Linux itself is not a fully fledged operating system as most people would expect it.
Since Linux has to work on servers and microchips as well as on desktop PCs, lots of stuff is not shipped with it.
For example Linux is missing a way to display windows and has no real package manager.
A distro (or distribution) is a predefined set of of software, that makes it easier for a user to use Linux.
This is mostly a window manager or desktop environment like KDE or GNOME, a package manager like apt or pacman and useful software like an office suite, a browser and other stuff.
Distros also exist for servers, the ln they don’t include a way to display images, but still have a package manager and other useful stuff preinstalled.
That’s of course not all, but maybe gives you a little overview.
There are a lot of big ones like Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Fedora or Arch. Arch is for users with a little more experience. But funnily enough Arch has like child-distributions, that build upon its core. Ubuntu is also a ‘child’ of Debian an Mint builds onto Ubuntu.
It’s kind of like three or four big families, that had lots of children. 😂
(and then there are NixOS, OpenSuse and lots of others, which I forgot)
Ok after 5months here I have to ask, what the fuck is a distro?
It has to do with Linux.
Linux itself is not a fully fledged operating system as most people would expect it. Since Linux has to work on servers and microchips as well as on desktop PCs, lots of stuff is not shipped with it.
For example Linux is missing a way to display windows and has no real package manager.
A distro (or distribution) is a predefined set of of software, that makes it easier for a user to use Linux.
This is mostly a window manager or desktop environment like KDE or GNOME, a package manager like apt or pacman and useful software like an office suite, a browser and other stuff.
Distros also exist for servers, the ln they don’t include a way to display images, but still have a package manager and other useful stuff preinstalled.
That’s of course not all, but maybe gives you a little overview.
That’s a great summary and completely explains it, thanks bud.
And I presume Arch is one of the more (if not the most) popular distro for PCs? Just because I see it referenced all the time
There are a lot of big ones like Ubuntu, Mint, Debian, Fedora or Arch. Arch is for users with a little more experience. But funnily enough Arch has like child-distributions, that build upon its core. Ubuntu is also a ‘child’ of Debian an Mint builds onto Ubuntu.
It’s kind of like three or four big families, that had lots of children. 😂
(and then there are NixOS, OpenSuse and lots of others, which I forgot)