Distributions—A Brief History

” Add one part GNU, one part Linux kernel, stir lightly, bake
for 19 years, and you get 452 different meals.

“It seems as though there are as many Linux distributions as
there are letters in the alphabet with which to name them.
Certainly, there is a flavor to satisfy almost any palate. It
wasn’t always this way, however. How did it happen? Why hasn’t the
Linux world just standardized on a single distribution?

“The beginning of the Linux distribution really started with
Richard Stallman and his fledgling Free Software Foundation in the
early 1980s. The GNU operating system was being developed,
intending to re-implement a UNIX-like operating system as free
software. Although many GNU tools enjoyed wide use, the project
suffered various setbacks and delays in its hunt for a kernel.”

Complete
Story