Compare and Contrast 2 Distributions of Linux: Fedora versus Ubuntu - Research Paper Example

The two distributions i.e. Ubuntu and Fedora are comprehensively tracked on Distrowatch (Fedora and ubuntu compariso, n.d). There are lot of comparisons and dissimilarities available about these two distributions, but apart from having more or less features; there is no conclusion of declaring any one of them as a winner. Both of these Linux distributions were founded by Mark Shuttleworth (Fedora and ubuntu compariso, n.d). Likewise, these two distributions have marked their importance due to their demand and rapidly evolving versions bundled with features including ease of user, security, flexibility and compatibility.

Comparison Ubuntu is completely a new dimension in terms of previous Linux distributions, as Ubuntu supports wide range of hardware peripherals and live installation from the Internet. It has shown remarkable innovation and support. Ubuntu is developed on the foundation of the previous distributions i.e. the predecessors (Strohmeyer, 2008). It has a smooth and interactive desktop experience, as it has been tested on many different hardware architectures including desktop and laptop, it has shown maximum compatibility in terms of detecting and installing device drivers without prompting for a reboot (Strohmeyer, 2008). . buntu in a mid-range specification workstation would be a good choice, as compared to installing Windows Vista or Windows 7 that requires significant hardware support.

On the other hand, Fedora version 8 demonstrated a simple installer from the graphical user interface point of view along with the most comprehensive hardware support from all the other distributions. However, Fedora version 8 also demonstrates some issues related to ease of installation and usability factor. The new version of Fedora i.e. Fedora version 9 demonstrated ease of use in games (Strohmeyer, 2008). Some new features that are immediately noticeable are Anaconda installer that can dynamically modify or resize partitions on the hard drive, and adding Fedora to existing windows based operating system is considerably convenient.

One can say that the features related to installation routines included in Fedora 9 are identical to Ubuntu distribution. Moreover, Fedora also includes ‘SELinux’ that applies security policies all the way to the operating system. This specific application is developed by the U.S national security agency and it alerts users for any possible security threats and vulnerabilities related to user authentication (Strohmeyer, 2008). Therefore, People who are users of Linux, Fedora 9 is a competitive choice, as it provides powerful security mechanism and installation procedures making it multipurpose and adaptive than Ubuntu.

Ubuntu can be considered as the source of “an open-source alternative to Windows and Office” (Fedora and ubuntu compariso, n.d). While Fedora focuses on creating Ubuntu’s focus on usability. Both of these distributions are provisioned on the central GNOME desktop. Moreover, installations of these distributions are from Live CDs with minimal