Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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Why choice of Linux distribution matters (lemmy.ml)

submitted 2 days ago by thingsiplay@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I see often people say that the distro you are using doesn't matter. One can turn any distro into another. And I do not agree with that. If that was true, why do we even have so many distributions? I always said, if distros don't matter...

... why distro hop?
... why don't you use Ubuntu then?
... why don't you recommend Archlinux to a newcomer?
... why don't you use Kali Linux as a server?
... why don't you use Batocera or SteamOS as your daily driver?
... why do you trust a community distro more than a corporate distro? (or vice versa)

I don't think that distros only matter to newcomers. Maybe it matters for experienced users even more.

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[–] Cethin@lemmy.zip 3 points 6 hours ago* (last edited 6 hours ago)

Your choice of distro doesn't matter insofar as you can fix any issues you have with one, and it can be modified to work like any other.

Your choice of distro does matter in the fact that your time is limited and you probably don't want to spend days making your system work exactly like you want from a base point that was far away from that. You should choose a distro that minimizes the gap between what you want and what you get out of the box.

You just need to choose one that seems right, then you can make the modifications you need. Just make a choice though. It'll be fine if you just picked something that seems close enough.