Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
for Linux and Open Source
| December 2, 2021
| Topic: Enterprise Software
Fedora
The developer’s first choice.
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View now at Fedora
Arch Linux/Manjaro Linux
For absolute control over your desktop, look no further.
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View now at Manjaro
Gentoo/Sabayon Linux
Use the source code, Luke!
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View now at Gentoo
Kali Linux
The Linux for security pros and their hacker enemies.
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View now at Kali Linux
SystemRescue
For when you want to bring dead PCs back to life
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View now at System Rescue
I get so, so tired of explaining that Linux isn’t that hard. Indeed, if you’re reading this on an Android phone or on a Chromebook, congratulations! You’re using Linux, and you very well might not have known it. But then there are the Linux distributions that do require expertise to make the most of.
What are the essential Linux websites?
If you really want to know Linux, you want to read everything I’ve ever written… Well, maybe not. Seriously, here are the sites you must keep bookmarked if you’re a real Linux pro.
To really know what’s going on with the Linux kernel, you must keep an eye on the Linux Kernel Mailing List (LKML). Note I don’t say read it. I’m not sure anyone can actually read everything posted to the list. Its message volume is insane. But, as you gain experience with it, you’ll be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. For instance, it’s a safe bet that anything Linus Torvalds posts are worth at least a glance.
I recommend getting a handle on the LKML by reading its FAQ. It will make understanding what’s going on much easier.
If that’s too much for you — like, I don’t know if you have a life or something — you can subscribe to the LWN.net. There are many Linux news sites, but there’s only one LWN. Run by Linux kernel maintainer Jon Corbet, LWN goes deep into the ins and outs of Linux kernel, open-source software, and coding. For example, I can tell you about the latest Fedora release; LWN will tell you about the Fedora community debate over whether non-free Git forges should be used in developing the distribution.
Let’s say, though, that you just want to keep up on general Linux news and not the hardcore tech and programming information. If that’s you, the aggregate site, Linux Today, does a good job of gathering up Linux news stories, features, and the latest tutorials. Here, I’ll add, you’ll also find links to many of my stories.
Do you want to know exactly how your new processor might work with Linux? Then Phoronix is for you. This site covers kernel news, but it’s most well known for its detailed reporting and benchmarking on the latest Linux distros and hardware. So, if you want to know the current state of Linux support for Intel’s Software Guard Extensions (SGX) or how Linux and Mesa Drivers compare on Intel Core i5 12600K/UHD Graphics 770, with each other in raw performance, this is the site for you.
Finally, for those of you who like to know about every Linux distribution out there, your site of choice is DistroWatch. It tracks every — and I mean every — Linux distribution out there. By my count, there are about 600 distros out there these days, and most of them are still being actively developed. This is the place to go to keep track of them all.
Our process
I’ve been running Linux for 29 years. Linux is 30 years old. I know this operating system every which way you can. Before that, I’d cut my teeth on Version 7 Unix. In other words, I have a clue about Linux. The opinions I give here are based on all that experience and the experience of the many Linux kernel developers and distribution programmers I’ve known over the years. That said, if there’ are any mistakes, they’re all mine.
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