What is the difference between Ubuntu and Fedora?

Answer 1

Gnome and KDE are desktop environments. They provide a suite of different applications that achieve their own kind of user interface that are tailored to many users' needs (yet some are customizable as well should you need or want to tweak anything).

Answer 2

Ubuntu and Fedora differ mainly in their package management methods. Fedora uses the "Red Hat" style, using RPM packages. Ubuntu uses the "Debian" style, with DEB packages. These are similar but incompatible with each other. RPMs are less standardized, so package breakage is more common. Also, RPMs cannot track their dependencies automatically, so you will experience "RPM hell" easily if you are not careful.

For a desktop user, there will be little difference in appearance or general management. Ubuntu makes it easier to install proprietary (called "restricted") that you will need to play stuff like MP3s or Flash. On a server, many commercial applications are packaged in RPM format or targeted at Red Hat-like distros, making Fedora a better choice in some instances.

Answer 3

GNOME is a desktop environment. It provides the basic "look and feel" of the system with its collection of "widgets", or pieces of application code like toolbars and buttons. Ubuntu uses GNOME as its desktop environment. Many other distros either use GNOME exclusively or make it available, such as Fedora, Debian, or Linux Mint.

Ubuntu is the overall collection of programs (GNOME, the X server, the Linux kernel, and your personal applications) that make a complete operating system. Ubuntu can use other desktop environments besides GNOME. When used with KDE (K Desktop Environment), the system is called "Kubuntu." When used with Xfce, the system is called "Xubuntu." Ubuntu Server Edition uses no desktop environment, but just a bash shell. Although rare, even variations of Ubuntu without the Linux kernel are possible, such as Nexenta (with the OpenSolaris kernel)