Table of Contents

       What is Linux?
       How it differs from UNIX?
       Linux Distributions

What is Linux?

One of the most-used and best-known operating systems is Linux that distributed under an open source license. Technically it refers only to the kernel of the operating system. Kernel is the heart of any operating system which takes care of elementary stuffs. Linux is largely compatible with the UNIX.

How it differs from UNIX?

UNIX is the mother of all operating systems. Linux was basically created to be similar to UNIX. So commands using on both operating systems are usually the same. Programming tools, other key components are similar as well. And main part is, you have to pay for a UNIX kernel but Linux is totally free and open source.

Linux Distributions

After initial realeses of Linux in the early 1990s, many bundles of software came to complement the Linux kernel which were brought by many organizations. These bundles are called distributions. These are about which version of what software. Packages are softwares and applications that are bundled. So Linux Distributions are classified by these package types. There are three basic types of packages:

• Debian Based Linux Distros
• RedHat Package Manager(RPM)
• Other Distributions

Debian Based Linux Distros

The package extension of Debian is .deb. New distributions are based on Debian. It’s one of the oldest and very popular choice of Linux Distributions. Some distributions that use .deb packages are as follows

• Debian
• Ubuntu
• Linux Mint
• antiX
• Raspbian etc.

RedHat Package Manager

Package extension of this types of distros is .rpm. Distributions of this type are

• CentOS
• Red Hat Enterprise Linux
• ClearOS
• openSUSE
• Stella etc.

Other Distributions

Some other distributions are

• Arch Linux
• Slackware Linux
• Gentoo Linux
• LXDE (Desktop Manager) (e.g. Lubuntu)
• XFCE (Desktop Manager) (e.g. Xubuntu) etc.
  

You can see various types of Linux Distributions here