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http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Is_Fedora_For_Me
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Is_Fedora_For_Me


Linux distributions are very diverse and the following is not meant to a comprehensive comparison of all distributions nor are they a unbiased review or distribution bashing. Instead they are look at some other popular distributions from a Fedora perspective.  
Linux distributions are very diverse and the following is not meant to a comprehensive comparison of all distributions, nor are they a unbiased review or distribution bashing. Instead, this article looks at some other popular distributions from a Fedora perspective.  


We, in the Fedora Project certainly believe in the diversity and encourage that by working close with upstream projects that benefits all Linux distributions and not just Fedora.  
We, in the Fedora Project, certainly believe in the diversity and encourage that by working close with upstream projects that benefits all Linux distributions and not just Fedora.  


= Debian =
 
==Debian==


Debian is a community project and a popular Linux distribution.  
Debian is a community project and a popular Linux distribution.  


Similarities:
===Similarities===


Like Fedora, Debian is very focused on free and open source software. A good judgement of whether a particular software project is truly free and open source software can be made on the basis of whether it is available via the Debian and Fedora repositories.   
Like Fedora, Debian is very focused on free and open source software. A good judgement of whether a particular software project is truly free and open source software can be made on the basis of whether it is available via the Debian and Fedora repositories.   


Both projects have a large body of collective knowledge from the community in the form of community governance, policies and packaging guidelines
Both projects have a large body of collective knowledge from the community in the form of community governance, policies, and packaging guidelines.
 
Differences:
 
Debian uses the deb format, dpkg package manager and apt-get dependency resolver.  Fedora uses the rpm format and the RPM package manager and yum dependency resolver.
 
Debian has free, non-free and contrib repositories. Fedora has a single global repository that contains only free software applications.
 
Debian has a larger repository with over 20,000 software packages. Fedora has around 15,000 software packages taking into account that Fedora does not include a non-free or contrib repository.
 
Unlike Fedora, Debian does not follow a time based release model.
 
= Ubuntu =
 
Ubuntu is a popular Debian derivative and based on the Unstable branch of Debian. So many of the Debian similar and differences apply to Ubuntu as well.
 
Similarities:
 
Like Fedora, Ubuntu has a six month release cycle and follows a time based release model.
 
Red Hat sponsors the Fedora Project and Canonical sponsors Ubuntu Project


Differences:
===Differences===


Ubuntu uses sudo by default while Fedora users have to use su instead.
Debian uses the deb format, dpkg package manager, and apt-get dependency resolver.  Fedora uses the RPM format, the RPM package manager, and dnf dependency resolver.


Ubuntu is commercially supported by Canonical while Fedora is a community project
Debian has free, non-free and contrib repositories, while Fedora has a single global repository that contains only free software applications. Debian has a larger repository with over 20,000 software packages. Fedora has around 15,000 software packages, although it should be taken into account that Fedora does not include a non-free or contrib repository.


Ubuntu is a based on the unstable branch of Debian but Fedora is not a derivative and has a more direct relationship and stays close to many upstream projects.  
Unlike Fedora, Debian does not follow a time-based release model.  


Ubuntu has more lax policies involving proprietary or patent encumbered software and selectively tolerates it to some extend.


= openSUSE =
==Ubuntu==


openSUSE was founded in part as a response to Fedora and hence has many similarities
Ubuntu is a popular Debian derivative and consequently many of the similarities and differences between Debian and Fedora apply to Ubuntu as well.


Similarities:
===Similarities===
Fedora and Ubuntu both use many of the same command line tools, like nearly any Linux distribution, including <code>cp</code>, <code>mv</code>, <code>rm</code>, <code>sudo</code>, <code>wget</code>, ''etc.''


Like Fedora, openSUSE uses RPM as a package manager
Just as Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, a UK-based software company that profits mostly on charging for Ubuntu support. Ubuntu also has its own StackExchange website called Ask Ubuntu, which is similar to Fedora's Ask Fedora Askbot-based website.


openSUSE also has a time based release model although Fedora has a new release every six months and openSUSE has a new release every nine months instead
Ubuntu has a server and cloud edition like Fedora does.


openSUSE has adopted the Fedora trademark license agreement with a few minor differences
===Differences===
Ubuntu is commercially supported by Canonical while Fedora is a community project sponsored by Red Hat. In that sense Fedora is more akin to Ubuntu flavours which are the community based projects with special goals (usually customizing the Desktop Environments); the bigger difference in that comparison is that Fedora works as one unified project even with regard to [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Spins spins] while Ubuntu flavours usually act as a separate projects.


openSUSE has in large part adopted the Fedora Packaging guidelines as well
Ubuntu is based off of Debian, but Fedora is not a derivative of another Linux distribution and has a more direct relationship with many upstream projects by using newer versions of their software.


Differences:
Ubuntu has more relaxed policies involving proprietary or patent-encumbered software and selectively tolerates it to some extent.


openSUSE uses the zypper dependency resolver instead of yum although yum is available in the openSUSE repository.
Ubuntu also uses the deb format, dpkg package manager, and apt-get dependency resolver.


openSUSE is freely available but also sold as a retail boxed product with limited commercial support from Novell while Fedora is a community project with no retail business.  
Ubuntu's default desktop environment is Unity, but Ubuntu can also be used with desktop environments such as GNOME, KDE, Xfce, LXDE, and MATE. Fedora's default desktop environment is GNOME, but there are also Fedora [https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Spins spins] of other desktop environments, such as KDE, Xfce, LXDE, and MATE.


= Mandriva =
==openSUSE==


Similarities:
openSUSE was founded by SUSE, LLC as a predecessor of Red Hat Linux. Because of similarities in packaging software, there are many similarities between openSUSE and Fedora.


Like Fedora, Mandriva uses RPM as a package manager
===Similarities===
Like Fedora, openSUSE uses RPM as a package manager.


Mandriva has adopted the Fedora licensing guidelines with few minor differences
openSUSE also has a time-based release model that comes with their Leap version; however, Fedora releases a new major release every six months while openSUSE has a new major release every nine months. Tumbleweed is another openSUSE version, based on the rolling release cycle where the packages are updated more often.


Mandriva uses the Red Hat network configuration file layout
openSUSE has adopted the Fedora trademark license agreement with a few minor differences, and openSUSE has mostly adopted the Fedora Packaging Guidelines as well.


Many Mandriva packagers synchronize their packages with the style and patches found in the corresponding Fedora packages
===Differences===
openSUSE uses the zypper dependency resolver instead of dnf. Both of these dependency resolvers use a SAT-solver for quick dependency resolutions.


Differences:
openSUSE is freely available, but also sold as a retail boxed product with limited commercial support from SUSE, while Fedora is a community project with no retail business. As of the version 15 of openSUSE Leap users can migrate to SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) if they need  support and wish to become a SUSE customer.


Mandriva uses the urpmi dependency resolver instead of yum although yum is available in the Mandriva repository
==Mandriva successors==


Mandriva has an official non-free repository for redistributable but not Free software, and a somewhat more relaxed patent policy
Mandriva Linux was a distribution by Mandriva S.A.
Since it is no longer available both Mageia and OpenMandriva are referred here as Mandriva successors.


Mandriva has a home-grown set of configuration tools, written in perl with GTK+ 2 bindings, organized in the Mandriva Control Center front end
===Similarities===
Like Fedora, Mandriva successors use RPM as a package manager.


Mandriva uses its own graphical network configuration tool and status applet, rather than NetworkManager
===Differences===
Mandriva successors use the urpmi dependency resolver instead of dnf. They have an official non-free repository for redistributable but non-free software.
And usually have a somewhat more relaxed patent policy.


Mandriva has a for-sale commercial edition, the Powerpack, which includes some non-redistributable commercial software and some support
Mandriva successors has a home-grown set of configuration tools, written in perl with GTK+ bindings. Mandriva derived distributions use their own graphical network configuration tool and status applet, rather than NetworkManager like in Fedora.
Mandriva used to require all shared libraries to be split into separate packages and to be provided in both x86-32 and x86-64 form.


Mandriva requires all shared libraries to be split into separate packages, and provided in both x86-32 and x86-64 form (the x86-64 library packages have the prefix lib64)
[[Category:About Fedora]]
[[Category:Desktop]]
[[Category:Distribution]]
[[Category:Features]]
[[Category:Introduction to Fedora for Ubuntu users]]

Revision as of 13:26, 15 September 2018

Fedora users or potential users sometimes have questions on how Fedora compares to other distributions in the Linux world. If you are wondering if Fedora is the right distribution for you, refer to the following pages:

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Overview

http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Is_Fedora_For_Me

Linux distributions are very diverse and the following is not meant to a comprehensive comparison of all distributions, nor are they a unbiased review or distribution bashing. Instead, this article looks at some other popular distributions from a Fedora perspective.

We, in the Fedora Project, certainly believe in the diversity and encourage that by working close with upstream projects that benefits all Linux distributions and not just Fedora.


Debian

Debian is a community project and a popular Linux distribution.

Similarities

Like Fedora, Debian is very focused on free and open source software. A good judgement of whether a particular software project is truly free and open source software can be made on the basis of whether it is available via the Debian and Fedora repositories.

Both projects have a large body of collective knowledge from the community in the form of community governance, policies, and packaging guidelines.

Differences

Debian uses the deb format, dpkg package manager, and apt-get dependency resolver. Fedora uses the RPM format, the RPM package manager, and dnf dependency resolver.

Debian has free, non-free and contrib repositories, while Fedora has a single global repository that contains only free software applications. Debian has a larger repository with over 20,000 software packages. Fedora has around 15,000 software packages, although it should be taken into account that Fedora does not include a non-free or contrib repository.

Unlike Fedora, Debian does not follow a time-based release model.


Ubuntu

Ubuntu is a popular Debian derivative and consequently many of the similarities and differences between Debian and Fedora apply to Ubuntu as well.

Similarities

Fedora and Ubuntu both use many of the same command line tools, like nearly any Linux distribution, including cp, mv, rm, sudo, wget, etc.

Just as Fedora is sponsored by Red Hat, Ubuntu is sponsored by Canonical Ltd, a UK-based software company that profits mostly on charging for Ubuntu support. Ubuntu also has its own StackExchange website called Ask Ubuntu, which is similar to Fedora's Ask Fedora Askbot-based website.

Ubuntu has a server and cloud edition like Fedora does.

Differences

Ubuntu is commercially supported by Canonical while Fedora is a community project sponsored by Red Hat. In that sense Fedora is more akin to Ubuntu flavours which are the community based projects with special goals (usually customizing the Desktop Environments); the bigger difference in that comparison is that Fedora works as one unified project even with regard to spins while Ubuntu flavours usually act as a separate projects.

Ubuntu is based off of Debian, but Fedora is not a derivative of another Linux distribution and has a more direct relationship with many upstream projects by using newer versions of their software.

Ubuntu has more relaxed policies involving proprietary or patent-encumbered software and selectively tolerates it to some extent.

Ubuntu also uses the deb format, dpkg package manager, and apt-get dependency resolver.

Ubuntu's default desktop environment is Unity, but Ubuntu can also be used with desktop environments such as GNOME, KDE, Xfce, LXDE, and MATE. Fedora's default desktop environment is GNOME, but there are also Fedora spins of other desktop environments, such as KDE, Xfce, LXDE, and MATE.

openSUSE

openSUSE was founded by SUSE, LLC as a predecessor of Red Hat Linux. Because of similarities in packaging software, there are many similarities between openSUSE and Fedora.

Similarities

Like Fedora, openSUSE uses RPM as a package manager.

openSUSE also has a time-based release model that comes with their Leap version; however, Fedora releases a new major release every six months while openSUSE has a new major release every nine months. Tumbleweed is another openSUSE version, based on the rolling release cycle where the packages are updated more often.

openSUSE has adopted the Fedora trademark license agreement with a few minor differences, and openSUSE has mostly adopted the Fedora Packaging Guidelines as well.

Differences

openSUSE uses the zypper dependency resolver instead of dnf. Both of these dependency resolvers use a SAT-solver for quick dependency resolutions.

openSUSE is freely available, but also sold as a retail boxed product with limited commercial support from SUSE, while Fedora is a community project with no retail business. As of the version 15 of openSUSE Leap users can migrate to SUSE Linux Enterprise (SLE) if they need support and wish to become a SUSE customer.

Mandriva successors

Mandriva Linux was a distribution by Mandriva S.A. Since it is no longer available both Mageia and OpenMandriva are referred here as Mandriva successors.

Similarities

Like Fedora, Mandriva successors use RPM as a package manager.

Differences

Mandriva successors use the urpmi dependency resolver instead of dnf. They have an official non-free repository for redistributable but non-free software. And usually have a somewhat more relaxed patent policy.

Mandriva successors has a home-grown set of configuration tools, written in perl with GTK+ bindings. Mandriva derived distributions use their own graphical network configuration tool and status applet, rather than NetworkManager like in Fedora. Mandriva used to require all shared libraries to be split into separate packages and to be provided in both x86-32 and x86-64 form.