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The Lumber Cartel, local 42 (Canadian branch)

Resources - Operating Systems - Linux distributions

[Linux mascot] Linux is an operating system that was initially created as a hobby by Linus Torvalds, a young student at the University of Helsinki in Finland. Linus had an interest in a small Unix system called Minix. In 1991 he began to develop a system that exceeded the Minix standards, and finally released version 1.0 of the Linux Kernel in 1994.

Over the years a number of different groups have created their own unique distributions of Linux, in much the same way different flavours of Unix (where Linux ultimately gets its roots) came about. Each group has a different set of philosophies and preferences, which are reflected in their works.

We hope to include links to all distributions in alphabetical order, along with a short summary of what sets them apart from the others.

Alma Linux
https://www.almalinux.org/: Alma Linux is an Open Source and forever-free enterprise Linux distribution, governed and driven by the community, focused on long-term stability, and is a robust production grade platform. Alma Linux OS is binary compatible with RHEL (RedHat Enterprise Linux).
The Alma Linux OS Foundation was established as a 501(c)(6) non-profit to steward ownership and governance of the project. The foundation includes over 400 individual members, over 100 Mirror sponsors, and over 25 Corporate sponsors.

Alpine Linux - Small. Simple. Secure.
https://www.alpinelinux.org/: Alpine Linux is an independent, non-commercial, general purpose Linux distribution designed for power users who appreciate security, simplicity and resource efficiency. Alpine Linux was designed with security in mind. All userland binaries are compiled as Position Independent Executables (PIE) with stack smashing protection. These proactive security features prevent exploitation of entire classes of zero-day and other vulnerabilities.

antiX Linux
https://www.antixlinux.com/: antiX is a fast, lightweight, and easy to install systemd-free Linux live CD distribution based on Debian Stable for Intel-AMD x86 compatible systems. antiX offers users the “antiX Magic” in an environment suitable for old and new computers (so don’t throw away that old computer yet!). The goal of antiX is to provide a light, but fully functional and flexible free Operating System for both newcomers and experienced users of Linux.

Arch Linux
http://www.archlinux.org/: Arch Linux is a lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to "Keep It Simple." The design approach of the development team focuses on simplicity, elegance, code correctness, and minimalism.

Asahi Linux
https://www.asahilinux.org/: Asahi Linux is a project and community with the goal of porting Linux to Apple Silicon Macs, starting with the 2020 M1 Mac Mini, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. The goal is not just to make Linux run on these machines but to polish Asahi Linux to the point where it can be used as a daily OS, although doing this requires a tremendous amount of work as Apple Silicon is an entirely undocumented platform.

BackTrack Linux
http://www.remote-exploit.org/: BackTrack Linux is the result of merging the two innovative penetration testing live linux distributions, Auditor and Whax. BackTrack provides a thorough pentesting environment which is bootable via CD, USB, or over a network (via PXE). The tools are arranged in an intuitive manner, and cover most of the attack vectors. Complex environments are simplified, such as automatic Kismet configuration, one click Snort setup, pre-compiled Metasploit lorcon modules, etc.

Bedrock Linux
https://www.bedrocklinux.org/: Bedrock Linux is a meta Linux distribution which allows users to mix-and-match components from other, typically incompatible distributions (Debian's stable coreutils; Arch's cutting-edge kernel; Void's runit init system; to name a few). Bedrock integrates these components into one largely cohesive system.

BlackArch Linux
https://www.blackarch.org/: BlackArch Linux is an Arch Linux-based penetration testing distribution for penetration testers and security researchers. The repository contains thousands of tools, which can be installed individually or in groups.

Calculate Linux
https://www.calculate-linux.org/: Calculate is a fast and functional user-friendly Linux distribution, based on Gentoo and still backward compatible with it. It maintains an optimal balance between state-of-the-art and stability, providing the latest versions of applications and stable versions of libraries. As Calculate Linux is a rolling-release distribution, you install the system once and update it throughout the life of your hardware.

CatchyOS - Performance-First Linux
https://www.cachyos.org/: CachyOS is a performance-focused Arch Linux distribution that rebuilds packages with modern CPU optimizations, ships a custom-tuned kernel, and provides a polished installation experience. Built for users who want Arch's rolling-release model with measurable speed improvements out of the box.

CentOS
https://www.centos.org/: The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused around providing a rich base platform for open source communities to build upon. CentOS provides a development framework for cloud providers, the hosting community, scientific data processing, and much more. CentOS developers work with several upstream communities to help them layer and distribute their software more effectively on a platform they can rely on.

CloudLinux OS
https://www.cloudlinux.com/: CloudLinux OS is a specialized, commercial Linux distribution designed for shared hosting providers to enhance server stability, security, and density. By using Lightweight Virtualized Environments (LVE), it isolates each user, ensuring that resource spikes from one website do not crash the entire server. It is a popular replacement for CentOS that limits CPU, RAM, and I/O usage per tenant.

Coyote Linux
http://www.coyotelinux.com/: Coyote is a personal firewall distribution of Linux designed for the purpose of protecting a home or educational network. It's licensed for personal and educational use, and is available free of charge.

CRUX Linux
http://www.crux.nu/: CRUX is a lightweight, i686-optimized Linux distribution targeted at experienced Linux users. The primary focus of this distribution is to keep it simple, which is reflected in a straightforward tar.gz-based package system, BSD-style initscripts, and a relatively small collection of trimmed packages. The secondary focus is utilization of new Linux features and recent tools and libraries. CRUX also has a ports system which makes it easy to install and upgrade applications.

Debian Linux
http://www.debian.org/: The Debian Project is an association of individuals who have made common cause to create a free operating system. This operating system that we have created is called Debian GNU/Linux, or simply Debian for short.

Devuan Linux - software freedom, your way
http://www.devuan.org/: Devuan is a free GNU+Linux base Operating System. Devuan is a fork of Debian Linux without systemd. Devuan Jessie provides a safe upgrade path from Debian, to ensure the right to "Init Freedom" and avoid entanglement.

Draco Linux
http://www.dracolinux.org/: Draco is a small and flexible GNU/Linux distribution, expandable through the famous and well-respected pkgsrc framework.

Elementary OS
https://www.elementary.io/: Elementary OS is a polished, privacy-focused Linux distribution based on Ubuntu LTSM that emphasizes a minimalist, MacOS-like aesthetic. It features the custom Pantheon desktop environment, a dedicated AppCenter for curated applications, and a "pay-what-you-want" model, offering a user-friendly experience designed to be fast and intuitive for everyday tasks.

EndeavourOS
https://www.endeavouros.com/: EndeavourOS is a user-friendly, lightweight, and rolling-release Linux distribution based on Arch Linux. It serves as a beginner-to-intermediate-friendly entry point to Arch, featuring an easy Calamares installer, a near-vanilla Arch experience, and pre-configured desktop environments like XFCE, while utilizing official Arch repositories.

FaunOS
http://www.faunos.com/: FaunOS is a portable (easy-to-carry), fully integrated Linux operating system with over 600 preinstalled packages. It is specifically designed to run from a portable USB memory device (such as a USB flash drive). It can also be configured to boot from other media, such as DVD, and even the internal hard drive, although the main focus is on detachable media.

Fedora
https://www.fedoraproject.org/: Fedora is a popular, free, and open-source Operating System sponsored by Red Hat and developed by a community-driven project. It is renowned for being cutting-edge, offering the latest software, kernel updates, and technologies, often serving as the upstream for Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL).

Gentoo Linux
http://www.gentoo.org/: Gentoo is a special flavor of Linux that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need. Extreme configurability, performance and a top-notch user and developer community are all hallmarks of the Gentoo experience.

Kali Linux - The most advanced Penetration Testing Distribution
https://www.kali.org/: Kali Linux is an open-source, Debian-based Linux distribution geared towards various information security tasks, such as Penetration Testing, Security Research, Computer Forensics, and Reverse Engineering.

KaOS
https://www.kaosx.us/: KaOS is an independent Linux distribution built around the latest version of the KDE Plasma desktop environment. It includes LibreOffice and other popular software applications based on the Qt software development toolkit.

Knoppix
https://www.knopper.net/knoppix/: Knoppix is a bootable Live system on CD or DVD, consisting of a representative collection of GNU/Linux software, automatic hardware detection, and support for many graphics cards, sound cards, SCSI and USB devices, and other peripherals. Knoppix can be used as a productive Linux system for the desktop, educational CD, rescue system, or be adapted and used as a platform for commercial software product demonstrations -- it is not necessary to install anything on a hard disk. Due to on-the-fly decompression, the CD can have up to 2 GB of executable software installed on it (over 8GB on the DVD "Maxi" edition).

LainOS
https://www.lainos.dev/: LainOS is a community-driven Linux project based on Arch Linux and inspired by Serial Experiments Lain. It is geared toward developers and tinkerers, and does not lack on user security or privacy.
The mission of the LainOS project developers is to create a lightweight, powerful, and user-friendly Linux experience that empowers developers, hackers, and tinkerers alike to explore, innovate, and collaborate within a vibrant community.

Linux Mint
https://www.linuxmint.com/: Linux Mint is an operating system for desktop and laptop computers. It is designed to work "out of the box" and comes fully equipped with the applications that most people need. It is specifically geared to appeal to non-technical end-users, but with all the traditional underpinnings that expert users also expect.

Lubuntu Linux
https://www.lubuntu.net/: Lubuntu is a fast and lightweight operating system with a clean and easy-to-use user interface. It is a Linux system based on Debian and Ubuntu, that uses the minimal desktop LXDE/LXQT, and a selection of light applications. Because of this, Lubuntu has very low hardware requirements. (Lubuntu was founded by Mario Behling and has been grown for many years by Julien Lavergne.)

Lunar Linux
http://www.lunar-linux.org/: Lunar Linux is a source-based distribution for 32-bit and 64-bit Intel and AMD systems with simple, yet powerful package management and system administration tools. If you want a flexible system built from source that is easy to install and maintain, Lunar Linux strives to fit that requirement.

Mandrake Linux
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/: Mandrake Linux is a friendly Linux Operating System which specializes in ease-of-use for both servers and the home/office. It is freely available in many languages throughout the world.

Mageia Linux
https://www.mageia.org/: Beyond just delivering a secure, stable and sustainable Operating System, Mageia is a GNU/Linux-based, Free Software Operating System community project that's supported by a nonprofit organisation of elected contributors.

Manjaro Linux
https://www.manjaro.org/: Manjaro Linux is a popular, user-friendly, open-source Operating System based on Arch Linux. Designed for accessibility, it offers a "rolling release" model (meaning no need to reinstall for new versions), automatic hardware detection, and easy access to software via the Arch User Repository (AUR).

MX Linux
https://www.mxlinux.org/: MX Linux is a cooperative venture between the antiX and MX Linux communities. It is a family of Operating Systems built by users from Debian Stable repositories that are designed to combine elegant and efficient desktops with high stability and solid performance. MX's graphical tools provide an easy way to do a wide variety of tasks, while the Live USB and snapshot tools inherited from antiX add impressive portability and remastering capabilities. Extensive support is available through videos, documentation and a very friendly Forum.

Navy Linux Enterprise
https://www.navylinux.org/: Navy Linux is an open-source community-powered Operating System based on, and bug-for-bug compatible with, Red Hat Enterprise Linux (just like CentOS had been until December 2021). It is powered by the legal entity Navy Foundation: an independent Delaware (USA) Non-Profit Corporation 501c3 with the goal of delivering enterprise-grade and production-ready Linux-based operative system. The developers promise the same experience that was the hallmark of CentOS Linux.

NixOS
https://www.nixos.org/: NixOS is a Linux distribution built around the Nix package manager. Unlike traditional Linux distributions, NixOS is configured using a functional language that describes the system configuration. It generates complete system profiles, enabling reproducible deployments, atomic upgrades, and system rollbacks.

Oracle Linux
https://www.oracle.com/linux/: Oracle Linux is a free, enterprise-grade Linux distribution from Oracle designed for high performance, security, and scalability in cloud, on-premises, and edge environments. It is 100% binary-compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), allowing for easy migration and use of existing applications. Oracle Linux is the foundational OS for Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI).

PCLinuxOS
https://www.pclinuxos.com/: PCLinuxOS is an independent and community-driven Linux distribution that offers a unique blend of user-friendliness and powerful customization options, making it a compelling choice for many Linux users.

Peppermint OS
https://www.peppermintos.com/: Peppermint is an Operating System that provides a user with the opportunity to build the system that best fits their needs; while at the same time providing a functioning OS with minimum hassle out of the box. The mainline desktop Peppermint ships with the desktop environment XFCE with the Thunar file manager set as default, and Peppermint comes with nearly nothing installed other than the core packages needed to run the system, leaving you with the choice to which packages should best fit your build. Peppermint, which does not use the common process of continuous delivery, is based on the Debian/Devuan repositories.

PopOS
https://www.system76.com/pop/: Pop! OS is a popular, user-friendly Linux distribution based on Ubuntu and developed by System76. Known for its COSMIC desktop environment (built in Rust), it excels in productivity, gaming, and development, offering native encryption, automatic window tiling, and out-of-the-box support for NVIDIA drivers.

Puppy Linux
http://www.puppylinux.com/: Puppy Linux is a Live CD Linux distribution that is very small and focuses on ease of use. If the computer has at least 256 MB of RAM, the entire operating system and all the applications will run from RAM, allowing the boot medium to be removed after the operating system starts. Applications such as SeaMonkey, AbiWord, Gnumeric, and Gxine/xine are included.

Q4OS
https://www.q4os.org/: Fast and friendly, desktop oriented operating system based on Debian Linux, providing a set of dedicated utilities and specific optimizations, combined with a focus on getting a productive system easily. Q4OS is ideal for people who want to get a working environment tailored to individual needs and preferences; from this perspective, Q4OS is suitable for both newcomers as well as experienced computer users.

Qimo
http://www.qimo4kids.com/: Qimo is a desktop operating system designed for kids, that comes pre-installed with educational games for children aged 3 and up. Qimo's interface was designed to be intuitive and easy to use, providing large icons for all installed games, so that even the youngest users have no trouble selecting activities.

Qubes OS
http://www.qubes-os.org/: Qubes is an open source operating system designed to provide strong security for desktop computing. Qubes is based on Xen, X Window System, and Linux, and can run most Linux applications and utilize most of the Linux drivers.

RedHat Linux
http://www.redhat.com/: Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a leading platform for open source computing. It is sold by subscription, delivers continuous value and is certified by top enterprise hardware and software vendors. From the desktop to the datacenter, Enterprise Linux couples the innovation of open source technology and the stability of a true enterprise-class platform.

Rocky Linux - Enterprise Linux, the community way
https://www.rockylinux.org/: Rocky Linux is an open-source enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with Red Hat Enterprise Linux®. Rocky Linux is under intensive development by the community.

Scientific Linux
https://www.scientificlinux.org/: Scientific Linux is a Fermilab sponsored project. The primary user base is within the High Energy and High Intensity Physics community, however, Scientific Linux users come from a wide variety of industries with various use cases all over the globe - and sometimes off of it!

Slackware Linux
http://www.slackware.com/: The Official Release of Slackware Linux by Patrick Volkerding is an advanced Linux operating system, designed with the twin goals of ease of use and stability as top priorities. Including the latest popular software while retaining a sense of tradition, providing simplicity and ease of use alongside flexibility and power, Slackware brings the best of all worlds to the table.

Solus - The Personal OS for Personal Computers
https://www.getsol.us/: Solus is an independently developed, open-source Linux distribution built from scratch, specifically designed for personal, home, and gaming desktop computers rather than servers. It is known for its speed, elegance, and user-friendly, curated rolling release model, featuring its own package manager (eopkg).

Sorcerer Linux
http://sorcerer.silverice.org/: Sorcerer is a source-based Linux distribution for system administrators. The sources are downloaded directly from software authors' homepages and mirrors. Then, they are compiled with the architecture and optimizations that the system administrator specifies. Finally, it is installed, tracked, and archived for easy removal and upgrades. Sorcerer has both command line and menu driven source mangement programs.

Source Mage Linux
http://www.sourcemage.org/: Source Mage is a source-based Linux distribution that downloads and compiles the source code instead of delivering binaries to users, as many other Linux distributions have a tendancy to do. Although compiling from sources can take longer on slower hardware than simply downloading binaries, it is known to provide better stability and performance optimization in the long run on nearly all Operating Systems.

Sparky Linux
https://www.sparkylinux.org/: Sparky is a GNU/Linux distribution based on the Debian GNU/Linux operating system that's fast, lightweight, and fully customizable that is available in several versions for a wide variety of high-performance and/or resource-sensitive use cases.

SteamOS
https://store.steampowered.com/steamos

SteamOS is Valve's Linux-based operating system, which features a seamless user experience that's optimized for gaming, while retaining access to the power and flexibility of a PC.

SteamOS plays tens of thousands of games on Steam, and is the Steam catalog is constantly tested for SteamOS compatibility. It's an open Linux platform that leaves you in full control, and you can install new software or content as you wish.

By default, the Steam Client serves as the user interface and provides connectivity to Steam's online services, but you can still access the standard Linux desktop. (Users should not consider SteamOS as a replacement for their desktop operating system.)

SuSE Linux (Novell)
http://www.suse.com/: SuSE (pronounced "SUE-zuh," like John Phillip Sousa) was founded in 1992 in Germany, making it one of the oldest Linux companies. The imprint of the company's four founders, all of whom hold doctorates in mathematics and software design, is evident in the precision engineering of its software and in SuSE's commitment to open source software development. SuSE is the leading distribution of Linux in Europe (and is used throughout the world) and as of the year 2000 has over 50,000 installed business customers.

Tinysofa™ classic server
http://www.tinysofa.org/: Tinysofa classic server is a server targeted, enterprise grade Linux distribution that combines the the vision and expertise of multiple open source developers with the best components and ideas of multiple enterprise focused operating systems.

Turbolinux
http://www.turbolinux.com/: Over the past several years [as of 2005], Turbolinux has built and maintained a leading global position as a provider of Linux distributions as a platform for further innovations that make enterprise computing simpler and more cost-effective. Turbolinux is a leading Linux distribution in Asia-Pacific and Linux itself is one of the fastest growing server operating systems worldwide.

Ubuntu Linux
http://www.ubuntulinux.org/: Ubuntu is a community developed, Linux-based operating system that is perfect for laptops, desktops and servers. It contains all the applications you need - a web browser, presentation, document and spreadsheet software, instant messaging, and much more.

Void Linux
https://www.voidlinux.org/: Void is a general purpose operating system, based on the monolithic Linux kernel. Its package system allows you to quickly install, update, and remove software; software is provided in binary packages or can be built directly from sources with the help of the XBPS source packages collection. Void is available for a variety of platforms. Software packages can be built natively or cross-compiled through the XBPS source packages collection.

Volta Linux
http://voltalinux.sicurezzarete.com/: Voltalinux is a GNU/Linux distribution based on Slackware Linux and the pkgsrc package system from NetBSD. The project offers a pre-built distribution that, with the clean design of Slackware Linux, includes the availability of more than 5,000 NetBSD packages ready to be installed.

Vz Linux
https://www.vzlinux.org/: VzLinux is a high-performance, secure, and scalable Linux distribution. Developed by Virtuozzo, VzLinux provides a robust platform designed to meet the demands of modern IT infrastructures, offering a reliable and efficient Operating System for servers, containers, and virtual environments.

Yellow Dog Linux
http://www.yellowdoglinux.com/: Yellow Dog Linux is a Fedora/RPM-based operating system for PowerPC computers (including the iMac G5 and Mac mini), offering an intuitive, flexible graphical installer, a unified KDE and GNOME desktop environment featuring shared menus, applications, and user interface. Based upon the "Anaconda" installer engine, the Yellow Dog Linux Installer leverages automated, advanced hardware detection; provides on-screen help, flexible package selection, multiple install methods (CD-ROM, FTP, HTTP, NFS), default to ext3 journaling filesystem, embedded video testing, multiple ethernet and wireless port configuration, and automated partition creation.

Zorin OS
https://www.zorin.com/: Zorin OS is the Ubunutu-based Linux alternative to Windows and MacOS designed to make your computer faster, more powerful, secure, and privacy-respecting.

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