Linked by Howard Fosdick on Fri 13th Apr 2012 02:48 UTC
VectorLinux is one of those useful but lesser-known Linux distros. It's
been around since 1999 and I've used it since 2006, off and on, in the
role of a secondary OS. Now, with the disruptive changes
Ubuntu forces on its user base with each new release, I've found myself
increasingly attracted to Vector's stability and convenience. This
article introduces "VL" to those who may not be familiar with it.
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Member since:2010-03-08
Well, let's just say that when one distribution decides to include some new beta-quality technology that breaks your computer, it's good to have the others. And sadly, the Linux desktop has always had this unstable and experimental side to it which makes such events relatively frequent...
But beyond the biggest Linux distributions (Ubuntu, Fedora, OpenSUSE...), which are indeed much alike, there are a lot of differences in the way smaller distros are managed. As an example, some distributions will stick with the traditional "new releases that will break everything" model of Windows and Mac OS X, while others opt for the rolling release model of incremental changes to a constantly updated OS. Some distributions will provide an extremely extensive set of packages on their installation media (Debian, Ultimate, Sabayon...), while others will prefer extreme frugality (Arch, Gentoo, DSL...). Some will include multimedia codecs and Flash Player out of the box (Mint, Pardus...), others won't even include a comfortable set of wireless drivers in their quest for being "pure" free software (Debian, gNewSense...). And so on.
Depending on your needs, one distribution will often be more suitable than others. Which means less time setting things up, a better-tested OS configuration, and overall a better user experience when it comes to using the computer instead of struggling with it.
Edited 2012-04-14 11:25 UTC
News
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Member since:
2010-11-07
I don't understand why there are so many distributions. In the end, the user experience is usually very similar between them. I took that screen shot tour of Vector Linux, and honestly, it is basically how I have my ubuntu system configured.
You don't use a computer for the OS, you use it to run your Applications. In the Linux world, there are only a handful of good actively supported options for each application category, so all distributions ultimately ship with the same ones. Same Applications == same user experience.