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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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Niche Distro Users: Why? (lemmy.ml)

submitted 1 month ago by BaumGeist@lemmy.ml to c/linux@lemmy.ml

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I occasionally see love for niche small distros, instead of the major ones...

And it just seems to me like there's more hurdles than help when it comes to adopting an OS whose users number in the hundreds or dozens. I can understand trying one for fun in a VM, but I prefer sticking to the bigger distros for my daily drivers since the they'll support more software and not be reliant on upstream sources, and any bugs or other issues are more likely to be documented abd have workarounds/fixes.

So: What distro do you daily drive and why? What drove you to choose it?

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[–] eugenia@lemmy.ml 13 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I use Linux since 1999 and I'm with you, I don't like niche distros. I like them to be well supported with many devs in them, and a structure around them. My days of tinkering died already in 2002 (I'm looking at you Gentoo and sia). Since then, I want things to work the way I expect them. That's why I now use Debian or Mint.

[–] Frederic@beehaw.org 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I'm like you, started Linux with v0.99, downloading on floppies at university, installing on 486, installing X11, drivers, etc. It was fun at the beginning, I was young, had time, I was a "LFS" guy, always recompiling everything and all, and it was time consuming, and boring, and slow at the time!!! Then I basically use Debian (Ubuntu, Mint, now MX for 6 years at least) for 20 years... it works, I'm ok with it.

Yes I tried Arch, the low level install, it reminded me of my LFS time, but now I'm an old coot and I don't have time for this shit 😆

[–] LeFantome@programming.dev 4 points 1 month ago

We sound like we have almost identical experiences. Except, while I do have some Debian kicking around, I just love Arch and the AUR. But I mostly use EndeavourOS ( Arch for people who don’t have time for this shit ).

[–] tetris11@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Same. I started off on Gentoo, jumped to Puppy, jumped to Slack, jumped to Fedora, jumped to Arch, jumped to Nix, jumped to Guix, jumped back to Arch, and now I'm thinking Debian is the only true stable upstream linux needs.

Plus I'm sick of tweaking my configs for the N'th time to work on the M'th system. To quote a random side-character in American Dad: "I have painted my children for the last time."

(I will at some point start playing with BSD's though, I just know it. And Haiku too once they have decent laptop support.)