What Is Linux?
A Message from the Owner
As with the FAQ, this is mostly answering questions based on experience. Now, if you have additional questions, I encourage you to let me know. To make things simpler, I'm putting common stuff up front.General Questions:
What is Linux?
Surface level, it's an Operating System - what your computer boots into in order to run programs, services, and other tasks. You may be used to Windows or Mac OS, probably know they are different on a fundamental level. Linux is different on a fundamental level from both. Though if I were to say it's more similar to one or the other, I would say it is more similar to Mac OS.How is it similar to Mac OS?
On a surface level, it usually looks very different. How it is similar is more at the base level. Mac OS is a Unix-certified Operating System. Linux is a Unix-like Operating System. What this means is they share certain base-level elements and structures. Desktop User Experience can be very different, but the base level functionality is the same.How is it similar to Windows?
It is an OS. Practically everything else is different. Certain Linux Distributions may make themselves look like Windows, but there are so many things at the foundational level which make it incompatible. There are ways to make some Windows programs run, but it's not guaranteed.Wait... Distributions?
Oh yeah. Linux is not a single OS, but what most OSes running with the Linux Kernel are called. Different variations with different functions are called "Distributions" or "Distros." These may have cosmetic differences from one another, or more fundamental, system-level differences. As far as what's available, there are three basic Linux Systems: Debian, Red Hat, and Arch. There are a number of outliers, but those are the big three. Most others are somehow derivatives of these three, but most of them are maintained by different organizationsOh. I've heard of one of these...
Yes. I'll bet you have. Red Hat is well-known in the IT space. If you're more "terminally online" you may have seen or heard the "I use Arch BTW" meme. But the most "user friendly" distributions are usually derivatives of Debian: Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, and many others are Debian-based.What do you use?
I run Gentoo mostly, but I am familiar with a number of others. My main router at home runs OpenWRT, which is designed for that function. I've run Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian), and Linux Mint, as well as Arch, SUSE, Fedora, and Pop!_OS.How did you get started?
In 2003, I started looking for a challenge beyond Windows. I started asking around my High School, and got a copy of Mandrake Linux on a burned CD. The install process itself was confusing, especially to someone used to Windows installation processes. From there, I moved on to various others, eventually settling on SUSE. Looking for my next challenge, someone on the internet (likely a troll, but I have no proof of that) told me to try Gentoo Linux. If it was a troll, I guess I got the last laugh.What was confusing about the install process?
It was 2003. A lot of things have changed since then, but I had no idea what a "mount point" was, the concept of "root" was unfamiliar to me, and I thought "XWindows" was the installer's way of saying it could make things Windows compatible. Install processes these days are usually much simpler. I say "usually" because Gentoo exists, and its installation process is anything but simple.This... doesn't really sound like it's for me
For some people, it really isn't. I came in looking for a challenge, though, and I got much more than that out of it. Given how many Linux Distributions there are, and with some being significantly easier for new users, one of them just might work for you as long as you aren't using software which cannot be made to work in Linux and can't find alternatives which do. A number of competitive online games rely on "anti-cheat" software which depends on low-level functions of Windows which cannot be replicated in Linux, and Adobe is notorious for their software not working at all in Linux.I've Heard of Linux...
This section is for if you have heard of - or perhaps even used - Linux.I heard it's for servers
Well, yes and no. While there are a fair number of Linux Distributions which are server-focused, Linux has been slowly gaining in popularity, especially since Valve released their Steam Deck handheld gaming device in 2022, which runs on a modified version of Arch Linux.I saw that there was a lot of command line text stuff involved
Yes, a good majority of Linux distributions are like that - especially my go-to: Gentoo. But there are a good number of Linux distributions for beginners. I would say Linux Mint and Ubuntu fall in this category.All of them look different
That's one part inconvenience, and one part freedom of choice. Linux has a large number of graphical interfaces. They are usually classified as either "Window Managers" or "Desktop Environments." The difference between the two is the balance of features and system impact. Desktop Environments like KDE or GNOME are more full-featured, and Window Managers like IceWM or OpenBox are less feature-rich, but more performant on older or lower-spec hardware.I've also heard of this thing called FreeBSD (Or anything else ending in BSD)
The BSDs are more Unix than Linux is, and they are closer to being "Unix" by the Single Unix Specification. Much like Linux, these are open source as well, but they have a different license. Much of what works on Linux will also work on BSD, but since BSD is less commonly used, community support may be more difficult to come by.My phone runs Linux
It's very likely Android. The thing about Android is while it does run on the Linux kernel, it does not have many of the other features most Linux distributions have. It's also usually fairly locked down. Is it Linux? Yes, it is. Is it Linux in the way most distributions are Linux? No, not really. I hate to disappoint, but Android is not really giving you the full "Linux Experience."I heard it's terrible with games
This would have been true prior to 2022, and I suppose it still is, to an extent. Many Windows games will run on Linux - mostly thanks to Valve - but some still do not, and unless something seriously changes among game developers, they probably never will. The major problem - and this has mostly to do with competitive games - is with anti-cheat features.I heard Photoshop won't work
This is actually true. And if your work flow depends on Photoshop, then Linux is likely not for you. Adobe is, for some reason, fervently and vehemently against Linux support. To my knowledge, the entirety of the Adobe software suite will not work on Linux at all. There are alternatives, of course, but most people are simply not willing to change up their work flow."Alternatives"? What "Alternatives"?
The most commonly cited alternatives to proprietary software are perhaps GIMP in place of Photoshop and LibreOffice in place of Microsoft Office. I am also aware of FreeCAD and Inkscape as alternatives for AutoCAD and Adobe Illustrator. However, if you are looking for a more comprehensive resource for alternatives to whatever you are currently using, I might suggest https://alternativeto.net/ as a starting point.Well, what about emulation?
I can neither endorse nor condone piracy. That said, the nature of game console emulation makes it prime territory for open source projects. It just so happens having the source code of a project out there for everyone to see makes it a bit difficult to extinguish. There are emulators for many game consoles on Linux, but I suppose it would be more accurate to say they are for every OS, depending upon how determined you are to make it work. Super Nintendo, Playstation, PS2, Game Boy... on and on. Practically all "retro" consoles have emulators which run on Linux. Like I said, though, I can neither endorse nor condone piracy. If you want to play these games, you better have the means to do so legally.Distrowatch
This is a nexus of sorts which many people cite as a guide of what is the most "popular" Linux distribution. At time of writing, Linux Mint seems to be at the top of the list. "Most popular," however, does not always mean "Best." As a mandatory '90s reference, let's look at NSync and the Backstreet Boys. Were they popular? It would appear so. They did sell millions. Was their music any good, though? I would say "no," but it's also not my kind of music. Honestly, I think the popularity of both of these groups was, in some way, manufactured. Distrowatch tracks page hits. The concept is not much different. "Hype" can be manufactured. Distrowatch doesn't track active users of any given Linux Distro. At time of writing, Gentoo is in 65th place and Arch is 69 (nice). Arch has a lot more hype, though, to say nothing of general usership and community. So the numbers on Distrowatch are not exactly reliable. And which distro is the Metallica to whatever other's Backstreet Boys is really anyone's guess. The top ten are probably reliable, though.Ok, so what's the oldest Linux distro you've tried?
It looks like I tried Slackware back in 2016. That would be the oldest I have ever tried. Slackware is actually the oldest actively-maintained Linux distribution. The install process was not easy, either. Easier than Gentoo, sure, but if you set your bar for difficulty that high, the only thing more difficult would end up being Linux From Scratch.Wait... "Linux From Scratch?"
I just had to bring that up, didn't I? Sometimes, I think I bring suffering upon myself. Linux From Scratch is not technically a Linux distribution. Rather, it is a guide for how to install, as the name implies, Linux... From Scratch. Think about it like this: Linux Mint is like buying cookies from the store. Slackware is like buying cookie dough and making them that way, Arch is like using cookie dough boxed mix, Gentoo is like buying the flour, eggs, milk, and whatever else, and making them that way. Linux From Scratch is like... milking cows, raising hens, harvesting wheat, and so on in order to make your cookies. It is the one challenge I have yet to take on.I saw this one channel on YouTube
I'm gonna have to stop you right there. There are a huge number of Linux users on YouTube: The Linux Cast, DistroTube, Bryan Lunduke, Brodie Robertson, Mental Outlaw, Switched to Linux, and a lot more. I could probably go on for an hour or two about each. They all have their own perspectives, preferences, and opinions regarding Linux, and while watching their content can be helpful, no one Linux YouTube channel is "right" about everything, and often what is "right" about whose opinion and perspectives differs from person to person.Crowning Achievements
This is for my own mindless self-gratification and can be safely ignored. No one will blame you for reading no further - not even me.Low-Spec Linux
When I said Linux can work on Low-spec machines, I was not joking. I underclocked a Pentium 233 to 166, slapped on an all-copper heatsink and gave it 64MB of RAM, a CompactFlash-to-IDE adapter, a 1GB CF card, and a RTL8139 network card and ran a "castrated" Gentoo Linux (no ability to update anything) on it as a BitTorrent Tracker for my copy of Final Fantasy XI (this was before it was a free download).Final Fantasy XI
Am I here to brag about my best character on Final Fanttasy XI? Such an ancient game? No, I'm not. Did you read the page title? This has more to do with my bit on Distrowatch than anything else. At present, and for over a decade, the top-voted app on WineHQ AppDB is Final Fantasy XI. And this is - at least partially - my doing. When we - Ganiman and I - found a patch that fixed a major issue with Final Fantasy XI on Linux, we publicized it. The entire Final Fantasy XI community became aware, and Ganiman and I essentially became hype men for Final Fantasy XI on Linux. It hasn't moved from its spot as the top-voted app in over ten years. I sometimes wish it would. I get the feeling it's holding other things back somehow.Gentoo
Like I said, I was (I think) trolled into using Gentoo. Back then, there was still documentation on how to do a "Stage 1" install. These days, the Gentoo Wiki only covers a Stage 3 install. And the install I did was Stage 1. Essentially, I went from a relative easy-mode SuSE Linux to the hardest way to install Gentoo at the time just becaue a suspected troll told me to, and I felt equal to the task. It just so happens I was equal to the task, even if it did take upwards of a week to get done. Of course, computer hardware of 2005 was not what it is now, but then, neither was the code it had to compile.Linux Adjacency
I've used my knowledge of Linux in certain applications which could possibly be described as "Linux-adjacent." In my time working for the business side of a telecom provider, I used my knowledge of Linux systems to troubleshoot equipment which used Unix-like systems. Juniper Networks' Junos OS is a Unix-like operating system which most of their equipment uses. My understanding of the Unix and Unix-like underpinnings was sometimes critical in troubleshooting these devices. Despite being totally uncertified to work on these systems, there was very little which eluded me.OpenWRT
I mentioned this briefly in my first segment, but I am running OpenWRT on my router at home. What I didn't mention is that I had used it quite some time ago, as well. In 2009, I had my hands on an AMD Sempron system which I equipped with multiple network cards, and set up as a wireless router. It was not as easy back then as it is now. LuCI, the OpenWRT web interface, was either not developed yet or highly experimental. to my good fortune, I was able to leverage my knowledge of the command line from four years of running Gentoo Linux to make things work - even if just barely.Hardware Hacking
Also in 2009, I had an interest in some light hardware hacking. I also had a Linksys WRT54GL WiFi router, and the documentation available for it online was quite extensive. Using an old Nokia pop-port cable, I was able to get low-level access to the router with a serial terminal. Then using the card-edge slot of an old floppy drive cable, I was also able to attach a 1 GB SD card, and all of this required soldering wires, so that's also on my list of things I have done and know how to do again if I have to.Personal Opinions
This section is to describe my personal opinions on specific elements of Linux. These are my personal opinions. They are not to be taken as gospel, and I am perfectly willing, for professional purposes, to work against my own opinions.Distros
I have some... serious opinions on a number of Linux DistributionsArch: I really don't understand the hype behind this distro. It's a decent distro, it's somewhat more complicated to install and manage than a number of others, but the level of hype behind it has been effectively elevated to what some might call "meme status," especially with the phrase "Arch BTW" having entered the lexicon and spread like a virus. If it works for you, that's great. Like all other Linux distros, it should not be treated as some sort of bragging right, let alone a rite of passage.
Red Hat: The "original" corporate Linux Distro, or at least it seems to be the longest-lived corporate Distro in existence today. It is a "grandparent" distro - meaning that it has spawned forks which, themselves, have forks. It works quite well for big businesses, especially those who run IBM hardware and do not, for whatever reason, feel like running IBM's Unix solution, AIX. Its main advantage is in what you're paying for when you get it: support. If you don't need the support, if you can manage that internally, Fedora is essentially the same thing, but community-supported.
Ubuntu: In recent years, Ubuntu has really crumbled in terms of favorability. I'll get into this later, but the fact that they implemented their own distro-specific "Snap" package system, I feel cuts against the whole point of open-source software. It seems like more of a way to create a "walled garden" of sorts, similar to iPhone's App Store or the Google Play Store. The concept of a distro-specific package system just leaves a bad taste in my mouth, that said, it has spawned a very large number of forks over time. Some have died. Others, like our next entry, are very much alive.
Linux Mint: I don't personally like Linux Mint, but I see its value as an entry-level Linux Distro. It's easy to install, and unlike Ubuntu, which it is based on, it uses a combination of apt (.deb) packages and flatpak. Flatpak is cross-platform. This makes Linux Mint better for new users who may, at some point, also see the value of moving to another Linux distro.
OpenSUSE: I will admit to not having much experience with OpenSUSE. The way I see it, the biggest problem with this project as a whole is that it has seemingly split in two different directions: OpenSUSE Leap is a versioned distribution, and OpenSUSE Tumbleweed is a "rolling release" distribution. It is a single project which is trying to be pulled in two opposing directions. It will tear itself apart in due time.
Debian: I mentioned this on the Red Hat part, but Debian and Red Hat are both what I would classify as "grandparent" distros. It bears mentioning at this point that Debian has spawned more variants than any other Linux Distro, especially if you count Ubuntu and its variants. Debian is quite stable, but there is a price to pay for that stability, and that price is not having the most up-to-date software. Software versions will often lag several versions behind. Additionally, Debian has a "free software first" philosophy; it won't pull in proprietary software unless you specifically tell it to. Most Distros are less stringent with these sorts of restrictions.
Gentoo: Odds are, this is not the distro for you. It offers a wide range of customization. It also offers a wide range of ways you can break your installation, takes a lot of knowledge of the system you are installing to, and if you wish to install in the "traditional" fashion, it could take a long time indeed to get everything working. The adapted Latin phrase "hic sunt dracones" applies very much to this distro.