this post was submitted on 20 Jul 2023
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Linux

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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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With that recent post about chrome os not counting as a distro of linux. It does bring a good question, what is a distro of linux?

If Linux is just a kernel then android and chrome os are Linux. Bur no really considers android a distro of linux. So linux is more then a kernel.

KDE say that neon is not a distro but doesn't really why neon is not but kubuntu is.

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[–] eric5949@lemmy.cloudaf.site 13 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Idk I know they don't fit into the usual open source box of Linux but I'd consider Android and ChromeOS as Linux distros, a distro is just a collection of software distributed with the Linux kernel as far as I'm aware. If someone doesn't consider them "Linux distros" it's probably due to the proprietary nature of some of the software surrounding the kernel. No idea why kde thinks neon isnt a distro when it literally is.

Edit: in the case of chrome os it's not even just built around the kernel, it's based on a distro.