Deciding Which Linux Flavor is Best

The Many Flavors of Linux
Even the smallest amount if research into Linux will have illustrated the sheer range of distributions out there. They are all based on the original Linux kernel built by Linus Torvalds (the father of modern Linux) and can all interoperate to varying degrees.
There are three base values that ensure all of the different distros will work together, and what application works for one should work for all.
Firstly there something called the Linux Standard Base. This is a set of specifications that the major distros adhere to which ensures interoperability between systems. It defines how packages are built and formatted, how file systems should work, and minimum criteria like applications and utilities to be available with the distro. This ensures that all Linux distros work from a common ground which makes sure everything will play nicely together.
There is also the Open Source Project. You will see this name a lot when you enter the world of Linux. Most distros include the same or very similar projects. Things like Apache, Samba, Mail, GNOME and KDE are all examples of Open Source Projects. The packages mentioned will work in whatever distro you have that conforms to this project.
Finally there is the Shell. This is the command line window most experienced Linux users seem to live in. It is the core of the machine/user interface and has to be standard across all distros. A command that works on one must be able to work on another.
I will list a few of the major distros currently in the world to whet your appetite. There are lots and lots out there and it would be impossible to do justice to all of them. If you are interested in them I heartily recommend doing some further research.
Debian
Debian is regarded as the largest Linux distribution to date in terms of users. It is renowned for its stability and quality and its interoperability with other software. It has a very large following and over 20,000 packages you can add to it. It is very stable and newbie friendly. The community is knowledgeable and helpful and most of the questions you may have will have been asked before on their forums. Debian seems somewhat over engineered to me, which isn’t a bad thing. It just means that it is never the latest and greatest, but is very, very stable. Currently on Debian Version 5, Lenny.
Ubuntu
Seemingly the most popular distro out in the world right now, since its release five years ago. It is another good quality, stable release that is very newbie friendly. It even has a migration assistant for Windows refugees. This eases the pain a little by helping you in your first steps. Another distro that works with most hardware straight out of the box. Current version 8.10 Hardy Heron.
Fedora
This is a distribution with a long history. Once part of Red Hat, Fedora was launched for the ‘Linux Hobbyist’. It is very secure and has a large number of packages available for it. This one seemed to be less newbie friendly than others, with not so many options for desktop users. If you want to run a web server or something then this would be ideal. Current version is Fedora 10.
OpenSUSE
This is another distro with a rich history, now owned by Novell. It is a comprehensive package with some good documentation. The following is helpful and informative and there are lots of packages available for it. There is however some controversy over a deal it has with Microsoft, something about use of patents. This doesn’t detract from the usability of the product though. Current release is 11.1
Mandriva
Mandriva used to be Mandrake, and even as a Windows user back then I knew what that was. It is one of the distributions that offer both free and commercial versions of the software. The commercial version is regarded as one of the best distros for newbies, with the best documentation. Although I don’t see that it has much that Ubuntu or Debian doesn’t offer and for free. Current version is Mandriva 2009, or One.
Slackware
This is allegedly the oldest Linux distribution still around today. It is supposed to be the cleanest and most bug free edition available, but seems quite hard core. You definitely need skills to get into Slackware. It lags a little behind other distributions and doesn’t have all the cool bits to make your desktop smart. One to look at in a year or two I think! Current version 12.2
FreeBSD
Yes I know, it is not really Li nux, but BSD. I have heard this name a lot so thought it worth mentioning. It is primarily directed a server applications and is rated as one of the most stable. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that some of the more popular distros have but if you need something to run a server, you can’t go wrong with this. Current version 7.1
Mint
This is my personal favourite, and not only for its cool name.  It is based on Ubuntu, but is developed mainly ‘on demand’. The programmers have forums and feedback loops which they subscribe to. The listen and try to implement the best suggestions into the distribution. It has many specific tools, and to my mind is the most useable out of the box. Current version is Mint 6 Felicia.
PCLinuxOS
Despite the not so catchy name this distribution is supposed to be very good for the Linux newcomer. Another distro that works out of the box, natively supporting lots of hardware. The documentation and website are pretty good if a little disorganized. This one also seems to be English only, so if you speak something other, then you had best look elsewhere. Current version is PCLinuxOS 2009.1
I hope you find this informative and that it has given you some food for thought. Like I said, there are many other versions of Linux out there, and this is just a snapshot of the most popular. Now it’s up to you to choose your flavor…

Debian 5 Lenny Available!

It has been 22 months since developers started on the new version of Debian, code name Lenny.  With most distros releasing every 6 months this is a distro with a different course.  One of the things that separates Debian 5 Lenny from other distros is that it supports over 23,000 applications.  That is 5 DVDs full of applications.

Here is a quote from the site:

This release includes numerous updated software packages, such as the K Desktop Environment 3.5.10 (KDE), an updated version of the GNOME desktop environment 2.22.2, the Xfce 4.4.2 desktop environment, LXDE 0.3.2.1, the GNUstep desktop 7.3, X.Org 7.3, OpenOffice.org 2.4.1, GIMP 2.4.7, Iceweasel 3.0.6 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Firefox), Icedove 2.0.0.19 (an unbranded version of Mozilla Thunderbird), PostgreSQL 8.3.6, MySQL 5.0.51a, GNU Compiler Collection 4.3.2, Linux kernel version 2.6.26, Apache 2.2.9, Samba 3.2.5, Python 2.5.2 and 2.4.6, Perl 5.10.0, PHP 5.2.6, Asterisk 1.4.21.2, Emacs 22, Inkscape 0.46, Nagios 3.06, Xen Hypervisor 3.2.1 (dom0 as well as domU support), OpenJDK 6b11, and more than 23,000 other ready-to-use software packages (built from over 12,000 source packages).

Debian 5 Lenny is also separated from other distributions because it is based on contributions by individuals. In a world dominated by corporations that control everything, this is a welcome change, a distro created “by the people”.  Normal everyday people devoting their freed time so that other can gain access to a totally free operating system.

Debian 5 Lenny is separated from othe rpopular distros because it trys to maintain  Open Source roots and avoid the trap of logos, drivers, etc that are owed by corporations.  If your heart is focused on the Freedom that comes with true Open Source distros that is the one for you.

This release marks an amazing journey that has been rough, because of internal issues with the distro as well as many political conflicts.  However, in the end all of the developers have come together for one of the most exciting distros to ever be rreleased!

You absolutely need to try Lenny.

Administrator’s Tools CD – Finnix

When I fist saw Finnix I thought … “so what?”   Why another Live CD?  However, when I loaded Finnix and then began to use it I changed my mind.  Finnix is a small Live CD packed full of tools that an administrator could use.  When I went into /etc/init.d I was suprised at how many programs were available.  Tools that I am using constantly were there, ssh, nfs, openvpn, vsftpd, mdadm and lvm2 among many others.

Buy Finnix for $1.95 at EasyLinuxCds.com

The distro is very fast as you would expect.  But using it I also found it smooth and capable.  I have used it to create Logical Volumes with LVM2 and it was very easy to use.  The RAID tools are a handy option when you want to use RAID.  All in all it is a CD worth trying out.

Ubuntu 8.10 Server…a Good Choice.

The Ubuntu 8.10 server is an especially good choice for services that are based in the Ubuntu repository.  Ease of use is one of the main interests in the Ubuntu 8.10 server so administrators tend to look at Ubuntu not only because this is a staple of the Ubuntu Desktop but the server version has been known for ease of setup.  Here is a good example.

Nagios has been a curse for anyone that was going to set up and monitor servers.  Nagios 2 was hard to configure and frustrating to maintain.  However, Ubuntu 8.10 provides Nagios 3 in the repository so that it is easy to set up:

sudo apt-get install nagios3

This may not seem like much but the fact is the install is extremely easy to do and get Nagios 3 up and running.  Here is a few links for Nagios to make the point:

Nagios 3 Install on Ubuntu 8.10
Monitor Web Services on Nagios
Monitor Mail Servers with Nagios

Having tried to install Nagios on several other distributions it is clear that Ubuntu is a leader for some of the cutting edge products that administrators will want to use.  One of the places that Ubuntu shines is with Nagios 3.  One word of caution, you will want to check the above articles for the install a Ubuntu has a tendency to change the install process from the default.  So if you read the Nagios 3 directions on their web site you will find that they do not apply directly to Ubuntu.

The Ubuntu server gradually is becoming more robust and full featured.  I am still frustrated that I have to download and install ACLs, RAID tools and LVM2 on a server.  I really think these should be installed by default as administrators really are looking for these features.  Now, they are in the repository and they are easy to install but it is just one more thing to do.

I have setup my Nagios 3 server with Ubuntu 8.10 and teach classes with Ubuntu 8.10 for Nagios just because it is so easy to do.  Administrators are not looking for hassles, they are looking for solid solutions to real problems and this application of Nagios is certainly one of those solutions.

If you are interested in live training check out this class.

Ubuntu is a great choice for many options when it comes to servers.

Why I Choose CentOS for a Server

There are many options available for Linux distros, over 500.  Most of them you can make into a server.  Basically, a server is a computer that provides services for other computers, like a web site, or DHCP or ftp download, etc.  So it does not take much for a computer to act as a server.  However, if you are looking for the professional level server that, in my opinion, leads all other distros in functioning as a server then you need to investigate CentOS.  Here is a list of the reasons that CentOS is top on my list for a server.

Interested in CentOS Training?
Live Virtual Classes
CentOS Manuals with Labs
CentOS on Disk

1. Origins
Where a Linux distro came from is an important part of what it is.  CentOS is built from the source code of Red Hat Enterprise.  This means that when you choose CentOS you will also receive the history, philosophy and aspects of Red Hat Enterprise.  I can remember the early versions of Red Hat, a distro growing with popularity but still just another distro.  However, when Red Hat made the decision to create an Enterprise version it changed everything.  The focus of Red Hat became the server, in fact they really do not even talk about the desktop as the oply option offered is a server.  So you have the source of CentOS with one focus, building the best enterprise server world wide.

2. Stability
Each distribution has its own philosophy, for CentOS (here you must always assume the origin of Red Hat), the requirement is for an operating system that is stable.  Stability means providing an operating system that does not have bugs in the software.  In order to eliminate bugs in software you need to use code that you can modify, in other words Open Source code.  Using only Open Source code will not provide you with the opportunity  to use the latest and greatest hardware as drivers may not be available for it.  This can be frustrating when you know that there are drivers available but they are not installed because they cannot be modified.  For me I can accept this as I want stability more than anything else.  The second aspect of stability is that code must be tested over an extended period of time.  This results in drivers being available at a later date that what other distros provide.  This however, is the cost of stability.

3. Security
Have you put a server online lately?  In less than 10 minutes it is under attack.   It only makes sense to use an operating system that is secure and is on the cutting edge of security.  Security is built from several keys issues in a distro.  First, security is built from using stable code.  Yep, the two are closing related.  Bugs in code often leads to security issues. Secondly, security is built upon decisions upon the file system and how it is structured.  One thing that you will find with CentOS you have almost all of the content for web server, FTP, databases, mail, logs ….  almost all of the public content is  located in the /var directory.  The major exception is the users for Samba.  This provides clear thinking on partitions, backups, and resources. A major factor in security is the use of SELinux.  CentOS (really Red Hat) is the leader world wide in the use of SELinux.  Yes I know it is overly complicated and hard to use and manage, but in my mind that is the price we all pay in terms of security today.   SELinux is much more mature than AppArmor which has a dubious future ( developers are working for Microsoft now).  SELinux is where CentOS is betting the farm, they (meaning Red Hat) spent a tremendous amount of money, time and resources on integrating SELinux throughout the operating system.  Often people do not realize that in order to use a product like SELinux yoiu must modify the entire operating system and rewrite the commands so they will work with the extended attributes.  Ubuntu and other distros say SELinux is available but what they do not tell you is that you can only use some features because the distro does not have a commitment to SELinux.  Therefore, as far as I know, there is only one Linux distro that can use SELInux to it’s full extent and that is CentOS (Red Hat).

4. Professional Server Install
Unlike other distros, CentOS comes installed with the professional features you need for a server.  These features include: ACLs, LVM2, raid tools with mdadm, SELinux and many other smaller features.  Linux distros that do not install these features by default really are not committed to the professional server.  What server admin wants an install with LVM today and not version 2 (LVM2)?  It is just not acceptable if you are going to use the Logical Volume Management.  Access Control Lists are an important feature that provides an administrator the option to give various levels of access to a file or folder to a number of users.  The mdadm command is an important tool in building and maintain RAID, but in other distros you have to download and install it.  This is what administrators need to get the job done.  Anyway, this is just my opinion but I think admins want a professional install they can count on.

Now I have used Red Hat and CentOS for close to 10 years now.  I have also set up a lot of other servers on SUSE, Ubuntu, Mandriva, etc.  These other distros have some positive aspects no doubt, but when I need an install I can count on for years…I always turn to CentOS.