Debian Social Contract. This was in stark contrast to other distros of the time, none of whom guaranteed that development would remain open.

What makes Debian Linux different from other distros?

Debian Linux calls itself “the universal operating system.” Over 29,000 software packages are supported, while native versions are available for ten computing platforms. Along with Linux, there’s also support for FreeBSD, OpenBSD and the GNU HURD kernel system. Gnome is the default desktop environment, but popular alternatives like KDE and XFCE are available during installation, with packages available for niche desktops including LXDE and Ratpoison.

The APT package management system was created by Debian to install and maintain the distro’s software. Unlike RPM, it allows for tandem installations of interdependent software packages, eliminating “dependency hell.” Today, APT the most popular system used in Linux distros.

Debian Linux also tries to stay away from closed software: The latest release manages to eliminate non-free firmware completely from the kernel, letting users choose what they want on their system.

What is a “Debian based” distro?

This openness has resulted in several “child distro” fork distributions ranging from desktop leader Ubuntu, CD-based KNOPPIX, and ultralight DSL-Linux. While these new distributions can freely borrow from Debian’s code base, but are expected to return the favor by contributing their work to the main Debian distribution.

My experimentation with several Linux Distributions began in a local coffee shop. I visited a site that unexpectedly started to do a fake virus scan on my laptop. Even though I closed my browser and turned off my computer, it got infected. I couldn’t launch my anti-virus program or get online. It was the second time in a month that I’d gotten a Trojan. I was using the most popular operating system, which will be unnamed, but I’m sure everyone knows which one I mean.

Before the Trojan struck, I’d visited a site that had a program to put Linux Distributions onto a flash drive. I installed one of the most user-friendly Linux Distributions on a spare flash drive, tossed it into my computer bag, and forgot about it. Desperate to fix my laptop, I put the flash drive in a usb port and booted into Linux. I was able to get online to learn how to remove the Trojan. I also learned that Linux was easy to use, and that the Trojan that infected my computer twice wouldn’t have been able to do so if I’d been using one of the many Linux Distributions instead of the popular operating system.

Ever since, I’ve been using flash drives with various Linux Distributions whenever I’m online. I’ve also started using some of the free programs, such as OpenOffice or LibreOffice, included with many Linux Distributions. I even installed OpenOffice on my mother’s new computer with the popular operating system, but no productivity programs. She’s had no problems using OpenOffice; she’s happy she didn’t have to spend additional money to have a full-featured word processor. I like several of the Linux Distributions so much that if I wasn’t required to have the popular operating system for some of my work, I would use Linux exclusively.

Where did Red Hat Linux get its name?

Founder Marc Ewing used to wear his grandfather’s red lacrosse hat when he was a student at Carnegie Mellon University. He quickly became identified with this hat, and would start the names of his computer projects with “red hat.” Naturally, when it came time to name his new Linux distribution project, he called it “Red Hat!”

Co-founder Robert Young also attributes the Red Hat Linux name to the use of red hats and bandannas as a symbol in revolutions from slave rebellions to the French revolution.

Why was Red Hat Linux popular?

The key feature of the distribution was Ewing’s Red Hat Package Manager. Where installing programs on Linux used to require tracking down dependencies and compiling from source, RPM let developers build packages that could share metadata with an internal database. For users, this meant they could get a binary RPM file for their system through an installation program like Yellowdog Updater, and it would automatically check for and install any needed dependencies. Suddenly, installations went from being a complicated and frustrating process to one that could be accomplish with a single command.

Why was Red Hat Linux replaced with Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Fedora?

Red Hat development was done internally, with community support limited to bug reports and compatible software packages. This led to some decisions that users felt were questionable, like as the use of a beta version of the GCC C++ compiler in Red Hat Linux 7.

Red Hat decided to split Red Hat Linux into two products: Fedora and Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Fedora is open to community development, letting users choose what they want the distribution to do. Enterprise Linux draws from the community work on Fedora, but Red Hat has ultimate control. This version is targeted at commercial users. Meanwhile, as RPM’s use has spread to several distributions, its name has been changed to RPM Package Manager.