Linux distribution

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A Linux distribution is a packaged set of software that includes the Linux kernel assorted with several userland applications and libraries.

Linux distributions appeared naturally, as soon as the Linux kernel began to be used by people who were not actively involved in the development of the kernel itself.

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Early days

The concept of a distribution also emerged normally. The early Linux users were forced to build their own system, all by themselves, knowing exactly what libraries, programs and files were needed to obtain a bootable system, which was far from being trivial in the case of an Unix-like operating system. Therefore, packaged sets of Linux and the needed files began to appear. Some universities released their own distributions, like the University of Manchester, who released MCC Interim Linux in February 1992.

Patrick Volkerding was the one to coin the idea of distribution. Frustrated by the lack of management in other distributions, he started his own: Slackware Linux, which is still maintained and developed at the time of writing, making it the oldest, still developed, distribution.

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Components

There are several components that are always included with a Linux distributions. These are:

  • The Linux kernel
  • The base binaries: these are the basic libraries and

binaries needed to boot the system, including the essential system tools and the init scripts.

  • A package manager. This is an essential tool that tracks

the installed software and allows new software to be installed.

  • The various user programs and libraries. Some of them are

common among distributions, although they are not absolutely essential (for example, almost every distribution will include zip and unzip, although a Linux user could live without them if he really wanted to).

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Distribution wars

Choosing a distribution is not always easy, and it involves a significant deal of personal touch. Some distribution, like Lindows, are aimed at the novice user, while others, like Gentoo, assume that the user has a significant amount of technical knowledge. Some distributions are also targeted at certain uses. For example, Debian Linux is intended to be ran as a desktop platform, while Red Hate Enterprise AS is intended to be deployed on high-power servers.

This makes choosing a distribution an act that has to be considered carefully. Users will generally take into account the package management, the media, the number of available packages and the primary purpose that the will-be Linux computer will serve.

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