Summary
In this chapter, we learned about Linux distributions, with a practical emphasis on choosing the right platform for our needs and performing the related installation procedures.
Throughout the chapter, the main emphasis was on the Ubuntu distribution. In the spirit of a practical approach, we covered VM environments running Linux. We also took a short route through the Windows realm, where we touched upon WSL, a modern-day abstraction of Linux as a native Windows application.
With the skills learned in this chapter, we hope you’ll have a better understanding of how to choose different flavors of Linux distros based on your needs. You’ve learned how to install and configure Linux on a variety of platforms. You will use some of these skills throughout the rest of the book, but most importantly, you’ll now be comfortable quickly deploying the Linux distribution of your choice and testing with it.
Starting with the next chapter, we’ll take a closer look at the various Linux subsystems, components, services, and applications. Chapter 2, The Linux Shell and Filesystem, will familiarize you with the Linux filesystem internals and related tools.