Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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What's the difference between package manager and why are there so many? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 year ago by GravitySpoiled@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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Are they so different that it's justified to have so many different distributions? So far I guess that different package manager are the reason that divides the linux community. One may be on KDE and one on GNOME but they can use each other's packages but usually you are bound to one manager

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[–] michaelrose@lemmy.ml 6 points 1 year ago

Are they so different that it’s justified to have so many different distributions?

Linux isn't a project its a source compatible ecosystem. A parts bin out of which different people assemble different things. The parts being open source means you don't need anyone's permission or justification to make something different out of them.

From these many and varied efforts comes life, vitality, interest, intellectual investment. You can't just take the current things you like best and say well what if we all worked on THOSE when many of them wouldn't even have existed save for the existence of a vital ecosystem that supported experimentation and differentiation.

If we really believed in only pulling together maybe you would be developing in cobol on your dos workstation.