wiki/notebook/2022-06-19-11-53-00.org

Does presenting Linux distributions as a single thing proves beneficial for newcomers?

• see How Linux distributions are technically their own operating system; we'll present two polarizing sides for this question

• on the side of "Yes"

  • it can be beneficial as most users see it in a similar way; the newcomers would have to be familiar with the common concepts between the mainstream distros; having presented as a collective single effort makes it easier for communities to communicate between each other
  • the notion of Linux distros being the same with different configuration does have a grain of truth to it; presenting it as such is not exactly misleading

• on the side of "No"

  • if presented as a single thing, the newcomers' expectation can be mislead with the notion that all distros are the same; having explicitly introduced as an entirely different operating system can be an easier time since the user will tend to find more similarities than differences like some sort of Tunnel vision; this potential problem could be present with the group that expected different but it will be dealt in a different way since they already have an expectation that two Linux distros are different to one another
  • most users seem to address Linux referring to the overall Linux ecosystem, not the individual operating system, subtleties of languages and all; the Linux distro of choice is still its own bubble and it should be the main focus when presenting a Linux distro
• overall this depends on how the Linux ecosystem is being presented and the user themselves; this question has explicit focus on expectation and required technical expertise for the user; both answers can end the same as it still requires effort from the user