Red Hat, Debian, etc. are all distributions ("distros") of Linux.
Keep in mind that Linux is technically only the kernel, which is a single part of a working and useful system.
You'll need basic utilities, decisions regarding where things live in the system, a mechanism for installing and updating software, and conventions/standards (such as the directory where programs go) to tie this together.
Most of the GNU versions of classic utilities are often considered basic by many distros and thus is why Debian, for example, calls it GNU/Linux. With just about everything else though, there are a lot of choices. And since Linux, the GNU utilities, and many things that run under Linux are free software, anyone can create a new distribution anytime they want. Including derive from an existing distro if that distro has not included anything copyrighted or proprietary.
Images and logos are frequently something that is trademarked/copyrighted and usually cannot be directly used in a derivative distro unless you obey terms and conditions of whoever owns that. The same software usually can be if it's GPL or GPL-like licensed.
One major thing that is usually distro-specific is the package manager or method which software is maintained, tested, and distributed. Derived distributions usually are compatible with their "upstream" package managers. Nothing is stopping you from manual program installation on any Linux distro, though.
Typically this means that you'll install software the same way using the same package manager, and the locations of executables and configuration files will be in the same place.
17and Darwin is based on BSD. You could throw the NeXT OS inbetwixt those two... :D – Keltari – 2013-10-10T13:32:11.353
12"Red Hat is based on Fedora", that one is quite inaccurate. More like Fedora is beta test for elements later used in RedHat. – vartec – 2013-10-10T14:44:05.917
Basically you take a distributions core components, change what you want, (software, logos, names, whatever...) and now you you have a "flavor", or distribution based on the other "distro" – TheXed – 2013-10-10T16:53:27.333
2The simplest way is you take the exact Linux distribution you like, and change one line, somewhere, maybe just
/etc/motd
, and voila, you have your own new Linux Distribution. How can a Linux OS NOT be based on an existing one. That's the harder question. – Warren P – 2013-10-10T21:21:48.5074
I think your answer is already answered. However, here is a nice graphical representation of the history of all the Linux distros that are around: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Linux_Distribution_Timeline.svg
– Dohn Joe – 2013-10-11T10:49:40.147