Need information on different Linux Distribution

[Elbanco]

Hi,
I am looking for an overview of an Linux Based operating system. First of all I want to know what does a free software means. I had seen the same on Linux site. It says that it is free for use. And does MAC is also a software somewhat similar to Linux. So this must also be open source. Why it is commercial. What are more linux distributions available right now. Thanks in advance.

[Devasis]

Mac OS and Linux are both based on Unix, the ancestor of operating systems, while Windows is a separate subject and is derived from MS-DOS. Linux programs do not all the same as Unix source code (it was also the owner, so private). They have been completely rewritten but work the same way. Linux is an operating system very rich, you will see. You can find many different software and there are hundreds of ways to install it.

[Solomon]

To make life easier for users and allow them to make a choice, we created different distributions of Linux. It is a concept that does not really exist in Windows. It's like the difference between Windows XP Home and Windows XP Professional, but it goes much further than that. The installation (it can be very simplified as very complicated). The facility management programs. If it is done centrally and it may make installing new software easier than under Windows as we shall see! and the pre-installed programs on the computer (eg Windows comes with Internet Explorer and Windows Media Player)

[MrChris-]

There are many different Linux distributions. Hard to make a choice you will say: Indeed, when we arrived the first time we do not really know which to choose ... mostly all are free! Do not worry, I'll help you make your choice I'm not going to list all distributions that exist, but here at least the main. They are Slackware which is one of the oldest Linux distributions. then comes Mandriva,
Red Hat this distribution is known and widespread, especially on servers. SuSE and Debian.

[Calvin K]

A free program is a program which can have the source code, that is to say the recipe for manufacturing. Instead, Windows is a proprietary OS whose source code is jealously guarded by Microsoft. Debain is the only distribution that is managed by independent developers rather than a business. This is one of the most popular distributions. Ubuntu is the best example for this.

[Lillebror]

A free program is mostly a free program. But it is also a program that has the right to copy, modify, redistribute. It is a real ideology computer: these people think it is better to give the source code of the programs that we do because it allows the sharing of knowledge and it helps the computer to move faster.