Linux is one of the most popular and widely used operating systems in the world. Linux is used to power almost everything - from phones and tablets to home appliances, servers on the internet, and even supercomputers.
Linux was developed in the 1990s and has been around ever since. It was a free and open-source alternative to the UNIX operating system that dominated the industry before Linux. However, since UNIX was not open-source or free, it fell out of popularity once Linux was available to the world.
Linux comes in many “flavors”. These different flavors of Linux are referred to as distributions (distros for short).
Each of the distributions comes with the Linux Kernel accompanied by a package management system.
Package managers maintain a database of the packages installed on the system. They keep a record of the version number, hashes, and dependencies related to the installed software to prevent mismatches and missing dependencies.
As of now, Linux has hundreds of distros, each catering to a different user base. Some of the most popular distros are:
Here, we are going to explore SUSE Linux, one of the most widely used Linux distros out there.
SUSE Linux (Software und System-Entwicklung) is a German-based Linux distribution that first appeared in 1994. It is one of the oldest Linux distributions out there.
SUSE Linux uses the standard packet manager,
openSUSE and SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) are two Linux-based operating systems offered by SUSE.
openSUSE is an open-source and free operating system solution for desktops. It comes in two versions:
Tumbleweed which is a rolling release version
Leap which is the long-term release version
The SUSE Linux Enterprise Server (SLES) is designed for use in mainframes, servers, and workstations. It is based on the openSUSE project and offers enterprise solutions to large corporations. Since this is an enterprise solution, the release cycle for SLES is longer and it often does not come with the latest features due to stability reasons.
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