Fedora vs Ubuntu

Fedora vs Ubuntu: There are many differences between Fedora and Ubuntu. A list of differences between Fedora and Ubuntu are given below:

If you check the popularity list of Linux distribution, you will find that Ubuntu is the most popular linux distribution, while Fedora is fourth most popular. Ubuntu is based on Debian, while Fedora is based on Red hat Linux. Both distributions release a new version after every 6 months but they are different in their long-term support models. Ubuntu offers support for 18 months after the release of the version, on the other hand Fedora offers a shorter support period only for 13 months. So Fedora is not a good choice for product development or web server.

Introduction to Fedora

Fedora is a Linux distribution integrated by Fedora Project. Originally, it was developed as the Red Hat Linux project continuation, and it includes software shared under several open-source and free licenses and focuses on being on the leading corner of open-source technologies. For Red Hat Enterprise Linux, it's the upstream source now.

In December 2014, since the publication of Fedora 21, three versions have been there: cloud and server computing and personal computer. It was increased to five versions for Internet of the Things (IoT) and containerization as of the publication of Fedora 37 in November 2022. Fedora Linux releases a new edition every six months.

Fedora Linux includes approximately 1.2 million users as of February 2016 and is also the distribution of choice via Linus Torvalds, founder of the Linux kernel.

Fedora Linux Features

Fedora has a position to focus on modernization, developing new technologies, and closely working with many communities of upstream Linux. Making modifications upstream rather than particularly for Fedora Linux guarantees that the modifications are available for every Linux distribution.

Relatively, Fedora Linux has a precise life cycle: all versions are usually supported for a minimum of 13 months, in which the X version is supported until one month only after the X+2 version is published and with estimated six months between almost every version. The users of Fedora can upgrade from one version to another version without reinstalling.

GNOME and GNOME Shell are the default desktop environment and default user interface, respectively. Several desktop environments are also available, such as i3, Cinnamon, MATE, LXDE, LXQt, Xfce, and KDE Plasma. A drive for live media can be built with the dd command or Fedora Media Writer, permitting users to use Fedora Linux without modifying the hard drives.

• Security

By default, Fedora Linux utilizes Security-Enhanced Linux, which implements a range of security policies, such as mandatory access controls, adopted by Fedora early on. Fedora offers a hardening wrapper, which does hardening for every package with compiler features, including PIE (position-independent executable).

• Package management

Almost every edition of Fedora Linux utilizes the RPM package management system, with DNF as the tool to handle the RPM packages. DNF utilizes libsolv, which is a dependency resolver. Also, Flatpak is, by default, added, and Snap packages support can be included. Fedora Linux utilizes Delta RPM if updating packages are installed to offer delta updates.

This Delta RPM includes the difference between a new and an old package version. It means that only the modifications between the new package and the installed one are downloaded, decreasing bandwidth consumption and network traffic. The Fedora Silverblue and CoreOS versions use rpm-ostree, which is a hybrid transactional package/image system to handle the host. Classic DNF should be utilized in containers.

• System installer

Anaconda is used by Fedora Linux as a system installer.

• Software

Fedora comes pre-installed with a huge variety of software, including Firefox and LibreOffice. Other software belongs to the software repositories, and they can be installed with the GNOME Software or DNF package manager.

• Additionally, other repositories can be included in the system, so software that does not present on Fedora Linux can be easily installed.
• Software that isn't available by official repositories of Fedora, either due to it doesn't meet the free software definition of Fedora or its distribution might breach US law, could be installed via third-party repositories.
• Famous third-party repositories are non-free and RPM Fusion free repositories.
• Also, Fedora offers users a handy build system to create their repositories known as Copr.
• The OS defaults to the protocol, i.e., Wayland display server since the publication of Fedora 25, which substituted the X Window System.

Editions of Fedora Linux

Starting with Fedora 21, it's available in the market in three different versions, which increased to five versions as of the release of version 37.

• Workstation

It points to users who wish for a powerful, user-friendly, and reliable OS for their desktop or laptop computers. By default, GNOME comes pre-installed, but another desktop could be installed or installed as Spins directly.

• Silverblue

It is a Fedora Workstation variant. It's an immutable desktop OS. All Silverblue installations are identical to all other installations of a similar release, and it never modifies as it's used. This immutable design is proposed to make the OS more stable, easier to develop and test, less prone to viruses, and create an environment for containerized applications and container-based software development.

• Containers and applications are kept isolated from the host system.
• The updates of the operating system are fast, and no stage of installation is required.
• Also, it's possible to roll back to the old version of the OS with Silverblue if something is wrong.
• Previously, Fedora Silverblue was called Fedora Atomic Workstation.
• For this product, the descriptive name is image-mode rpm-ostree-based container-based Fedora Workstation, which is transparent but incompatible with branding.
• The team approved the name of the project Silverleaf but couldn't secure the name for several reasons.
• Hence, it was titled Silverblue, although the logo retains a lead impression.
• For this effort, the long-term aim is to convert Fedora Workstation into an image-based system in which applications are isolated from the operating system and updates have remained atomic.
• The engineers of Red Hat have created almost every piece part for this advanced desktop in the last few years: gnome-software, rpm-ostree, flathub, flatpak, and OSTree.

The ultimate purpose of this effort was always to make an image-based version of the Workstation that's better suited and feature-parity for some use cases as compared to the typical version. The team of Silverblue slowly finished essential pieces for an immutable image-based operating system vision with independent applications, including rpm-ostree, flatpak, and Wayland support within GNOME Software, etc., until the completion of 2017. Project Atomic has included new aspects, such as included support of rpm-ostree to anaconda and package layering for rpm-ostree.

• Server

The target usage of Fedora Linux is for servers. These contain the latest technologies of the data center. This version does not provide a desktop environment, but anyone can be installed. Server Edition will provide Fedora Modularity from Fedora 28, including support for different update streams for famous software, like Go and Node.js.

• IoT

Fedora Linus images tailored to executing on Internet of Things (IoT) devices. It supports armhfp processors and x86_64.

• CoreOS

CoreOS is the successor of Container Linux and Project Atomic (Fedora Atomic Host) after Fedora 29; it offers a minimal Fedora Linux image that contains only the bare essentials. It isn't to be distracted with Fedora Core. It's specified for deployment over cloud computing. It offers the images of Fedora CoreOS, which are upgraded minimal images to deploy containers. CoreOS substituted the Container Linux just after it was combined with Project Atomic after its recovery in January 2018 by Red Hat.

• Labs

Also, the Fedora Project distributes custom versions of Fedora Linux, known as Fedora Labs, the same as Debian blends. These are created with particular groups of software packages, addressing explicit interests like robotics, design, security, gaming, and scientific computing (that contains Inkscape, Xfig, Kile, Octave, and Scipy).

The Fedora Appliance Operating System (AOS) was a specialized Fedora Linux spin with decreased memory footprint for utilization in software appliances. These appliances are pre-configured and pre-installed system images. The spin was targeted to make it convenient for anyone (OEM (original equipment manufacturers), ISV (independent software vendors), developers, etc.) to create and set up virtual appliances.

• Remixes and Spins

Officially, the Fedora project distributes several variations known as "Fedora Spins". These are Fedora Linux with distinct desktop environments (the default desktop environment is GNOME). As of Fedora 38, the official current spins are Sway, Budgie, Phosh, i3, SoaS, LXDE, Cinnamon, MATE, LXQt, Xfce, and KDE Plasma. Additionally, the Sway, Budgie, and KDE spins are given as immutable ostree-backed spins called Onyx, Sericea, and Kinoite.

In conjunction with Spins, which is the Fedora system's official version, the project permits unofficial versions to use the "Fedora Remix" term without asking further permission. However, a different logo is needed.

• Architectures

ARM-hfp, ARM AArch64, and x86-64 are the main supported architectures by Fedora. Also, Fedora supports MIPS-el, MIPS-64el, IBM Z, IBM Power64le, RISC-V and MIPS-el as secondary architectures as of Fedora 35. Fedora 28 was the final version supported ppc64, and the users are considered to move to the ppc64le little endian version. Fedora 36 will be the final version, along with ARM-hfp support.

• Alternatives

Also, the Fedora Project distributes many other releases with fewer use cases as compared to those mentioned above, such as minimal installation images and network installers. They are meant for unique cases or experienced users that wish to include custom installations and set up Fedora with scratch.

Additionally, every acceptable license (including patent licenses, trademarks, and copyrights) must be acceptable not only to Fedora or Red Hat but also to every recipient downstream. It means that a license, i.e., "Fedora only", or licenses with unique terms that Fedora or Red Hat meets but the other recipients wouldn't be acceptable.

Introduction to Ubuntu

Ubuntu is an OS integrated with the Linux kernel, which is a UNIX-like system designed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Usually, Linux distros are open-source and free; several are the best alternatives to famous OSes, such as macOS and Windows.

In 2004, the Ubuntu Foundation was developed by a South African-British entrepreneur and developer, Mark Shuttleworth. Mark wanted to make a more user-friendly distribution of Linux over Debian distribution, which was very famous among the users of Linux at that time. Notoriously, it was hard to install, although the Ubuntu Foundation operated to solve that problem.

As Debian was open-source, Mark Shuttleworth took this distro as a base for his operating system and called it Ubuntu. The Ubuntu work means "I am what I am because of who we all are" and "humanity to others".

Variants of Ubuntu

Ubuntu desktop is the variant suggested for users officially. It's designed for laptop and desktop PCs and is supported via Canonical officially. Several variants are simply distinguished by all featuring a distinct desktop environment or no desktop in the case of the Ubuntu server. Xfce and LXQt are often suggested for use with previous PCs that may contain less processing power and memory available.

• Official distros

Almost all Ubuntu flavors and editions simply get a distant group of default packages than the typical Ubuntu desktop. Each of the similar software is available for all of the similar package repositories because they share the same. The sole exception of the Ubuntu core because it just has authorization to packages inside the Snap Store.

Some official distros are listed and explained below:

• Edubuntu: Formerly, it is called Ubuntu Education Edition. Edubuntu is an Ubuntu flavor that has been changed for education. It's developed for tertiary, primary, secondary, and preschool education with the installation of distinct packages.
• Lubuntu: It is a flavor of Ubuntu that's lighter, more energy efficient and less resource hungry, with the LXQt desktop environment.
• Kubuntu: Kubuntu is another flavor of Ubuntu that uses the KDE interface rather than the Unity interface and GNOME utilized by Ubuntu Desktop.
• Ubuntu Core: It is an Ubuntu edition concentrated on embedded and IoT systems. It doesn't have a graphical interface, and it only permits authorization over SSH. It doesn't utilize the standard apt package manager but depends on snap packages entirely, unlike other editions. It's developed to be set up by model assertions, text documents specifying Snap configurations and packages used on the OS image.
• Ubuntu Cinnamon: It is a flavor of Ubuntu using the Cinnamon desktop of Linux Mint. Formerly, it is called Ubuntu Cinnamon Remix.
• Ubuntu Budgie: It is a flavor of Ubuntu using Budgie.
• Ubuntu MATE: It's an Ubuntu edition using MATE, which is a desktop environment angled from the now-defunct code base of GNOME 2, with a priority to the desktop metaphor.
• Ubuntu Kylin: It is a flavor of Ubuntu focused on the Chinese market.
• Ubuntu Server: It includes a server edition that utilizes similar APT repositories like the Ubuntu Desktop Edition. The distinctions between them are the missing X Window environment within the default installation of a server edition and a few changes to the installation process. Rather than a graphical installation process, the server edition utilizes a screen mode, which is a character-based interface for installation. It enables installation on devices with a "dump terminal" interface or serial without graphics support.

Like the desktop edition, the server edition supports hardware virtualization and could be executed in a virtual machine either in a host OS or in a hypervisor, like Kernel-based Virtual Machine, QEMU, Microsoft Hyper-V, Citrix XenServer, Oracle, VMware ESXi, or other IBM PC compatible virtualizer or emulator. By default, the AppArmor security module is used for the Linux kernel on necessary software packages, and the firewall is continued to basic services applied by the OS.

• Executes on every major architecture, such as POWER8 and later, ARM64, ARM v7, x86-64, IBM System Z mainframes by LinuxONE, and supports RISC-V.
• Commercially, SPARC is not supported anymore, nor are Ubuntu editions for 32-bit x86.
• Includes LXD, which is a hypervisor to handle LXC Linux containers.
• Supports ZFS, which is a filesystem along with the capabilities of snapshot since the 16.04 LTS version of Ubuntu.
• Contains the initial DPDK production release for line-speed kernel networking.
• Utilizes the latest LTS systemd service manager and Linux kernel.
• Is authorized as a guest on HP Cloud, IBM, Joyent, Microsoft Azure, and AWS.
• Netplan support has been available since the 16.04 LTS version of Ubuntu.
• Supports LVM encryption.
• Supports snap package manager.

The following table specifies some unique differences between these two Linux distribution Fedora and Ubuntu.