Why so many new GNU/Linux distributions?

Question

Mint and CrunchBang, for example. What's the point? Are users not able to spend just five minutes changing desktop settings and/or using a package manager? Surely it serves to do little more than bewilder new users.

Answer 1

This is how we get new development. It is not so much for the consumers as the developers - but ultimately we all benefit.



Really cool or useful features tend to get acquired by other larger distributions until eventually they're everywhere.



Yes, with Windows only having one vendor (Microsoft), it makes it easier to keep track of who is doing what - But remember: Microsoft doesn't develop software - they buy it off others or outright acquire the company that developed it. Since their internal APIs aren't documented for people not working for Microsoft, they really suppress innovation.



The big inventions of the computer industry were all created elsewhere: The first big browser (Mosaic) was developed under Unix/Linux. WIndowing software was developed at Xerox Park and mightily improved by Apple.

There were a ton of spreadsheets before Excel, etc.



The next big thing is probably coming out of one of these small distributions - and you can see that we all benefit from that.



If you're confused, start with one of the really big distributions. I recommend Ubuntu or Fedora. These will be the easiest for a novice to get their feet wet - but no doubt, once you understand the gist of Linux you'll have your own opinions about what works best for what.



I would also note that only a small portion of the community is developing specifically for novices. Most new software is developed with the idea that it will be "cleaned up" or "user proofed" later on in the development cycle. The Fedora/Redhats, Suses, Debians and Ubuntus have now benefited from a lot of work done to simplify use but you sure can bet there is a ton of software that hasn't been incorporated by these distributions simply because it isn't novice friendly yet.

Answer 2

To a certain degree you have a valid point.



Most Linux distros. have an upgrade cycle. In the case of Ubuntu this is six months which also directly affects Linux Mint as it has Ubuntu at its foundation. Support usually lasts for eighteen months.



However here is the downside. If like myself until the release of Ubuntu 9.04 which is exceptional the release I preferred was Ubuntu 7.04 which meant I had to run a whole six months without support.



Here is an example of what I mean



Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) is more refined release than Ubuntu 8.10 (Intrepid Ibex)



Ubuntu 8.10 was rushed out after the release of Ubuntu 8.04 LTS (Hardy Heron) and by the time 8.10 had been released Ubuntu 8.04.1 LTS had already been released.



So most of the development had gone in to Ubuntu 8.04.1 It was not until the release of Ubuntu 9.04 major updates became available to Ubuntu 8.10



So this places Mint 6 as now the best release of that distro. even though it is based on Ubuntu 8.10 all this is down to the major updates.



As a footnote I don't really care for Mint 7 which is ironically based on Ubuntu 9.04



So yes it can serve to bewilder new Linux users as new is not always better for the very reasons I have outlined above. Only two Ubuntu releases have really hit the mark those being 7.04 and 9.04



Likewise the Mint release that stands out from the crowd is Mint 6 although Mint 4.0 was very good although based on Ubuntu 7.10 so no none of it does make sense.



The best way to approach it all is consider the major Linux distros. first which simplifies things a little

http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major



The introduction to this Distrowatch page puts it in a nutshell



' The bewildering choice and the ever increasing number of Linux distributions can be confusing for those who are new to Linux. This is why this page was created. It lists 10 Linux distributions (plus an honourable mention of FreeBSD, by far the most popular of all of the BSDs), which are generally considered as most widely-used by Linux users around the world. There are no figures to back it up and there are many other distributions that might suit your particular purpose better, but as a general rule, all of these are popular and have very active forums or mailing lists where you can ask questions if you get stuck. Ubuntu, Linux Mint and PCLinuxOS are considered the easiest for new users who want to get productive in Linux as soon as possible without having to master all its complexities. On the other end of the spectrum, Slackware Linux, Gentoo Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced distributions that require plenty of learning before they can be used effectively. openSUSE, Fedora, Debian GNU/Linux and Mandriva Linux can be classified as good "middle-road" distributions. CentOS is an enterprise distribution, suitable for those who prefer stability, reliability and long-term support over cutting-edge features and software. '



I have in my answer confused the situation even more or cleared things up a little WHO KNOWS !





LUg.

Answer 3

Variety is The Spice of Life. Without all those dedicated to creating and modifying A version of Linux I would never have known about all the things available, that even Windows can't even compare to or even come close to it. The power of Linux is the console commands, not the GUI desktop environments. Ok I'm a little weird with 250 Linux LiveCDs, but I give them a test run on all kind of computers and I have my preferences of one over another. Underneath they basically have the same base system. Linux is a Kernel by itself, everything else is simply added to it to make an operating system. If they didn't offer choices, probably no one would ever use it or be interested in it.

Answer 4

Most of them are geared towards different types of users.

It's not all about the settings but what the system runs like.

They don't all look the same but that doesn't mean the only differences are cosmetic. Under the hood there are huge differences.

Answer 5

That's kind of the point of it. It allows anyone to modify or build the OS frmo scratch. Each distro has is benefits and disadvantages, but it serves its purpose for the indivual. Also, if the user is installing a non-standard OS I think they can handle the distro variety.

Answer 6

Yep, they're all basically hobbies of the developers. With so many options there's something for everyone, many people are using Ubuntu now. Personally, I like Slackware.

Answer 7

That's like saying why are there so many different models of cars why can't we just have one car? Different strokes for different folks and because we can. Have you seen how many versions of Vista there are and that's just from the same company.