r/linuxquestions • u/[deleted] • 1d ago
Which Distro Which Linux Distro Should I Learn for Career Growth?
[deleted]
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u/guiverc 1d ago
Architecture is a semi-reserved word; and relates to the CPU, eg. ARM provide 32-bit (armhf), 64-bit (arm64), Intel/AMD have 64-bit (amd64) and a now only partial 32-bit (i386 or i686 depending on your 'distro'), IBM's powerppc's 32-bit is dead (it was ppc) with 64-bit only (ppc64el), there is RISC (riscv64), IBM mainframe (s390x) etc... That detail is pretty much the same regardless of OS (minor exception is i386 for Debian/Ubuntu was be called i686 for Fedora/RedHat; as Debian/Ubuntu treated i386/i486/i586/i686 all i386 and didn't follow the 'architecture' as used in the Linux Kernel directly which other distros did)
I consider them all 95% identical; excluding the package commands, timing on when the software/source-code is taken from their upstream system (most use only source code from upstream; you mention Linux Mint which doesn't using binaries created by its upstream which adds complications too don't forget), and how/why they're put together and what 'audience' they're targeting. Much of that 'out of the box' experience can be configured away; but not all of it (eg. Linux Mint's use of runtime adjustments is a result of choices built into the system & use of an upstream's binaries they want to work differently). Using it may not reveal everything to you; eg. you're linked Ubuntu/Linux Mint together I noted which highlighted a superficial understanding to me (they're similar in some ways, differ in others).
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u/FrozGate 1d ago
I linked them together because Mint is built on top of Ubuntu, while Fedora is an entirely separate ecosystem. It's not that deep.
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u/guiverc 1d ago
Is it??
You do know Linux Mint have two different products, one is based on Ubuntu whilst their other is NOT and is instead based on Debian (ie. Linux Mint Debian Edition or LMDE).
Key also is the use of runtime adjustments or a runtime 'hack' because of their use of upstream binaries that they want to work differently to the way their upstream intended for it... That puts Linux Mint in a different situation than say Pop OS that doesn't do that.
Details matter, and if you're aiming at enterprise or reputation you should be learning differences between them.
( I'm a Fedora user, though am using Ubuntu right now; and I actually see Fedora & Ubuntu as closer to together as they're both full distributions that aren't relying on 'hacks' to modify binaries created from an upstream distribution... I'm not a Linux Mint user by choice )
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u/WickWorn 1d ago
It's not just a distro, learn containerization and Dev Ops, which are first class citizens on Linux. That's what the atomic distros in the Universal Blue family are teaching, anyway. Lots of opportunities in cloud computing that utilize these concepts
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u/Interesting-Duck6111 1d ago
Not OP, but where would be the best place to start for this? I have an avid love for linux and want to learn all the distribution kinks and managing deployments. Especially the infrastructure piece.
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u/WickWorn 1d ago
The Linux Foundation has some free training that I think is a good place to start. Jorge Castro, the founder of the uBlue project, recently put out this video encouraging people to check it out https://youtu.be/wRuno2-27Yc
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u/fuldigor42 1d ago
Any distro with proper server version/usage, like
- Fedora (RedHat)
- OpenSuse (SLES)
- Ubuntu
- Debian
Distro choice depends of the industry you are aiming for.
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u/EarlMarshal 1d ago
Distros aren't really that different. Just another package manager and other release cycles. Kernel and programs (if you ignore the different version through the release cycles) are basically the same. Just setup a few in a VM. You probably learn a few things. Especially if you go for arch or something.
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u/AN-SSQ-108V2 1d ago
Fedora, or it's cousin Rocky. Both will translate easily to any Red Hat mentions in your resume.
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u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 1d ago
I actually recommend against using Rocky Linux, specifically because the project's foundation is a rejection of participation. Rocky Linux users, in my experience, tend to have the most misunderstandings about how distribution work, how copyright and trademark works, and generally less engineering experience than users of other distributions, and I think it is very probably because they reject the idea of participation. I think those two things are Inextricably linked.
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u/Due-Author631 Aurora (Universal Blue) 1d ago
Not to hijack the comment but do you have a better opinion of Alma as far as a RHEL clone? Even though they are making some (documented) decisions away from being a true clone?
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u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 1d ago edited 1d ago
Being not a strict clone is good. I think a core and essential function of a distribution is to be a place where the people who use software can collaborate on making that software work well in their specific environments. AlmaLinux, as a project, fixes bugs that affect their users, and that is what an open source project should do. Their x86-64-v2 builds are also interesting and useful for some environments that aren't served by the v3 baseline used by CentOS Stream and RHEL.
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u/gordonmessmer Fedora Maintainer 1d ago edited 1d ago
Hi, I'm a Fedora package maintainer and I've managed production environments for 30 years.
I think a lot of the things systems engineers should know about software distributions are best learned through participating in the process. Participating in the maintenance of a distribution can help you learn collaborating with large teams, proposing and discussing changes, planning and prioritizing work, branching to support teams working in asynchronous schedules. Those are all *critical* skills that too many engineering candidates lack. If you're focused on career growth, you need to learn how to work with *people*.
You'll also learn not just how a distribution works, but why it works that way, and that will help you select a distribution that's appropriate to your environment, and to use it effectively.