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Learn the pros and the cons of the most frequently used distros in order to find the one that is right for you. You will explore each distro step by step, so that you don´t have to endure hours of web surfing, countless downloads, becoming confused by new concepts and, in the worst cases, reading complex and marathon installation guides. You will benefit from the author´s long-term experience working with each distro hands on, enabling you to choose the best distro for your long-term needs.

The first barrier that a new Linux user has to face is the overwhelming number of "flavors" that this operating system has. These "flavors" are commonly known as distros (from distribution), and to date there are more than three hundred active distros to choose from. So, how to choose one? You can choose the most popular at the moment, or take heed of what your friend says, but are you sure that this is the one that you need? Making the wrong decision on this matter is behind a good number of disappointments with this operating system. You need to choose the distro that is right for you and your needs.

Linux offers us a wonderful open source alternative to proprietary software. With Introducing Linux Distros you can decide how to best make it work for you. Start exploring the open source world today.

What You´ll learn

Review what a Linux distro is and which one to select
Decide which criteria to follow to make a right decision
Examine the most used Linux distros and their unique philosophies

install and maintain different Linux distros
Who This Book Is For

Newcomers to the Linux world that have to deal with the myriad of distributions.

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Part 1. Linux Distros

Chapter 1: Deconstructing a Linux Distro

Chapter 2: Linux Distro Selection Criteria

Chapter 3: The Linux Distro Family Tree

Part 2. General-Purpose Distros

Chapter 4: Ubuntu

Chapter 5: Fedora

Chapter 6: Debian

Chapter 7: openSUSE

Chapter 8: Mint

Chapter 9: Mageia

Chapter 10: elementary OS

Chapter 11: Arch Linux

Chapter 12: Gentoo

Chapter 13: Slackware

Chapter 14: NixOS
Chapter 15: Other Alternatives
Part 3. Task-Oriented Distros
Chapter 16: Task-Oriented Distros

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Jose Dieguez Castro is a senior systems administrator, currently working as a freelance consultant. Jose has worked on a wide range of projects, from small to large infrastructures in both the private and public sector. When he is asked about his specialty, he answers: "To get the job done." He also likes to think of himself as a developer who cares too much about free software. Photography, sports, music, and reading are the ways he frees his mind from work.

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