I'm moving into a database engineering role and will initially be working as a DBA subject-matter expert. I'll also be building skills in areas like Kubernetes and Terraform, so I'd like to use a Linux distribution that closely matches Red Hat Enterprise Linux in a work-like environment. Rocky Linux and AlmaLinux seem to be the closest equivalents, but I'm unsure whether they provide enough hardware support for an inexpensive laptop I'm planning to buy. Would Fedora Workstation be a better choice, or should I consider something like Ubuntu instead?
2 Answers
AlmaLinux may be worth a look because it includes additional hardware enablement and driver support that you generally won’t find in a standard RHEL or Rocky Linux installation. That could make it more convenient on a budget laptop.
For most laptops, drivers are provided by the Linux kernel rather than by the distribution itself. Unless the hardware is unusually new or depends on proprietary software, a RHEL-compatible distribution such as AlmaLinux or Rocky Linux should work. Hardware compatibility is usually a better reason to choose Fedora or Ubuntu than differences in the core driver set.
That makes sense. I’ll check the specific laptop hardware for any unusual or proprietary components before deciding.
Thanks, that extra hardware support is exactly what I was wondering about.