Frequently Asked Questions

Linux is technically the Linux kernel (www.kernel.org). But the term has come to contain what technically is GNU/Linux, or GNU programs (www.gnu.org) running on the Linux kernel, which is a complete Unix-like system.

GNU/Linux is a collection of open-source software that is a complete operating system for your computer (similar to Microsoft Windows or Apple's Mac OS X). With it, you can browse the internet, compose & access e-mail, create office documents and spreadsheets, and perform thousands of thousands of other tasks possible with a computer that has a capable operating system & software.

A distribution is a collection of software that can be installed on a system to give you a fully functional operating system. A distro (shorthand name for distribution) typically contains 3 distinct aspects: The Linux kernel, GNU and other open-source packages, and an installation/package manager to help you setup/configure/maintain your system. Some are focused on specific uses, while others are more general. Some focus on ease of use, others focus on technical prowess. Finding the one that meets your needs & works well for you does require some research, whether by reading reviews, talking to friends & associates, or actually looking at different distributions. Here at LinuxCollections.com, we group different distributions by category, and give you a quick and easy way to obtain several distributions for your review.

The number of Linux distributions has continued to grow every year since the first distributions in the early 1990's. Each has its own flavor, characteristics, and capabilities. Just as different people like different cars, finding the distribution that meets your needs and excites your imagination means looking at, running, and playing around with different ones. By packaging distinct distributions together, we give you an easy way to obtain the discs required to install and review these various distributions.

Primarily, this is the processor (or processor family) the particular distribution is compiled for, which defines what type of machine it can run on. Most PCs are considered x86-32 bit, or Intel 386, 486, Pentium compatible. Because of the different processors, the generic term "x86" is used for this family of processors. Note that a 386 distro will run on a Pentium (or generically called 586) platform, but not vice versa (since there may be new processor instructions that the 386 is unable to perform). PPC is used for PowerPC, which most Macs are based on. With 64-bit processors being offered by AMD and Intel, you may need to identify which manufacturer's chips are supported. An important aspect of open source software is that the actual source code is readily available. This means any architecture specific issues can be easily addressed, and it is typical to find the same software available for many architectures (i.e. the architecture is defined by the processor (e.g. 386 or Pentium), or simply, the "platform"). (Note: This flexibility is why Linux & other open source projects are adopted on so many different architectures and processors). However powerful the source code is, software really shines when it is running. The act of converting source code to running programs is called compiling, and the compiler is processor specific. All distributions are compiled and ready to run, but you need the correct version compiled for your particular machine. So be sure that the platform shown matches the target machine where you wish to install these distributions.

Convenience. Why do people pay for a car wash, when they can do it themselves? Why do people eat in restaurants, rather than make exactly what they want to eat at home? Most people value their time, and while downloading a single distribution may be acceptable for someone who already pays for a high-speed internet connection, downloading 3, 4 or 5 distributions, burning CDs or DVDs, and THEN installing & reviewing them is quite a time investment. Surely it is a whole lot easier to have all those ready-to-go CDs / DVDs arrive at your doorstep in a handy LinuxCollections.com case? Our customers sure think so!

There are many reasons - here are a few: Some people don't have high-speed internet connections. Some people don't have CD (or DVD) burners. Some people want their shipment tracked. Some people like the convenience of getting these different distributions from one place. Some people value their time, want to review multiple distributions, and want these delivered directly to them. Some want professionally duplicated discs. Some need quantities that preclude doing it themselves. Some like our free CD case! The list goes on…

All downloads are verified, produced on professional-quality industry-standard duplicators, checked, and packed with your satisfaction in mind.

We are not charging anything for the software contained on the discs. We are charging for the media and the labor required to burn, test, assemble, package, and ship your distribution set.

There is a long answer and a short answer to this question. We will have to skip the long answer, but the short answer is that this is a collection of the works of thousands and thousands of individuals stretching back over 2 decades. Software is unique in that once written, debugged, and tested, it can be duplicated essentially for free. But software also needs hardware to run on, so there is an implicit assumption that you have a computer that you have (or someone else has) paid for. So the dynamics of these distributions and the development of free software fall into these general categories:

• Developers that are employed by hardware and other computer companies (promoting free software may boost the bottom line by selling more hardware, more books, or more services)
• Developers that use the free software and have assisted both in small and large ways for free (as a kind of payment for the original free software)
• Individuals who ran into a problem, solved it, and gave back to the community by providing the update (as a thank you / payment for the free software / being part of an actual community)
• Developers that simply like to code or customize their actual computing experience (and are only too glad to provide the resultant software to others)
• Those that feel that freedom and the ability to freely exchange software is important ("Free, as in Freedom")

For further details on free software, check out these links: GNU Project at www.gnu.org, Free Software Foundation at www.fsf.org
Finally, note that none of this would be possible (or relevant) without computers and data communications (e.g. the Internet), and these industries are alive and well.