The first step is to decide what you will use Linux for.
Before installing the system on HDD you can try to run it in an emulator (virtualbox, qemu or any other) or write it to an optical disk/usb flash drive and boot from cd/dvd-rom/usb.
Learn to read and write in English
However, several people with non-English native languages urged me to mention that English is the working language of hacker culture and the Internet, and that you need to know that this is the functional link to the hacker community. Then I was told that English has a richer technical vocabulary than any other language and therefore it is simply best tool for work. For this reason, translations of English-language technical books are often unsatisfactory.
Linus Torvalds, originally from Finland, comments his code in English. It's nice to lead by example. But to be a carrier in English does not guarantee that you have good language skills to be a hacker. If your writing doesn't show signs of intelligence, isn't grammatically correct, or is full of typing, hackers will ignore you. Although careless writing does not necessarily mean careless thinking, there is usually a relatively strong connection between the two.
There are a lot of articles on the Internet, the authors of which praise various distributions and advise installing only them. But don't rush. Try several pieces and choose what you like best.
If you are a beginner and have never dealt with Linux, then it makes sense to install the distribution kit that a familiar Linux user has.
And we're not interested in the bad guys here. If you haven't been able to write a level yet, study it. Like any other culture without a monetary economy, hacking is driven by reputation. You're trying to solve interesting problems, but how interesting are they and if your solution is really good, it's something that usually only your engineering supervisor or someone above your level can solve.
So if you play this hacker game, you will learn that your score primarily depends on what your other hackers think of your skills. This fact is replete with hacking as a solitary job, as well as the taboo hacker culture - recognizing that you also involve ego or the evaluation of your work in your environment.
Now I will try to go over the most popular distributions and describe the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Time-tested, old-school pieces
Knoppix
Debian
Very good and convenient distribution. Suitable for both server and desktop. Huge development team, many packages available. Debian has a very convenient APT package management system and is quite flexible in configuration. When accessing the Internet, you can choose one of five branches in the main directory tree - "oldstable" (previous stable), "stable" (stable), "testing" (testing), "unstable" (unstable, also known as "sid" ) and "experimental", which is not a full-fledged branch - it contains packages that require careful testing or that will entail major changes in the distribution.
Among the shortcomings, it can be noted that the stable version does not contain the newest versions of programs (who would have thought?).
http://www.debian.org/ - official website.
In particular, hacking anthropologists call gift culture. Your status and reputation do not benefit from dominating other people, nor from beauty or owning things that others want, but from you. Invest your time and creativity and offer the results of your skills.
Basically, there are five activities you can do to gain respect from other hackers. Let me give a little historical comment. Although hackers have always looked for open source software developers source code As the core of their entire community, most hackers wrote code in the first half of the year. Today the “hacker community” and “ open developers software" are two descriptions of the same culture and population. But it's important to remember that this is not always the case.
Gentoo
Source-based distribution. The distribution has a convenient package and dependency management system, which cannot be said about binary distributions.
One of the disadvantages is the tedious process of compiling large packages and the non-zero probability of a system breakdown after the next update with insufficient knowledge of this system.
Another drawback is the need to connect to the Internet to download updates (I think this can be neglected these days).
Help test and debug software
Hackers also respect those who help debug open source software. In this imperfect world, we inevitably spend most of our programming time in the laundry phase. So any open source software developer who thinks a little will tell you that good beta testers are balanced with gold. Even one of these testers can make an optional phase, which is just a useful inconvenience, out of a long and grueling nightmare.
The advantages are a huge amount of documentation, latest versions software, good hardware support, incredible flexibility in configuration.
I recommend this distribution as a home distribution, provided that your hardware is not very weak. Also used on servers or as a distribution for embedded systems (thanks to the customization flexibility I mentioned above). In the case of low-power hardware, packages are compiled (cross-compiled) on the host system and then simply installed on the target system.
If you are new, try to find a program in the development you are interested in and be a good beta tester. Gaining experience will naturally move you from the testing phase to a phase where you can debug or even change your code. You will learn so much and you will also gain a good reputation for people who will then help you again.
Post useful information
Another good thing is to collect and sort useful and interesting information, collect them on web pages or in a "Frequently Asked Questions List" document, and make them available to others. The creators of major technical lists are respected almost as much as the authors of open source software.
Slackware
The oldest distribution that has survived to this day, the choice of Russian physicists (meme from lore). Its main differences are the complete absence of any unnecessary embellishments and graphical settings, a simple text installer. All settings are made by editing text configuration files. This is one of those distributions that has maintained a strict adherence to UNIX principles. Try it if you're not afraid command line and prefer manual editing of configs to graphical utilities.
Help preserve your infrastructure
Hacker culture is based on volunteerism. There is a lot of necessary but not very sexy work that needs to be done to make it work. People who do these things get a lot of respect because everyone knows that these jobs are huge time jumps and not as fun as playing with code. Their exercise shows your dedication.
Promote hacker culture
After all, you can also promote hacker culture. There's nothing worth trying unless you've been doing it for a long time and are well-versed in one of the four reasons above. Hacker culture does not have a leader in this sense, but does have cultural heroes, tribal elders, historians and speakers. If you are part of this culture longer, you can become one of them. But be careful: hackers don't trust tribal elders with attractive egos, so obviously pursuing this kind of fame can be dangerous.
For a long time it was only available for x86 architecture, but now a version is available for x86_64
http://www.slackware.com/ - official website.Arch Linux
Lightweight, simple and flexible distribution. Optimized for i686 and x64, using the latest stable versions packages.
This is a binary distribution, but it is possible to build packages from sources.
Instead of doing this, it's better to calm down and let him fall into your lap. And if this happens, be humble and polite about your position. Contrary to the common myth about hackers, you don't have to be a nerd to become a hacker. However, this attitude will help, and in fact, many hackers are nerds. Being on the edge of the company will help you focus on the things that really matter, like thinking and hacking.
For this reason, many hackers have appropriated the geek designation as a badge of pride. This is a way to demonstrate your independence from normal social expectations. In this sense, the designation "nerd" was used in those years when the name "nerd" was a little slanderous, and "geek" already meant a somewhat harsher insult.
Very similar to Slackware, but has much more powerful system package management (pacman) and is more liberal towards new package versions.
Among the disadvantages: the number of packages is smaller than in Debian and Gentu, the lack of such powerful configuration tools as, for example, YaST in Suse.
As an advantage, you can add a more relaxed attitude towards non-free packages than, for example, in Debian.
If you can concentrate on hacking so that you are good and have a normal life, then everything is fine. The average person is now much more friendly towards tech enthusiasts. All larger number people even realize that hackers often make very good lovers and spouses. If you're interested in hacking because you don't have a full life, that's okay - at least you won't have problems concentrating. And maybe your life will improve.
Again, if you want to be a hacker, you must adopt a hacker mindset. There are a few things you can do to help with this mindset, and you can do it when you're not sitting at your computer. They don't replace hacking, but many hackers do it and feel a simple connection to the nature of hacking.
This is a general purpose distribution. Successfully used on both workstations and servers. But, like any other distribution, you need to get used to it.
Red-Hat/CentOS
A well-tested distribution that is more suitable for a server than a desktop.
CentOS is different from Red Hat only lack of support.
While it's a common stereotype to think that programmers can't write, a surprising number of hackers can write to a very good level. This kind of self-control required for martial arts is fundamentally similar to what hackers think. Asian sword arts have their fans too. In places where it is legal, pistol shooting is also popular. The hackest martial arts are those that emphasize the idea of self-discipline, relaxed receptivity and control rather than pure strength, agility or physical endurance. Take meditation. An all-time favorite among types of meditation is Zen. Other types of meditation can also be helpful, but choose carefully who doesn't ask you to believe crazy things. Stimulate your sensitive ears for music. Be able to appreciate certain types of music. Learn to sing or play a musical instrument. Learn to appreciate puns.
- Learn to write in your native language.
- Read science fiction.
- Visit the collection of science fiction supporters.
- Martial Arts Train.
More popular
Ubuntu Linux
Probably the most popular Linux distribution in existence. Ubuntu is based on Debian Sid (unstable branch), but with more modern packages, including the latest version of GNOME.
One of the most interesting features is the fact that the "root" account is disabled by default; The first registered user after installation receives superuser rights using the "sudo" command.
Pros: large community of developers and users, fixed release schedule and support period, user friendliness in the form of additional graphical customization tools, excellent work out of the box.
Cons: often unstable versions of software are used in stable releases of the distribution. Also disliked by some experienced users due to its obvious focus on housewives.
Why the list is just these things is not entirely clear. But they have one common feature- they connect the left and right hemispheres of the brain, which seems to be an important function. Hackers must be able to think logically, so look at a problem beyond its obvious logic.
Enjoy the same amount of free time as work. True hackers know no boundaries between the concepts of "leisure", "work", "science" and "art", and collectively call it a very creative playfulness. Don't be too comfortable with the limited range of your abilities. Although most hackers are called programmers, they usually have several related fields, such as systems administration, web design, or computer equipment. On the other hand, a hacker who acts as System Administrator, can usually also write scripts and create websites.
OpenSuse
Advantages: Professional attention to detail, easy to use YAST installation and configuration system.
Disadvantages: Like other distros developed in the US, media support out of the box is limited.
Fedora
The distribution was formed as a Red Hat-sponsored and community-oriented distribution. It contains the newest versions of packages. And since a significant part of the Linux world’s technologies is born in the depths of RedHat, the first thing they naturally end up in is Fedora.
If they decide to do something, they try to be very good in the area. And finally, a few things you don't do. Don't label yourself as a "cyberpunk" and don't waste your time on anyone labeled as such. Don't write messages or emails, filled with typing errors and grammatical errors. Don't use silly or overly extravagant nicknames. . The only reputation you will face is that others will consider you stupid. Others may forget about your mistakes at that time and accept you.
Pros: extremely innovative, latest software versions, good localization.
Cons: Unstable versions of the software result in a number of bugs (redhat testbed).
ALT Linux
This distribution is developed in Russia and is traditionally considered to be focused on excellent support for the Russian language. In addition, it has FSTEC certificate, if it's important to anyone.
The problem with nicknames deserves special attention. Hackers don't do this - they are proud of what they do and want their work to be associated with their real name. So if you are hiding your identity, stop it. In a hacker culture you will simply be a poor person. History of open and free software.
If you are not interested in this section, you can go directly to or. There had been attempts to change the situation here before, but their impact was almost negligible and affected only groups of true followers, which were few among the hackers, let alone the world.
The server versions of the distribution place great emphasis on the security of network services. Pros: excellent Russian language support, good community support.
Cons: Not always the latest software.
Other
Solaris
A distribution developed in the depths of the company sun microsystems http://www.sun.com/, which gave the world such free products as mysql, virtualbox, java. In 2010, Oracle bought Sun and “went its own way.”
Along with the name there were many requirements. Unfortunately, the "Free Software" sticker added a lot of ideological ballast that the rest of the hacker community never accepted. As a result, "free software" was strongly rejected by the vast majority of the hacker community and was used with serious reservations by others.
Despite all these reservations, Stallman's demand was to celebrate and lead the hacker community in the name of free software, generally accepted until the middle of the year. Torvalds continued to use the term "free software" due to the lack of an appropriate alternation, but publicly rejected all ideology associated with it. Many young hackers followed this pattern. However, the term "open source" still didn't exist until earlier this year.
Better suited for desktop opensolaris - open version (the project was closed).
Advantages include zfs, dtrace, good hardware support, convenient service management (Solaris SMF) and volume management (Solaris Volume Manager)
*BSD Family
Exotic
These operating systems are used mostly for educational purposes or as a hobby.
Plan9
An operating system developed by Bell Labs to overcome fundamental design flaws in UNIX. All resources are represented as files and are available in a hierarchical file system.
xLFS
Allows you to build your Linux distribution step by step from the very beginning. After installing it, you can really say that you know how Linux works.
Ingoda, it’s just useful to read the instructions for assembling LFS, for general development.
conclusions
This is far from full list Linux distributions. Detailed description each distribution can be found on the website http://distrowatch.com/ or even on Wikipedia
But you should still choose a distribution based on personal preferences, and not based on its rating on some site or popularity.
And the most beautiful Linux distributions. Now it's time to touch on the best Russian Linux distributions. Distributions developed in Russia, or at least by Russian developers. In fact, the situation with Russian distributions is not so bad. There are several companies developing Linux, very well and even with government support. Many Russian distributions have gained worldwide fame.
We will look at all this in today’s article. Let's start with the most popular and new distributions, and gradually move down to the lesser known ones. But all the options presented here are truly the best Russian Linux distributions and deserve your attention.
The ROSA Linux distribution is being developed by the Russian company STC IT ROSA or Scientific and Technical Center information technologies“Russian operating systems”, development began in 2007 and until today quite a lot of improvements have been developed.
The distribution was initially based on Mandriva, the desktop version and the server version were based on Red Hat. But after Mandriva was closed, the OpenMandriva project was based specifically on Rosa Linux.
It is an easy to use and install system that provides most of what you need to the average user software out of the box. All necessary media codecs are also supplied with the distribution.
The system interface and window design are somewhat similar to the Windows style, and this will help new users get used to the system better. KDE is used as the desktop shell.
In addition, the Rosa developers make many improvements and fixes to most of the packages they ship.
2. Calculate Linux
Calculate Linux is developed by Alexander Tratsevsky from Russia. This Russian Linux distribution is based on Gentoo and includes all its advantages, as well as a large number additional features and graphical installer. Development of the project began back in 2007.
Calculate is especially good for business environments. It's optimized for quick deployment—you can set up a configuration on one computer and use it on all others. User under his account can use the system independently of the computer. Latest version Calculate - 15.12. This version added the ability to create LiveUSB, added support for the open source AMDGPU driver, and many other improvements.
3. ZorinOS
The ZorinOS operating system was developed by a native of Russia, Artem Zorin, who this moment is located in Ireland. This is another enterprise-class distribution that is very similar to Windows. And I must say that it is quite popular, another proof that Russian Linux distributions are popular not only in Russia.
ZorinOS is based on Ubuntu and uses the Gnome 3 desktop environment and its own Zorin DE shell for the user interface. The latest stable release, ZorinOS 9, is based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and the most recent, ZorinOS 11, is based on Ubuntu 15.10. A feature of ZorinOS is own themes design similar to both Windows XP and 7, as well as a theme management utility that allows you to customize appearance desktop.
At the moment, ZorinOS comes in two main versions - stable 9, and the newest 11. Both versions have Core, Lite, Business and Ultimate editions. The first two editions are free, and the last two are available for 8.99 and 9.99 respectively.
4. Runtu
This Russian Linux distribution was probably the first Linux distribution for many Russians. It is based on Ubuntu and offers improved Russian localization. The development of the project began back in 2007. Then Alexey Chernomorenko and Alexander Becher prepared a special build of Ubuntu for a report at a scientific conference on open source software: Ubuntu Full Power Linux. Subsequently, this assembly gained popularity among users and in the field of education and was renamed Runtu.
The main goal of this distribution is to provide beginners with a perfectly localized and simple system with all the necessary software out of the box. In addition, there is also its own software, for example, the Runtu Assistant utility, which will help new users better configure the system.
The last release of Runtu took place in March 2015. The software has been updated, 64-bit support has been added and some fixes have been made.
5. AstraLinux
The Astra Linux distribution is being developed by NPO RusBITech for military purposes, law enforcement agencies and the FSB. The distribution focuses on data protection and is used in various government agencies. The distribution kit is supplied in two editions: Special Edition and Common Edition. The general edition is intended for enterprises, the special edition for special services.
A lot of proprietary software comes with the system. All applications developed by the distribution's authors have the prefix fly. This is fly-fm - file manager, Fly panel, fly-admin-wicd - manager network connections, fly-update-notifier - update widget, Fly terminal, fly-videocamera, fly-record - sound recording, fly-cddvdburner, fly-ocr - text recognition, etc. By the way, it is important to note that the fly file manager is very similar to Windows Explorer.
The latest release, at the time of writing, took place on March 17, 2016, and this is Astra Linux version 1.11.
6.ALT Linux
ALT Linux is developed by the Russian company of the same name: Alt Linux. And again operating system designed for the business sector. By default, all the necessary software for office work, graphics, audio processing, video processing and programming is supplied.
During installation, you can select the components of the distribution that need to be installed, and thus shape the functionality of the distribution.
By default, the Russian Linux distribution uses the KDE 4 desktop environment. Minimal system requirements 768 megabytes random access memory, as well as a video card with support for 3D acceleration. The newest version of Alt Linux at the moment is 7.0.5, which was released at the beginning of 2015.
7.AgiliaLinux
Another Russian Linux distribution. Formerly known as MOPS Linux. Initially based on Slackware Linux. It combines beauty and speed. Unlike MOSP, the installer has been completely redesigned and the number of applications supplied by default has been increased. The release frequency is once every three months. The main purpose of the distribution is new users.
conclusions
In this article we looked at the best Russian Linux distributions, of course, not all are presented here, many were closed or had not been updated for a long time, which is why they are not in the article. You can also note several small solutions, such as PuppyRus, or MSVS OS. If I missed something important, write in the comments!
