What is the difference between Linux, Debian, Ubuntu, and others?

Question

Are they all operating systems under the Linux name or are they all compleatly seperate?

Answer 1

If you had a car, the linux kernel would be the engine and the body would be the distro (Debian, Ubuntu, etc). Every distro uses the linux kernel. Each distro has it's own philosophies (some GNU type, some not, included software etc). A distro is geared towards a certain type of person. The linux kernel is a piece of software that interacts with your RAM, CPU, etc to allow the distro to function. A distro is like saying I'm going to take this type of rim, this type of head light, etc, and call it a porsche.

Answer 2

Okay here's your answer.

1. Linux is a Kernel --> In simple words, it is like the core of the Operating System. If you aren't aware of what an Operating System is, then please do some research on this.



Debian, Ubuntu, others are Flavors of linux. They are Operating Systems built using the Linux Kernel.



Ubuntu is just Debian with a lot of applications and a GUI. Similarly, some linux flavors (also known as distributions or distros ) are independent (built from the scratch) and some are built upon the independent distros.

But in the end, they are all a part of the GNU/Linux Family. So you can consider them the same.

Answer 3

Linux is the name of the Kernel. It is the Operating System. It is the interface between the hardware and the applications running on your computer.



Debian, Ubuntu, Fedora and others are Linux Distributions. They use the Linux kernel as their operating systems, but collect other useful software and ship Linux as a useful Software. Even Android uses the Linux Kernel. Where these distributions differ from each other, is the way they package their software, the people maintaining the distributions and community using the distributions.