# List of Linux distributions

A [Linux distribution](https://www.edgepedia.org/linux-distribution) is a complete, installable operating system built around the [Linux kernel](https://www.edgepedia.org/linux-kernel), combining it with GNU userland tools, a package manager, system libraries, and a chosen set of desktop or server software.<sup>[1](https://www.kernel.org/linux.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-linux-distribution/)</sup> Because the kernel is free to redistribute, hundreds of distributions exist, differing mainly in package management, release model, default software, and intended audience.<sup>[3](https://noalabs.org/linux/introduction)</sup> This article surveys the major distributions and the family relationships among them.

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Definition | Kernel plus GNU tools, package manager, and curated software, packaged as a complete operating system<sup>[1](https://www.kernel.org/linux.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-linux-distribution/)</sup> |
| Debian | Three maintained suites (stable, testing, unstable/sid); stable release 13 "trixie" released 9 August 2025<sup>[4](https://www.debian.org/releases/index.en.html)</sup> |
| Ubuntu | First release 4.10 "Warty Warthog", October 2004; releases every six months, LTS every two years<sup>[5](https://ubuntu.com/about)</sup> |
| Arch Linux | Independently developed, x86-64, rolling release with pacman; AUR holds more than 49,000 build scripts<sup>[6](https://archlinux.org/about/)</sup> |
| Fedora | New version roughly every 6 months, each supported approximately 13 months<sup>[7](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_Release_Life_Cycle/ja)</sup> |
| RHEL rebuilds | AlmaLinux (first release March 2021) and Rocky Linux (June 2021) target compatibility with Red Hat Enterprise Linux<sup>[8](https://wiki.almalinux.org/Comparison.html)</sup> |
| Security-focused | Kali Linux and ParrotOS are Debian-based distributions for penetration testing and security work<sup>[9](https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/what-is-kali-linux/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/)</sup> |

## The Debian family

**Debian** is a volunteer-developed distribution that has maintained a GNU/Linux operating system for well over a decade, with more than 1,000 members holding official developer status and over 50,000 packages of free, open source applications and documentation.<sup>[11](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/community/governance/debian/)</sup> Debian always keeps at least three releases in active maintenance: "stable", the production release; "testing", which holds packages queued for the next stable release; and "unstable", always codenamed sid, where active development occurs.<sup>[4](https://www.debian.org/releases/index.en.html)</sup> The release life cycle spans five years: three years of full support followed by two years of Long Term Support.<sup>[4](https://www.debian.org/releases/index.en.html)</sup>

**Ubuntu**, published by Canonical, is built on Debian's architecture and infrastructure but has its own developer community and release process.<sup>[11](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/community/governance/debian/)</sup> [Mark Shuttleworth](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-shuttleworth) gathered a small team of Debian developers to found Canonical and create an easy-to-use Linux desktop; the first release, 4.10 "Warty Warthog", appeared in October 2004.<sup>[5](https://ubuntu.com/about)</sup> Ubuntu commits to scheduled releases every six months, and since 2006 every fourth release, made every two years, receives long-term support; this is the origin of the term LTS.<sup>[5](https://ubuntu.com/about)</sup> Ubuntu regularly imports changes from Debian through merges and syncs, since both use the APT package management system.<sup>[12](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/how-ubuntu-is-made/processes/merges-and-syncs/)</sup>

Ubuntu also has a set of official flavors, each with its own default applications and settings but backed by the full Ubuntu archive: Kubuntu (KDE Plasma), Lubuntu (LXQt), Xubuntu (Xfce), Edubuntu (education), Ubuntu Studio (content creation), Ubuntu MATE, Ubuntu Budgie, and Ubuntu Unity.<sup>[13](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors)</sup> All flavors use the same repository for updates, so the same packages are available regardless of flavor.<sup>[14](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Ubuntu_flavors)</sup>

**Linux Mint** is a desktop distribution that uses Ubuntu repositories and is fully compatible with it.<sup>[15](https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/LXDE/english_11.0.pdf)</sup> Its current 22.x series (Wilma, Xia, Zara, Zena) is based on Ubuntu Noble and supported until April 2029, while Mint 7 "Gigi" is based on Debian Trixie.<sup>[16](https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php)</sup> Mint offers [Cinnamon](https://www.edgepedia.org/cinnamon-desktop-environment), MATE, and Xfce editions; Cinnamon was created by the Mint team in 2012, forked from GNOME Shell, after GNOME 2 was no longer an option for the project's desktop.<sup>[17](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1910)</sup>

**Raspberry Pi OS**, the official operating system for [Raspberry Pi](https://www.edgepedia.org/raspberry-pi) computers, is Debian-based and follows a staggered version of the Debian release cycle, with releases roughly every two years; the latest version is based on Debian Trixie.<sup>[18](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/usage/raspberry-pi-os/raspberry-pi.html)</sup>

## The Red Hat family

**Fedora** is sponsored by [Red Hat](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-hat) and releases a new version approximately every six months, maintaining each release for approximately 13 months; release X is supported until one month after the release of X+2, which allows users to skip a release.<sup>[7](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_Release_Life_Cycle/ja)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[19](https://asamalik.fedorapeople.org/antora-goes-real/en_US/quick-docs/fedora-life-cycle/)</sup> Fedora Workstation features the GNOME desktop, and the project positions it as a leading Linux desktop.<sup>[20](https://www.fedoraproject.org/workstation/)</sup> Beyond the traditional editions, the Fedora Atomic Desktops are rpm-ostree based variants that each include a specific desktop environment: Silverblue (GNOME), Kinoite (KDE Plasma), Sway Atomic, Budgie Atomic, and COSMIC Atomic.<sup>[21](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/AtomicDesktops)</sup> In these variants the whole system is updated in one atomic transaction, applications are installed as Flatpaks, and a previous version of the system is kept for rollback.<sup>[22](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/cosmic/)</sup>

**Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL)** sits downstream of Fedora with a much longer lifecycle, and several community distributions rebuild or track it. **AlmaLinux OS**, first released in March 2021 as version 8.3, is a community-owned, forever-free enterprise distribution stewarded by the nonprofit AlmaLinux OS Foundation, a 501(c)(6) non-profit.<sup>[8](https://wiki.almalinux.org/Comparison.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[23](https://almalinux.org/)</sup> In July 2023 the project shifted its goal from being a downstream rebuild of RHEL to maintaining ABI compatibility with RHEL, so that applications and kernel modules that work on RHEL work on AlmaLinux.<sup>[24](https://wiki.almalinux.org/FAQ.html)</sup> **Rocky Linux**, first released in June 2021 as version 8.4, is a community enterprise operating system designed to be 100% bug-for-bug compatible with RHEL.<sup>[8](https://wiki.almalinux.org/Comparison.html)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[25](https://docs.rockylinux.org/latest/releases/release_notes/8_4/)</sup> Rocky Linux 10 ("Red Quartz", released 11 June 2025) has general support until 31 May 2030 and security support through 31 May 2035.<sup>[26](https://docs.rockylinux.org/latest/releases/)</sup>

## Independent and rolling-release distributions

**Arch Linux** is an independently developed, x86-64 general-purpose GNU/Linux distribution focused on simplicity, minimalism, and code elegance.<sup>[6](https://archlinux.org/about/)</sup> It installs as a minimal base system that the user configures, ships software close to upstream with minimal downstream patches, and uses a rolling release model in which one command keeps the system up to date without reinstalling between versions.<sup>[6](https://archlinux.org/about/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[27](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux)</sup> Its pacman package manager is paired with the Arch User Repository, which contains more than 49,000 community build scripts for compiling packages from source.<sup>[6](https://archlinux.org/about/)</sup>

**openSUSE** ships two main distributions: [Tumbleweed](https://www.edgepedia.org/tumbleweed), a rolling release with the latest packages and almost daily snapshots, and Leap, a hybrid regular release based on packages from SUSE Linux Enterprise 15 and released every 12 months.<sup>[28](https://en.opensuse.org/images/6/61/OSAS2022-ALP-Install-Workshop.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[29](https://get.opensuse.org/desktop/)</sup>

## Security-focused distributions

**Kali Linux** (formerly BackTrack Linux) is an open-source, Debian-based distribution for advanced penetration testing and security auditing, carrying several hundred tools with industry-specific modifications.<sup>[9](https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/what-is-kali-linux/)</sup> Its developers state plainly that it is not a recommended distribution for users unfamiliar with Linux or seeking a general-purpose desktop; network services are disabled by default, the kernel is patched for wireless injection, and the set of upstream repositories is kept to a minimum.<sup>[30](https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/should-i-use-kali-linux/)</sup>

**ParrotOS** is a Debian-based GNU/Linux distribution providing a cybersecurity toolkit and a secure working environment, first publicly released on April 10, 2013 by Lorenzo Faletra and governed by Parrot Security CIC, registered in the UK.<sup>[10](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/)</sup> It ships in a Security Edition with pentesting tools pre-installed and a Home Edition without them, disables pre-installed network services by default, and disables automount for safe forensics acquisitions.<sup>[31](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/introduction/download-parrot/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/)</sup>

## How the families relate

The distribution landscape is largely organized around a few package bases. Debian serves as the foundation for Ubuntu, Linux Mint, Raspberry Pi OS, Kali Linux, and ParrotOS; Ubuntu in turn serves as the base for Mint's main editions and its own flavors.<sup>[11](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/community/governance/debian/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[16](https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[18](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/usage/raspberry-pi-os/raspberry-pi.html)</sup> Fedora feeds [Red Hat Enterprise Linux](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-hat-enterprise-linux), which AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux track for compatibility.<sup>[8](https://wiki.almalinux.org/Comparison.html)</sup> Arch and openSUSE Tumbleweed represent the rolling-release approach, in which one installation is continuously upgraded rather than replaced version by version.<sup>[6](https://archlinux.org/about/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[28](https://en.opensuse.org/images/6/61/OSAS2022-ALP-Install-Workshop.pdf)</sup> The practical differences between distributions therefore lie less in the shared kernel than in release cadence, support lifetime, package manager, and the defaults each project chooses.<sup>[3](https://noalabs.org/linux/introduction)</sup>

## References

1. [About Linux Kernel, kernel.org](https://www.kernel.org/linux.html)
2. [Linux Jargon Buster: What is a Linux Distribution?, It's FOSS](https://itsfoss.com/what-is-linux-distribution/)
3. [Linux Introduction, NOA Labs](https://noalabs.org/linux/introduction)
4. [Debian Releases, debian.org](https://www.debian.org/releases/index.en.html)
5. [About the Ubuntu project, ubuntu.com](https://ubuntu.com/about)
6. [About Arch Linux, archlinux.org](https://archlinux.org/about/)
7. [Fedora Release Life Cycle, Fedora Project Wiki](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_Release_Life_Cycle/ja)
8. [Enterprise Linux Comparison, AlmaLinux Wiki](https://wiki.almalinux.org/Comparison.html)
9. [What is Kali Linux?, Kali Linux Documentation](https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/what-is-kali-linux/)
10. [What is Parrot?, ParrotOS Docs](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/)
11. [Debian, Ubuntu project documentation](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/community/governance/debian/)
12. [Merges & syncs, Ubuntu project documentation](https://ubuntu.com/project/docs/how-ubuntu-is-made/processes/merges-and-syncs/)
13. [Ubuntu flavors, ubuntu.com](https://ubuntu.com/desktop/flavors)
14. [Ubuntu flavors, Ubuntu Wiki](https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Ubuntu_flavors)
15. [Linux Mint user guide (LXDE edition)](https://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/LXDE/english_11.0.pdf)
16. [All versions, Linux Mint](https://linuxmint.com/download_all.php)
17. [Introducing Cinnamon, The Linux Mint Blog](https://blog.linuxmint.com/?p=1910)
18. [Raspberry Pi OS, Raspberry Pi Documentation](https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/usage/raspberry-pi-os/raspberry-pi.html)
19. [Fedora Release Life Cycle, Fedora Docs quick-docs](https://asamalik.fedorapeople.org/antora-goes-real/en_US/quick-docs/fedora-life-cycle/)
20. [The leading Linux desktop, The Fedora Project](https://www.fedoraproject.org/workstation/)
21. [SIGs/AtomicDesktops, Fedora Project Wiki](https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/AtomicDesktops)
22. [Fedora COSMIC Atomic, The Fedora Project](https://fedoraproject.org/atomic-desktops/cosmic/)
23. [AlmaLinux OS, almalinux.org](https://almalinux.org/)
24. [FAQ, AlmaLinux Wiki](https://wiki.almalinux.org/FAQ.html)
25. [Release Notes for Rocky Linux 8.4, Rocky Linux Documentation](https://docs.rockylinux.org/latest/releases/release_notes/8_4/)
26. [Rocky Releases, Rocky Linux Documentation](https://docs.rockylinux.org/latest/releases/)
27. [Arch Linux, ArchWiki](https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Arch_Linux)
28. [Overview of openSUSE distributions (SUSE workshop slides)](https://en.opensuse.org/images/6/61/OSAS2022-ALP-Install-Workshop.pdf)
29. [openSUSE Desktop Distributions, get.opensuse.org](https://get.opensuse.org/desktop/)
30. [Should I Use Kali Linux?, Kali Linux Documentation](https://www.kali.org/docs/introduction/should-i-use-kali-linux/)
31. [Download, ParrotOS Docs](https://www.parrotsec.org/docs/introduction/download-parrot/)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Software and programming › Operating systems › Unix-like and Linux*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license