New Linux User

Explain: What is a Debian System, or a Red Hat System?

by Jon on January 25th, 2006

Arguably, the biggest difference between various GNU/Linux distributions is the package management system. Since I’ve been in the GNU/Linux world for so long, I’m comfortable with phrases like that’s a Debian system or such and such is an RPM system, but there’s likely more than a few of you out there that don’t really know what I’m talking about.

The package manager is the application you use to install, remove, and otherwise manage the applications on your system. Each package manager only knows how to handle a certain type of package. RPM systems generally use yum and rpm, which know how to handle .rpm packages, and Debian systems generally use apt-get and dpkg, which know how to handle .deb packages. You may use a GUI such as Synaptic to manage your applications, but that GUI still backs on to the applicable command-line package manager.

I don’t know how historically accurate this is, but here’s how I think of it. Back in the day there were only a few different types of GNU/Linux distros (well, there must have been only one and one point, but I don’t know what package management system it used). I’m speaking of a time when there was Debian, Red Hat, and Slackware systems. As time progressed more authors became interested in GNU/Linux and modified these seminal distros. They made choices about which package management system they preferred and built new or modified distros on top of their preferred system.

The degree to which each author changed their starter distro varies, but in general the one thing that they left alone was the package management system. This is why we now have hundreds of different distros, but they all pretty much use one of the big three package management systems.

Wikipedia has a great page on the various different types of package management systems and what distros fall into what category. The Wikipedia page is also a great place to get a sense of how many package management systems are actually out there above and beyond the three I talk about here.

Wikipedia’s Linux Distribution list page.

Here’s a quick list of the more common distros and where they fit it, but there’s LOTS more on the Wikipedia page.

Debian-based

Debian GNU/Linux
Gnoppix
Kanotix
Knoppix
Linspire
K/Ubuntu Linux

RPM-based

Ark Linux
CentOS
Fedora Core
PCLinuxOS
Red Hat
Yellow Dog

Slackware-based

DARKSTAR
Frugalware
Slackware
SLAX
Vector Linux

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