GNU/Linux is a free software operating system created by Linus Torvalds in 1991. Widely used for servers and professional workstations, in recent years, the use of the operating system on standard desktops/laptops has started to become much more widespread. For more information, you can
visit the Wikipedia article on Linux by clicking here. This thread is here to share your knowledge on the free operating system, ask questions, and even post screenshots and suggestions, and was created because I saw quite a few people using/asking about GNU/Linux.
GNU/Linux comes in many varieties to suit your needs. Some distributions are designed at giving you complete control of your system by allowing you to install only what you want/need and are thus harder to use. However, there also exists distributions designed for ease-of-use.
APT-basedGenerally easier to use and install.Debian - The base of many other distributions, and widely used on servers. Debian aims to be rock solid, stable, and easy to use.
Ubuntu - One of the most widely used in personal computing. Ease of use, multiple flavors and a broad range of software make Ubuntu what it is.
Linux Mint - Another widely used distribution in personal computing. Known for creating
Cinnamon and adopting the use of
MATE.
Trisquel - A distribution based off of Ubuntu. Unlike the others listed, Trisquel is made of fully
free and open source software and offers no proprietary software in their repositories or support for proprietary software.
Pacman-basedHarder to install but gives you more control of what software is installed initially. Uses a rolling release model.Arch Linux - A lightweight distribution that tries to maintain the
KISS principle.
Manjaro - Based off of Arch Linux and designed to be friendlier to beginners.
Parabola - Almost identical to Arch Linux, but like Trisquel, is made of only free and open source software and only offers it in their repositories.
Yum-basedWell supported and easy to use.Fedora - Aims to be the most innovative distribution. Used by
Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel.
Red Hat Enterprise Linux - Widely used commercial distribution derived from Fedora. Very rock solid and stable.
CentOS - A free, enterprise-class distribution that aims to be 100% compatible with Red Hat. Essentially the same, but unlike Red Hat, offers no commercial support. Widely used on servers.
Oracle Linux - A Red Hat based distribution that offers optional commercial support, but is otherwise free to use and deploy.
Portage-basedMuch harder to use and setup, but offers more control.Gentoo - An operating system that's installed by compiling all of the software on your own computer. Typically offers no binaries and only source code.
Source Code OnlyOnly for true installation wizards.Linux From Scratch - You start with nothing but documentation. You thought Gentoo was hard to use? Try this and report back.
DE's, or Desktop Environments, offer a complete environment for you to work in. There are many different types to fit your needs.
More Complete/heavyweightOffers almost all of the base software you could need, and is usually tightly integrated.GNOME - A desktop environment that aims to be easy to use.
KDE - A desktop environment that traditionally offers more eye-candy out-of-the-box than others.
Cinnamon - Designed to feel like GNOME 2, but build off of GNOME 3 technology.
MATE - A fork of GNOME 2. Aims to offer a more traditional desktop experience.
Unity - Aims to bring simplicity, power, and integration into a desktop.
Less Complete/lightweightUses up less resources and isn't as tightly integrated. Individual components can be replaced easier.Xfce - Designed to be fast and low on resources, while still being visually appealing and user friendly. Comparable to GNOME 2 and MATE.
LXDE - Very lightweight and fast. Not tightly integrated, and components are easily replaceable.
More advanced GNU/Linux users tend to use WM's, or Window Managers, in place of Desktop Environments.
TilingUnlike stacking WM's, tiling WM's tend to organize windows onto the screen into non-overlapping tiles. Here is a Wikipedia article with more information.Awesome - Aims to be extremely small and fast. Highly customizable using Lua.
DWM - Dynamic and minimalistic tiling WM.
StackingMore traditional, coordinate-based and able to overlap other windows.Compiz - Turns your desktop into a 3D cube while windows jiggle around on your screen. Extremely pretty, not very lightweight.
Openbox - Highly configurable and lightweight window manager.
Window Maker - Aims to reproduce the look and feel of
NeXTSTEP. Also used for
GNUstep.
Wiki'sArchWiki - Useful information for Arch Linux and derivatives.
Ubuntu Wiki - Useful information for Ubuntu.
Debian Wiki - Useful information for Debian and derivatives.
Gentoo Wiki - Useful information for Gentoo.
News/UpdatesDistroWatch - A large, up-to-date list of distributions and news relating to them.
Phoronix - Hardware reviews, software news and benchmarking.
LWN.net - Linux and free software related news.
More info to come soon, feel free to contribute anything that fits with this topic.
