KRUD

Kevin Fenzi is the co-author of The Linux Security HOWTO and creator of Kevin’s Red Hat Über Distribution (KRUD). KRUD is based on Red Hat 7.0, which includes the most up-to-date security and application errata. This distribution was created to make it easy for users to keep up on all the latest errata and package updates every month, and to make a Linux system more secure after the initial install. KRUD uses several specialized tools to determine the necessary updates, and then updates all packages on a system, including the dependencies. Because the KRUD distribution is based on Red Hat Linux, it has all the features of Red Hat Linux, plus the added benefit of the latest security and application errata from Kevin Fenzi. This distribution is available as a monthly subscription and is beneficial to users who want to keep their systems very up-to-date. The drawback of KRUD may be the fact that users must rely on someone else to provide security for their systems. This can be a false sense of security, because every system has a different level of risk that should be assessed on an individual basis. Furthermore, even though you may have the latest package updates, you are not ensured the proper configuration of the package for your individual machine. KRUD has various purchasing options and is available yearly for $65 from www.tummy.com/krud/.

LinuxPPC

LinuxPPC is a distribution dedicated to the PowerPC platform. LinuxPPC supports the Gnome desktop, and provides support for USB. This distribution also provides the PowerPC chip the ability to run Linux and introduce Mac users to Linux.

Although it is dedicated to supporting the PowerPC platform, this distribution is not the only one that supports PowerPC, and more recognized distributions are supporting this platform. Because of this support by other Linux vendors, LinuxPPC is often less desirable to the end user. The LinuxPPC distribution also lacks some of the better support of its commercial competitors. LinuxPPC is available at http://linuxppc.org/.

Mandrake

Mandrake is a distribution that is based on the Red Hat distribution. Many users believe that Mandrake Linux is actually just Red Hat with some enhancements, but it has evolved well beyond that. Mandrake includes several enhancements to the Linux configuration, such as DrakX, a graphical installer, and Mandrake Control Center, which is used to easily perform most system tasks. These tools make it much easier to configure hardware and software for Linux. This is an important innovation because it helps Linux to move to the non-technical user’s desktop. Mandrake also includes an extensive collection of windows managers and the latest KDE, Gnome, and kernel. Mandrake Linux strives to be easy to configure out of the box and to make more difficult tasks, such as 3-D acceleration, easier on the user. These enhancements to the Mandrake Linux distributions have influenced many

36 Part I Linux Basics

other Linux distributions to be more user-friendly. The Mandrake Linux Internet site at www.linux-mandrake.com provides excellent support with online documentation, user groups, and e-mail support. The disadvantages of Mandrake Linux are that it is limited to the x86 platform and support is not as good as some other commercial distributions.

Phat Linux

Phat Linux is a distribution that has been specially made to run on a Windows computer without the need of partitioning a hard drive to support a separate Linux partition. It includes a very easy, Windows-based installation program, and can be installed on computers running Windows 95 and 98. Phat Linux comes bundled with most of the typical Linux applications and services such as X windows, Gnome, KDE, Apache web server, FTP server, and other popular utilities. The disadvantages of Phat Linux, is that it has to be run from DOS mode on the Windows computer. Phat Linux is geared towards new Linux users who would like to try out Linux, without having to rearrange their hard drive to accommodate it.

Red Hat

Red Hat is one of the most popular Linux distributions currently available. Red Hat is the creator of the RPM (Red Hat Package Manager) system that is now available for use in most distributions of Linux. Red Hat supports the latest kernels and adds a number to the kernel version number to indicate the patch that has been applied; for example, the number 2.2.18-10 indicates that the Red Hat patch 10 has been applied to the kernel.

Red Hat has formed alliances with many companies, including IBM, Sun Microsystems, Oracle, in order to create and maintain software support.

Red Hat has an ever-expanding distributions base that includes support for Alpha, ARM, Intel, m68k, SGI, and Sparc hardware platforms. All of these distributions are available from several FTP sites and from Red Hat’s own FTP server. The Red Hat distribution also supports an extensive online set of documentation, including FAQs, a Getting Started Guide, HOW-TO, Installation Guide, Red Hat’s Hardware Compatibility List, and Tips for Linux, which are all freely available under the GNU GPL.

Red Hat’s business model is to sell superior support. Although Linux is free and the Red Hat distribution is also free, many users purchase support packages from Red Hat. The support ranges from installation and configuration to Enterprise support for e-commerce and database operations. Red Hat has also created a widely accepted (yet difficult) certification of The Red Hat Certified Engineer. All of these features have led Red Hat to become one of the most popular distributions. Red Hat is available at www.redhat.com/.

Slackware

Slackware, which was created by Patrick Volkerding, is considered to be an expert distribution of Linux. Since its first release in April of 1993, Slackware has strived to remain as UNIX-compliant as possible. Therefore, it is sometimes considered to be more difficult to use than other Linux distributions. Slackware supports the Alpha, Intel, and Sparc platforms and includes most of the same desktops and software packages as other Linux distributions. Because it is UNIX-compliant, Slackware is an excellent distribution for a user who prefers a standard Unix environment. Slackware is much more user-friendly than its reputation would seem to indicate, but many users remain hesitant to try it. Slackware is available from www. slackware.com/.

StormLinux

StormLinux, by Stormix, has created enhancements and applications for Linux by using the Debian GNU/Linux distribution. One of these enhancements is the Storm Administration System (SAS), which allows you to easily manage tasks, such as network set-up and managing user profiles. The Storm Package Manager allows you to easily manage files by installing, updating, and deleting them in order to provide a clean, updated, and secure system. StormLinux provides many more customized tools to improve upon the Debian distribution. StormLinux is also not as current as other Linux distributions, but is available as StormLinux Open Edition for download from www.stormix.com/.

SuSE

SuSE is distributed by a German company and is very popular in Europe. It is one of the fastest growing distributions worldwide and has been ported to most languages. SuSE’s unique expertise in Linux and its global development team are dedicated to Open Source software and have contributed to the recognition of SuSE as one of the best and most complete Linux distributions. SuSE has made substantial contributions to major Linux projects, including kernel development, XFree86, ALSA (Advanced Linux Sound Architecture), and USB support for Linux, among others. It uses the Yast or Yast2 installer, which provides an easy installation process. The SuSE professional distribution comes with many CDs that include software packages, such as Star Office, WordPerfect, and Koffice, and many commercial products. The SuSE Personal supplies everything that home and small business users would expect in a desktop system. SuSE also supports a wide range of serverspecific distributions, including Database Server with DB2, Groupware Server with Lotus Domino R5, and eMail Server II. SuSE provides excellent support via an extensive online set of documentation, which includes FAQs, support documents, and a Hardware Compatibility List. SuSE Linux does not, however, provide the level of free support that is provided by some of its direct competitors. SuSE supports Alpha, IBM’s eServer iSeries (the successor to AS/400), IBM S/390, Intel, PowerPC, and Sparc, and is available from www.suse.com/.