Linux distributions. Ubuntu Server

Linux distributions. Ubuntu Server
Dragoş Acostăchioaie
http://www.unixinside.org
dragos@unixinside.org
Şcoala de vară “Informatică la castel”, Macea, 26 – 31 august 2013

Dragoş Acostăchioaie - http://www.unixinside.org
What is a Linux distribution?
A package which consists in:
✗ the Linux kernel
✗ libraries and utilities
✗ lot of applications
✗ installation and configuration tools

Types of Linux distributions
Target platform:
✗ for desktops
✗ for servers
✗ for laptops and netbooks
✗ for tablets and mobile phones
✗ for embedded systems

License and availability:
✗ commercial (RedHat Enterprise, SuSe, ...)
✗ non-commercial (Ubuntu, Fedora, ...)

Addressability:
✗ home and office users
✗ professional users (programmers, admins, ...)
✗ specialized users (scientists, chemists, teachers, ...)

Purpose:
✗ general use
✗ specialized functionalities (routers, clusters, ...)

Live Linux distributions
✗ can be booted from USB flash drive, CD, ...
✗ no need to install it
✗ useful for trying it and for demonstrations
✗ useful to repair a broken system

How many Linux distributions exists?
✗ over 300 maintained distributions (distrowatch.com)
✗ many distributions are based on other distribution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Linux_Distribution_Timeline.svg
✗ the most important distributions are:
✗ Debian
✗ RedHat/Fedora
✗ Ubuntu
✗ Slackware

What is the package management ?
✗ a package is a set of files needed for an application (executable
files, scripts, libraries, configuration files, documentation, ...)
✗ relations between packages
✗ one of the most important part of a Linux distribution is the
package management system
✗ DEB – used by Debian-based distributions (Ubuntu, Linux Mint, ...)
✗ RPM – used by Fedora-based distributions (CentOS, OpenSUSE, ...)
✗ Pacman – used by Arch-based distributions (Chakra, Bridge, ...)
✗ pkgtool – used by Slackware-based distributions (Kongoni, VectorLinux, ...)

Why are so many Linux distributions?
Different development model:
✗ Windows/MacOS – centralized (corporate) development
✗ FreeBSD – only one distribution, important decisions are
taken by a small group of people
✗ Linux – only kernel development is controlled by a group
of people (headed by Linus Torvalds). Everyone is free to
make it's own Linux distribution

How to choose a Linux distribution?
There are no rules. Some hints:
✗ what are you going to do with it?
✗ how easy is to install it?
✗ how good is the documentation?
✗ have a strong community base (easy to solve problems using
forums, blogs, IRC, ...)
✗ is a wide-spread distribution? (larger application
availability, more tested, ...)

There are no rules. Some hints:
✗ how new are the package versions? (up-to-date with
new facilities, good security, ...)
✗ how often does it change?
✗ how easy is to update packages?
✗ how easy is to update to a newer distribution version?

In many cases, choosing a Linux distribution
is a matter of taste.

What are the most popular Linux distributions?
Debian
✗ very large community base
✗ good security; very stable, tested and reliable
✗ slow release cycle (1-3 years), in three branches:
stable, testing, unstable
✗ very good for professionals
✗ it supports a big number of platforms (11)
✗ lacks the latest Linux technologies

Ubuntu – based on Debian
✗ Kubuntu – the KDE version of Ubuntu
✗ Xubuntu – Xfce version of Ubuntu
✗ Lubuntu – LXDE version of Ubuntu
✗ Edubuntu – educational version of Ubuntu
✗ Ubuntu server – server version of Ubuntu

Ubuntu – based on Debian
✗ good security (LTS have 3-5 years of security updates)
✗ relatively short, predictable (6 months), release cycle
✗ very good for beginners (easy to install, good documentation, ...)
✗ project started and financed by Mark Shuttleworth, a charismatic
South-african multimillionaire, former Debian developer

Linux Mint – based on Ubuntu
✗ large community base
✗ many own-built elements (artwork, graphical utilities, ...)
✗ doesn't have a fixed release schedule
✗ very good for beginners (easy to install, good documentation, ...)
✗ community editions doesn't include all the features and lacks
security updates

Fedora
✗ good security
✗ predictable release cycle
✗ focus on enterprise features, less on desktop usability
✗ good for professional users
✗ sponsored by RedHat, the biggest Linux company

CentOS – based on RedHat
✗ relatively large community base
✗ good security, but not always up-to-date
✗ oriented on server usage, very stable, tested and reliable
✗ lacks the latest Linux technologies

ArchLinux
✗ follows the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy
✗ very good package management system; it permits to
install the packages from source code
✗ lot of customization and tweaking options
✗ very good documentation
✗ focused on professional users
✗ doesn't have a fixed release schedule
✗ sometimes unstable

Slackware
✗ follows the simplicity philosophy
✗ rudimentary package management system
✗ very stable clean as bug-free, used as core system for
custom solutions
✗ complex upgrade procedures, limited number of
available packages
✗ good for professional users

OpenSUSE
✗ large community base, very popular in Germany and other
European countries
✗ good security, well maintained
✗ predictable release cycle
✗ good for all kind of users; very good documentation
✗ good configuration tools
✗ resource-heavy desktop and graphical utilities
✗ originally based on Slackware, uses RPM package manager

PCLinuxOS
✗ relatively large community
✗ good security
✗ doesn't have a fixed release schedule; conservative politics
✗ very good for beginners; includes out-of-the-box support for
graphic drivers, browser plugins and media codecs
✗ doesn't include default support for non-english languages
✗ originally based on Mandrake, uses RPM

Mageia
✗ growing community base, very new distribution (since 2010)
✗ predictable release cycle (9 months)
✗ very good for beginners (easy to install)
✗ very good central configuration tool
✗ very good support for many languages
✗ continuation of Mandriva, uses RPM

Ubuntu Server
Server and desktop differences
✗ both editions uses the same package repository
✗ Server edition doesn't have X Window
✗ Server edition have a different installation process
(it uses a text user interface)
✗ Server edition have different kernel options
✗ Server edition doesn't have graphical configuration tools

Ubuntu Server
Advantages:
✗ very clean
✗ good security (security updates, long term security updates
for LTS releases – 5 years)
✗ stable and reliable, well tested
✗
✗ good documentation
✗ easy to install
✗ lot of packages in Ubuntu repositories

Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server is certified with big companies hardware:
✗ Lenovo
✗ Dell
✗ IBM
✗ HP
✗ Intel

Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server includes virtualization support:
✗ KVM - used on Intel and AMD hardware)
✗ Xen, Qemu – for other hardware

Ubuntu Server
Ubuntu Server is ready for cloud computing:
✗ 13.04 offers a complete solution for building highly
available, flexible and secure OpenStack production clouds
✗ easy and fast to install a OpenStack cloud

Ubuntu Server
Any questions?

Linux distributions. Ubuntu Server

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