by Lam Luu

Created on: November 02, 2008

So, you wanna try GNU/Linux out? Okay, first challenge: what distribution do you want? Frankly, here is as far as most people go. There are too many GNU/Linuxes! There is some brown-ish Ubuntu, then blue Fedora, then weirdo Gentoo, and a whole host of other stuffs. And, don't underestimate this step. Many people have bad impression of Linux just because they (or the PC manufacturer) make the wrong choices. So it is important. Below, I want to share with you some tips on how to make a good decision.

First, let's see what a "distribution" is. You see, Linux is actually only a very small part of your future system: the kernel. It manages the memory and hardwares. Around the kernel is a whole host of ultilities, collectedly called GNU tools. They provide compilers and shells and other stuffs that allow your computer to work. Then, on top of that is the graphical stuffs. This is what you actually see. If your system is a car, Linux is the engine, GNU tools are the frame, and the rest are paint and door and leather and stuffs. Now, when you buy a car, you don't buy only an engine (well, some engineers do, but not the us, right?). You buy the whole car, with the paint and chairs and wheel and leather and mirrors, etc. Similarly, when you install GNU/Linux, you install the whole bundle of kernel, GNU tools, graphic interface, and some other application (Firefox, Open Office, etc.). The bundle is called a distribution, or distro for short. There are many many of them out there, and you've gotta choose one.

Why is choosing the distro important? And, why don't you do that with Windows or Mac? Like this, GNU/Linux (and Unix in general) forks are obsessed (litterally) with freedom, so they believe that users should have the ability to choose what will be on their systems. This is nice (freedom is good, eh?) except that there are so many choices. Basically, all systems have (roughly) the same kernel, GNU tools, and something call X, which provides basic graphics. Other than these, everything else can be changed. Dependent on the taste of the distro creator, the distro will geared toward some goals and provide you with applications to achieve that goal. For example, Ubuntu is all about "easy to start," so it is full of automated stuffs that get you start right away. You won't, however, have extreme power of configuration tools under Ubuntu. On the other end, Gentoo is about building your own system. Installation is a pain, but it is configurable, and it builds some powerful

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