Linux

Linux Although a kernel and not an operating system itself, is a term widely used when talking about operating systems that use Linux kernel as its core. These operating systems are called Linux distributions. Linux differs from Microsoft Windows and macOS on a lot of things and this is why Linux has managed to rule the world.

Linux was first released on September 17, 1991 by a Finnish Software Engineer, Linus Torvalds. Linux was initially developed for personal computers based on Intel x86 architecture. Later Linux was ported to more platforms after it became prominent in the developers and home users.

Linux Kernel

Linux kernel is usually packaged by both well-known and less-known companies / developers with system software and libraries mostly provided by GNU project and shipped with a distinct looking graphical user interface. These packaged operating systems are called Linux distributions. This is possible due to Linux being an open-source project, which means that anyone can look at the code of the Linux and make changes as it sees fit to them. Since Linux is a monolithic kernel, most Linux distributions ship the same package with same libraries and system software. Presently, Linux kernel is freely distributed under GPLv2 license.

Linux Distributions

Because of the open nature of Linux kernel, many well-known and less-known operating systems have used Linux kernel at its core. These operating systems are designed for most if not all use cases. For example, Linux is used in operating systems designed for not only desktop computers & mobile phones, but they are also used in smart electronics such as TV, fridge etc., security system, ATM machines, servers, mainframe and even super computers. Although Linux has managed to rule the world by influencing almost any market it can, it has failed to gain desktop computer market share. At the time of writing this blog post, only 2.77% of people use Linux as their desktop operating system according to the GlobalStats website.

The DistroWatch website serves as online database to check most if not all the Linux distributions out there. It not only tells you about all the Linux & BSD distributions and other open-source operating systems, but it also compares its different versions of the same distribution. You can also search Linux distributions by origin, release model etc. The most famous Linux distributions are as under:

Ubuntu (for beginners and Debian based)
Fedora (for everyone, with RPM package manager and RedHat based)
Manjaro Linux (for beginners, with Pacman package manager and arch based)
Debian (for everyone with DPKG)
elementary OS (for mac users and Ubuntu based)
Linux Mint (for Windows users and Ubuntu based)
Deepin Linux (for begineers and Debian based)
Zorin OS (for begineers and Debian based)

Package Managers

When you are looking for a Linux distribution to install on your computer, the first thing that you may want to consider is the package manager. A package manager allows you to install system software and applications on your computer. Some packages may not be available on one type of package managers.

Categories of Package Managers

There will be mainly two categories of package managers.

Binary Format
Source Code Format
Universal Package Format

Binary Format

The binary format package managers will download binaries of a specific application you are trying to install on your computer. The installation process will be very simple, and it is most likely that you will not be required to have advance knowledge to use this type of package manager. Applications will be installed through Store application or command line application with just one or two commands.

Source Code Format

The source-code format package managers will download source code of the application you are trying to install and then compile it on your computer. It may take several minutes or even hours to compile an application, which will largely be based on the speed, processing power of CPU and the size of the application you are installing.

List of Package Managers

Every major Linux distribution may have their own package manager. Some are better than the others in some ways. The following are the major package managers available on the Linux distributions.

DPKG (for Debian, Ubuntu etc.)
RPM (for Fedora, RedHat etc.)
Pacman (for Arch, Manjaro etc.)
Slackpkg (for Slackware and its derivatives)

There are many package managers on Linux distributions but if you are using Linux for the first time then you may want to consider one of the above. We cannot tell which package manager is the best suited for your needs. But we do recommend using a Linux distribution that comes with DPKG package manager because most of the companies support their applications in this package manager.

Universal Package Managers

These package managers will mostly download the binaries of an application. However, these package managers are available for almost all Linux distributions, which is why they are called universal package managers. You can use these package managers along with the one that comes with your Linux distribution.

Advantages

The main advantage of using these package managers is that they do not depend on your system to run an application and they download all the dependencies required to run an application. These applications run in a sandbox environment, so they won't affect your computer if the application is corrupt or unstable. Another advantage is that applications available through these package managers will usually be newer than the ones available in your system's package manager.

Disadvantages

Because of all the dependencies being downloaded with the application, installation may require additional storage which can be disadvantageous for those with limited disk space. Another disadvantage is that these applications may start slowly compared to applications installed through your system's package manager. However, the performance between the two are almost negligible.

List of Universal Package Manager

The following are major universal package managers available for Linux distributions.

Flatpak (for all Linux distributions)
Snap (mainly for Ubuntu and its derivatives but can be installed on other Linux distributions)

Desktop Environments

The second thing to consider after selecting a package manager is the desktop environment. The desktop environment will let you know what your operating system will look like. Some desktop environments may look like Microsoft Windows or macOS. Others may look completely different and define their own workflow. All major Linux distributions will come with famous desktop environments. You can also install most of the less-known desktop environments through the package manager. The following are the major desktop environments available for Linux distributions:

Gnome (simple yet powerful and also famous)
KDE Plasma (well-known and highly customizable)
Deepin Desktop (attractive & beautiful)
Cinnamon (Microsoft Windows look alike)
Pantheon (macOS look alike)
XFCE (requires less resources to run but with GTK libraries)
LXQT (requires less resources but with QT libraries)
Enlightenment (a compositing window manager)

If you are new to Linux, then you can any first five of the desktop environments mentioned above as they have their set of applications which not only serves as the alternative to the famous Microsoft Office and macOS applications but also fits perfectly within those desktop environments. I will also create detailed blog posts about these five desktop environments. The small description of these desktop environments is as under:

Gnome

When you ask people online about what desktop environment to choose, they will most likely prefer Gnome to you. This is because most of the applications available for Linux distributions such as GIMP (alternative to Photoshop), LibreOffice (alternative to Microsoft Office) etc. will fit nicely in Gnome desktop environment. Gnome uses a taskbar on top and it is designed perfectly for touch devices. However, it can also be used in non-touch devices. Gnome can be customized to your own liking by using extensions. But you may find it difficult to fully customize Gnome shell through stock applications. However, Gnome applications are very easy to use and understand.

KDE Plasma

This desktop environment is the second favorite in Linux community. KDE Plasma is highly customizable. So much so that the customization option that come by default with KDE Plasma may be overwhelming for new user. It is much easier to change the look and feel of KDE Plasma to your liking. You can make KDE plasma to look like any operating system out there. The easiest way is to use Plasma extensions. KDE plasma applications such as Krita, Kdenlive etc. are well-known for their functionality.

Deepin Desktop

If you are looking for the most beautiful and attractive desktop environment, then Deepin Desktop can be your pick. The desktop effects make it an eye candy for the Linux users. Deepin Desktop comes installed by default on Deepin Linux distribution. But it can also be installed on most famous Linux distributions. The System Monitor application is my favorite Deepin application, and no other desktop environment has come close to developing their own System Monitor application as easy to understand as possible. I would argue that it is even better than the Task Manager on Microsoft Windows. The default applications of Deepin Desktop are also beautiful and easy to use.

Cinnamon

This desktop environment wants to look like Microsoft Windows as much as it can. This is because Linux Mint, the Linux distribution that ships Cinnamon as their default desktop environment want to be as easy to use for users coming from Microsoft Windows as possible. Cinnamon uses GTK libraries but unlike Gnome, Cinnamon is not optimized for touch devices. Anyways, this desktop environment has much more customization options than Gnome and Gnome applications work nicely with Cinnamon.

Pantheon

Pantheon is the default desktop environment on elementary OS. But it can also be installed on most Linux distributions. Pantheon wants to look as comfortable to users coming from macOS as possible. It has its own applications which helps distinguish itself from other desktop environments. This desktop is also fast, beautiful and less resource hungry than Gnome.

Conclusion

After reading the whole post, most of you may still be wondering which Linux distribution to choose. All the Linux distributions I pointed out above (except for Debian) are not only targeted on beginners and first time Linux users but they are also stable Linux distributions which can be used on day-to-day basis. Debian may be the most stable Linux distribution out there, but it requires some knowledge of Linux system before it can be used as a daily driver. Out of the eight Linux distributions mentioned above, only Manjaro and Fedora tries its best to give you the latest software updates through system package manager.

But these are not the only beginner friendly Linux distributions out there. Many beginners friendly Linux distributions are out there which have some advantage over the others. For example, KaOS only focuses on KDE and QT, while Pop OS has the well-received windows tiling features pre-built in their operating system. So, it is better to choose one of the eight Linux distributions if you are a beginner in the Linux world. I suggest you use Linux Mint if you are long time Microsoft Windows user. But if you have been using macOS before, then elementary OS is best option for you.

Anyways, the only way to really know which Linux distribution is best for you is by either installing it on a virtual machine or try it in a live environment as most Linux distributions allow you to boot your computer in live mode through USB drive before installing it on your hard drive.

I will create more posts about user friendly Linux distributions on this blog so you can have better knowledge of which Linux distribution to try and use as your daily drive.