What is the difference between linux distributions

They will all be edible cakes, but the ingredients, look, texture, consistency, and shape will all be different. Swrrga: "My impression is that most linux distros seem to be created based on the devs' dislikes of certain features in other distributions, but they're usually too polite to flat out tell you this on their landing page. This is what impacts the day-to-day experience the most.

A rolling release delivers cutting edge updates constantly. This is useful for those who want the latest cool stuff as soon as possible. A stable release does not make big platform changes and mostly focuses on fixing glitches and security problems.

Patches and support are provided for certain amount of years. It's less prone to break than a rolling release. Apart from that, you can find all the same software from all distros and they can all pretty much do the same tricks. The default desktops and things like that are just different, but they can always be changed and remixes provide different options out of the box. In Linux you can find lots of tools, applications, processes, and servers to keep the operating system running smoothly.

The key example there is the display server. This software coordinates data between the computer hardware and the monitor, allowing users to interact with the graphical interface. In the past, the X. Org server was commonly used. However, there are many other alternatives like Mir, SurfaceFlinger that are also used on Android. The Wayland display server is considered the future of Linux, when many distributions now use it.

Some Linux distributions appear because developers want to change software packages on an existing operating system. Meanwhile, Linux distributions may differ based on their intended use. For example, Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, but it contains many other system tools, desktop environments, and mint green themes too. The main purpose of this operating system is to create an easy-to-use Linux operating system for newbies migrating from Windows or macOS.

Similarly, Debian also aims to provide a stable operating system so it has a lot of outdated software. Some versions of Linux have specific uses. For example, Steam is designed specifically for gaming or the Fedora Design Suite caters for multimedia activities. And these are the points that make Ubuntu a better choice, specially for inexperienced Linux users. Mint may seem a little quicker in use day to day, but on older hardware, it will definitely feel faster, whereas Ubuntu appears to run slower the older the machine gets.

Skip to content Android Windows Linux Apple. Home » Linux. See also Where are Windows 10 installation files stored? See also Is Linux best for programming? Related posts: What are the 3 major families of Linux distributions? What are the best rolling release Linux distributions? That's why it's important to keep the kernel updated or to compile the kernel yourself if you have special requirements.

Developers around the world contribute to the kernel, along with its creator, Linus Torvalds. Knowing how distributions differ from each other can contribute to making or breaking your Linux experience. Not all distributions are meant for everyone, so choose the one that is most geared towards you and your preferences. There's absolutely nothing wrong with giving any distribution a try to get a good idea of what it's about.

Not sure where to start? Check our round up of the best Linux operating systems. Fake microSD cards have misleading high storage capacities. Don't be fooled! Here's how to spot a fake microSD card. But you will notice some differences between Linux versions, specifically: Desktop Environments Package managers Display servers Goals and aims Open source philosophy But how much do these differences really matter?

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