Why are there so many Linux distributions?

Linux is the kernel, and all operating systems that use it are called "Linux distributions." The Linux kernel is licensed under the GNU General Public License, which gives anyone the right to view, edit, and distribute any application of the kernel; the ability to create your own operating system for free encouraged many developers to start creating their own distributions .

#The operating environment of this tutorial: linux7.3 system, Dell G3 computer.

Unlike Windows and macOS, installing Linux is not easy. Searching for the keyword Linux on the Internet will bring you many operating systems with different names, but there is no operating system called "Linux". why is that?

Linux is increasingly becoming the operating system of choice for both experienced tech enthusiasts and everyday users. But why are there thousands of operating systems or "distros" collectively called "Linux"? Why do developers keep creating so many operating systems of the same type? Let’s find out through the article below.

What is a Linux distribution?

First of all, it’s important to understand what Linux really means. Linux is not an operating system, but rather a kernel, the component that connects computer hardware to the operating system. When you launch an application on your computer by clicking on an icon, the kernel communicates with the operating system to launch the application and displays the output on the screen, i.e., through the hardware.

The operating system consists of the underlying kernel, applications and the usual graphical user interface. Linux is the kernel, and all operating systems that use it are called "Linux distributions." The term "distribution" comes from the process of sharing a Linux-based operating system with other users, also known as "distribution" because the kernel and operating system are usually free.

What creates so many Linux distributions?

The Linux kernel is licensed under the GNU General Public License, which gives anyone the right to view, edit, and distribute any applications of the kernel. But that's not always the case.

Prior to this, Unix was a popular operating system, but its source code was owned by AT&T. Some time later, BSD (Berkeley Software Distribution), an operating system primarily based on Unix, was born at the University of California, Berkeley. There were many other Unix-based operating systems at the time, and they were all very different.

The lack of standards for creating Unix-based operating systems and the rivalry between operating systems led to an era known as the "Unix Wars". Various vendors released their own versions of Unix and began developing their own standards, including AT&T and BSD.

History of the development of Unix versions

In 1983, Richard Stallman started the GNU Project, which focuses on the development and distribution of free and open source software. The GNU Project aims to create a free version of Unix that anyone can copy and freely distribute.

Many applications at the time were developed under the GNU General Public License, including TAR and Emacs. But the project lacks an open source kernel, the part of the computer that helps operating systems and applications interact with the hardware.

In 1991, eight years after the GNU project was launched, Linus Torvalds began developing Linux. A year later, Linux was redistributed under the General Public License, becoming what we now know as GNU/Linux. Because the Linux kernel is licensed under the GPL, anyone can create an operating system on top of it and distribute it freely.

The ability to create your own operating system for free has encouraged many developers to start creating their own distributions. Various distributions including Debian, Red Hat, and Slackware were released at that time, starting the Linux revolution.

Why create a new Linux distribution?

The main reason developers continue to create and distribute new Linux-based operating systems is simply because that's what they can do. Linux kernel and free applications. Creating the entire operating system's resources on the kernel doesn't cost a penny either.

Today, few people create a distribution from scratch. Instead, they use another popular distribution and build a new operating system based on the old operating system, or modify it, add to it with new GUIs and applications.

Ubuntu has multiple versions, such as Xubuntu, Kubuntu and Lubuntu. The only difference between the 3 versions is the desktop environment. Xubuntu, Kubuntu and Lubuntu have XFCE, KDE Plasma and LXDE respectively instead of the default custom GNOME desktop that comes pre-installed on Ubuntu.

The main goal of an operating system is to make it easier for users to use the desktop. When someone wants a new feature in an operating system, the traditional route is to provide feedback to the company that developed the operating system. The GNU Project revolutionized this.

Users will work together to build the operating system according to their own wishes

Users themselves will use, develop, provide feedback, deploy and ultimately distribute the open source distribution. You are free to create your own distribution and add the features you want in the operating system of your dreams.

Anyone with the same ideas and opinions can contribute to the project and help the developers. No need to contact the company or fill out feedback forms to get extra features added to the operating system.

Not only users, but even large companies will create new distributions for internal use within the company. Microsoft's CBL-Mariner is a typical example. This is mainly because large companies do not want to use distributions created by other users and want to develop their own operating systems from scratch or based on another mainstream distribution.

The Linux project has grown to the point where tech giants like Google have begun to rely on the Linux kernel in some projects. Take Android and Chrome OS for example. Android uses the Linux kernel internally, and Chrome OS is built on Gentoo Linux, a distribution released in 2000.

Gentoo Linux

Another reason for Linux desktop fragmentation is the wide variety of devices available. In addition to desktops, other devices, such as those based on ARM processors, also require an operating system to run. Linux solves this problem by giving developers the tools to create an operating system for any processor they want.

Raspbian OS is a distribution created specifically for Raspberry Pi devices. You can also find countless distributions developed to run on older processors that are not supported by proprietary operating system vendors.

Do you really need so many distributions?

If you just need a computer and an operating system to get the job done, of course not. You can use any operating system as long as it suits your capabilities. But for those who want more choice when it comes to their devices and their digital lives, Linux is the right choice.

You can try several Linux operating systems and choose the one you think is best, or continue to copy and test new distributions. Linux gives you this choice. As long as people continue to support and contribute to the open source ecosystem, you will continue to see new distributions developed and released for free on the Internet.

This is how open source works!

Although many proprietary operating systems, such as Android and macOS, have closed source code bases, they use Linux as the basis for their projects. This is perfectly acceptable because the license under which the Linux kernel is released allows anyone to modify and distribute the code without any restrictions.

Thanks to the huge community support behind the Linux-based operating system, new exclusive features are constantly being added to the distribution. While you can find many of these features on other proprietary operating systems like Windows and macOS, some of them are limited to a handful of Linux distributions.

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