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[NMLUG] Why so many Linux distros?
On Mon, 2006-10-09 at 06:27 -0600, Steve Browne wrote:
> The rapid proliferation of Linux distros is leaving me flabbergasted.
> I'm wondering, why? Is it just an academic ego exercise to have your
> "own" distro because you've changed some graphics and tweaked some
> functions? How many of these variants are actually of service to the
> end user?
>
Simply put, because they can. I would not call it "academic ego" but
rather look at it as some one or a group of people getting tired with
minor gripes about a parent distro that they like then doing something
about rather than just winning about it. So I guess this sort of
answers your question about "service to the end user"...the answer would
be yes.
> The stumbling block for Linux has been the (un)availability of
> high-end professional applications for it, NOT open-source. I can
> understand that developers might have a hard time porting their
> applications to Linux if there are 300+ versions of it.
>
The way I see it there is one gnu/linux with different ways of package
management (source, rpm, pkg, etc.)
> My analogy has always been, the use of the English language (for
> example) is free. Nobody claims that there is only ONE version of the
> English language. However if there were 300+ versions of it you might
> understandably seek an alternative to work with.
>
Do you have a problems with car's? I mean there are hundreds of
different types and manufactures. Different types of engines, styles,
functions, fuel, etc . Yet I'm sure that you have no problem picking
one that is right for you and driving it. Yet I'm sure that we all wish
we could afford a Ferrari with all the options that we could ever want
and drive it as fast as we want. =)
Eric
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