History Platform / UNIX

Now, in The New Twenties, UNIX and its clones and derivatives have become more popular than ever. [=ChromeOS=] and various other PC-centric distributions of Linux are giving Microsoft a run for its money for the first time in years, especially on low-end [=PCs=] that can't run the latest versions of Platform/MicrosoftWindows well. The adoption of Linux on older [=PCs=] was also helped by supply chain issues in the wake of the UsefulNotes/COVID19Pandemic making new [=PCs=] harder to come by. A resurgent Mac (running UNIX itself) is also competing with Microsoft on the high end. Still, desktop use of Linux is more popular with developers, engineers and anti-Microsoft technophiles rather than the general public, though pre-installed Linux computers are more common outside of the U.S. The [=BSDs=] are popular in server, networking and security-related applications; [=NetBSD=] in particular also supports a bevy of older machines (including vintage [[UsefulNotes/MainframesAndMinicomputers minicomputers]] like the DEC VAX) that would otherwise be forgotten.

At around the same time, a researcher at MIT's AI Lab named Richard Stallman decided he was fed up with companies founded by ex-AI-lab-members which often built upon AI lab software and were expected to be used by the AI lab, "hoarding" their innovations and preventing sharing of code.[[note]]For more information on this, see the biography "Free as in Freedom".[[/note]]His main concerns were that, once the source to various parts of an OS were "non-free" or made unavailable, fixing or improving on them was impossible (or, at least, extremely difficult), and that this could lead to monopoly behavior and rip communities apart. [[note]](such as Symbolics and the AI lab, which had lost many talented personnel)[[/note]] This was hastened by the death of the AI lab's own operating system, ITS. He envisioned a complete operating system where all of the parts were "free software" (in analogy with "free speech")[[note]]not to be confused with free-of-charge software which isn't necessarily free in this sense[[/note]] and could be modified and/or shared with others at will, but with the caveat that the programming code for the changes had to be shared as well. [[note]]he initially considered a system based on Lisp, similar to Genera, the Symbolics OS, but concluded that the stock hardware of the day could not handle such a system, so he turned to the less demanding C as his system language[[/note]] He called his vision "GNU", a RecursiveAcronym for "GNU's Not UNIX!", posted a manifesto describing his intentions to UsefulNotes/{{Usenet}} in 1983, and created the Free Software Foundation to oversee the effort. By 1990, the FSF would have most of the parts of GNU ready, including a compiler, utilities, libraries and such, but no kernel to run the system under. \\\

In 1991, a programmer in Helsinki, UsefulNotes/{{Finland}}, named Linus Torvalds, who was inspired by MINIX[[note]]and would later have a [[http://www.oreilly.com/openbook/opensources/book/appa.html famous debate]] on UsefulNotes/{{Usenet}} with its creator, Andrew S. Tanenbaum, on the merits of microkernels vs. Linux's older "monolithic" design[[/note]] posted his intent to build a "little" UNIX clone ([[HilariousInHindsight which he intended to be "just a hobby" and "nothing big like GNU"]]) to Usenet, with some of the work already done. Others agreed to help, and by 1992 ''Linux'', as it was dubbed by one of Linus's helpers,[[note]]Linus had suggested "Freax", pronounced "freaks", but it didn't catch on[[/note]] was maturing quickly.\\\

Gaming on Linux has long been a sore spot, with many bigger studios declining to port their games over to the platform. This began to improve in 2013 when Creator/ValveSoftware created a derivative of Debian called ''[=SteamOS=]'' [[labelnote:More info]][[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m3psWD6Bms gameranx]] points out this was just a few months after the release of Windows 8 when Microsoft was seemingly planning to lock down the OS and only allow you to download programs from the Windows Store - which will likely see Steam sidelined - suggesting the whole project was spurred as a response and demonstration by Valve that they could easily have everybody mass migrate to Linux. Though Microsoft has since backed down on locking Windows, Valve seems to have concluded having a business completely reliant on a different company that can shut you down at any time is risky[[/labelnote]], which powers its line of Steam Machine consoles but also is free to download for anyone interested in using their own custom hardware. However, the OS and its complementary Steam Machine hardware failed to take off, with fewer than a million units sold and most vendors discontinuing the product by 2016. It has been speculated that this was due to poor initial builds and delays in updates and hardware, with Microsoft rolling out the free Windows 10 upgrade promotion at the same time to steal its thunder. Though development was put in hiatus on July 2019, in July 2021 the ''Steam Deck'' was announced: a handheld designed for PC games, running an overhauled version of [=SteamOS=], now based on Arch Linux. In 2018 Valve released Proton, a compatibility layer that essentially makes it possible to run Windows software on Linux.[[labelnote:More info]]The underlying program, UsefulNotes/{{Wine}}, is much older, dating back to the early days of Linux, but Proton adds a bunch of improvements for GPU-accelerated 3D games, for example to translate from the Windows-only [=DirectX=] API to the platform-agonostic Vulkan API, which is omitted in Wine as both of these [=APIs=] are only of interest for games[[/labelnote]] A site, [[https://www.protondb.com/ ProtonDB]], keeps track of how well each game performs on Linux, and as of December 2021 about 75% of all Platform/{{Steam}} games can be played with little issue, of which around 20% have native Linux ports. With over a million Decks sold, this led to Linux finally beginning to gain a much stronger foothold in the gaming market.

!!Linux and its distributions
A distribution, or distro, is simply a packaged up Linux kernel with various apps to support it in order to create a fully functioning operating system. If you think of an operating system as a vehicle, the Linux kernel is the engine. A single engine design can can support multiple types of vehicles, with each vehicle catering to certain customers' specific needs.

%%
%% This list is chronologically sorted
%% Please note, this list is meant for the main roots from where most distros came from.
%%
While there are dozens upon dozens of distributions, most of them have branched off from one of these main roots:
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slackware Slackware]]''': One of the first distributions to be widely circulated. Its goals are to be the most "Unix-like" distribution with as few software packages and modifications as possible. As such, it requires more work to get it set up and is recommended for advanced Linux users.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUSE_Linux_Enterprise SUSE]]''': One of the earliest distributions, mostly aimed at business and enterprise use. Very similar to Red Hat, both in use of the RPM package format and having spawned '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OpenSUSE openSUSE]]''' (which also spawned a user-friendly distro in ''[=GeckoLinux=]'', as well).
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian Debian]]''': Debian's aim is to be as stable as possible, boasting smooth upgrades between major and minor versions. With stability also comes security, two things the Debian maintainers boast. Because of this, Debian has many distributions based on it, with '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu Ubuntu]]''' and its children being one of the most successful line of derivatives. Other notable distributions based on Debian include ''Devuan'' (an all-purpose distro using init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit and sysvinit), '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEPIS MEPIS]]''' OS spinoffs ''MX Linux'' (midweight distro using sysvinit) and ''antiX'' (a truly systemd-free distro that can run [=OpenRC=], runit, s6 and s6-66 along with sysvinit), ''elementary OS'' (for newcomers from Apple Mac OS), ''Zorin OS'' (for newcomers from Windows), ''deepin'', ''Linux Mint'', ''[=Pop!_OS=]'' and early versions of both '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solus_(operating_system) Solus]]''' and [[{{Platform/Steam}} steamOS]].
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hat_Enterprise_Linux Red Hat]]''': A distribution aimed at the commercial and enterprise market, Red Hat takes advantage of a note in GNU's philosophy that even though software down to its source should be made freely available, that doesn't mean one can't find a way to make money off of it. The company that originally maintained it was even bought out by IBM. As such, Red Hat doesn't sell a product (the software), it sells a service (support). However, due to the package management services requiring a subscription fee, Red Hat has spawned free (as in beer, also known as ''[[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/gratis#English gratis]]'') community supported offshoots in '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fedora_Linux Fedora]]''', with some like ''[=AlmaLinux=]'', ''[=EuroLinux=]'' and ''Rocky Linux'' used by smaller businesses in place of Red Hat. Some notable Fedora forks include '''Nobara''' (primarily for gamers and streaming, as ''risiOS'' merged with it as of January 2024) and ''Ultramarine'' (the spiritual successor to the all-purpose fork ''Korora''), with a notable past fork based off of the former Red Hat Linux called Yellow Dog Linux, which got its fame for being Sony's OS of choice to run on the [[Platform/PlayStation2 PlayStation 2]] and likely the intended OS for the [[Platform/PlayStation3 PlayStation 3's]] "Other OS" feature, as well as being the namesake of Red Hat's "yum" (Yellowdog Updater Modified) repository system.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentoo_Linux Gentoo]]''' (previously Enoch): Gentoo is all about performance and customizability. To this end, virtually everything on a Gentoo system is built from source code. The Portage package manager lets the user specify the features they want and don't want in each app through ''USE flags'', so apps can be built specifically for their intended use case without unnecessary functionality. Such customization is not possible with conventional Linux distributions that provide ready-made executables. This build process also allows the use of machine-specific compiler optimizations to maximize performance for the specific hardware in use. But these advantages come at a cost. Gentoo is notorious for being one of the most difficult Linux distributions to properly install and configure, and the compilation process can be extremely taxing on hardware. Some apps, such as Chromium,[[note]]the open-source web browser on which Google Chrome is based[[/note]] can require hours to compile, even on the fastest consumer multi-core processors. For these reasons, compiled binary packages are also available. Its most popular offshoot is ''Chrome OS''. Other distributions from it include ''Funtoo'', ''Calculate Linux'', ''Mocaccino OS'' (formerly ''Sabayon''), ''Pentoo'' and ''Redcore Linux''.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), or even a desktop GUI at all by default. And initially there was zero hand-holding when it comes to preparing the machine for installation by default--the user is expected to understand and know how to partition the storage device prior to installation. This caused it to be known as one of the harder distributions to work with. However, Arch provides the archinstall guided installer with the installation medium since 2023. This eases installation tremendously as despite being still text-based, it sets up a preliminary and usable system after asking the user a few questions. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

Other notable Linux kernel based distributions/operating systems include:
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Softlanding_Linux_System Softlanding Linux System]]''' (or SLS): SLS was one of the very first distributions to hit the scene. The name "softlanding" comes from the idea that it has a "gentler" learning curve for DOS users to transition to. However, a lot of its users found SLS to be buggy, to the point where some of them [[StartMyOwn decided to do one better]]. This spawned Slackware, which started off as a clean-up project of SLS, and Debian.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_From_Scratch Linux From Scratch]]''': More of an e-book than a Linux distro, the e-book contains instructions to build a working Linux distribution from scratch. It is very time-consuming and somewhat difficult as it assumes that the user has a basic understanding of how Linux works, and new users are advised to steer clear of it; as even straying from the formula a bit would result in failure. Likewise, it is often recommended to newbies by trolls to create frustration.\\
\\
As a side note, ''Linux From Scratch'' is only the first book from a series of ''two'' and ends with your build having only a basic text only system with minimal networking support. You're then expected to move on to the second book of the series, ''Beyond Linux From Scratch'', which will guide you towards building the more advanced components that make up a desktop environment and making the system more user friendly.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DD-WRT DD-WRT]]''': A Linux distribution that aims to be the replacement firmware for a number of routers, most notably Cisco's and Linksys' kits. You're likely to have heard of it while browsing for router suggestions online. This distribution has three spinoffs: [=OpenWRT=], [=AdvancedTomato=] (formerly [=TomatoWRT=]) which is a fork of DD-WRT that specializes on Broadcom System-on-Chips, and [=AsusWRT-Merlin=] (formerly [=MerlinWRT=]) which primarily targets Asus routers.
* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puppy_Linux Puppy Linux]]: A lightweight Linux distribution that really puts the emphasis on lightweight. Whereas most other lightweight distributions tend to be a minimal build of say Debian with a custom desktop environment, Puppy Linux is its own thing, being capable of running on hardware from around the late 90s to early 2000s. It may have spawned even lighterweight distros like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damn_Small_Linux Damn Small Linux]] (which at the end of its run in 2008 was 50MB) and Tiny Core Linux (which builds off the work from Damn Small Linux).
* '''Platform/{{Android}}''': A Linux-based OS designed for mobile devices, although it was later co-opted by set-top boxes and Smart [=TVs=]. Although it had a slow start in the late 2000s, its open nature allowed many manufacturers to build a smartphone based around it. It eventually displaced other smartphone based [=OSes=] like Blackberry OS, [=webOS=] (from Palm), Platform/{{Symbian}} OS (latterly from Nokia), and Windows Mobile. It's now the most popular smartphone OS, outpacing its immediate competitor of Apple's [=iOS=][[note]]which itself is UNIX-like, being based the same Darwin core that powers Mac OS X[[/note]] nearly 3 to 1. As for offshoots, mobile manufacturers often distribute Android with their own customisations (such as [=TouchWiz=] and [=OneUI=] from Samsung) but these are usually still authorized to call themselves Android and use the Google Play app store; exceptions include Amazon's Fire OS and certain versions of Huawei's EMUI which use their own app stores. Android has also been spun off several times, the most active spinoff at the moment is [=LineageOS=]. Android was primarily made with ARM processors in mind, but there is a fork named Android-x86 that is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, an Android system geared for x86_64 processors made by Intel and AMD with its own slew of spinoffs such as Bliss OS, Remix OS and Phoenix OS. And yes Windows recently added support for Android apps with Windows 11.
** Many modern Linux users got their start with Android, so in a way, Android is considered a GatewaySeries.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KaiOS kaiOS]]''': What Android is to smartphones, [=kaiOS=] is to keypad based, lower end feature phones. It had its roots from the defunct smartphone OS alternative Firefox OS, reworked to be light on resource usage, updated for the latest web technologies with help from Mozilla, and apps are primarily web-based despite having an app store.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Star_OS Red Star OS]]''': Red Star OS [[note]](Korean: 붉은별; MR: Pulgŭnbyŏl)[[/note]] is a UsefulNotes/{{North Korea}}n Linux distribution, with development first starting in 1998 at the Korea Computer Center (KCC). [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness While earlier versions have designs modelled after Windows XP or 7, version 3 onwards are made to look like Mac OS]]. We strongly advise against trying to obtain the OS and trying it out as the OS ostensibly contains a number of features that allows the North Korean Government to spy on you.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raspberry_Pi_OS Raspberry Pi OS]]''', previously known as Raspbian[[note]]because it was originally forked from Debian, described above[[/note]], is a customised distribution intended for use with the [[Platform/RaspberryPi Raspberry Pi family]] of compact single-board computers, and optimised to run on their hardware. As a seriously popular choice for hobbyists (it's the best selling British computer in history, surpassing the unit sales of the previous record holder, the Platform/ZXSpectrum, as of 2015) the Pi and Pi OS have become a pretty popular way to begin using Linux.
* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asahi_Linux Asahi Linux]]''': Shortly after Apple released their new M1 based computers, Linus Torvalds expressed interest in porting Linux to the new platform. However, he didn't want to take on the project himself, leading to Hector Martin to start on the project. Martin's cred includes hacking the Wii to allow for homebrew, as well as the [=PlayStation=] 3 and 4, the latter of which he installed on Linux on and ran Steam. While a build of the OS can run on Apple silicon Macs, as of 2024, the software is considered in its alpha stages.

[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Linux_Distribution_Timeline_21_10_2021.svg Wikipedia has an image]] showing a timeline of many Linux distributions and their lineage if they were branched off one from another distribution. There's also a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_Linux_distributions comparison of selected distributions]].

The first question most people ask when getting into Linux for the first time is which distribution should they go with? Typically one designed for user-friendliness such as [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu Ubuntu]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_Mint Linux Mint]] are highly recommended as they hide much of the more nuanced things you have to learn with the other types of Linux distros. Some even aim to emulate Windows or macOS to ease the learning curve in using another OS. Overall though, unless you're doing something really esoteric or novel, there's likely a Linux distribution that suits your needs.

[[CueTheFlyingPigs Amusingly]], Windows itself eventually added official support for Linux distributions and applications through the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Subsystem_for_Linux Windows Subsystem for Linux]]; the first version is UsefulNotes/{{Middleware}} like the existing open-source MSYS and Cygwin packages, but WSL 2 uses a real Linux kernel virtualized through Hyper-V, which increases performance and compatibility, especially with networking tools. [=WSLg=] allows both X11 and Wayland graphical apps to run in Windows.

Not long after the first edition of UNIX was published inside Bell Labs, Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie started work on making the system portable. In the early 1970s, this was a big deal, since almost all [=OSes=] up to that point had been written specifically for the machine they were going to run on. The idea was to write most of the kernel in a higher-level language that could be "compiled" into code for different machines, then add small bits of machine-dependent code where needed to handle things like interrupts and memory.[[note]]This follows in the footsteps of Multics, which was written in a high-level language called PL/I[[/note]] The language Dennis invented for the project was called [[UsefulNotes/TheCLanguage C]], and became extremely influential after he and Brian Kernighan published a book on it.\\\

* Sun's (now Oracle's) Solaris, a UNIX System V OS (since version 2), had much of its code freed with [=OpenSolaris=]; while this was discontinued by Oracle in favor of the original proprietary Solaris OS, the irrevocable nature of free and open-source licenses such as [=OpenSolaris=]'s Common Development and Distribution License (derived from the Mozilla Public License) allowed it's kernel to be forked into ''illumos'', while the OS itself was given a SpiritualSuccessor in the form of ''[=OpenIndiana=]'', by the late Ian Murdock of Debian fame, who grew up and went to school in Indiana.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), or even a desktop GUI at all by default. And initially there was zero hand-holding when it comes to preparing the machine for installation by default- the user is expected to understand and know how to partition the storage device prior to installation. This led it to being known as one of the harder distributions to work with. However, Arch provides the archinstall guided installer with the installation medium since 2023. This eases installation tremendously as despite being still text-based, it sets up a preliminary and usable system after asking the user a few questions. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), or even a desktop GUI at all by default. And initially there was zero hand-holding when it comes to preparing the machine for installation by default- the user is expected to understand and know how to partition the storage device prior to installation. This lead it to being known as one of the harder distributions to work with. However, Arch provides the archinstall guided installer with the installation medium since 2023. This eases installation tremendously as despite being still text-based, it sets up a preliminary and usable system after asking the user a few questions. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

UNIX was once considered unfriendly, requiring expensive licensing and large minicomputers to run; now, almost all of UNIX's source code is freely licensed.[[labelnote:much longer explanation]]BSD variants are licensed under "BSD licenses" (these generally omit clause 3, the "advertising clause", which requires attribution in advertising -- Berkeley have rescinded theirs, and such clauses prove GPL-incompatible and generally impractical). The fourth clause (third in the three-clause variant), which forbids the use of the author's name for promotional purposes, is also frequently dropped, mainly due to the fact that copyright law generally does not give users permission to use the author's name in that way to begin with. [=FreeBSD=] and [=NetBSD=] use the two-clause form for new code ([=OpenBSD=] uses the similar ISC license instead) and either form without the advertising clause is GPL-compatible.[[/labelnote]]

Sun's (now Oracle's) Solaris, a UNIX System V OS (since version 2), had much of its code freed with [=OpenSolaris=]; while this was discontinued by Oracle in favor of the original proprietary Solaris OS, the irrevocable nature of free and open-source licenses such as [=OpenSolaris=]'s Common Development and Distribution License (derived from the Mozilla Public License) allowed it's kernel to be forked into ''illumos'', while the OS itself was given a SpiritualSuccessor in the form of ''[=OpenIndiana=]'', by the late Ian Murdock of Debian fame, who grew up and went to school in Indiana.

Last but not least, the Linux kernel has been free and open-source software for quite some time, having been released under the [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GNU_General_Public_License GNU General Public License (GPL)]] since early on in its life, ever since Linus Torvalds switched from a license prohibiting non-commercial use, and GNU (the UNIX-style environment typically used with Linux) is free and open source as its principal aim.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), or even a desktop GUI at all by default. And initially there is zero hand-holding when it comes to preparing the machine for installation by default- the user is expected to understand and know how to partition the storage device prior to installation. This leads it to being one of the harder distributions to work with. However, Arch provides the archinstall guided installer with the installation medium since 2023. This eases installation tremendously as despite being still text-based, it sets up a preliminary and usable system after asking the user a few questions. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_From_Scratch Linux From Scratch]]''': More of an e-book than a Linux distro, the e-book contains instructions to build a working Linux distribution from scratch. It is very time-consuming and somewhat difficult as it assumes that the user has a basic understanding of how Linux works, and new users are advised to steer clear of it; as even straying from the formula a bit would result in failure. Likewise, it is often recommended to newbies by trolls to create frustration.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Star_OS Red Star OS]]''': Red Star OS [[note]](Korean: 붉은별; MR: Pulgŭnbyŏl)[[/note]] is a UsefulNotes/{{North Korea}}n Linux distribution, with development first starting in 1998 at the Korea Computer Center (KCC). [[EarlyInstallmentWeirdness While earlier versions have designs modelled after Windows XP or 7, version 3 onwards are made to look like Mac OS]].

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), or even a desktop GUI at all by default. And unlike other distributions, there is zero hand-holding when it comes to preparing the machine for installation- the user is expected to understand and know how to partition the storage device prior to installation. This leads it to being one of the harder distributions to work with. However, Arch provides the archinstall guided installer with the installation medium, this eases installation tremendously as despite being still text-based, it sets up a preliminary and usable system after asking the user a few questions. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arch_Linux Arch]]''': Arch's primary philosophy is to be on the cutting edge. As such, it uses a rolling release model for updates (going so far as to release monthly snapshots as installation media) and applications are distributed as compiled binaries. Arch is officially only optimized for [=x86-64=] architectures, although there is also limited community-backed support for ARM and the legacy [=x86=] architecture. In addition, Arch also holds onto the design philosophy that things are kept as simple as possible, such as having no official graphical front-end for its package distribution system (although a third party GUI front-end, tkpacman, does exist), pr even a desktop GUI at all by default. This leads it to being one of the harder distributions to work with. Notable distributions based on Arch include '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EndeavourOS Endeavour OS]]''' (based off of ''Antergos'', a former all-purpose installer distro), ''Manjaro'', ''Garuda'' (mainly centered around gamers), ''[=ArcoLinux=]'', ''Artix Linux'' (Arch-based using different init systems such as [=OpenRC=], runit, dinit and s6), ''Obarun'' (a distro that only uses the s6 init system) and recent versions of '''[=steamOS=]'''.

Furthermore, a lot of {{UsefulNotes/game engine}}s and anti-cheat systems that were previously either hard to port over to Linux, or just outright incompatible - such as Unity, Unreal Engine, Source / Source 2, [=EasyAntiCheat=] and [=BattlEye=] - are being properly supported now. This is largely due to the common practice of indie developers making Linux ports for crowdfunding backers and a (very) slow, but noteworthy, increase in Linux market share renewing interest in the platform by larger companies. The move is seen as encouraging, and many fans of Linux believe this to be finally signalling the rise of Linux as a serious competitor to Windows in the gaming arena. Several game console and computer emulators also have native Linux support, so that's a bonus.

* '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian Debian]]''': Debian's aim is to be as stable as possible, boasting smooth upgrades between major and minor versions. With stability also comes security, two things the Debian maintainers boast. Because of this, Debian has many distributions based on it, with '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu Ubuntu]]''' and its children being one of the most successful line of derivatives. Other notable distributions based on Debian include ''Devuan'' (an all-purpose distro using init systems such as OpenRC, runit and sysvinit), '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEPIS MEPIS]]''' OS spinoffs ''MX Linux'' (midweight distro using sysvinit) and ''antiX'' (a truly systemd-free distro that can run OpenRC, runit, s6 and s6-66 along with sysvinit), ''elementary OS'' (for newcomers from Apple Mac OS), ''Zorin OS'' (for newcomers from Windows), ''deepin'', ''Linux Mint'', ''[=Pop!_OS=]'' and early versions of both '''[[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solus_(operating_system) Solus]]''' and [[{{Platform/Steam}} steamOS]].