Everything we have today is the result of people and innovations, and to understand this, get to know the 4 major distributions that shaped the Linux world.

The Linux world is incredibly diverse, but it started with a few big Linux distributions.

And this article will focus on each of them, giving them all the respect they deserve. They are all distributions created from scratch, making them one of the so-called original Linux distributions, which are not based on anything before them.

4 major distributions that shaped the Linux world There are currently hundreds of active Linux distributions, but only a few of them can be described as the mothers and fathers of everything we know as Linux today.

They are the ones who laid the foundations on which almost all Linux distributions today stand. Loved by some or hated by others, they are the shoulders upon which the modern Linux world has stood to get where it is today.

That said, Discover the 4 major distributions that shaped the Linux world.

Slackware Linux

There's a good reason why we're starting our list with this distribution. Released in 1992 by Patrick Volkerding, Slackware is the oldest Linux distribution in the world. The mere mention of this fact is enough to end your presentation, and we will still have all the arguments for it to deserve its rightful place in the history of Linux. But let's move on.

Two years after young Finnish University of Helsinki student Linus Torvalds announced his hobby project called Linux, Slackware burst onto the scene with its initial 1.00 release on July 17, 1993. And what a look it was!

Until the mid-1990s, Slackware had about 80% of the Linux market. However, in the open source world, dominated by incredibly stable UNIX-based systems, Slackware began to pave the way for Linux as a server-oriented operating system, albeit a new and reliable one.

However, the distribution's popularity began to decline later when Red Hat Linux arrived on the horizon in 1995, and Slackware is no longer as popular as it once was.

Sure, it's still a top Linux distro – but because Slackware was designed to be highly customizable and robust rather than user-friendly, its popularity has suffered.

But at the same time, this is probably the most amazing thing about this distro. From its first release 30 years ago to today, Slackware is still Slackware. The installer is the same as it was then.

Furthermore, the overall functionality of the entire operating system closely follows the philosophy and principles established from day one of its creation.

In all these years, Slackware Linux has not changed its approach with the aim of gaining popularity like most Linux distributions do nowadays – useful graphical installers, convenient package managers and polished desktop environments.

No, it still depends on the stability of the system and requires the user to know each element. Furthermore, Slackware refuses to succumb to general technological trends among Linux distributions.

So, for example, you won't find systemd here. Instead, the system uses a BSD-init scripting system to initialize itself.

In addition, there is something new for users accustomed to convenient package managers like APT, DNF and Pacman. Slackware's packaging system does not support dependencies.

And for an obvious purpose - if you want something to work, you have to approve it by manually installing the corresponding dependency yourself. So the idea is obvious – nothing without your knowledge can appear installed on your system.

So, paying the price called popularity, the distro remains true to its UNIX roots, and the recently released Slackware 15 continues the legend of this much-loved, almost cult Linux distro.

Obviously, Slackware doesn't have the myriad of forks like the other three distributions listed below. However, that doesn't change the fact that this is the distribution that shaped the then-nascent Linux world, paving the way and leaving its deep mark forever.

Debian

A few months after Slackware, Debian GNU/Linux arrived on the scene. Ian Murdock officially founded the Debian Project on August 16, 1993, but the first stable version was released in 1996. Ian intended Debian to be a distro that would be made openly, in the spirit of Linux and GNU.

So when it started, Debian was the only distribution open for every developer and user to contribute their work. And until now, Debian remains the most important distributor of Linux, which is not a commercial entity.

This means that there is no single business responsible for creating Debian, maintaining its infrastructure, or overall direction of the project. Instead, everything is in the hands of the community.

The distro has a long and proud history. It is made up of a worldwide community of volunteers, made up of more than a thousand developers, working together to produce the best open source operating system possible.

Furthermore, Debian is the only free software project to have elections where the leader is voted on by the developers.

Additionally, if you want a more extensive history of Debian, its maintainers have created an excellent documentation that contains everything relevant to the history of Debian from the beginning.

During its existence, Debian has established itself as one of the most reliable and stable Linux distributions, with a large presence in the rest of the current Linux landscape. Referring to DistroWatch, around 120 other Linux distributions are based on Debian.

For example, let's mention one name – Ubuntu. This distribution, which has become almost synonymous with Linux, exists firmly on the foundation of Debian. We can continue the list with MX Linux, Deepin, Kali Linux, etc.

But that's not what makes Debian unique and gives it a well-deserved place in the Linux Hall of Fame.

The greatness of Debian lies in the fact that it is living proof of the immense power of open source. A shining example of thousands of volunteers working together for the common good.

And perhaps most importantly, Debian is the most popular Linux distribution today, adhering as closely as possible to the ideas and philosophy behind the Open Source movement.

So, if you are looking for one of the cleanest, most stable and true to the Open Source spirit distributions, look no further than Debian GNU/Linux.

Red Hat Linux

In 1994, a year after the creation of Debian, the third member of the most significant Linux distributions, Red Hat Linux, appeared on the scene. In 1993, Bob Young incorporated ACC Corporation, a catalog company that sold Linux and UNIX software accessories. Around the same time, Marc Ewing created his own Linux distribution company, which he called Red Hat Linux.

Shortly after this, in 1995, Young purchased Ewing's business and the two merged to become Red Hat Software, with Young serving as CEO.

Thus, Red Hat Linux was designed with the corporate world, business and profit objectives in mind from the beginning. And there's nothing wrong with that, of course.

Red Hat pioneered the original open source business model. Distribution proved that it could be applied in the business world and bring huge profits.

Strictly focused on enterprise Linux solutions, Red Hat offers its users exceptional stability and high-level support.

Then, thanks to the Debian-derived Ubuntu, the Linux desktop world was changed. Likewise, with its downstream CentOS and, more recently, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux, Red Hat has changed the world of Linux servers.

Thanks to the work of Red Hat engineers, millions of users and businesses around the world use Red Hat or Red Hat-based distributions to provide unprecedented stability and reliability for their servers.

Of course, let's not forget Fedora. It is developed by the community-supported project, sponsored mainly by Red Hat. With each release, Fedora Linux grows more and more, taking a larger share of the Linux desktop market, dominated mainly by Ubuntu.

Last but not least, we cannot fail to mention that Red Hat's contribution to the Open Source movement is enormous. For example, just one word – GNOME. How many of you know that Red Hat is the main contributor to the GNOME Desktop Project?

We could go on with a list of things like LibreOffice, PulseAudio, Xorg, D-Bus, PolicyKit, NetworkManager, KVM, OpenSSH…shall we continue?

In other words, thanks to the tremendous help and contributions of Red Hat engineers, the software we use every day is possible.

Arch Linux

We have reached the last entrant in our list of pillar Linux distributions that shaped the Linux world – Arch Linux. It is the youngest distro among those listed here, with “only” 20 years of history behind it. Started in 2001 by Judd Vinet, a Canadian programmer, Arch Linux had its first formal release, v0.1, in March 2002.

If we can symbolically call Debian and Red Hat, the mother and father of the modern Linux world, Arch Linux is one for the rolling release Linux distributions.

What do you think the Linux field was like in 2002? Let me tell you; There were three main players – Mandrake, Red Hat and Debian. Of course, these were also the golden years for Gentoo, but this distribution was and still is very difficult for the average Linux user to get to grips with.

And then Arch Linux appeared on the scene. Furthermore, it is partially close to the Gentoo philosophy, but offers a more accessible approach to working with it.

Yes, the installation wasn't easy, but it wasn't something any regular Linux user couldn't handle with a little more effort.

As a result, the user got something new for the Linux world – install once and use it forever, simply by updating the system regularly and constantly keeping up with cutting-edge software. What we now call the continuous release model.

The distribution gives users ultimate control over how their systems work and look, supporting the KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) philosophy.

And this philosophy was quickly adopted by thousands of advanced Linux users who sought the combination of complete control over their systems with an operating system that was easy and simple to maintain.

Over the years, Arch Linux has gained a mass of fans that have turned it into almost a cult. It got to the point where the distro got its catchphrase, “BTW, I Use Arch”, used to make fun of the type of people who feel superior because they use a more difficult Linux distro.

Of course, complexity of use has never been a goal for Arch Linux. Instead, as it has always been, the distribution's goal is to provide Linux users with the most straightforward approach to using Linux.

Plus, you get the latest software possible with as few modifications as possible. In short, you get one of the purest Linux experiences available today.

Many clones have emerged in response to the benefits that Arch Linux offers. Furthermore, distributions like Manjaro and EndeavourOS have stood on the strong shoulders of Arch Linux, removing its most significant disadvantage – the complex installation process.

As a result, they quickly became the desktop systems of choice for countless Linux users.

Adored by some and shunned by others, over the past 20 years Arch Linux has paved the way for continued releases of Linux distributions, securing its place in modern Linux history.

Well, that was the list of the 4 big distributions that shaped the Linux world. Anyway, this is the beauty of Linux – the freedom of choice.

However, some have laid the groundwork to achieve this diversity of countless Linux distributions. And with this article, I give all due respect to the top four in my opinion.

At first glance it may seem like so many distributions are confusing, but in fact, this is the great power of Linux.

There is no best distribution, there is the one that best suits your needs. So choose the one that works for you and have fun.