The reference
distribution for this book, and my preferred distribution, is
Debian GNU/Linux, the Linux for
the GNU Generation.
I originally started with Slackware
in the early 90's but migrated through Red Hat and then quickly on to Debian in 1995. Red Hat is a
good distribution and is quite popular but has limitations. Debian
conforms to the open and distributed development model making it a
very open distribution where even you can make a change to it if you
so desired. Debian is the basis of a number of commercial
distributions and it also powers quite a few web sites including
Linux.com.
Distributions involving Debian GNU/Linux are listed at
http://www.debian.org/misc/children-distros and include:
- Demo Linux
- This is a CD based GNU/Linux that allows one to run
GNU/Linux without installation or disk partitioning. See
http://www.demolinux.org/.
- Knoppix
- The Knoppix distribution, based on Debian, allows one
to run Debian without installing it! Just boot from the CD-ROM and
Debian will run from there. If you decide to then install Debian,
you can do so from the Knoppix CD-ROM. Knoppix works on most but not
all hardware, trying its best to automatically identify hardware and
set things up appropriately. See
http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html.
- Libranet
- Linux by Libranet packages commonly used applications
onto an easy to install CD and includes, for example, Gnome. See
http://www.libranet.com.
- Linex
- A Debian-based distribution being developed by the
regional government of Extremadura (Spain) with the goal of
migrating all the computer systems, from government offices, to
businesses to schools into Linux.
- Morphix
- Morphix is a modular LiveCD derived from Knoppix, with
install images for Games, Gnome, KDE, and LightGUI. It is available
from http://www.morphix.org.
- Stormix
- Storm Linux is built around Debian GNU/Linux, ``the
most stable and secure distribution available.'' See
http://www.stormix.com/.
- TuxTops
- This distributor of laptops pre-installs Debian
GNU/Linux on their laptops. See http://www.tuxtops.com/.
Related distributions include Amirix
(http://www.amirixlinux.com/), Embedded Debian
(http://www.emdebian.org/), TimeSys for real time
GNU/Linux (http://timesys.com/) and the
VA Linux Systems, O'Reilly and SGI
collaboration
(http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/debian/index.html).
