Are There Really Too Many Linux Distros?
How are Linux distributions like digital cameras? It sounds like a joke on the order of, "What’s the difference between a compulsive gambler and a revolving door?" (Answer: The revolving door knows when to stop.) But the more I’ve thought about it, the more I’ve realized that Linux distros are as varied as digital cameras, and for some of the same reasons.
Every time I’ve picked up someone else’s digital camera I’ve needed a quick walkthrough of how to shoot a picture with it -- but the fact that there’s a lens, a viewfinder, and a shutter button generally doesn't change. Likewise, every time I’ve sat down to work with a new Linux distribution, I’ve had to re-accommodate myself to a different desktop or package manager, but the command line and the kernel are just about always the same.
Likewise, if I sit down at a friend’s Linux computer to check Gmail, odds are I won’t have too much trouble finding where the Web browser is. But the more work I want to do with an unfamiliar distribution, the more work I have to do, period. That said, it’s their Linux install, not mine, so I gotta deal.
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