Why are there so many different linux distributions and how do they really differ from the users perspective?
In: Technology
To understand how they differ, we must remember what a distro is. A distro is essentially a combination of 3 things:
– A packaging format, managed through a package manager
– A set of default packages to include
– A bunch of default configs for those packages.
That’s essentially what can differ between distros.
Now why are they so many, it’s because of multiple reasons.
– The first one is that a distro is easy to make and as linux and most other components are open-source it makes that more accessible.
– Secondly, distros don’t have to start from scratch and are often derivatives of existing ones.
– Thirdly, each person likes to install their PC slightly differently than someone else. One might want a distro ready out-of-the-box with say Steam, OBS etc, one might want something with each app encapsulated for security reasons, one might want an heavily debloated distro to squeeze the maximum performance out of a server…
– Finally, some just do it for fun and/or see that as a challenge to accomplish.
Latest Answers