Here's Why There Are So Many Linux Distros
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Dibakar Ghosh
3 hours ago
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Lucas Gouveia / How-To Geek
SUMMARY

Each Linux distro follows a different philosophy, catering to unique needs and requirements.
Distros can share the same philosophy but disagree on execution, allowing for personalization.
Linux offers freedom to create endless distros, fostering innovation and diversity in the OS market.
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Anyone who has stepped into the world of Linux knows it's not a singular operating system like Windows or Mac. There are literally hundreds of Linux distributions (distros), from Ubuntu to Void Linux. So, what's the reason behind this overwhelming variety?

Each Distro Follows a Different Philosophy to Solve a Different Problem

Everyone has an opinion and each distro is an expression of that opinion. The Linux world is full of passionate developers and communities, each with their own vision of what makes the perfect operating system.

When a developer creates a Linux distro, it’s not about creating the best operating system because there can’t be an objectively best, one-size-fits-all operating system. Everyone has different needs and requirements, and different distros are optimized to cater to these different needs and requirements as best as possible. This way, you don’t need to modify your workflow to fit that of the operating system, but rather the operating system is fine-tuned to fit your workflow.

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Let’s say you want something that works like Windows 10 and can breathe life into your older hardware that’s no longer supported by Microsoft. In that case, you can take a look at Linux Mint. Alternatively, perhaps you like the Mac's aesthetics but dislike the Apple price tag. In that case, you can try out PearOS or elementary OS.

That said, the difference isn’t just about looks, and extends to use cases as well. For example, Fedora comes packed with tons of developer tools, making it one of the best distros for programmers. Whereas, if you want a distro pre-optimized for gaming, then Garuda Linux is your jam. Then you have distros like Kali Linux, specifically optimized for the unique needs of pen testers and cybersecurity specialists.

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Now, Ubuntu fits in as a general-purpose distro similar to Windows and macOS. You can manually tweak Ubuntu to look and feel like Windows or macOS. Likewise, you can also install apps and drivers to make it perfect for programming, gaming, and cybersecurity use cases. But that needs a lot of time investment and some technical know-how. Instead, if you have a specific use case in mind, you can simply download a distro designed for it and get busy doing the work at hand.