SuperLinux Encyclopedia - Distributions

Note: No distinction is made herein between commercial and non-commercial distributions. The dividing line is too fuzzy for that.

Also see CPUs for Linux on certain CPUs.

General Subject:

• Distribution HOWTO The cannonical list of Linux distributions.
• Upgrade mini-HOWTO  How to upgrade your Linux distribution.

Specific Distributions:

• Caldera:
  • Caldera Home Page
  • Caldera Technical Services' Online Documentation
  • Caldera OpenLinux  Jul'97 LG
  • Ask Slashdot: Installing OpenLinux
• Debian
• Definite Linux  Red-Hat-based; makes CDs with latest security fixes, other security stuff.
• easyLinux  $; From eIT. Attempt to make Linux very easy. GUI install, registry, etc.
• The Free Linux Project (baseline Linux project)
• hal91  A minimal Linux system installed on one floppy.
• Project Independence (easy-to-install-and-use Linux project started Spring 98)
• IronWing   25 MB Linux installs on a M$DOS filesystem.
• LEM  "a small linux for embedded apps with X Server"
• Linux Core/Layers (a proposal; moribund)
• Mandrake:
  • Newsgroups: alt.os.linux.mandrake
  • Mandrake   Based on Red Hat & KDE.
• MkLinux:
  • Project Andromeda (Mac; a MkLinux distribution project)
  • MkLinux home page (At Apple; with link to Prime Time Freeware, the seller of reference release)
• Red Hat (x86, Sparc, Alpha):
  • Red Hat Software, Inc.
  • Red Hat Support Docs (incl. User's Guides)
  • Review (at LinuxAce)
  • Ask Slashdot: How do you build Red Hat Image Disks?
  • Distributions and RPM sets available:
    ftp.redhat.com:  official, stable distributed packages, by RedHat
    rawhide:  cutting/bleeding edge versions of distributed packages, by RedHat
    contrib:  packages contributed by anyone, unsupported, little (no?) quality control
    rhcn:  packages by registered contributors, unsupported but checked + validated
    
  • Version names:
    5.2:  Apollo
    5.1:  Manhattan
    5.0:  Hurricane
    ?.?:  Thunderbird
    4.?:  Biltmore II
    4.2:  Biltmore
    3.?:  Vanderbilt
    3.?:  Picasso
    
• Rock Linux  "like a big Makefile which downloads the sourcodes for the needed packages and compiles them for the given target platform. This is the reason why ROCK Linux is so portable: it ports itself! Unlike the other Linux Distribution the fokus wasn't and isn't to make an easy to administrate Linux. The fokus is to make a stable and compact Server Linux."
• Slackware:
  • Slackware.com
  • Slackware Linux (at Walnut Creek)
• SEUL - Simple End-User Linux (a project to produce an easy-to-install, non-geek distribution)
• SOT-Linux  Red Hat variant in Finnish.
• Stampede:
  • Stampede.org
  • Ask Slashdot: Stampede
• S.u.S.E.:
  • S.u.S.E. (German site with English pages)
  • S.u.S.E. (lots here, even for non-SuSE folk)
  • Review (at LinuxAce)
• TriLinux:
  • TRI-LINUX (a review by Matthew Borowski, 1998)
• TurboLinux by PHT (by Pacific HiTech; for i386 & PPC; also sold at www.cheapbytes.com)
• UltraPenguin 1.0(Linux distribution for the UltraSPARC (based on Red Hat 4.2 for SPARC))
• Unity Main Page
• Vedova  Debian-based.
• Yellow Dog Linux  For G3 CPUs.

Special-purpose (eg, small memory, one-disk, floppy based) "distributions":

• Floppy Linux Floppy Based Linux at Open Directory
• DOS-Linux  A small Linux that runs from DOS/Win using a big DOS/Win file.
• ELKS - The Embeddable Linux Kernel Subset
• LINNET   A Linux distribution idea to make it easy to build routers, terminal servers and Internet servers. Moribund?
• LRP - Linux Router Project   "A networking centric mini-distribution of Linux. LRP is small enough to fit on a single 1.44MB floppy disk, and makes building and maintaining routers, terminal servers, and typically embedded networking systems next to trivial."
• Monkey Linux  Runs on 4MB 386SX/16 with 30MB of hard disk (loaded from 5 floppies). With X & networking.
• MuLinux (a net-enabled Linux on one floppy)
• SmallLinux  As small as 2 MB memory; few floppies; can use tinyX
• tomsrtbt (1-disk Linux for rescue or Linux demo; editors = Elvis & "Chet's emacs")

Choosing a Distribution, Comparisons, and Other Lists:

• Comparative Review at 32bitsonline  (you might have to prune the URL and dig)
• Comparisons of distributions  Another list at Linux-Center.
• Comparison of Caldera, SuSE, & Red Hat Linuxes  Feb'99 ZDnet
• Selecting a Linux Distribution  Aug'98 LG
• Linux Distributions  "to inform people about the different distributions"
• Linux World (has a list which includes several ftp-only small distributions)
• Freshmeat: Mini Distributions
• Why I chose Debian GNU/Linux

Distributions "Resellers":

• Where to get Linux  at Linux Journal; canonical site
• SuperAnt  Sells CD-ROMs, etc.
• Cheapbytes  Sells SW, etc.
• PC Help  Sells PHT's TurboLinux, at least.
• InfoMagic:
  • InfoMagic Home Page
  • Review (at LinuxAce)
• Linux Shopping Mall Directory
• LSL (Linux Systems Labs):
  • Linux Systems Labs (home page)
  • LSL's Sunsite cd (a review by Matthew Borowski, 1998)
• Net NW  Sells Debian CDs made to order.
• Prime Time Freeware (Linux)
• Walnut Creek CDROM
• Yggdrasil

End of page.