Why try to find the best distro?

[Aelfric5578]

This might be a bit of an odd question, but I'm curious. To date I've only used two Linux distros (mostly Ubuntu and I once used Knoppix to rescue a dying Windows PC). So far Ubuntu has worked well for me, but every now and then a friend tells me that I should try Fedora. Or someone else recommends Gentoo. etc. I look around the web and find that most people have their favorite distros and will sometimes defend them religiously. I'm just wondering, are the various Linux distros so different from each other in terms of user experience, that it's worth trying a few in order to find the right one? Or is any one as good as the others?

[meng]

I think if you're happy with what you've got, be it Windows, Mac OS, or some Linux distro, then stick with what you've got. There is no one right OS/distro for everyone, it all depends on your needs and preferences.

[aysiu]

The need to find the "perfect distro" is just natural human curiosity at work.

This is why a lot of people feel the need to "sow their wild oats" before settling down for marriage (of course, some people never settle down or others settle down but don't marry)--they want to know they tried what was out there.

Nothing wrong with trying stuff out. Also nothing wrong with being satisfied with what works for you.

[meng]

This is why a lot of people feel the need to "sow their wild oats" before settling down for marriage (of course, some people never settle down or others settle down but don't marry)--they want to know they tried what was out there.
Whoa, now you describe it like that, I feel so ... dirty :)

[Kindred]

They really can vary quite a lot, it's definitely worth checking a few out if you like to tinker - it's under those circumstances you're likely to notice all the differences.

[dca]

Ever since the 'out of the box' euphamism became prevalent in all Linux articles... Most user(s) converting from M$ roam from distro to distro to see which one auto-recognizes all their interesting b*st*rdized components in the PC they're running. Not to mention, which distro floated deals in order for them to decode MP3 formats and others. Oh, then there's the whole WiFi card thing.

Although, most of us are here (I would presume) because we found our best 'out of the box' distro in Ubuntu. Man, I've thrown an Ubuntu derivative on just about every machine I can think of and it just works. The only downside (but expected) was configuring (using Easy or Automatix) all the goodies like Flash, MP3 & DVD decoding, blah blah blah...

[Aelfric5578]

They really can vary quite a lot, it's definitely worth checking a few out if you like to tinker - it's under those circumstances you're likely to notice all the differences.

That's what I mean though. I do like to tinker. What kind of differences are there? So far the only major differences I can find between any given distros just by reading about them are how packages are handled and what default software/desktops are installed. I'll probably try out a few other distros at some point just because of curiosity, like aysiu said, and also to gain experience, but I was more wondering how one goes about comparing distros. What do you take into account when choosing your favorite distros? Aren't they all just GNU/Linux ;) ?

[RAV TUX]

That's what I mean though. I do like to tinker. What kind of differences are there? So far the only major differences I can find between any given distros just by reading about them are how packages are handled and what default software/desktops are installed. I'll probably try out a few other distros at some point just because of curiosity, like aysiu said, and also to gain experience, but I was more wondering how one goes about comparing distros. What do you take into account when choosing your favorite distros? Aren't they all just GNU/Linux ;) ?

This depends on what you choose to try, while I enjoy testing as many Linux OS's as I can get my hands on (sometimes 4 to 5 a night),....I also enjoy testing/installing/using other OS's, including but not limited to: BSD, BeOS-like derivative (Zeta), the HURD, etc, etc

I constantly do research and testing for specific development purposes,...but also for the pure joy and fun that it brings to me...

Good luck with your interest and pursue what you find interesting...

[Kindred]

That's what I mean though. I do like to tinker. What kind of differences are there? So far the only major differences I can find between any given distros just by reading about them are how packages are handled and what default software/desktops are installed. I'll probably try out a few other distros at some point just because of curiosity, like aysiu said, and also to gain experience, but I was more wondering how one goes about comparing distros. What do you take into account when choosing your favorite distros? Aren't they all just GNU/Linux ;) ?

Well... the package manager is an obvious thing, and these vary in terms of resolving dependencies, removing orphan packages, the speed at which they work, and the many number of useful things they can do. Related to this is how easy it is to build packages for that particular package manager to install and how many ways there are to go about doing this. Of course, there are source based or binary based distros. Source based will generally offer a greater degree of configuration and a chance of a slight speed increase but at the cost of having to compile the software, which can take hours. Then you would have things like the different initialisation systems, and the different layout of configuration files.

These are mostly technical differences but then you have less technical and more philosophical differences which I think are perhaps more meaningful like the frequency of releases, and the method which is used. Ubuntu releases approx every 6 months and if a new version of software is released or a new application all together then you might not be able to install it from the repos until the next release. There are other distributions that have a rolling-release system where software goes into the repos almost as soon as it is released, with the possibility of not being quite as stable if it is not managed correctly.

Then of course you have just how 'free' a distribution will go, some will have no issues with putting closed source software in the standard repos for example. There is also the issue of how much software is in the standard repositories, some distros have a lot more than others, and some distros might have a different focus on the software that goes into them.

Some distros distros aim to be light and fast while others tend to be slower but more featureful or easier for the beginner. This extends beyond just the choice of default desktop, to the overall philosophy of the distro. The distro of my choice for example has a focus on KISS, and strips all packages of their help documentation and sets up no services by default, you also have to install your own DE/WM/Whatever. The result is an extremely fast and simple distro by design but likely wont appeal to the beginner or those who don't like to configure too much.

Like was mentioned, hardware recognition varies from distro to distro, some distros will happily patch software while other will try to refrain from doing so, some distros will have better communities than others, some will optimise packages for different architectures, etc etc.

Anyway i've only been using Linux a year and have surely missed out a lot of major things but these are some of the things i've noticed in the distros I have used.

[kazuya]

For some of us who are still learning our way around linux. The prusuit of greater or the best distro is our innate quest to find out which distro overall or OS would meet all our needs. We are humans and as such this is not possible, as our likes changes. As our needs or likes changes and certain things pull our attention we steer towards that direction in hope of finding the ultimate solution.

It is a never-ending addiction sometimes. But this is what gives rise to passing of knowledge and perhaps even unification of distro goals and functionality and improvement.

Every distro I have tried has had one unique thing about them. You do not see this unless you try the distro long enough.

For me, Ubuntu has progressed drastically to a point that I can use it very well for my needs, but for me to better apreciate how great of a job the devs here are doing, I have to utilize other distros to compare with. In the end, all of the distros are well put together with some doing some serious revolutionary things.

So far, I highly respect the debian distros like mepis, kanotix, ubuntu, elive, dreamlinux, knoppix, xandros, etc., and now slack-based like zenwalk, vectorlinux, and the gentoo-based sabayonlinux..

The rpm-based distros like Fedora and Suse has tended to not appeal to me as much, but that is my own experience. Differs for others.. But then, you get a distro like pclinuxos which is rpm-based and yet it is in everyway as capable and easy to work with as the debian-based ones mentioned, if not easier. That one rpm-based distro almost converted me.

Mepis 3.3 & Xandros 3 were really the distros that really propelled me into using linux for everything I desired. Without those two I would never have given linux a chance. And I continue to be thankful to them. As I am here.

So, this is why I keep trying to find an even better and more powerful distro that is well designed and adaptable to me, but not for others.

[pelle.k]

_Don't_ do things more complex than they are (Albert Einstein once said), but neither too simple. I like clever design instead of dumbed down. Otherwise it will just defeat it's purpose, and that is to ultimately leave me in control.
How does this apply to linux you ask? Too many distros try to oversimplify trivial things, and acctually make a mess of things. The mess may not be seen until you open the hood, but still it's the wrong path to take.
So, what am i looking for? The distro wich simplifies things, the _right_ way.
There is varying advanced degrees of "keep it simple" designs, such as the difference between kde/gnome. This is where you choose if you wan't the advanced features or not. (not the dumbed down vs super geeky features)

My candidates so far;

Distros:
Arch Linux (advanced user)
(K,X)Ubuntu (casual user)

[RAV TUX]

For some of us who are still learning our way around linux. The prusuit of greater or the best distro is our innate quest to find out which distro overall or OS would meet all our needs. We are humans and as such this is not possible, as our likes changes. As our needs or likes changes and certain things pull our attention we steer towards that direction in hope of finding the ultimate solution.

It is a never-ending addiction sometimes. But this is what gives rise to passing of knowledge and perhaps even unification of distro goals and functionality and improvement.

Every distro I have tried has had one unique thing about them. You do not see this unless you try the distro long enough.

For me, Ubuntu has progressed drastically to a point that I can use it very well for my needs, but for me to better apreciate how great of a job the devs here are doing, I have to utilize other distros to compare with. In the end, all of the distros are well put together with some doing some serious revolutionary things.

So far, I highly respect the debian distros like mepis, kanotix, ubuntu, elive, dreamlinux, knoppix, xandros, etc., and now slack-based like zenwalk, vectorlinux, and the gentoo-based sabayonlinux..

The rpm-based distros like Fedora and Suse has tended to not appeal to me as much, but that is my own experience. Differs for others.. But then, you get a distro like pclinuxos which is rpm-based and yet it is in everyway as capable and easy to work with as the debian-based ones mentioned, if not easier. That one rpm-based distro almost converted me.

Mepis 3.3 & Xandros 3 were really the distros that really propelled me into using linux for everything I desired. Without those two I would never have given linux a chance. And I continue to be thankful to them. As I am here.

So, this is why I keep trying to find an even better and more powerful distro that is well designed and adaptable to me, but not for others.

Well said.