69

The Linux ecosystem is vast and diverse, offering a multitude of distributions to suit every need and preference. With hundreds of distros to choose from, it’s a pity that most are rarely mentioned while the popular ones are constantly being regurgitated.

This thread aims to celebrate this diversity and shine a light on smaller projects with passionate developers. I invite you to pitch your favorite underappreciated distro and share your experiences with those lesser-known Linux distributions that deserve more attention.

While there are no strict rules or banlists, I encourage you to focus on truly niche or exotic distributions rather than the more commonly discussed ones. Consider touching upon what makes your chosen distro unique:

  • What features or philosophies set it apart?
  • Why do you favor it over other distros, including the popular ones? (Beyond “It just works.”)
  • In what situations would you recommend it to others?

Whether it’s a specialized distro for a particular use case or a general-purpose OS with a unique twist, let’s explore the road less traveled in the Linux landscape. Your insights could introduce fellow enthusiasts to their next favorite distribution!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] uthredii@programming.dev 7 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

NixOS:

  • Largest and most up to date package repository (no need for flatpack/appimage/snap ect)
  • Reproducible
  • Declarative
  • Rollbacks you can select at boot time
  • No dependency conflicts

I think it will easily be the number 1 distro if/when they can :

  • the steep learning curve (e.g. have a gui installer EDIT: As in a GUI software centre)
  • documentation
  • have more tools use nixos and have nixos in mind (e.g. there are a couple of tools that didn't work for me because of specific C libraries not beeing present/configured on nixos that are present on other distros. some libraries implicitly expect these to be present).
[-] FizzyOrange@programming.dev 3 points 4 months ago

no need for flatpack/appimage/snap ect

No matter how large their repo is you're always going to find some software they haven't packaged. Trying to convince the entire world to use your repo isn't scalable.

[-] uthredii@programming.dev 2 points 4 months ago

Yeah I agree, I am sure they are missing some obscure stuff. But in practise it has everything that I use and there has been no need for me to touch flatpak/appimage/snap

load more comments (3 replies)
this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2024
69 points (94.8% liked)

Linux

5380 readers
236 users here now

A community for everything relating to the linux operating system

Also check out !linux_memes@programming.dev

Original icon base courtesy of lewing@isc.tamu.edu and The GIMP

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS