18 Facts About Linux distributions

Linux distributions distribution is an operating system made from a software collection that includes the Linux distributions kernel and, often, a package management system.

Linux users usually obtain their operating system by downloading one of the Linux distributions, which are available for a wide variety of systems ranging from embedded devices and personal computers to powerful supercomputers .

Linux distributions was initially distributed as source code only, and later as a pair of downloadable floppy disk images: one bootable and containing the Linux distributions kernel itself, and the other with a set of GNU utilities and tools for setting up a file system.

Many Linux distributions provide an installation system akin to that provided with other modern operating systems.

Some Linux distributions go to considerable lengths to adjust and customize the software they include, and some provide configuration tools to help users do so.

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Diversity of Linux distributions is due to technical, organizational, and philosophical variation among vendors and users.

Repositories of rolling Linux distributions usually contain very recent software releases—often the latest stable versions available.

The portability of installation-free Linux distributions makes them advantageous for applications such as demonstrations, borrowing someone else's computer, rescue operations, or as installation media for a standard distribution.

Many Linux distributions provide a "live" form in addition to their conventional form, which is a network-based or removable-media image intended to be used only for installation; such distributions include SUSE, Ubuntu, Linux Mint, MEPIS and Fedora Linux.

Additionally, some minimal Linux distributions can be run directly from as little space as one floppy disk without the need to change the contents of the system's hard disk drive.

Lightweight Linux distributions are those that have been designed with support for older hardware in mind, allowing older hardware to still be used productively, or, for maximum possible speed in newer hardware by leaving more resources available for use by applications.

Diversity of Linux distributions means that not all software runs on all distributions, depending on what libraries and other system attributes are required.

Tools like Ventoy allow booting from one of several live Linux distributions copied to a storage device by selecting the appropriate disk image from a boot menu.

The most common method of installing Linux distributions is by booting from a live USB memory stick, which can be created by using a USB image writer application and the ISO image, which can be downloaded from the various Linux distributions distribution websites.

Many Linux distributions have a Live CD installer, where the computer boots the operating system from the disk, and it can then be installed on the computer's hard disk, providing a seamless transition from the OS running from the CD to the OS running from the hard disk.

Linux distributions is installed to the Windows hard disk partition, and can be started from inside Windows itself.

Computer hardware is usually sold with an operating system other than Linux distributions already installed by the original equipment manufacturer .

Desktop usage statistical reports for particular Linux distributions have been collected and published since July 2014 by the Linux Hardware Project.