Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What are the major components of any Linux distribution? (lemm.ee)

submitted 11 months ago by perishthethought@lemm.ee to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Hi all - I am learning about Linux and want to see if my understanding is correct on this - the list of major parts of any distro:

the Linux Kernel
GRUB or another bootloader
one or more file systems (gotta work with files somehow, right?)
one or more Shells (the terminal - bash, zsh, etc...)
a Desktop Environment (the GUI, if included, like KDE or Gnome - does this include X11 or Wayland or are those separate from the DE?)
a bunch of Default applications and daemons (is this where systemd fits int? I know about the GNU tools, SAMBA, CUPS, etc...)
a Package Manager (apt, pacman, etc...)

Am I forgetting anything at this 50,000 foot level? I know there are lots of other things we can add, but what are the most important things that ALL Linux distributions include?

Thanks!

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[–] chameleon@kbin.social 3 points 11 months ago

A biggie you miss is the toolchain: the compiler/binutils/linux-headers/libc/libstdc++ combination. The libc and usually libstdc++ are key components of any install. The other parts usually don't make it to non-dev-desktops, but the distro couldn't be made without them, so they're virtually always available as packages.

Only exception is if the entire distro is cross-compiled or it's made exclusively for containers, but those kinds of special distros break every rule imaginable anyway. Some might not even ship a bootloader or a Linux kernel by themselves.