--- tags: - linux - l1 - flashcard-deck - linux-distros --- [Portal](../../../../library/portal/index.md) | **Level:** [L1: Foundations](../../../../library/portal/levels.md) | **Topics:** [Linux Distribution Comparison](../../../../library/portal/topics.md) | **Domain:** Linux id category difficulty tags question answer source_path linux-distros/001-rhel-family linux-distros easy distro, rhel, centos What distros make up the Red Hat family? Fedora (upstream) → RHEL (enterprise) → CentOS Stream (midstream)\nAlmaLinux and Rocky Linux are free RHEL binary-compatible rebuilds.\nAll use dnf/rpm, systemd, SELinux, and firewalld.\n\nRemember: RHEL=commercial. AlmaLinux/Rocky=free rebuilds. CentOS Stream=RHEL preview.\n\nFun fact: CentOS→Stream shift (2020) birthed AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/002-debian-family linux-distros easy distro, debian, ubuntu What distros make up the Debian family? Debian (upstream) → Ubuntu (Canonical) → Linux Mint, Pop!_OS, etc.\nAll use apt/dpkg, systemd, AppArmor.\nUbuntu uses Netplan for networking; Debian uses ifupdown or NetworkManager.\n\nRemember: Debian=stability. Ubuntu=Debian-based, 6-month releases, LTS every 2 years.\n\nFun fact: Ubuntu LTS = 5yr support (10 with Pro). Version = YY.MM. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/003-centos-stream-vs-linux linux-distros medium distro, centos How does CentOS Stream differ from the old CentOS Linux? CentOS Linux was a downstream RHEL rebuild (binary compatible). CentOS Stream is upstream of RHEL — it's the development branch where RHEL is built from. Not a drop-in RHEL replacement. Use AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux for that.\n\nRemember: RHEL=commercial. AlmaLinux/Rocky=free rebuilds. CentOS Stream=RHEL preview.\n\nFun fact: CentOS→Stream shift (2020) birthed AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/footguns.md linux-distros/004-lifecycle-comparison linux-distros medium distro, lifecycle How do Linux distro support lifecycles compare? RHEL: 10+ years (Full Support + Maintenance + ELS)\nUbuntu LTS: 5yr standard + 5yr ESM = 10yr total\nDebian Stable: ~3yr regular + ~2yr LTS + ~3yr ELTS\nSLES: 10+ years with LTSS\nFedora: ~13 months per release\nAlpine: ~2 years per release\nArch: rolling (no EOL, you maintain it)\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/005-when-rhel linux-distros medium distro, rhel, decision When should you choose RHEL over Ubuntu? Enterprise/regulated environments, vendor support contracts required, compliance (FIPS, STIG, Common Criteria), certified hardware/software, existing RHEL ecosystem. RHEL when you need support SLAs and compliance certifications.\n\nRemember: Debian=stability. Ubuntu=Debian-based, 6-month releases, LTS every 2 years.\n\nFun fact: Ubuntu LTS = 5yr support (10 with Pro). Version = YY.MM. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/006-when-ubuntu linux-distros medium distro, ubuntu, decision When should you choose Ubuntu LTS over RHEL? Cloud-native workloads (default AWS AMI), developer-friendly, strong cloud-init integration, wide third-party software support, cost-sensitive (free, or cheap ESM via Ubuntu Pro). Ubuntu when cloud-first and community support is sufficient.\n\nRemember: Debian=stability. Ubuntu=Debian-based, 6-month releases, LTS every 2 years.\n\nFun fact: Ubuntu LTS = 5yr support (10 with Pro). Version = YY.MM. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/007-alpine-musl-glibc linux-distros hard distro, alpine, musl, glibc What problems does Alpine's musl libc cause compared to glibc? Binaries compiled on glibc distros won't run on Alpine.\nPython C extensions may fail to compile or behave differently.\nDNS resolution differs (no nsswitch.conf).\nThread handling differs.\nGo with CGO has linking issues.\nLocale support is limited.\nFix: use CGO_ENABLED=0 for Go, or use Debian-slim instead.\n\nRemember: Alpine ~5MB. musl libc + BusyBox. Perfect for containers. Package: `apk`.\n\nGotcha: musl can cause glibc compatibility issues. DNS and Python packages may behave differently. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/footguns.md linux-distros/008-package-crossref linux-distros medium distro, packages How do package management commands differ across distros? Install: apt install (Debian) / dnf install (RHEL) / zypper install (SUSE) / apk add (Alpine) / pacman -S (Arch)\nUpdate index: apt update / dnf check-update / zypper refresh / apk update / pacman -Sy\nUpgrade all: apt upgrade / dnf upgrade / zypper update / apk upgrade / pacman -Su\nFile owner: dpkg -S / rpm -qf / apk info -W / pacman -Qo\n\nRemember: Debian=apt(.deb), RHEL=dnf(.rpm), Alpine=apk, Arch=pacman. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/009-log-locations linux-distros easy distro, logging How do system log locations differ between Debian and RHEL? Debian/Ubuntu: /var/log/syslog (general), /var/log/auth.log (auth)\nRHEL/Fedora: /var/log/messages (general), /var/log/secure (auth)\nBoth: journalctl for systemd journal, /var/log/kern.log for kernel.\n\nRemember: Debian=stability. Ubuntu=Debian-based, 6-month releases, LTS every 2 years.\n\nFun fact: Ubuntu LTS = 5yr support (10 with Pro). Version = YY.MM. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/street_ops.md linux-distros/010-networking-stack linux-distros medium distro, networking How do networking stacks differ across Linux distros? RHEL/Fedora: NetworkManager (nmcli), /etc/NetworkManager/\nUbuntu: Netplan → NetworkManager or systemd-networkd, /etc/netplan/\nDebian: ifupdown or NM, /etc/network/interfaces\nSUSE: wicked or NM, /etc/sysconfig/network/\nFirewall: RHEL=firewalld, Ubuntu=ufw, Debian=raw nftables\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/011-mac-comparison linux-distros hard distro, selinux, apparmor, security How do SELinux and AppArmor compare? SELinux (RHEL): label-based, covers ALL processes, steeper learning curve, stronger coverage, semanage/restorecon/setsebool.\nAppArmor (Debian/Ubuntu/SUSE): path-based, only covers profiled binaries, simpler, per-profile enforcement, aa-enforce/aa-complain.\nKey difference: unconfined AppArmor processes have zero MAC protection.\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/012-mixed-fleet-ansible linux-distros hard distro, ansible, automation How do you handle mixed-distro fleets in Ansible? Use ansible_os_family fact for conditionals:\nwhen: ansible_os_family == "Debian" or "RedHat"\nUse ansible.builtin.package (generic) instead of apt/dnf.\nUse variables for package names (httpd vs apache2).\nBest practice: standardize on ONE distro per environment role.\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/013-rolling-vs-fixed linux-distros easy distro, release-model What is the difference between rolling release and fixed release distros? Fixed release (Debian, Ubuntu LTS, RHEL): major version with backported security fixes, predictable, stable. Upgrade between versions.\nRolling release (Arch, Tumbleweed, Fedora Rawhide): continuous updates, always latest packages, occasional breakage.\nRule: fixed for production servers, rolling for development/workstations.\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/014-provisioning-tools linux-distros medium distro, provisioning What automated provisioning tools do different distro families use? RHEL: Kickstart (.ks files)\nDebian: Preseed (debconf key=value)\nSUSE: AutoYaST (XML profiles)\nUniversal: cloud-init (YAML, works on all cloud distros)\nFedora CoreOS: Ignition (JSON)\n\nNote: Packer is an image-building tool (not distro-specific) that can target any distro.\n\nRemember: Distro families: Debian(Ubuntu), Red Hat(RHEL,Fedora), SUSE, Arch, Alpine. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/primer.md linux-distros/015-package-name-diffs linux-distros medium distro, packages What are common package name differences between Debian and RHEL? Apache: apache2 (Debian) vs httpd (RHEL)\nDev tools: build-essential (Debian) vs @"Development Tools" (RHEL)\nVim: vim (Debian) vs vim-enhanced (RHEL)\nMySQL client: mysql-client vs mysql\nApache enable: a2ensite (Debian) vs symlink in conf.d/ (RHEL)\nConfig dir: sites-available/ (Debian) vs conf.d/ (RHEL)\n\nRemember: Debian=stability. Ubuntu=Debian-based, 6-month releases, LTS every 2 years.\n\nFun fact: Ubuntu LTS = 5yr support (10 with Pro). Version = YY.MM. training/library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/street_ops.md --- ## Wiki Navigation ### Related Content - [Linux Distribution Comparison](../../../../library/topics/linux-distro-comparison/index.md) (Topic Pack, L1) — Linux Distribution Comparison