What Linux distribution is truer to the Linux kernel?

**linuxvstheworld** · October 12th, 2012

You know how Mint and Ubuntu have like certain things or tweaks that other distributions don't have? Is there a distribution that's closest to what the kernel is? I know I can't really word it right but I hope someone knows what I mean. I was thinking Debian and Slackware were more close to the Linux kernel itself....

**litiform** · October 12th, 2012

Your question's not really answerable.

But I would answer Arch Linux, solely because at first install it is so bare bones it is almost all kernel.

**oldos2er** · October 12th, 2012

Moved to Other OS/Distro Talk.

**Rukiri** · October 12th, 2012

Originally Posted by litiform

Your question's not really answerable.

But I would answer Arch Linux, solely because at first install it is so bare bones it is almost all kernel.

True, but let's not forget slackware, and gentoo/funtoo.

Gentoo is probably the closest to the linux kernel as arch does have patches but gentoo does not with vanilla sources or git sources.

The closest to true linux is obviously linux from scratch.

**cwsnyder** · October 13th, 2012

You can install a 'vanilla' kernel from github resources on just about any distribution. That doesn't mean it won't crash on you if you need some of the distro 'tweaks' for it to work on your hardware.

I used to have an eMachines dual-core product which would work with Debian, Puppy or Mandriva derived distributions, but would crash the kernel on Fedora/RHEL, Slackware, and other distros I tried outside of a virtual machine.

**linuxvstheworld** · October 13th, 2012

Is Debian close to the Linux kernel itself as well?

**ojdon** · October 14th, 2012

If a Vanilla Linux Kernel is what you're after then Arch Linux offers a kernel that doesn't have any additional distro-specific kernel patches:

https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.p...-vanilla&SeB=x

**Lemuriano** · October 15th, 2012

If we mean no tweaks, then I would say distributions that used the linux-libre kernel, like Trisquel and Parabola.

**linuxvstheworld** · October 15th, 2012

For someone who likes installing from repos, should I try Debian?

**lykwydchykyn** · October 15th, 2012

Debian applies a number of kernel patches. I don't think it's clear what you're after, though; do you just want a distro with a minimal base install, or are you wanting something that does minimal patching of the upstream sources? Those are two different things.