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Why choice of Linux distribution matters (lemmy.ml)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/linux@lemmy.ml
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I see often people say that the distro you are using doesn't matter. One can turn any distro into another. And I do not agree with that. If that was true, why do we even have so many distributions? I always said, if distros don't matter...

  • ... why distro hop?
  • ... why don't you use Ubuntu then?
  • ... why don't you recommend Archlinux to a newcomer?
  • ... why don't you use Kali Linux as a server?
  • ... why don't you use Batocera or SteamOS as your daily driver?
  • ... why do you trust a community distro more than a corporate distro? (or vice versa)

I don't think that distros only matter to newcomers. Maybe it matters for experienced users even more.

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[–] -2 points 4 months ago (8 children)

No, I think you're missing the point. Distro really and truly doesn't matter at all. They all can do the same stuff as each other. It's entirely all about taste and personal preference, and nothing else. Each flavour has a different starting point, and those staying points make it quicker and easier to achieve different end goals, but they can all achieve the same end goals but with varying amounts of effort. But to stay with, just pick one and give it a try, learn how it works and what it does, then either stick or twist, but have fun learning and exploring.

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  • [–] [S] 0 points 4 months ago (7 children)

    Distro really and truly doesn’t matter at all. They all can do the same stuff as each other. It’s entirely all about taste and personal preference

    So you say my personal preference and taste does not matter? A starting point does not matter and I should randomly pick something from Distrowatch, maybe the newest updated entry in their database? Just because it CAN be turned into a different distro, does not invalidate the value of having a good starting point that fits my needs perfectly. Also you are wrong that these are the only factors. There is also the factor if I trust the maintainers of the repository, and probably other factors important for choosing a distribution.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    No, the opposite. The only thing that matters is your personal taste and preferences. It's purely and entirely about your perception. They include if you trust the maintainers, the logo, the package manager, the website, the distro name and everything else. You just choose what is important to you based on your taste and preference and choose the distro that aligns with that taste. Which distro you choose doesn't matter at all, just pick the one you want to. If the most important thing to you is the colour pink, pick one that uses pink.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 4 months ago (2 children)

    No, choosing a distribution is not like choosing a color. First there is compatibility. Some hardware work better than others or are better supported. Then you also put "trust" into personal taste, which is not just a taste, but a fundamental design decision that has nothing to do with taste. I wouldn't recommend a newcomer who does not know how Linux works and does not have time to workout how to install and maintain Archlinux. In example my grandma. Or someone who just want to game on it like a console.

    I don't care how you name these points, the fact is, that choice of distribution is very important and matters a lot.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    So you say my personal preference and taste does not matter?

    The point is, the amount of time and effort it takes to tune any distro to your personal preference.

    There are distros that fit your needs out of the box and there are distros that need hours of setting up and tuning to fit them.

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  • [–] [S] 1 point 4 months ago (1 child)

    There are distros that fit your needs out of the box and there are distros that need hours of setting up and tuning to fit them.

    And that exactly is the reason why the distribution matters.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago

    I think you heavily are misinterpreting the " The Distro does not matter" argument.

    Usually ppl want a distro that "does x" and the answer will be "the distro does not matter, use the one that suits you the mkst".

    The argument "The disteo does not matter" does not come from the user preferences site of things but feom the technical " i want to video edit, "i want to game" etc.

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