Subj : Re: Multiple Distros of Linux. Is it / will it be a problem?
To   : comp.os.linux
From : Sybren Stuvel
Date : Tue Aug 31 2004 02:41 pm

Joel Lieper enlightened us with:
> I am a new linux user - mandrake 10, so my question may be naive;
> but it doesn't seem to be a good sign that there are multiple
> versions of linux.

There is only one version of Linux.

It's a good thing there are multiple distributions. There are multiple
types of cars out there, right?  Multiple types of dish washing
machines, multiple types of VCRs.

> Isn't there a danger that multiple distros will lead to
> fragmentation of the OS, where a program written for distro A will
> not work in distro B; and, instead of having one strong OS, there
> are many weak ones?

You seem to confuse distribution with OS.

> Windows is bloated junk, and people who now use it could be won away
> to linux; but, speaking personally, one of the reasons I delayed
> switching to linux was the competing verions - I didn't know which
> one to get.

Get Mandrake, which is known to be good for beginners. I'd go mad if I
had to go back to a RPM-based distro again. I'm a developer who used
Linux for the past 7 years or so, so I think you can understand I
won't be really happy with the same things a Linux newbie likes.
That's one of the reasons why choice is good.

Sybren
-- 
The problem with the world is stupidity. Not saying there should be a
capital punishment for stupidity, but why don't we just take the
safety labels off of everything and let the problem solve itself?

.