Lesson 1.2: Linux distributions
Why there are many Linuxes: distributions, packages, package managers and repositories; the Debian and Red Hat families, LTS releases, desktop vs server. Lab: find out which distribution a machine runs.
14 min
You will learn to
- Define distribution, package, package manager and repository
- Name the Debian and Red Hat families and one tool of each
- Explain what LTS means and when to choose it
- Identify a machine's distribution from /etc/os-release and lsb_release
Key terms
- Distribution (distro)
- A complete, installable operating system built around the Linux kernel: kernel + GNU tools + installer + package manager + chosen programs and settings.
- Package
- A program packed in a single file together with the information needed to install it: version, description and which other packages it needs (dependencies).
- Package manager
- The program that installs, updates and removes packages and fetches their dependencies automatically.
- Repository (repo)
- A server that holds a distribution's packages, checked and signed by the distribution. The package manager downloads from it.
- LTS (long-term support)
- A release that receives security updates for years, so a server doesn't have to be upgraded often.
- Desktop environment
- The graphical interface on top of the system: windows, menus, taskbar.
- Server (headless)
- A machine that provides services to others over the network (web pages, files, databases). Servers usually run without any graphical interface and are managed only from the command line.
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