Linux is often listed as parallel to OSes like macOS. But afaik Mac is also based off of Unix, so can I say Mac is a distro of unix? And then Mac would become parallel to linux distros like ubuntu and debian? Is a distro an OS of their own?
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If operating systems were cars, Linux would be the engine. It’s the part that makes it go.
Most of it is stuff you don’t interact with directly; between it and you are things like pedals, a steering wheel, levers, buttons, etc. And there’s more to a car than just its engine and essential controls. There’s the car’s shape, size, seats, doors, mirrors, lights, horn, entertainment center, dashboard, windows, fuel tank… all of these cars can use the same “Linux engine” and they’d all be “Linux operating systems” because of that. They would all have some shared similarities in features, shape, and handling, but you can still get pretty wild with the overall car design even with your choice of engine locked in.
Consider a distro like Debian. If Debian were a car, it would probably be a simple, nonchalant, no-frills sedan with a manual transmission. A generic workhorse kind of car that can get a person from place to place efficiently and reliably. It only comes with a few bare amenities, like heated seats and a basic radio, but not much else. Customizing it the way the driver wants it is the driver’s job. Lots of people like it for the relatively blank-slate it is.
Now consider a distro like Ubuntu. Unbuntu is based on Debian. That means it’s essentially the same exact “car model”. But just like how in real life, you have lots of pre-customized versions of a car (“trim kits”) to choose from when buying one, you often have lots of pre-customized versions of Linux distros to pick from. In this case, Debian is the base kit that includes only the essentials, while Ubuntu is a loaded out kit that includes a bevy of features that target non-car-enthusiasts or drivers who don’t want to bother fully kitting out their own cars from scratch, like an automatic transmission, full entertainment center, built-in GPS navigation, parking assist, lane assist, a rear spoiler, etc. All things a Debian driver could theoretically install themselves if they wanted, pre-assembled for you so you don’t have to. Some people find this prebuilt kit very attractive, others may be annoyed with the inclusion of features they didn’t want.
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