Why choice of Linux distribution matters (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 month 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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[-] btsax@reddthat.com 5 points 1 month ago

If that was true, why do we even have so many distributions?

Don't ignore the fact that part of the reason there are so many distributions, desktops, window managers, etc etc is because a large number of skilled coders have outsized egos

[-] hepp3n@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 month ago

Why egos? Maybe they are having fun doing it? :)

this post was submitted on 21 Jun 2026

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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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