Linux Flavors: Choose your pick

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Linux, mostly confused by beginners as being an operating system, is the kernel, the heart of the operating system. The array of tools, UI, shell and other parts that encapsulate the whole user experience is provided by different distributions by different people, like you and me! This whole package is called a distribution or flavor or distros, pick whatever you like!

As mentioned, a kernel is a necessary component of an operating system, the heart if you may! But it can’t achieve any tasks without programs (e.g., shell, library, compilers).

Though the heart remains true, the other aspect of the operating system varies from flavor to flavor and each type may be suitable for each person while being a mystery for the other. These different flavors are honed to their application domain, providing solutions/applications that are specific to their field.

Why Flavors?

Ubuntu is one the many available Linux flavors, it is developed as a “General purpose OS” targeting the normal user to industry level usage.

So, what’s the story of Ubuntu? Why did it come to be? Windows just have updates, can’t that suffice to our cause? Why did we need “Flavors” in the first place?

When the Linux kernel was made by Linus, another genius - Richard Stallman, had already worked on the other aspect that requires to fulfill the OS; the programs! These were developed for Minix - an operating system based on UNIX (Godfather to LINUX). The collaboration of these two masterpieces - and many other compilers and tools - gave rise to the first Linux OS. This OS was first targeted for cloud-hosting solutions, but as the product grew and of course thanks to the notion of it being opensource, unlike Windows!, it expanded into the different number of “distribution” expressing the ideas of different developers specializing in each niche of technology.

Ubuntu

Ubuntu was created by Mark Shuttleworth and a developmental team in 2004 to bring the Linux operating system to all PC users rather than just those administering servers. Ubuntu is a general purpose desktop OS that requires a minimum level of expertise to work upon, so if you’re just a noob who’s getting started or someone who don’t require many functionalities other than general purpose tools you might just give this a go!

There is an elaborate system in place that guides the growth of Ubuntu, this is owned by a company named ‘Canonical’. There are technical teams, councils, boards, etc.

For more information about how Ubuntu is governed, checkout ubuntu about us page

Red Hat

In 1993, a startup called Red Hat was founded by Bob Young and Marc Ewing. Red Hat combined all the opensource software into the distribution (Red Hat Linux 1.0). Now known as Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). The company RedHat Inc. oversees the growth of this operating system. They earn money primarily by providing Paid Professional Support.

Meet the team that leads the RedHat distro Redhat Team

CentOS and Fedora

CentOS is enterprise-grade OS that chooses Stability over innovation, as enterprise require stable OS for hosting their servers. It was released in May 2004. In 2004 as well, the Red Hat people launched two different flavors, as many Linux enthusiasts wanted their existing distribution to focused on innovation, the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) an enterprise level OS for the enterprise people while Fedora for Linux enthusiasts, Fedora instead of being managed by RedHat is managed by open-source developers.

CentOS head developers are employed by RedHat Inc. which work on ‘Red Hat opensource and standards’ team. Also, Fedora is sponsored by RedHat.

Kali Linux

So I see you a security guy. Interested in hacking or penetration testing!? Kali Linux is a flavor distinctly useful for exploiting security vulnerabilities. “Kali Linux is an open source project that is maintained and funded by Offensive Security, a provider of world-class information security training and penetration testing services.”

For more information about Kali

Puppy Linux

Puppy Linux was originally created by Barry Kauler in 2003, as a smaller, leaner version of Vector Linux.

Puppy Linux is designed to be very small and lightweight OS that can run well on every old computer and computers with less RAM. The puppy ISO file is least of 161 MB, and Puppy Linux can be booted from that disc to a live environment. Puppy Linux can run on PCs with 256 MB of RAM still you would need 512 MB for best user experience and puppy Linux can definitely help you to reclaim your old PC.

The people who care-takes Puppy Linux distros are called are Stewards of Puppy Linux

Currently, the master steward for Puppy Linux is Mick Amadio who oversees the overall growth of this flavor.

Choosing your pick

There is no “one for all, all for one” flavor, depending on what hardware you working on and depending on what your general objective or purpose is there will be some flavors out there that suited to your needs better than other. Based upon the information above and digging around a lil’ bit, you can choose what flavor satiates your taste buds.

You can find tonnes of guides and how-to(s) and quizzes and tests to help you choose a flavor that suits your best needs.

Explore and experiment

Considering how dynamic and extensive the Linux distribution society is, you might not want to be restricted to only one distro. I’ll say explore, have some fun, experiment with what different distros have to offer because this is how you’ll get the first-hand idea of what suits you the best.

“Seek thy truth and thou shall find it!” - Something I just made up

References:

  1. https://www.lifewire.com/choose-best-linux-distro-for-needs-2201172

  2. https://distrochooser.de/en

  3. https://www.pcworld.com/article/204767/a_guide_to_todays_top_10_linux_distributions.html