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  1. Stackups
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  4. Operating Systems
  5. Ubuntu vs Void Linux

Ubuntu vs Void Linux

OverviewDecisionsComparisonAlternatives

Overview

Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Stacks80.4K
Followers59.1K
Votes468
Void Linux
Void Linux
Stacks24
Followers29
Votes12

Ubuntu vs Void Linux: What are the differences?

## Introduction
This Markdown code compares the key differences between Ubuntu and Void Linux.

## 1. Kernel Type:
Ubuntu uses the Linux kernel, which is a monolithic kernel, meaning all the core functionalities run in kernel space. Void Linux, on the other hand, uses the Xbps-kernel, a hybrid kernel that offers a balance between monolithic and microkernel design by separating some core functionalities into user space.

## 2. Init System:
Ubuntu utilizes systemd as the default init system, which controls the boot process and manages system processes. Void Linux, however, uses runit as its init system, known for its simplicity, reliability, and speed in starting services and managing daemons.

## 3. Package Management:
Ubuntu relies on the APT package manager to handle software installation, updates, and removal. In contrast, Void Linux employs the XBPS package manager, designed for minimalism and efficiency, with built-in support for parallel package downloads and installations.

## 4. Release Model:
While Ubuntu follows a time-based release cycle, with a new version every six months and Long Term Support (LTS) versions every two years, Void Linux operates on a rolling-release system, constantly updating packages to provide the latest software versions.

## 5. Desktop Environment Support:
Ubuntu offers official support and variants for various desktop environments, such as GNOME, KDE, Xfce, and others. Void Linux, being a minimalistic distribution, does not have official flavors but allows users to install and configure their preferred desktop environments.

## 6. Community and Support:
As one of the most popular Linux distributions, Ubuntu has a large community and extensive documentation, making it easier for users to seek help and resources. Void Linux, while growing in popularity, has a smaller but dedicated community, with active forums and IRC channels for support.

In Summary, the key differences between Ubuntu and Void Linux lie in their kernel type, init system, package management, release model, desktop environment support, and community size. 

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Advice on Ubuntu, Void Linux

Jerome/Zen
Jerome/Zen

Software Engineer

Aug 2, 2020

Decided

Global familiarity, free, widely used, and as a debian distro feels more comfortable when rapidly switching between local macOS and remote command lines.

CentOS does boast quite a few security/stability improvements, however as a RHEL-based distro, differs quite significantly in the command line and suffers from slightly less frequent package updates. (Could be a good or bad thing depending on your use-case and if it is public facing)

271k views271k
Comments
Simon
Simon

Developer Advocate at k6 / Load Impact

Mar 7, 2020

Decided

At the moment of the decision, my desktop was the primary place I did work. Due to this, I can't have it blow up on me while I work. While Arch is interesting and powerful, Ubuntu offers (at least for me) a lot more stability and lets me focus on other things than maintaining my own OS installation.

299k views299k
Comments
Govind
Govind

Aug 5, 2020

Decided

Ubuntu is much more faster over Windows and helps to get software and other utilities easier and within a short span of time compared to Windows.

Ubuntu helps to get robustness and resiliency over Windows. Ubuntu runs faster than Windows on every computer that I have ever tested. LibreOffice (Ubuntu's default office suite) runs much faster than Microsoft Office on every computer that I have ever tested.

270k views270k
Comments

Detailed Comparison

Ubuntu
Ubuntu
Void Linux
Void Linux

Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning ‘humanity to others’. It also means ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu operating system brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the world of computers.

It is a general purpose operating system, based on the monolithic Linux® kernel. Its package system allows you to quickly install, update and remove software; software is provided in binary packages or can be built directly from sources with the help of the XBPS source packages collection.

-
Independent distribution, developed entirely by volunteers; Install once, update daily. Your system will always be up-to-date; runit as the init system and service supervisor; First distribution to switch to LibreSSL by default, replacing OpenSSL
Statistics
Stacks
80.4K
Stacks
24
Followers
59.1K
Followers
29
Votes
468
Votes
12
Pros & Cons
Pros
  • 230
    Free to use
  • 96
    Easy setup for testing discord bot
  • 57
    Gateway Linux Distro
  • 54
    Simple interface
  • 9
    Don't need driver installation in most cases
Cons
  • 5
    Demanding system requirements
  • 4
    Adds overhead and unnecessary complexity over Debian
  • 2
    Snapd installed by default
  • 1
    Systemd
Pros
  • 4
    Lightweight
  • 3
    Musl supporting
  • 2
    Stable
  • 2
    No systemd
  • 1
    Wayland friendly

What are some alternatives to Ubuntu, Void Linux?

Debian

Debian

Debian systems currently use the Linux kernel or the FreeBSD kernel. Linux is a piece of software started by Linus Torvalds and supported by thousands of programmers worldwide. FreeBSD is an operating system including a kernel and other software.

Arch Linux

Arch Linux

A lightweight and flexible Linux distribution that tries to Keep It Simple.

Fedora

Fedora

Fedora is a Linux-based operating system that provides users with access to the latest free and open source software, in a stable, secure and easy to manage form. Fedora is the largest of many free software creations of the Fedora Project. Because of its predominance, the word "Fedora" is often used interchangeably to mean both the Fedora Project and the Fedora operating system.

Linux Mint

Linux Mint

The purpose of Linux Mint is to produce a modern, elegant and comfortable operating system which is both powerful and easy to use.

CentOS

CentOS

The CentOS Project is a community-driven free software effort focused on delivering a robust open source ecosystem. For users, we offer a consistent manageable platform that suits a wide variety of deployments. For open source communities, we offer a solid, predictable base to build upon, along with extensive resources to build, test, release, and maintain their code.

Linux

Linux

A clone of the operating system Unix, written from scratch by Linus Torvalds with assistance from a loosely-knit team of hackers across the Net. It aims towards POSIX and Single UNIX Specification compliance.

CoreOS

CoreOS

It is designed for security, consistency, and reliability. Instead of installing packages via yum or apt, it uses Linux containers to manage your services at a higher level of abstraction. A single service's code and all dependencies are packaged within a container that can be run on one or many machines.

Gentoo Linux

Gentoo Linux

It is a free operating system based on either Linux or FreeBSD that can be automatically optimized and customized for just about any application or need.

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux

Alpine Linux is a security-oriented, lightweight Linux distribution based on musl libc and busybox.

Manjaro

Manjaro

It is an accessible, friendly, open-source Linux distribution and community. Based on Arch Linux, it provides all the benefits of cutting-edge software combined with a focus on getting started quickly, automated tools to require less manual intervention, and help readily available when needed.

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