Survival Of The Fittest

“There are two great questions in life that people struggle to
answer. The first is why we’re here, and the second is why there
are so many different Linux distributions. A Linux distribution,
for the uninitiated, is the stack of software, configuration tools
and desktop environments, all bound to the Linux kernel, that go
together to make the entire operating system, which most of us call
Linux. Everything from the colour scheme, the character set, the
update frequency and a contributor’s nationality can be used to
differentiate one distribution from another. As a result, there are
hundreds. As I write this, there are 317 being followed by
www.distrowatch.com, for example, but there’s no real reason why so
many exist, and why so many thrive. What’s worse, there’s no
consistent past or future for those that do enjoy success.

“The difficulty is that a distribution is just the tip of a
complex and convoluted iceberg, floating in a sea of alternatives.
It’s the storm caused by the butterfly. There are an infinite
number of contributing factors that lead to any single
distribution’s development and popularity. Fedora, for example,
strives for freedom and transparency, while at the same time acting
as a test bed for the incredibly profitable Red Hat Enterprise
distribution.”

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