One
of the biggest decisions facing today's dedicated server customers is that of
which Linux to deploy. As we all know by now, Linux is available in many
distributions, or flavours as they are popularly called. Essentially, each
distribution is a specific version of Linux that utilizes the Linux
Kernel, includes various third party software, and has its own installation
process. Each of these distributions can be deployed as web servers, database
servers, email servers, FTP servers, DNS servers, and other types of servers.
The popular Linux distributions include Red Hat Linux (which has since spun off
its free version to the Fedora project), Centos, Debian, SuSe and Ubuntu to name
a few. Linux distributions are propagated by different vendors, free software
proponents, freelance Linux enthusiasts and others.
Linux Standard Base
A number of Linux vendors from different parts of the world have also
successfully joined forces to create a common Linux core (also sometimes
referred to as
Linux
Standard Base) under the aegis of the Linux Core Consortium. This core base
module would be in the centre of each of the distributions to be released by the
participating companies and this effort has the strong patronage of Linux
supporters including the likes of HP, Sun Microsystems, Red Hat, vendor-neutral
software groups and even the free source software developers. The development
process for the Linux core is an entirely open and transparent one, in which any
organization or Linux developer can choose to join. The consortium is a welcome
opportunity for many companies which are interested in the future of Linux to
contribute and gain from this global initiative. The consortium is also looking
towards improving the interoperability between RPM and Debian based
technologies, although there has been no material success on this front to date.
There has, however, been some effort made towards developing a common binary
which will become the base for distributions on both Debian and RPM.
Let's now take a closer look at some of the popular
Linux distributions.
Fedora Core
|
Fedora Core |
| First Release |
Yarrow |
| Release Date
|
Nov 3 2003 |
| Target Market |
Desktop, Corporate
Server, Internet Server |
| Country of Origin
|
USA |
| Current Version |
Zod |
| Release Date
|
Oct 24, 2006 |
| Website |
fedora.redhat.com |
History
The Fedora community project has a long history of providing
reliable software for Red Hat Linux. What began in 1997 as a funded research
project (DARPA and NSF) at Cornell University's Digital Library Research is
today one of the world's most popular Linux distributions. Recently
Red Hat has started sponsoring the Fedora Project and has merged Red Hat
Linux with it to create an operating system that only utilizes free and open
source software.
Versions
Fedora Core had already started life as an operating system in July
2003 when Test 1 (originally called Beta 1) was released. After the first
Test release, two more test releases were brought out before the final
release of Fedora core for the general public in November 2003 under the
name Yarrow. The newest version Fedora, called Zod, has support for the PPC
architecture. It also has focus-stealing prevention features along with an
improved virtual machine monitor. The Fedora installer, Anaconda, has
been extensively updated to make it network aware. Users can now
manually specify repositories on a network computer.
Licensing
Fedora is licensed under several agreements including the GPL, the
Mozilla public license, educational community license etc. All these
licenses are free and open source.
Target Market
Fedora is targeted to a broad cross section of users, from desktop
users to corporate and Internet server use.
Dedicated Server Use
Fedora Core is a mainstay among dedicated server clients.
eSecureData.com reports that fully 40% of its new Linux deployments use some
variant of Fedora Core.
CentOS
|
Centos |
| First Release |
Centos 3 build4-rc0
|
| Release Date
|
March 1994 |
| Target Market |
Desktop,
Enterprise, Corporate Server, Internet Server
|
| Country of Origin
|
Global |
| Current Version |
CentOS 4.4 |
| Release Date
|
30 Aug, 2006 |
| Website |
www.centos.org |
History
From the start, CentOS was fully binary compatible with Red Hat, and
the project has generally tried to stay in sync with Red Hat's evolution.
CentOS is famous for its efficient command-line package management utility
and Posix thread library. The OS has had some success gaining a
foothold in the corporate and Internet server markets.
Versions
CentOS version numbers consist of two parts: major and minor. The
major part corresponds to the equivalent Red Hat version, and the minor part
shows the build and revision numbers. At the end of 2003, the first version
of Centos, Centos 3 build4-rc0, was released. This was followed by Centos
3.1 in March 2004, Centos 2 in May 2004, CentOS 2.1, and CentOS 4 based on
version4 of Red Hat Linux in March 2005. This version 4 was released
primarily for the use on i386 and ia64 architecture. The latest version of
CentOS is version 4.4, released in August 2006.
Licensing
CentOS is licensed under various agreements, including the GPL.
Target Market
CentOS aims at providing a free alternative to the commercial Red
Hat Enterprise Linux software.
Dedicated Server Use
CentOS is extremely popular among dedicated server clients.
eSecureData.com reports that approximately 25% of its new Linux deployments
use some variant of Centos.
Debian
|
Debian |
| First Release |
Buzz 1.1 (stable) |
| Release Date
|
June 17, 1996 |
| Target Market |
Internet Server
|
| Country of Origin
|
Global |
| Current Version |
Sarge3.1(stable) |
| Release Date
|
June 6, 2005 |
| Website |
www.debian.org |
History
Debian is a popular Linux distribution which is perhaps best known
for its Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) utility along with the variety of
tools it provides. The Debian distribution, organized by the Debian Project,
was first announced by Ian Murdock, on August 16, 1993. Murdock was at
that time a student at Purdue University. Debian is recognized for its
strict quality guidelines for packages along with adherence to open testing
and development norms. The project is backed by a large team of volunteers
who continue to make new applications and packages.
Versions
The system was initially called the Debian Linux Release. The Debian
Project expanded leisurely at the outset and its first 0.9x versions were
released in 1994 and 1995. The first 1.x version (1.1) was released in 1996.
The 2.x version was started in 1998 with 2.1 (code name Hamm) being the
stable release. Year 2002 saw the release of the 3.0 version, and the
upgraded 3.1 version was released in 2005. The latest 4.0 version
code, named etch, is slated to be released at the end of this year.
Licensing
Debian is licensed under various free software agreements, all of
which follow the guidelines of DFSG (Debian Free Software Guidelines). Some
of the main features of the guidelines are free redistribution, allowing
modifications, inclusion of source code etc.
Target Market
Debian's target market is primarily the Internet server market.
Dedicated Server Use
Debian continues to be quite popular with dedicated server clients.
eSecureData.com reports that approximately 15% of its new Linux
deployments use some variant of Debian.
SuSE
Linux
|
SuSe |
| First Release |
SuSE Linux 1.0 |
| Release Date
|
March 1994 |
| Target Market |
Desktop, Corporate
Server, low-demand Internet Server |
| Country of Origin
|
Germany |
| Current Version |
OpenSuse10.1 |
| Release Date
|
May 11, 2006 |
| Website |
en.opensuse.org
www.novell.com/linux/ |
History
SuSE Linux initially started off as a German translation of
Slackware which, incidentally, was one of the earliest Linux distributions.
Its first version was released in 1994 and it soon became popular for the
stability of its applications. In March 1996, its well regarded system
administration tool called YaST1 was released. In November 1999 the
interface was changed from text to graphical and thus was born YaST2. In
2000 SuSE developed two versions of its Software, one for personal use (Home
edition) and one for commercial use (professional edition). 2003 saw the
release of SuSE 9.0, the most stable and best of all the packages. On
November 4, 2003, Novell announced it would acquire SuSE, and that takeover
was completed in January of 2004.
Versions
SuSE development has now split into two different streams.
Commercially, there exists SUSE Linux Enterprise Server and SUSE Linux
Enterprise Desktop, which are Novell's commercial, branded versions of SUSE
targeted at corporate environments. OpenSuSE is the free and open
source alternative to these commercial offerings. The current release
of OpenSuSE 10.2 has incorporated number of improved features like secondary
installer called Zen-Adapter. It currently also supports resizing NTFS
partitions and can even detect Winmodems.
Licensing
After its initial success SuSE was placed under the GPL license by
Novell, the current owners of the company, at a gathering in the year 2004.
Target Market
SuSE is targeted to desktop and lower-demand server clients,
generally. Some users have been known to press SuSE into more
demanding applications.
Dedicated Server Use
SuSE continues to be a popular choice among dedicated server customers.
eSecureData.com reports that approximately 10% of its new Linux deployments
use some variant of SuSE.
Ubuntu
|
Ubuntu |
| First Release |
Ubuntu 1.0
|
| Release Date
|
Oct 20 2004 |
| Target Market |
Desktop,
low-demand Internet server
|
| Country of Origin
|
Isle of Man |
| Current Version |
Ubuntu 6.10 |
| Release Date
|
Oct 26, 2006 |
| Website |
www.ubuntu.com |
History
The Ubuntu Linux distribution has its genesis in the need for a user
friendly, accessible and reliable desktop version of Linux. Using Debian's
Advanced Packaging Tool (APT) for managing the installed packages, Ubuntu
was first released on October 20, 2004 as a variant of Debian. Ubuntu is
currently funded by Mark Shuttleworth (the entrepreneur millionaire and
first African in space) through his Canonical Ltd. In 2005, he
announced the formation of the Ubuntu Foundation, providing initial funding
of US$10 million. Some of its popular features include its “sudo”
administrative tool, its strong bug tacking utility called Bugzilla and also
its GNOME action menu. It now has a much faster search function and the SMEG
menu editor is also refined. Generally, Ubuntu is mailed on a single
CD-ROM to anyone requesting it, free of cost.
Versions
Every release of Ubuntu has a code name and a version number which
is based on the month and year of release. The currently working versions
are 5.10, 6.06, and 6.10. The version 6.06, code named Dapper Drake, was the
first Long Term Support release from Ubuntu. All versions are provided free,
but technical support is a commercial offering. The next stable release,
Ubuntu 7.04, code named Feisty Fawn, is expected in April 2007.
Licensing
Ubuntu is generally licensed through GPL and some other free
licenses. These free licenses are subject to some guidelines as laid down by
the company from time to time.
Target Market
Ubuntu is targeted to desktop and low-end server usage, although
many Ubuntu devotees press the OS into more demanding uses.
Dedicated Server Use
Ubuntu has a loyal but small following among dedicated server clients.
eSecureData.com reports approximately 3% of its new Linux deployments use
some variant of Ubuntu.
Red
Hat Linux
|
Red Hat Linux |
| First Release |
Red Hat Linux 1.0 |
| Release Date
|
1994 |
| Target Market |
Desktop, Corporate
Server, Enterprise, Internet Server |
| Country of Origin
|
USA |
| Current Version |
Red Hat
Enterprise Edition
3.0 (Taroon) |
| Release Date
|
Sep 18, 2006 |
| Website |
www.redhat.com |
History
Red Hat Linux, without a doubt, has been the most popular Linux
distribution to date. The Red Hat story began in 1994, when a man named Marc
Ewing formulated his own version of Linux and called it Red Hat Linux
(version 1.0). Ewing’s business was bought in 1995 by Bob Young of the
ACC Corporation who renamed the merged entity Red Hat Software. Over the
years, Red Hat gained market share in corporate server environments, some
corporate desktop environments, and with individual users and hobbyists.
Many computer users who were put off by the perceived vulnerability of
Microsoft Windows started using Red Hat Linux as their desktop operating
system. Red Hat Linux was often chosen by these users for its user
friendliness, especially as compared to other Linux versions in the market.
Reliability and security were strong, and Red Hat brought in several
features like the firewall configuration tool called Lokkit and
implementations of LDAP and Kerberos in its later versions. On
December 19, 2005, Red Hat stock was listed on the NASDAQ-100. At
present, it is a fair statement to say that Red Hat is the most trusted
provider of Linux in the world.
Versions
Red Hat versions evolved from 1.0 in 1994 to version 9.0 in 2003.
Post 2003, the Red Hat and Fedora projects merged. The merged entity now
releases two product lines: the free and open source Fedora Core, and the
commercial Red Hat Enterprise Edition. The latest Red Hat Enterprise edition
is version 3.0, Taroon, released October, 2003. Recently (September 18,
2006), Red Hat released its Application Stack integrating JBoss technology.
Licensing
Exact information on Red Hat licensing can be found
here. While there is
some confusion about the licensing of current Red Hat software, the most
important thing to remember is that it is no longer free. Though Red
Hat now maintains Fedora core for its free version, a large number of people
around the world still use older versions of Red Hat Linux (which are
licensed under the GPL), and those versions still receive support from the
Fedora Legacy project.
Target Market
The initial focus of Red Hat Linux was on the Internet server
market, but the OS was soon adopted for various other purposes.
Dedicated Server Use
Red Hat has fallen out of favour with most dedicated server clients,
presumably because it is no longer free and open-source.
eSecureData.com reports a significant downturn in Red Hat deployments, with
no significant percentage of its new Linux deployments using Red Hat
Enterprise Edition.
Summary
Linux today is used by millions of people who depend on its performance,
reliability and stability. The OS is a very significant player in the Internet
server market, which remains its most common use. In addition to that core market, the availability of
Linux in so many variants makes it suitable for many disparate needs, from
simple desktop deployments to corporate servers, enterprise servers and even
embedded systems. Stability and security have been major reasons for
recent successes in corporate adoption of Linux. Systems running on Linux have
been less susceptible to viruses and other security breaches than equivalent
Windows systems, although this is at least partially due to the larger installed
base of Windows.
As companies continue to spend money on the
development of Linux, both the advantages and disadvantages of open source
development have become apparent. The approach has obvious inherent
flexibility, but outside the actual kernel, quality has been difficult to
maintain, and projects are often abandoned before they become truly usable.
Despite this, the availability of thousands of free, open-source applications
and the continued development of these applications (regardless of whether their
quality is equal to commercially licensed software) would suggest that Linux
will continue to successfully evolve under this model.
The free and open source licensing used by most
Linuxes has helped it gained ground in developing countries. Several
new-world nations, including China and Brazil, have announced major Linux
initiatives. Linux can also be easily used on computers with minimal
processing power, making it suitable for many poorer countries in Asia and
Africa. It appears certain that much of the potential for future expansion of
Linux lies in developing nations.
The desktop market has been an obstacle that Linux
has yet to cross in significant numbers. As major Linux distributions have
evolved their GUIs, however, this may change. Linux distributions like Ubuntu
have attracted large number of users with attractive interface interfaces and
easier-to-use collections of utilities. Perhaps most importantly, most of the
Linux distributions directed at the home users are absolutely free, whereas
Windows adds from $40 to $300 to the cost of a home deployment. Despite
these facts, one should be cautious regarding predictions of desktop success for
Linux. These predictions have been made for a decade without substantial
penetration of the desktop market by any Linux distribution, and most Linux
users continue to use Windows at least partially for their desktop needs.
Technical support, a traditional weakness of Linux,
appears to be improving. While there has always been a great deal of
technical information about Linux on the web, and forums and online communities
focused on Linux abound, there has traditionally been a dearth of qualified
Linux consultants and programmers available to commercial enterprises.
This appears to be changing somewhat, although professional Windows specialists
continue to outnumber Linux specialists by a wide margin. For lower end
deployments that require or prefer free technical support, Linux continues to
excel. In the real world, Linux community support groups exist in most
urban centers, and these groups often assist new Linux users with initial
orientation.
In final summary, it appears that the Internet
server market is rock solid for Linux, the corporate/enterprise market is slowly
growing, but the desktop market remains relatively stagnant. It also
appears certain that, despite Microsoft's efforts to counter with nearly-free
Windows alternatives, Linux will play a very major role in the computing
development of emerging nations in the coming years. Overall, the future
of Linux in the computing world appears quite bright.