The five most popular Linux distributions

When configuring a Cloud Server, for example, the operating system must be identified and installed. Currently, the vast majority of the choice falls on Linux, due to the extensive support offered by the large Community and its flexibility.

There are numerous Linux distributions and, below, we will try to illustrate the most commonly used ones for Cloud configuration.

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Table of Contents:
What is a Linux distribution?
The five most popular Linux distributions
Debian
Ubuntu
CentOS – AlmaLinux
Arch Linux
Fedora
Linux and Cloud Servers
What is a Linux distribution?
Linux is one of the most famous and widely used operating systems, particularly because of its open source nature and because it is the first representative of so-called “free” software, distributed therefore under a license that allows its use by anyone and under any circumstances. As Linux itself points out, freesoftware guarantees the freedom to:

• run the program for any purpose
• study the program and modify it
• redistribute copies of the program
• improve the program and to publicly distribute its improvements

This operating system provides countless distributions (or “distros”), which are community-developed applications that provide a range of tools ideal for ensuring ease of use and optimization of computer resources.
Distros include the Linux Kernel, or the essential component of the operating system itself, and the utilities of the various packages that make up each distribution.

The five most popular Linux distributions
Below, we propose 5 of the most popular Linux distributions that can be run temporarily from a CD or USB stick.

Debian
Debian is one of the most famous and long-standing distributions, offering high performance and boasting the support of a large community of developers. Its code is supported and can be run by almost any hardware architecture. Introduced in 1993, this distro is appreciated by users for its stability, reliability and the vast amount of packages it provides.

Each package comes with a default configuration and the servers verify that it comes from a registered maintainer.

Debian developers, in addition to expanding the distro, are involved in Linux projects, some internal and others that include part or all of the community.

Ubuntu
One of the most popular distros is definitely Ubuntu, the most widely used distro on the desktop. Its strengths are mainly four: ease of use, security, frequent updates and customization.

Based on Debian, the enterprise server solution goes by the name of Ubuntu Server: every single element of it is programmed to integrate perfectly on the host machine. This distro is flexible in that it allows authentication from any Linux, macOS and Windows system.

CentOS – AlmaLinux
CentOS is a robust Linux operating system, ideal for enterprise servers, and provides excellent compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL). The latter, however, has announced that the distro will no longer be supported as of June 2024-meaning no more updates will be released. CentOS will be replaced by CentOS Stream 9, which is currently being used as a pilot version to test the updates that will be introduced in RHEL.

If you want to move toward a similar solution, but one that can be more reliable in the future, you can turn to AlmaLinux. It is a robust operating system, being a viable alternative to CentOS and being compatible with all RHEL software and applications.

Arch Linux
Arch Linux is among the most widely used Linux distributions, as it represents an extremely stable and lightweight distro. Compatibility with other environments is almost total and already includes useful packages for common tasks.

Among its strengths is customization, giving users complete freedom to maneuver on configuration, from the programs installed to the graphical interface to be used. Arch Linux adopts a “fast” release model (rolling-release in English), according to which the software is always updated to the latest available version.

It currently offers numerous packages, including add-ons, optimized for the x86-64 architecture, which can be supplemented with additional resources from a repository maintained by a community that is constantly growing in both size and quality.

Fedora
From a technical point of view, Fedora is a particularly up-to-date repository that is popular with those who want to approach Linux. Released in 2003, this distro is sponsored by Red Hat.

With Fedora it is very easy to complete the installation, taking advantage of the flexibility of the various packages you will always benefit from new resources. The flexibility, software and hardware support are top-notch. When it comes to security, Fedora also turns out to be one of the main promoters of SELinux, which stands for Security-Enhanced Linux; this is a feature that provides several security policies, which are found to be lacking in most Linux distributions.

Linux and Cloud Servers
As mentioned initially, those who turn to Linux have, in most cases, plans to manage a virtual infrastructure. With this in mind, Shellrent puts forward proposals that are pre-packaged or configurable according to one’s needs, with dedicated resources and maximum scalability.

All solutions can optionally be used with the Linux distributions Debian, CentOS and Ubuntu. In general, in the absence of special and specific needs, the decision can also be conducted by mere personal preference.