157
Why don't more distros use this method?
(www.virtualizationhowto.com)
It's very nice to not have a dozen different versions of the same distro to parse through and figure out that are simply the same distro with a different DE. Moreover, very few of them offer this many options.
Cachy could be doing a better job explaining what the user is looking at here and who each of these is for. Pretty easy to sum up in 1-2 sentences...
Have you actually visited the download page that you linked? Because it has screenshots, explanations, whole nine yards.
How do you think I got it? There is no explanation of what they are, which one you should choose or why. Just generic information that describes every Linux distro.
Put yourself in the shoes of a new Linux user and ask yourself what good those screenshots are.
One of the great things about Linux is that if the user is still undecided after reading the paragraphs and looking at the screenshots, they can boot into the live environments and see for themselves which one is right for them.
You're expecting way too much of a new user. There's already 309534 distros to choose from, now you want them to boot into a dozen live environments of each one?
Ho much does the screenshot you posted say, that the screenshots on the Mint download page does not? Other than giving you more options, which can overwhelm new people.
Some distro's really like doing their curated live environment for each environment, so you can test it out before actually installing it.
CachyOS only has 2 ISOs, both of which are very clear in their purpose (Desktop and Handheld). Not 4 different ISOs with no clear delineation to speak of.
If you read the OP I also said:
Sure, but presenting DE choice inside the install will confuse the mythical new user.
But I agree with you. A lot of download bandwidth and hosting storage could be saved by doing what Cachy/Endeavour ISO's are doing.
The new user often has to choose their DE regardless. This just moves it from the webpage where they're presented with 3 or 4 different "distros" with different names for some reason, all under the same ISO, which I would argue is far less confusing (especially if presented with the relevant information during the install).
I think a new Linux user shouldn't have to choose a DE, so starting with a distro which makes this choice for them is most likely better. Unless the CachyOS installer does a good job at explaining what a desktop environment is, there's a risk that a new user thinks they're just selecting a skin for the OS and don't understand how it will affect their desktop experience. If they for example choose an extreme light weight DE for their brand new gaming PC, their first impression of Linux might be that it looks dated.
Having a DE chooser built into more distro installers could be a good thing for us more experienced users though.
I mean that's a fair point but most don't do that either. Even supposedly-beginner-friendly distros (which this is not) like Mint don't do that.