Linux for Die-hard Mac Users - Mac Distributions
Compared
Below is a brief comparison between 4 major Mac
Linux distributions. I did not made comprehensive tests of all of
them, so please use it with caution. If you already chosen your own,
you can skip this section and go next,
Linux GUI.
| Debian |
Red Hat |
SuSE+RPM |
Red Hat |
| Mac PowerPC, Mac 68k, Alpha, ARM, x86, IBM RS, SPARC |
Mac PowerPC |
Mac PowerPC, x86, IA64, IBM RS, SPARC |
Mac PowerPC |
| Linux, The Hurd, BSD |
Linux |
Linux |
Linux |
| Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| No |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Yes, Largest Choice |
No |
Yes |
??? |
| over 3900 |
??? |
over 1500 |
??? |
| Invisible Apple Bootstrap, or HFS |
HFS |
HFS |
HFS |
| Manual |
Manual |
Manual |
Manual |
| Manual |
Manual |
Manual |
Manual |
| Yes |
No |
No |
No |
| Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| |
|
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Debian/GNU
Linux is possibly the most powerful, it has feature rich and advanced
installer, capable package management system and enormous number of
software packages. The huge advantage of Debian is that it covers
most computer platforms available today - Mac PowerPC, Mac 68k, IBM
PowerPC workstations, x86 PCs, Alpha and SPARC. Support through mailing
lists is completely free and excellent, most questions answered the
same day. However, Debian is pretty hard to install, especially on
some Macs, it requires manual editing of Open Firmware variables.
Debian 2.2 Potato was the first PowerPC version, so I hope in the
future installation procedure will become somewhat easier. All Debian
CD ISO images are download-able from Debian WEB site.
LinuxPPC
is probably the most well known and popular Linux distributions on
Mac. Actually, it was the first Red Had based distribution appeared
on the Mac and the first which included graphical partitioning utility,
Perldisk. However, LinuxPPC looks like a product made by a hobbyists,
it lacks good printed manual, it suffers from not so up to date or
optimized components. Possibly 4 or 5 person company just could not
handle so high-load work. Some time ago LinuxPPC Inc. went nonprofit
organization, and currently is welcome for volunteers' help.
SuSE
Linux comes from the experienced commercial Linux distribution
company called SuSE GmbH which is based in Germany. SuSE Linux is
the second biggest distribution after Debian with over 1500 software
packages, which occupies 5 CDs. It is no questions the most professional
and up-to-date RPM-based Linux on the Mac (to be exact, SuSE appeared
before Red Hat and shares many components with Red Hat and Slackware,
with a lot of own SuSE work). SuSE is the only company which provides
everything in the single package - good software, good and comprehensive
printed documentation, pre-sales support, 60 - 90 days of installation
support, international commercial support, and counterpart version
for x86 PCs (what is very important for cross-platform networks).
It features excellent installation and configuration utility called
YaST and powerful installation management tool ALICE. The only complain
is complete lack of any visible Mac-related marketing. SuSE refused
to reveal exact number of Mac copies sold, but insisted that it is
well above expectations.
SuSE Linux is not
available for download as CD ISO images, only as huge ftp directory.
Please do not complain about this, 600-person company have to make
some money for survival and further development of its products. Additionally,
SuSE currently sponsoring (or directly involved to) development of
Linux kernel, gcc, glibc, KDE, ReiserFS and XFree 86 projects, so
$30 - $70 you pay for SuSE will certainly benefit entire Linux community.
If you does not like SuSE commercial attitude and want something completely
free, take Debian.
PowerPC
only Yellow Dog Linux (or
YDL) being assembled and distributed by the company called Terra Soft
Solutions. The first YDL version I have tried have been Champion Server
1.2.1 and it was not impressive. It consisted of outdated components
and had too complicated installation procedure. YDL 2.0 promised to
be much better but it was not available by the time I am wrote this.
The Last Word
I do not want to say anything bad about LinuxPPC
and Yellow Dog Linux, but the crown goes to Debian and SuSE. The choice
between them is really hard, if not hearth wrecking. I finally have
chosen SuSE, despite the fact that I liked Debian package management
system much more than RPM. SuSE appeared just easier to use, and I
had no so much time to explore Debian.
Continued
- Linux GUI...
