m23 is a software distribution and management system for the Debian, Ubuntu, Kubuntu Linux, Xubuntu, Linux Mint, elementary OS, Fedora, CentOS and openSUSE distributions. m23 can partition and format clients and install a Linux operating system and any number of software packages like office packages, graphic tools, server applications or games via the m23 system. The entire administration is done via a webbrowser and is possible from all computers having access to the m23 server. m23 is developed predominantly by Hauke Goos-Habermann since the end of 2002. m23 differentiates between servers and clients. An m23 server is used for software distribution and the management of the clients. Computers which are administered (e.g. software is installed) through the m23 server are the clients. The client is booted over the network during the installation of the operating system. It is possible to start the client with a bootrom on its network card, a boot disk or a boot CD. The client's hardware is detected and set up. The gathered hardware and partition information is sent to the m23 server. Afterwards, this information is shown in the m23 administration interface. Now the administrator has to choose how to partition and format the client. There are other settings, too, e.g. the distribution to be installed on the client. The m23 clients can be installed as workstation with the graphical user interfaces KDE 3.x, GNOME 2.x, Xfce, Unity, LXDE and pure X11 or as a server without graphical subsystem. In most server setups, the server doesn't need a user interface because most of the server software runs in text mode. M23 is released under the GNU GPL.