Russian Linux: an overview of Russian general purpose distributions. Switching to Linux: Choosing the Right Distribution

03.05.2019 Tips

State

ALT Linux distributions (Alt Linux) is a family of Linux distributions, which are a separate branch of the development of Russian-language Linux, released by Alt Linux and its partners, based on the developments of the Russian-speaking development team ALT Linux Team. Most Alt Linux distributions are available for free download.

Technology

The basis of ALT Linux solutions and distributions is the Sisyphus repository, one of the world's five largest banks of free software packages.

Story

In 1999-2000, the distribution kit developed by the future core of the ALT Linux Team was based on the MandrakeLinux distribution kit and was its Russian version (Linux-Mandrake Russian Edition).

Starting in 2000, the replacement of Mandrake packages began own builds and technologies, a significant change in the build system and macros in the RPM package manager. By version 3.0 (2005) all Mandrake packages, installer and configuration system were completely superseded by the ALT Linux Team's own developments. Now the ALT Linux distributions are a separate branch of Linux development and have nothing to do with Mandrake or Mandriva.

distributions

Distributions under the trademark ALT Linux are produced by Alt Linux and its partners.

The first distribution kit released within the framework of the ALT Linux Team project was a universal one, designed to solve the most different tasks Linux Mandrake Spring 2001. Its foundation was created by the IPLabs Linux Team, and it used many of the developments and trademarks of the French company MandrakeSoft. At the same time, this development was already quite noticeably different from the Mandrake distribution. Line of universal distributions continued in distributions ALT Linux Master.

The strengths of ALT Linux distributions are:

standard and high-quality internationalization and localization;
high degree of reliability and protection (tcb, chroot, ...);
APT update systems

Distributions of the Sixth Platform

Currently, a wide range of distributions based on the Sixth Platform is being prepared:

Server Light: compact, optimized server solution

Homeros Friend: a system equipped with auxiliary software components that allow you to interact with personal computer without visual control, using speech.

Netbook-live: An LXDE-based netbook solution.

Alt Linux 6.0 Centaur

Distribution kit for working with personal data, service and confidential information, as well as a living room. It can be used to develop automated systems with a security class of 1B inclusive and personal data protection systems of K1 inclusive.

ALTLinux 6.0 KDesktop

Server (ALT Linux 5.0 Ark Server)
Workstation (ALT Linux 5.0 Ark Desktop)

The ALT Linux 5.0 Ark Server is designed to organize an enterprise network and organize the interaction of geographically distributed offices (VPN), contains the following tools:

central authorization of users and services;
centralized updating of servers and workstations;
network installation of workstations, virtualization tools for installing containers with additional software, backup
single file storage with quota support;
automatic creation of RAID from two or more hard drives;
administration via a web interface, which does not require in-depth study of the system by service personnel.

The ALT Linux 5.0 Ark Desktop workstation is based on the GNOME desktop environment and is designed to be integrated into the enterprise network to work in conjunction with the server, contains centralized authentication on the server, integration with file storage on the server, simplified interaction with the server and virtual containers, including readiness to work with terminal applications. The workstation can also be used for home computer as a Desktop based GNOME graphical environment.

"Alt Linux 5.0 School"

Alt Linux 5.0.2 School Server (2DVD for 32 and 64-bit systems)
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School New Easy (Lite and Full versions on CD and DVD) based on LXDE
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School Easy (2 CDs) based on XFCE 4.6.3
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School Junior (DVD) based on GNOME 2.26.3
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School Master (DVD) based on KDE 4.3.4
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School Terminal (DVD)

Additionally, the kit includes:

Alt Linux 5.0.2 School. Free Software for Microsoft Windows (DVD)
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School. Documentation, books and teaching materials (DVD)
Alt Linux 5.0.2 School. Video Tutorials (DVD)

Simply Linux

Easy to install and use, not demanding on computer resources, version of ALT Linux with XFCE graphical shell, device drivers and more than 30 programs.

ALT Linux 5.0.0 Desktop

Distribution for desktops and laptops. Created on the basis of the Fifth Platform, based on the KDE4 graphical environment.

ALT Linux 5.0.2 Server

Alt Linux 5.0.2 The school server is intended to become the core of the network and educational infrastructure of the school.

The server supports single sign-on technology, which allows the user to access all server services without re-authentication. The server implements (via the web interface) all the necessary network building functions, in particular:

Also, in version 5.0.2:

You can specify a root password during installation
Documentation has been updated, including instructions for deploying RUZHEL and SKF Netpolice.

ALT Linux 5.0.2 LXDE Remix

January 26, 2011 ALT Linux 5.0.2 LXDE Remix released - light operating room system based on the Fifth Platform ALT Linux and the LXDE graphical environment with basic set programs for performing typical tasks.

ALT Linux 5.0.2 LXDE Remix is available in two flavors:

Standard - custom operating system general purpose, which includes LiveCD with installation and system recovery mode;
Lite is a lightweight operating system on CD, suitable for weak office workstations with terminal functionality.

ALT Linux 5.0.2 LXDE Remix is compatible with ALT Linux 5.0 Ark Server and Alt Linux 5.0 School Server.

Branch 4 based distributions

Desktop

Alt Linux Desktop 4.1

Series Desktop- series development Compact for home and office use.

ALT Linux 4.0 Desktop Professional certified by FSTEC of Russia:

Lite

Designed for installation on low power computers and is based on the Xfce graphical environment. Available in the LiveCD version. Since 2008, within the framework of the Education program, performed under the auspices of Armada OJSC, it has also been known under the name of the distribution kit Light Linux according to the classical classification ALT Linux 4.0 Lite.

Junior

Series distributions Junior designed to solve various applied tasks users. In addition to office and multimedia applications that have become a familiar necessity, as well as applications necessary for full-fledged work on the Internet, in Junior are included text editors, dictionaries, fonts, several graphics operating environments, programming languages and development environments, database management systems, educational programs, games and system administration utilities. One of the tasks in compiling a distribution kit ALT Linux 2.3 Junior was the creation of Linux-based platforms for learning computer science and information technology. Therefore, it contains additional educational and methodical manuals, books and articles on Linux and related topics. Since 2008, within the framework of the Education program, executed under the auspices of Armada OJSC, support has been resumed with a new distribution kit name Linux Junior according to the old classification ALT Linux 4.0 Junior.

Master

The task of the distributions of the series Master- serve as a universal toolkit for the developer, administrator and user. Master- the most complete distribution of ALT Linux, in which "everything is at hand." Based on the Master, you can build corporate information systems, use it as a server platform, for developing client and server applications, in educational institutions and also apply as a professional desktop operating system. The latest version of the distribution ALT Linux Master 2.4 released in October 2004 . Since 2008, within the framework of the Education program, executed under the auspices of Armada OJSC, support has been resumed with a new distribution kit name Linux Master according to the old classification ALT Linux 4.0 Master.

office server

ALT Linux Office Server - a server operating system with a fixed set of features, fully configurable through a web interface (successor to ALT Linux SOHO Server). The latest version of the distribution ALT Linux 4.0 Office Server released in June 2007 as an electronic edition.

server

Starting with the 4.0 branch, a dedicated server edition is available called server.

Both x86 and x86-64 versions are provided.

ALT Linux 4.0 Server certified by the FSTEC of Russia:

Terminal

ALT Linux 4.0 Terminal- a distribution kit for deploying a terminal server and a class of terminal clients.

It features low system requirements for computers used as terminals.

The distribution is being developed by a partner of Alt Linux, Kyiv-based Media Magic.

Workflow

ALT Linux 4.0 Workflow is a ready-made integrated solution for the enterprise, consisting of two products: the ALT Linux operating system and the RUNA WFE enterprise business process management system. Includes server and client parts.

ALT Linux 4.1 Children

The beta version of this distribution (LiveCD) is designed to develop children's creativity, both independently and under the guidance of a teacher in the field of computer graphics and digital video. The distribution kit includes a training course "Graphics, animation, video", corresponding to software and multimedia materials. However, the distribution does not include office programs, mail clients, and by default there is no Internet connection.

"School project"

Since 2008, within the framework of the Education project, under a contract with Armada JSC, Alt Linux has been developing a set of distribution kits for delivery to Russian schools. As part of the initial pilot project, school distribution kits were installed in general education schools in the Perm Territory, the Republic of Tatarstan, the Tomsk Region, and in schools that voluntarily joined the project.

Lightweight Linux, based on ALT Linux Lite
Linux Junior, based on ALT Linux Junior
Linux Master, based on ALT Linux Desktop
Linux Terminal, based on ALT Linux Terminal

Community distributions

Community distributions are unofficial builds of ISO images of installation discs created by members of the ALT Linux Team community. Meanwhile, they are based on the same code base and the same branches as the official ALT Linux distributions. They differ in the set of programs installed by default. As a rule, unofficial builds cover a wide range of light and light versions of distributions with a minimum set of software installed by default.

A relatively complete list of community distributions (community builds) can be found in the ALT Linux Wiki.

Distributions no longer supported

Compact

Series distributions Compact issued for novice users. They are designed for workstations, home computers and laptops. Compact easy to set up, contains a lot of office, multimedia applications and games. The distribution kit has a number of "clones", made by order of equipment manufacturers, which are ready-made solutions. The latest version of the distribution ALT Linux Compact 3.0 released in December 2005 in three editions:

- version containing 1 CD with a basic set of applications required by a home computer user;
DVD version containing an extended set of applications;
Travel-CD, which allows you to boot the system directly from CD-ROM, without installing on HDD(LiveCD).

This ruler has now been converted to .

GNU/Linux- multinational OS. And each country creates its own distributions, which are used both on workstations and on servers. Russia is not far behind, and there are several good (and not so good) Linux distributions, which I will talk about. In doing so, I will talk about the most famous and popular distributions which are well developed and actively used. Go!

Rosa Linux

Rosa Linux- a distribution based on the now deceased Mandriva, and continuing its development. This distribution It has several editions designed for different applications. The free desktop edition is Fresh, which includes the most recent and stable software. Editions "Cobalt", "Nickel", "Chromium" created for government agencies, and certified by the Russian Ministry of Defense and FSTEC. These distributions are not in free access. The server version was originally based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), was subsequently also transferred to the Mandriva base. Based on the Rosa project, the distribution kit is being developed OpenMandriva, which is "polygon" to test new software and technologies (like Fedora for RHEL).

The distribution uses its own developments:

ABF (Automatic Build Farm)- a distributed environment for continuous development and assembly based on the Git version control system. ABF is designed as a structural façade for proprietary (distribution-dependent) technical processes. This approach allows with a minimum entry threshold, without major changes in package databases and build technologies, add distributions on various package bases to ABF. A single external logic supported by ABF provides the ability to quick exchange functionality between development teams from base and derivative distributions and between different base distributions, and also accelerates the appearance of new application functionality in distributions from external vendors. The OpenMandriva project borrowed the ABF build environment.
ROSA Hardware DB- database of tested equipment;
Rocket Bar- a panel for quick launch of applications with the ability to switch between them;
SimpleWelcome- a single point of launching applications grouped by functionality;
time frame is a content visualization tool that allows you to track activity and find documents and files on specific dates.
stackfolder- an applet that allows you to organize quick access to the most used directories and files (included in KDE 4.10 by default);
Klook- a utility for quickly viewing a group of files (analogous to QuickLook in Mac OS X, in KDE 4.10 by default);
ROMP- multimedia player based on MPlayer and SMPlayer;
ROSA Software Center- application installation center;
Upstream Tracker- tracking and analyzing the compatibility of changes in Linux libraries;
Kernel ABI Tracker— analysis of changes in the Linux kernel.

The main graphical environment in Rosa is KDE. The development team created their own original design, which is quite familiar to Windows users, and does not scare away experienced Linux users. There are also editions with graphical environments GNOME and LXDE but they receive less attention. Official site

Calculate Linux

Calculate Linux is a line of enterprise distributions based on the famous Gentoo(the one that is assembled from source codes during installation), but unlike it, they have a simple and understandable installer, high build quality and system utilities, as well as a very wide range of pre-installed software (the Desktop edition even has Skype). At the same time, Calculate is fully compatible with Gentoo, using its native system Portage for building and installing software, and also contains a large number of binary packages in the repository. Calculate has the following editions:

Calculate Linux Desktop KDE/MATE/Xfce (CLD, CLDM, CLDX) is a modern desktop based on the KDE, MATE or Xfce graphical environment that can perform most office tasks. The main feature is fast installation, convenient update system and the ability to store user accounts on the server. The appearance of the desktop on all three distributions is identical. Employees can freely work on different desktops by sharing files, documents from Windows OS.
Calculate Directory Server (CDS)- can act as a domain controller, allows using Calculate 2 utilities with simple unix-like commands to configure Samba, Mail, Jabber, Proxy services. As the calculate-server package, which is part of the Calculate 2 utilities (Apache 2 license), is released, new versions of the server are released at intervals of 2-3 months.
Calculate Linux Scratch(CLS) is a base distribution, like stage3 in Gentoo, used to build other versions of the desktop. Unlike stage3, it contains the necessary minimum of additional packages, drivers, libraries, Linux kernel source code, and portages.
Calculate Scratch Server (CSS)- like CLS uses a minimal set of packages. Unlike the latter, it is designed to be installed on a server.
Calculate media center(CMC)- a specialized distribution optimized for storing and playing multimedia content.

All versions of the distribution are distributed as bootable livecd image with the ability to install on HDD, USB-Flash or USB-HDD.

Peculiarities:

Ready-made client-server solution.
Rapid deployment in the enterprise.
Full-fledged work in heterogeneous networks.
Update model: rolling release.
Includes specially designed Calculate utilities for configuring, building and installing the system.

Interactive assembly of the system is supported - preparing an ISO image of the system for your tasks.
Ease of administration.
Can be installed on USB-Flash or USB-HDD with ext4, ext3, ext2, ReiserFS, Btrfs, XFS, jfs, nilfs2 or FAT32.
100% Gentoo compatible with support for binary update repositories.

Official site

runtu

runtu- this is a Russian assembly ubuntu, focused, oddly enough, on the Russian user. The system is completely Russified, very easy to install, has good set preinstalled applications. Distinctive feature distribution is a set of system utilities developed by a project participant FSnow. This software is available in the Launchpad repository ppa:fsnow/ppa .

There are two editions of Runtu:

Runtu XFCE- with a lightweight Xfce graphical environment configured for a familiar Windows user interface;
Runtu LITE- with the Openbox window manager, targeting old and weak hardware.

Official site

Russian Fedora Remix

Russian Fedora Remix(or RFRemix) is a build based on the Fedora distribution. In addition to full Russification, it has the following differences:

The fonts look orders of magnitude better than in the original Fedora;
By default, repositories with non-free drivers, proprietary software, etc. are connected;
By default, multimedia codecs are installed that cannot be included in the original Fedora due to patent restrictions;
Similarly, fixes and improvements are added that Fedora upstream does not accept.

Otherwise, it's a regular Fedora. Official site

ALT Linux

Initially based on Mandrake(which later became Mandriva), but gradually began to turn into independent system. A distinctive feature of ALT Linux is its package manager: it uses packages of the format RPM, as in RedHat-derived distributions, but they are controlled using the utility APT (Advanced Packaging Tool), which is "native" for Debian and its derivatives (such as Ubuntu). ALT Linux is also famous for being sent to many schools, and computer science textbooks contain tasks specifically for it (except for Windows). The distribution kit has both publicly available free editions and versions for government agencies certified by the FSTEC and the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. The Simply Linux distribution is a lightweight edition of ALT Linux, containing a large amount of educational and multimedia software, as well as a simple and convenient desktop based on Xfce. Development of packages for ALT Linux, conducted in a special repository Sysyphus. The following editions are available:

Alt Linux Centaurus (ALT Linux Centaurus)— a multifunctional distribution kit for servers and workstations, primarily intended for use in corporate networks;
Alt Linux KDesktop- universal multifunctional user system Alt Linux KDesktop (ALT Linux KDesktop) includes everything you need for office work, creating various kinds graphics and animation, sound and video processing, application development tools, and education. During installation, the user will be able to complete his own distribution kit and form the necessary functionality;
"Alt Linux School"- a set of distribution kits for educational institutions. The kit includes operating systems based on ALT Linux for building the infrastructure of an educational institution:
School Server
School teacher
School Junior
School Master
The main feature of the kit is the integration of student and teacher workplaces. This feature allows not only to centrally manage educational process, but also provides interaction between students and teachers in the usual form of chats and forums. Messages can contain tasks, their solutions and comments. It is also possible to exchange files of any format, both between a teacher and a student, and between students;
The above Simply Linux.

Astra Linux

A special-purpose operating system based on Debian GNU/Linux, created for the needs of Russian law enforcement agencies and special services. Ensures the degree of protection of processed information up to the level of state secrets "top secret" inclusive. Certified in the systems of certification of information security tools of the Ministry of Defense, FSTEC and the Federal Security Service of Russia. The released releases bear the names of the hero cities of Russia and the CIS countries.

The manufacturer is developing a basic version Astra Linux- Common Edition (general purpose) and its modification Special Edition (special purpose):

general purpose version "Eagle"(common edition) designed to "solve the problems of medium and small businesses."
version of the "special purpose" - "Smolensk"(Special Edition) designed to create on its basis automated systems in a secure design, processing information with a degree of secrecy "top secret" inclusive

Official site

PupyRusLinux

This is a lightweight distro designed specifically for low-end hardware. The small size of the system (about 120 megabytes), allows it to fully boot into RAM for maximum performance. PuppyRus Linux is focused on x86 computers, optimized for maximum performance, and due to low hardware requirements, it can breathe a “second” life into outdated models.
PuppyRus inherited two original package systems from its predecessor Puppy Linux: .PET and .PUP. They are gzip-compressed files that contain directories containing files for installation. These directories have the same names and structure as the standard directories in file system UNIX.
Thus, the process of installing new packages is accompanied by unpacking the packages to the root directory. Package manager program PetGet monitors the installation process, registers the files that are copied from the package to the system, and records these changes in a separate file - the installation log. After unpacking, PetGet executes the installation script (script) also contained within the package.
When a package is uninstalled, PetGet removes all files derived from it, according to its installation log. After that, PetGet executes the post-installation script (script) that was previously included in the package. Official site

Agilia Linux

It is a Linux distribution based on the now undeveloped MOPS Linux(which in turn is based on Slackware). The main principles that the developers of the distribution adhere to are the ease of installation and development of the system, as well as the selection of the most stable programs.

Historically, AgiliaLinux is a direct descendant of the defunct MOPSLinux. At the time, MOPSLinux was generally based on the Slackware package base, gradually increasing its share of its own packages towards the end of its existence. AgiliaLinux has continued on this path and the package base is now independent. The package format is txz, and mpkg is used as the package manager. Official site

09/30/2005, Fri, 13:09, Msk

If a company plans to migrate to Linux, it will have to make a difficult choice. There is no single distribution of Linux, the system is distributed in various versions. Using the wrong distribution can lead to unpredictable results.

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Commercial distributions

As a rule, when choosing a distribution, first of all, products of commercial manufacturers with a good reputation are considered. These manufacturers offer expensive contracts with a fairly high level of support, official certification of specialists, etc. In addition, suppliers of commercial application programs(such as Oracle or SAP) most often officially ensure their work with a specific distribution.

There are quite strong technical communities around these distributions. Therefore, they can be successfully applied without concluding a contract with the manufacturer. But this solution is not always optimal. On the this moment There are two companies in this class - Red Hat and Novell. (Mandriva claims the same status, but has not yet achieved it).

Red Hat is a well-known Linux distribution vendor. This company has been offering its products since 1994, and has gained a leading position in the US corporate market. Unfortunately, Red Hat does not yet have its own representative office in Russia, sales are conducted through resellers.

The commercial product is the Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) line of distributions. Among them there are options for different types of servers and workstations. Distributions are offered along with support contracts. Critical updates are guaranteed for several years.

These distributions are not freely distributed. But their source code is available, and independent groups produce builds of completely identical versions distributed freely. Among them is Scientific Linux, for which the Russian distributor of Red Hat, Linux Inc., has released a Russified version.

In addition, Red Hat Linux supports the development of the Fedora series distributions, in which the technical community participates. Fedora is a less stable and more experimental distribution, new versions are released quite often, and updates to older versions are not always possible. In most cases, Fedora is not the best solution for the corporate sector, it is intended for home users.

According to Oleg Sadov, technical director Linux Inc., “Red Hat is the oldest player in the Linux enterprise market. It was this company that developed the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM, now called the RPM Package Manager), which has become the industry standard among manufacturers of commercial Linux distributions.”

Novell has been known in the computer market for a long time, and was a leader in networking software back in the 1980s. Its Linux business began with two acquisitions in 2003, a small open source company, Ximian, and a German developer of the SUSE Linux distribution. Prior to this merger, SUSE distributions were among the leading ones, especially in Europe. By combining Novell's financial strengths, as well as a range of Novell applications with SUSE and Ximian, the company has become a global leader in commercial solutions for Linux based. It is now considered Red Hat's main competitor in the commercial Linux market.

Novell has a representative office in Russia, and it is actively promoting Linux solutions. Advice and support are provided. Novell Professional Services.

Novell offers a range of Linux distributions optimized for a variety of applications, from the high-performance Novell Open Enterprise Server, to the Novell Linux Desktop solution, to the versatile, free distribution of SUSE Linux Professional. For shipping Linux solutions, Novell will provide general support (through various service contracts) for a minimum of five years from release date, with security updates for seven years.

There is a fairly active community around Novell distributions, including in Russia. In their opinion, SUSE/Novell distributions are noticeably easier to install and administer than Red Hat. Although Novell occupies a somewhat smaller share in the corporate market than Red Hat, the company's presence in Russia can be a serious argument in favor of choosing these particular distributions.

Commercial local distributions

There are also Russian companies producing Linux distributions. They are not as large-scale as foreign ones, but the qualifications of development teams, as a rule, are quite high. At the same time, they are ready to provide support, taking into account the specifics of domestic customers.

Cooperation with Russian Linux companies is especially attractive for medium and small businesses. For Red Hat or Novell, such a client is not very attractive, and the domestic company will pay more attention to it and offer the best set of services.

There are two Russian companies that have been developing Linux distributions for a long time - these are ASP Linux and ALT Linux. (Linux Online has also recently emerged with a distribution of Linux XP; but it's meant for the desktop, and enterprise Linux deployments usually start with servers; and Linux XP doesn't have a well-deserved reputation yet.)

ASP Linux

ASP Linux offers two main products - a general distribution of ASPLinux and a specialized version for ASPLinux Servers. ASP distributions are based on the Fedora project ( open development Red Hat).

Distinctive feature of ASP Linux - basic services technical support included with all boxed versions. Even very inexpensive option ASPLinux Express includes technical support (answers to questions by phone and e-mail) within a month for each workplace.

ASPLinux Server requires minimal administration for typical use. As CNews was told in the ASP Linux company, the ASPLinux Server IV server distribution is just enough to start, correctly configure - after that it will be able to work without rebooting and maintenance for years. Now the ASPLinux Server IV distribution kit includes administrative tools that allow any sufficiently trained person to correctly configure the server without any problems. Security updates for ASPLinux distributions are available for one and a half to two years, and ASPLinux Server for three years from the date of release.

ALT Linux

The main products of ALT Linux are the universal Master distribution kit, specialized server versions of SOHO Server and IVC Kolchuga, as well as the Compact version for workstations and home computers, and the Junior version adapted for educational institutions.

ALT Linux is especially friendly to the open network community. Many leading Linux specialists in Russia use ALT Linux and, together with developers, participate in the ALT Linux Team community, which maintains the Sisyphus package repository. It is Sisyphus that is the base for all ALT Linux distributions. (It should be emphasized that Sisyphus is a tool for developers; although it is possible to constantly update installed distribution ALT Linux packages from Sysiphus, however, this should not be done in a corporate environment).

Distributions SOHO Server and "Kolchuga", if you follow the instructions for use, do not impose high requirements on the administrator's qualifications. SOHO Server is designed for a typical office server, and "Kolchuga", developed jointly with the company "IVK" - as a firewall.

Security updates for ALT Linux Master and SOHO Server distributions are available within 1.5-2 years after the release of the next version. It is planned to release a distribution kit with a guaranteed support period of at least 3 years. “Kolchuga” is distributed by the “IVK” company, and the period of support is determined by the contract with this company.

Alexey Novodvorsky, Deputy CEO of ALT Linux, emphasizes that all ALTLinux distributions are based on the Sisyphus repository maintained by the ALT Linux Team. Therefore, they do not depend on other Linux vendors, which provides control over solutions and high quality support.

Debian GNU/Linux distribution

Distribution development by a commercial company is not the only possible variant. There are distributions created by the open network community. Note that a similar community is working very effectively on the Linux kernel and many other components of a free operating system; therefore, it is not surprising that in building the distribution it showed good result Debian GNU/Linux.

The Debian project started in 1993 open community. At the moment, it is one of the most reliable distributions in the world that does not have a commercial company behind it. But the community of skilled people who use and maintain Debian is very large and well organized.

Therefore, if the integration and administration of the system is entrusted to specialists using Debian, this distribution will become excellent choice. Any missing information they can find with the help of the Linux community.

A feature of Debian is a very advanced package management system (dpkg and apt). Other distributions based on the RPM package management system take a lot from Debian (in particular, the apt update mechanism), but many of its features remain unique.

Included in the Debian distribution great amount free software. In addition, a lot of specialists build certain programs for Debian and place them on the Internet (in their own repositories). Therefore, almost any of existing programs open source can be found in Debian-ready form (most often right in the distribution itself).

Official "stable" releases of Debian are quite rare. Yes, the last Debian version 3.1 (code name sarge) was released in June 2005, and the previous one (3.0, woody) was released in July 2002. It is important that security updates are always released for both the latest and previous version. True, the Debian team plans to release the next “stable” version this time not in three years, but a little earlier; however, it can be expected that for the current “stable” version, updates will be available for a very long time. Bugs (especially those related to system security) in Debian are fixed very quickly thanks to a large number community developers.

True, "stable" releases often contain slightly outdated versions of applications. But in most cases, when using Linux on a server, this is not too critical.

There are testing, unstable, and experimental packages that can be used to upgrade Debian to newer software versions. But constant security updates are guaranteed for a “stable” distribution, and besides, it provides maximum reliability. Therefore, for corporate use in most cases, you should choose it.

Victor Wagner, one of the well-known Russian Debian experts, claims that Debian is, in a sense, the quintessence of Open Source. It is a distribution that is being made on a non-commercial basis by more than a thousand skilled programmers. Therefore, this distribution can afford the highest quality standards, not shorten the testing cycle and have a product that is always working, albeit devoid of any fancy additions.

There are distributions based on Debian but modified in one way or another. For example, Ubuntu, which is distinguished by the regular release of new versions with “fresh” applications, MEPIS, optimized for workstations, etc. In most cases, for corporate use, it is better to choose the original Debian.

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ALT Linux distributions (Alt Linux)- This is a family of Linux distributions, which are a separate branch of the development of Russian Linux, produced by Alt Linux and its partners, based on the developments of the Russian-speaking development team ALT Linux Team. Most Alt Linux distributions are available for free download.

In 1999-2000, the distribution kit developed by the future core of the ALT Linux Team was based on the MandrakeLinux distribution kit and was its Russian version (Linux-Mandrake Russian Edition).

Starting in 2000, the replacement of Mandrake packages with their own assemblies and technologies began, a significant change in the build system and macros in the RPM package manager. By version 3.0 (2005) all Mandrake packages, installer and configuration system were completely superseded by the ALT Linux Team's own developments. Now the ALT Linux distributions are a separate branch of Linux development and have nothing to do with Mandrake or Mandriva.

Branch 4 based distributions