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Thread: Too Many Distros?

  1. #1
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  2. #2
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    Recurring in 3... 2... 1...
    I try to treat the cause, not the symptom. I avoid the terminal in instructions, unless it's easier or necessary. My instructions will work within the Ubuntu system, instead of breaking or subverting it. Those are the three guarantees to the helpee.

  3. #3
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    The sheer number of distributions and desktop environments kept me from exploring the Linux world for my personal computing needs and wants while I was employed (Internet security specialist). I had no inclination to spend time mucking around with an OS just to do the things I wanted to do with a computer.

    Since I'm retired and have the technical inclination I'm enjoying testing ... there's still all the different desktop environments that are a bit perplexing.
    HP | Intel iCore 7 3.2Ghz | 12 Gb mem | SSD Win7 | HDD Trusty | Mate 16.04
    Dell laptop | Intel iCore 3 2.1Ghz | 4 Gb mem | MATE 16.04 + Win 7
    Regards, Pete

  4. #4
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    I've never felt there's a problem with having a thousand distros out there.

    The only problem I see is that 980 of those are utter garbage or add nothing new/different from the distros they're forked from.
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  5. #5
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    Quote Originally Posted by deadflowr View Post
    I've never felt there's a problem with having a thousand distros out there.

    The only problem I see is that 980 of those are utter garbage or add nothing new/different from the distros they're forked from.
    Yes, that is true. But don't you think that if there were only 6 or 7 distros, it would be easier and it would help keep things together...

  6. #6
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Kuzhively View Post
    Yes, that is true. But don't you think that if there were only 6 or 7 distros, it would be easier and it would help keep things together...
    Maybe, but people are selfish.
    At least linux is open about it.

    Other software makers hide this fact and only later, when problems arise, do we find out about the infighting going on between the various developers.
    Splat Double Splat Triple Splat
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  7. #7
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    I like the idea of derivatives, specially when the resulting OS is easy to install & use in comparison to the original.

    I am using Manjaro Linux. Its based on Arch. It has a graphical installer & the updates are stable.
    Lubuntu 20.04

  8. #8
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    Id rather have too many distros than too few.

  9. #9
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    Re: Too Much Linux?

    Yeah, but the argument is that there really are just a few properly supported distros, so "too many" and "too few" are not mutually exclusive situations.

    I think that spin-offs like Elementary and Mint prove that a small and unassuming "tweaks" distro really can grow into something meaningful, though. I think Mint really became a serious contribution when it started shifting to a Debian base. So I think that having all of these spin-offs for the chance that one in a hundred can rise to the level of a "real option" for a broader base of users really is worth the trouble.
    I know I shouldn't use tildes for decoration, but they always make me feel at home~

  10. #10
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    Re: Too Many Distros?

    In my city, there is a Mexican restaurant on just about every other block. Most of them serve pretty much the same food, which they probably buy from the same supplier. One could argue there are too many Mexican restaurants in my city.

    That would be a sound argument if all those restaurants were owned by the same chain or even franchises of the same company. But they aren't; they're (mostly) each independently owned and operated. Their goal isn't to promote the eating of Mexican cuisine, it's to make money selling a type of food that's popular in this town.

    Distros are much the same. Linux distros aren't all made by some big corporation that wants to promote the use of Linux. They are made by individual projects, each of which has its own goals and ideas about how a distro should be made and supported.

    People are going to make distros; some for fun, some for profit, some because they perceived a need that wasn't being met and tried to meet it. The ones worth keeping will stay, the ones with little real value will fizzle. Good ideas will make their way into other distros.

    Anyone who doesn't use Linux because "there are too many distros" didn't want to use it that badly in the first place.

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