Q. Linux has a lot of operating systems, I'm not even going to bother to list them. I was wondering, it there a difference between them? Does each type of Linux operating system hold a specific purpose? For example, Red Hat holds a different functionality to Ubuntu, or something like that.
A. Linux has many distros but all versions of Linux are the same OS.
Linux is extremely customizable. So much so that it'd be impossible for one person to do all the tweaks necessary to have what most people consider a polished and functional operating system. On top of that many Linux distros are heavily customized for specific purposes. Robotics, hardware appliance (routers for example), Real time OS (traffic lights, microwave ovens, unmanned aircraft), Music studios, Network security, Home theatre, Cash register, various industrial and scientific specialties, generic servers and so on.
There are also distros that are specialized to fit on a 1.44 floppy, thumb drives and a few distros specifically designed to run on CDs rather than be installed on a machine. There are distros that mimic other operating systems such as Mac OS and Windows so closely that at a glance you wouldn't know that you were not using those OS's. Other's are branded such as Dell's version of Ubuntu which is customized for Dell hardware.
There are also commercial versions of Linux. Red Hat Enterprise for example which is designed for high end servers and IBM's SUSE which has customizations for running on IBM virtual servers/being the host OS for the virtual servers, a desktop version which much of Europe's governments uses.
Distros often come with sub distros that are customized for various purposes. For example most major distros have a KDE and a Gnome version These are customized to people's favorite window managers and some distros support up to 5 or 6 window managers with sub-distros. Most support at least 2 or 3. Long term support, special purpose sub-distros like Ubuntu Studio which is geared for musicians are also common with widely used general distros.
The majority of distros however are shortcuts for Linux users to get what they want/need without spending the thousand of hours personally making those customizations. For example some like myself do too much customization and install too much software to upgrade a machine every 2 years. So long term support versions appeal heavily to me. I need and use a large variety of applications so it's important to have very large software repositories. Other people choose high performance bare bone distros. Some people want total control over their sytem and choose primitive distros that give you the bare min necessary, anything else the user installs themselves and customize as they see fit. (not recommended for anybody but an expert).
There are philosophical choices involved in choosing a distro. One big split for example is RH vrs Debian based systems. The RH fork (RHE, SUSE, Mandriva, CentOS) and Debian fork (Ubuntu, Debian) have some small differences in the way they are built. For example RH systems use YUM for software installation while Debian based systems use Apt-Get. You can install and use YUM on Debian systems and Apt-Get on RH systems. It's just a matter of defaults. Same with how root privileges are handled, and other minor details. The average user won't notice such subtle differences.
I've included a link to distro watch which gives details about specific distros as well as release cycles and where to download them.
What is the best linux distro for me? Q. I am looking for a good linux distro. I don't like the standard GNOME 3 as I have tried the fedora live cd. I have tried KDE, its pretty good. I am currently running Kubuntu 11.10 and had ubuntu 11.04 unity before but I would like a linux thats advanced but easy. Thanks for your help.
A. The Linux Desktop is currently a mess with a plethora of options available. Unity as on Ubuntu 11.10 and GNOME 3 as on Fedora 16 are cluttered and in my opinion not suitable for use on a production machine. I need a Desktop Environment that allows me to just get things done with minimal fuss. This is where the older Gnome 2 Desktop Environment excels.
Linux Mint 12 goes some way to addressing this wth MGSE (Mint Gnome Shell Extensions) which is a layer built on top of GNOME 3 however like other distros. such as Fedora to deploy the GNOME 3 Desktop Environment for me does not convince
Linux Desktop Faceoff GNOME 3 vs Ubuntu Unity
http://lifehacker.com/5853099/linux-desktop-faceoff-gnome-3-vs-ubuntu-unity
There is a new project being developed by Linux Mint called Cinnamon however as with MGSE it is a layer built on top of GNOME 3
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
I thoroughly recommend the earlier release Linux Mint 11 which is built upon Ubuntu 11.04 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled
Linux Mint 11 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=81
Linux Mint 11 Release Notes/Installation Guide/User Guide
http://linuxmint.com/rel_katya.php
Also worth considering is Linux Mint Debian Edition
Linux Mint Debian Edition Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=88
Manual partitioning guide for Linux Mint Debian Edition
http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2010/12/28/manual-disk-partitioning-guide-for-linux-mint-debian-edition/
LUg.
How do I enter my passkey to connect to an internet connection on a Linux Ubuntu?
Q. You see, the network to access the internet here at home requires a password to connect to it, should you be using a Mac or a Windows based OS. However, my Linux just connects to the network without asking for a password. But I can't access the internet since I didn't enter the password. And I have no idea how to enter it. Any help?
A. click on internet connections on the top right
then select ur internet connection
if there exist a password then it prompts u for a password
then u need to change the mode to 128 bit hex, i think this is the second option over there in the password prompt box.
if this doesnt work u change the mode of access to shared key in the second trial
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