Lots of people have the misconception that the distribution (distro) has a significant impact on their OS, like choosing between Windows or MacOS. Articles describing how to install Linux to a system always mention to choose a distro that fits your needs, then this poor reader goes to look up what a distro is and is promptly overwhelmed by hundreds of them and jargon they’ve never heard.
With Windows you have just 8, 10, 11 and with Mac it’s whatever parks Apple likes to name it after. You can infer that Windows 11 is probably the newest version, and there’s not much confusion. With Linux, you go to some distro recommending website and you get weird names: Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, Manjaro, Arch, Fedora, Red Hat, OpenSUSE, Hannah Montana Linux, Gentoo, Linux From Scratch, Slackware. They all sound different, look different, and one doesn’t seem to be a newer iteration of another. This is what overwhelms the average person; the variety gives them the impression that distros are super unique and it’s important to choose the right one. So what’s the best way to resolve this problem?
What even is a distro?
Start with asking this question. A ‘distro’ is nothing more than the surrounding layers of software, libraries, and configuration around the Linux kernel. Here’s an analogy to the body to make this easier to understand.
At the heart of every OS is the kernel, a small piece of software that does the heavy lifting. It allows hardware and software to communicate with each other, manages drivers and memory allocation, and more; think of the kernel as the heart and lower level functions of the brain. In a Linux distro, the kernel is called Linux. In Windows and Mac, those OSs have their own kernels. Around the kernel are drivers, necessary software to make hardware function properly. You could think of drivers as nerves that connect the brain to muscles. Around the kernel and drivers are libraries, which contain information that programs need to run. You can think of libraries as your memories and knowledge, information needed to survive and act. Then at the very outer layer are the programs you interact with such as web browsers, the GUI, music player, and file manager. This part of the OS is very configurable, so you can think of it as someone’s clothing or accessories.
The distro encompasses everything besides the heart and low level parts of the brain, so the drivers, libraries, and user interface and programs. Each distro differs in what they package, switch any of these out and you can make your own distro or recreate an existing one. As a result, most distros are very similar to each other; they only differ in minor ways such as default appearance or preinstalled software.
Actually unique distros
In the great Linux distro ocean, there’s about 10 or less of them that are actually distinct from each other; call these the ‘base distros’. Base distros are distinct enough that they impact several traits of the OS. The other hundreds are all modified (child) versions of these 10 bases. That’s all you need to know to get started to learn about every single distro out there, and all that will ever be created. Here’s a list of some traits that differ between the base distros.
- Software availability and install method
- Upgrade cycle
- Development team and usage
Base distros 101
Here’s a list of some base distros that are used on normal computers with a trivia blurb on some points. Notice how all the distros have different package managers, this is an easy way to tell if two distros are the same at heart.
| Distro | Package Manager | Trivia |
|---|---|---|
| Debian | apt | Very stable, large software availability, focuses on free software |
| Arch | pacman | Minimal, cutting edge, large software availability |
| Fedora | dnf | Stays cutting edge despite being static release, focuses on free software |
| Gentoo | portage | Minimal, very customizable, software is compiled locally |
| Void | xbps | Small, minimal, offers alternative low-level software and libraries |
Here’s some other base distros that I know of but not enough to say anything else: NixOS, GNU Guix, Alpine, Slackware, OpenSUSE, Bedrock, Linux From Scratch (not really a distro). Here’s a Wikipedia article that does a better job than me at documenting all distros to have ever existed.
This is a decently comprehensive list of common base distros you’ll find, especially the first three. Every other distro in existence is based on one of these, or is a tiny base distro that does its own thing. Ubuntu, Mint, Pop OS, MX? All Debian based with some extra software or modded things on top. Manjaro, Artix, Endeavour? They’re all Arch with some customizations. This is the best way to think of distros instead of thinking they’re all unique. Sure, all distros have some differences but all child distros share the same package manager, release pattern, and most low-level programs. The differences between child distros is the default appearance and configuration, themes, and pre-installed programs. Whenever you hear people talking about ’the best Linux distro’, don’t bother with it. All you need to know is that there’s a handful of base distros and everything else is built on top of them.
So then how do you choose the right distro?
Choose the base that seems the most fit for you. If you’re completely new to computer OSs beyond Windows and MacOS, I recommend starting with either Debian, Arch, or Fedora based distros. Want something old but stable? Go Debian. Want the latest and greatest software? Go Arch. Want something in between? Go Fedora. Choose the one you like the best out of those three judging by their traits and not default looks, then decide if you want a child distro. If no, stick to the base. If yes, go explore for x-based distro and find something you think sounds good or is popular. As a beginner you’re probably not going to start tinkering deeply so choose one and stay with it for a bit. Get a feel for how the traits affect you, if you’re on Debian-based and it feels too old, try jumping to Fedora. If the distro feels nice, learn it properly and understand how the OS works on a lower level. Once you reach that point, the only thing about a distro that matters is the package manager.
Conclusion
Linux distros don’t really matter, it only makes sense to compare between the base distros. Whenever you distro-hop, you’re not leaving behind everything; only low-level stuff such as software availability changes. Once you get to a certain point of understanding, the distro you run becomes the least of your concerns. Don’t be intimidated, just remember that most distros are part of the Debian, Arch, or Fedora family.