Why are there so many different linux distributions and how do they really differ from the users perspective?

Question

Why are there so many different linux distributions and how do they really differ from the users perspective?

In: Technology

Answer 1

Here are some practical ways in which the Linux distros differ from the user’s perspective:

1. How fast does the distro approves new versions of programs? Some distros approve new versions of programs pretty much as soon as they are available, so you always use the most cutting edge version of everything. Others will cap you to a certain maximal version, and you will not be able to upgrade past that (not with normal means anyway) until the distro releases a new version of itself. How often do the distros release new versions? Depends on the distro. A distro like Debian moves at a glacial pace, so you can expect to be constantly behind the rest of the world in terms of the programs you use. A distro like Ubuntu is quicker, releasing a new version about every 6 months.
2. What is the distro’s philosophy on non-free software? Some distros make it easy to install proprietary drivers and codecs. Ubuntu will outright recommend them to you as part of its installation. Other distros choose to be a pain in the ass and ban proprietary software, or just don’t do anything to help you get it.
3. What is the distro’s favorite desktop environment? There are many desktop environments in the Linux world: Gnome, KDE, XFCE, Mate, etc. You can usually install whichever you want, but often distros have a clear favorite, and naturally the user experience there will be more polished.
4. Do you have a niche use case? Some distros are designed to be as user friendly as possible, while others are designed to make the user manually configure every aspect of the distro (Gentoo is a good example). Some distros target weak computers, so they make their software decisions with the goal of lowest resource usage. Some distros are designed to be run from a flash drive, and will try to be as small as possible. Some distros aim to focus on security, and will enable kernel and desktop environment features that are often not enabled.