A Perfect Linux Distribution
What is a Linux Distribution?
Keeping all sorts of the audience in mind, let me quickly tell you what exactly a Linux distribution a.k.a. Linux distro is.
A Linux distribution, unlike Windows and macOS, isn’t built under a single organization. Instead, it is compiled from components developed by different organizations or programmers as open-source projects mostly.
These components typically include:
- Linux kernel — The core of the operating system and what the term ‘Linux’ actually refers to.
- GNU shell utilities — The terminal interface and commands.
- X server — Which produces a graphical desktop.
- Desktop environment — a.k.a DE in short, which runs on the X server to provide a graphical desktop for us to interact with the system. You might have heard of KDE or Gnome, that’s a DE.
- Package manager — As the name suggests, it is a tool that allows users to install, remove, upgrade, configure, and manage software packages.
Now, since it’s all open-source, any party with a curious mind can come in, compile code from different projects and combine it into a single operating system, a Linux distribution.
There are two ways to come up with a Linux distribution.
First as mentioned above, that is, by assembling it from scratch. We often refer to these distributions as independent distributions. Common examples will include Debian, Arch, and Fedora.
Second, are the ones which are made by modifying an existing distribution. Ubuntu is the most common example in this case which is based on Debian.
Now, let’s move to the main topic of this article.
A perfect Linux distribution
So, what is a perfect Linux distribution, and does it even exists?
Long story short, no, there’s no such thing as a perfect Linux distribution. At least, according to me.
But why? To answer this, we have to understand a few things:
- Why people switch to Linux in the first place
- Why are there so many Linux distributions
- Who is a distro-hopper and what he intends to achieve
Why people switch to Linux?
- Low hardware requirements: Although, any Linux distribution hooked with a lightweight desktop environment like XFCE and LXQT will easily work on a ten-year-old machine. But, there exist distributions that are specifically made for this purpose such as Peppermint and Linux Lite.
- Security: Based on how Linux is designed, the chances of getting malware on your system are very slim. A major factor that contributes to this cause is how Linux makes use of package managers and the concept of repositories.
- Customization: One major advantage that Linux has over both Windows and macOS is the level of customization that comes with it. Which is something that both Windows and macOS lack drastically. Yes, I know that you can use things like wallpaper engines, rainmeter, etc. on Windows but they’re either paid software or resource-heavy, mostly.
Customization is also something that Arch Linux takes to the next level, which is not just limited to themes and icons, but by letting you configure the entire system almost piece by piece during the installation. - Variety: This is that one term which doesn’t exist in either Windows’ or macOS’s dictionary, but is well defined in Linux. Because one thing that Linux offer’s in abundance is variety. We’ll discuss more it in the next section.
- Boredom: Last but not least, my personal favorite reason behind distro-hopping, is for those set of people who easily tend to get bored.
Sea of Linux Distributions
At the start of this article, we talked about how Linux is different from Windows and macOS, and how anyone can come up with their own Linux distribution easily with some time and effort. That’s the primary reason why today there exist more than 300 Linux distributions that are actively maintained. This huge number can often overwhelm an unfamiliar soul.
But, how do they differentiate from each other? Aren't they all just Linux? Yes and no. It is true that under the hood, they all make use of the Linux kernel but there are many factors that come into play when we compare any two Linux distributions. Each Linux distribution has its own character, focusing around some particular goal, which could either be programming, editing, security, and many others.
Some other factors that can help us differentiate among these distributions include:
- Ease of use. It’s meant for both beginners(such as Ubuntu, Mint, etc) as well as for more advanced users (such as Arch and Gentoo).
- What package manager it uses. DPKG (Debian Package Management System), RPM (Red Hat Package Manager), Pacman, and Zypper package manager are among the popular ones.
- Rolling release vs standard release.
A rolling release is the one where you’ll receive the software updates as soon they’re available, as in Arch Linux. This one is for those who’re looking to live on the edge with up to date software availability.
On the other hand, in a standard release, a fixed time frame is followed, during which all the latest versions of the software are put together, tested to ensure that they work well together, and then released as a new version, as in Ubuntu. This one is for those who’re looking for stability, as new software updates available on a rolling release might not have gone through much testing. - What flavors (DEs) does it come up with? KDE, Gnome, Mate, Cinnamon, Budgie, XFCE, and LXQT are to name a few.
- Supported hardware architecture; x86, x64, ARM, etc.
- It is a commercially backed distribution like Ubuntu or community-backed distribution like Arch.
No matter how distinct your requirements might be, there will always be a Linux distribution for you. Or so he thought.
Who is a distro hopper?
A distro hopper person that keeps switching from one Linux distribution to another with the hope of fulfilling his never-ending quest of finding that one perfect Linux distribution that can finally check all the boxes and can finally satisfy him.
But, what drives him to this quest of his? Well, most of the reasons which make people switch to Linux from other operating systems are also valid in this case. Primarily being boredom and lack of satisfaction.
The lifecycle of a distro hopper
- Early life — In their early life, most distro hoppers tend to start by installing some beginner-friendly distro. Usually being Ubuntu or Linux Mint. And when it fails to satisfy them, they look to their different flavors available. Eventually, moving onto exploring other horizons.
- Middle age — By this point, they’ve learned somewhat about how the Linux distributions actually operate behind the scenes and have gotten quite a hang of terminal. Now, they think they’re ready to move onto more advanced picks like Arch and Gentoo. They might struggle a bit, stumble and fall, break a few builds, but eventually get it to work. They feel quite satisfied at this point but not for long enough.
- Later stages of life — At this point, most distro hoppers tend to back off to square one and go back to more stable and trusted options like Ubuntu and Linux Mint flavors.
Now, the question is — why does it happen? Why almost all distro hoppers returns back to where they started? Do they ever achieve what they intended to fine? Yes and no. Truth is, ask any seasoned distro hopper and they’ll give you the same answer. It’s more about the thrill of exploring new things rather than the quest of finding a perfect Linux distribution as it initially seems.
Conclusion
So, coming back to the main question, does a perfect Linux distribution exists? The thing is Linux doesn’t want to be perfect. It doesn’t matter how many Linux distributions are there in the sea, they won’t be able to quench your thirst for perfection, since, it was never its goal in the first place. There is no ‘one distribution to rule them all’ in the Linux world. Each distribution is unique in its own way and serves the purpose it was meant to be.
