188 Linux Distributions ... And Counting

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February 01, 2001 (12:00 AM EST)

While the Linux industry is consolidating around four major brands, the number of distributions that have sprung from the open-source well is 188—and counting.

"Currently, we're tracking 188 distributions," said Elizabeth Coolbaugh, executive editor of Linux Weekly News during the opening session at LinuxWorld on Wednesday. "We're generally adding one or two per week."

The question of which Linux distribution—or distributions—to support is a big question for solution providers, software developers, and potential customers that are embracing Linux in addition to, or as a replacement for, Unix or Microsoft Windows.

The leading offerings include Red Hat, SuSE, TurboLinux, Caldera, Debian GNU/Linux, Slackware, and Mandrake. Of the 188 offerings, 28 are derived from Red Hat Linux, the most common Linux distribution, Coolbaugh said. Within weeks, Red Hat plans to launch an update of its distribution, Red Hat 7.1, that incorporates the recently finalized Linux 2.4 kernel and Eazel's Nautilus graphical interface, file manager, and Web services desktop.

Caldera Systems, which the company says is the most channel-friendly, is another leading distributor in the United States. Caldera, Orem, Utah, plans to acquire the assets of Unix company Santa Cruz Operations and its sizable channel. The company recently launched a systems management server called Volution that supports all flavors of Linux and is targeted at the channel. The systems management platform, for instance, allows solution providers to remotely manage a customer's Linux servers and Web farms.

Linux for embedded systems is another fast-growing market. Of the 188 distributions, for instance, 25 are aimed at embedded systems, Coolbaugh said, noting that only 17 existed last August. Of these, Lineo's Embedix is a leading offering; Hard Hat Linux, LEM, NeoLinux, OS2000, and CoolLinux are others. PocketLinux is a distribution targeted at handhelds.

Another nine of the 188 current distributions are Debian-based distributions. The most notable player, Corel, recently revealed plans to sell off its Linux distribution business. However, several other Debian solutions remain, including Storm, Prose, and Progeny Linux Systems. The latter, a for-profit company, was founded by one of the lead Debian programmers.

Outside of the United States, Germany-based SuSE maintains a stronghold on the European market, while TurboLinux, known for its high-end clustering features, is a top vendor in Asia. Nevertheless, several distributors have sprung up in those markets to take on established companies.

In Japan, Kandara and Laser5 are well-known distribution offerings. In China, there's Blue Point, Red Flag, and Linpus. Black Cat Linux is a hot offering in Russia. In Sweden and Finland, the homeland of Linus Torvalds, Best Linux is a known distribution.

While each distribution has a particular strength or focus, they all have one thing in common: They're free. Solution providers can make money partnering with either commercial vendors or .org communities that develop the various distributions, said executives at LinuxWorld.

Caldera, for one, has been building relationships to sell its value-added offerings that sit on top of Caldera OpenLinux, such as eServer and Volution. Red Hat also recently revealed plans to step up its channel push.