New To The Forum And Some Thoughts About Distros

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I consider things like Android and ChromeOS to be "tomato Linux" as in "they are precisely as much Linux as a tomato is a fruit", that is, "technically yes, but for practical intents and purposes, generally no". Like if we were to adapt the phrase "knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad" [I'd add "or in a berry smoothie", since botanically a tomato is not just a fruit, but specifically a berry], we might say "knowledge is knowing that Android and ChromeOS are Linux, wisdom is knowing not to bring them up in a conversation on distros".
 
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[LONG-WINDED ALERT]

At 3yrs in (yesterday, actually) with Linux as my "primary OS" / "daily driver OS", I have reached the stage in my Linux journey where I'm really starting to feel "the itch of wanderlust" to "leave the village" of where I began my Linux journey, and strike out at exploring the greater Linux world and all its wonderful hazards and hazardous wonders. Like a lot of people, my "village", my "landing spot" with Linux was within the "official flavors" of Canonical-maintained Ubuntu - for me specifically, that meant Ubuntu Studio.

So getting my head around all the various distros, and root distro branches is key to figuring out where I want to go next to explore. I currently have a grand total of seven devices running Linux (not counting my daily use Android phone, which is technically also Linux) with each running unique distros, with plans to grab a few more and put other unique distros on them. I haven't travelled super far yet, as all but one of the distros I'm currently using are either based on Ubuntu or on Arch (the lone standout being Fedora 37, which I've used little enough, and only superficially enough thus far to have not managed to get a strong feel for one way or the other).

But even as I begin to get my head around Arch, which I first experienced through SteamOS via the Steam Deck desktop mode, and have since added a Manjaro and a Garuda install, and even moreso "Arch in general vs Ubuntu in general", I'm finding it fascinating and exhilarating, with a "not ready to commit" fledgling impression emerging that I'm going to prefer Arch. Getting a better grasp on Fedora will turn the already fascinating two-way comparison into an even more exciting three-way. I also hope to add some Debian (non-Ubuntu)-based distro soon, such as Deepin or Vanilla, or hell, perhaps even straight Debian itself.

It also became very clear to me very early in that my preferred DE was KDE, with three of my distros using it (Ubuntu Studio, KDE Neon and SteamOS), much preferring it over Gnome, Xfce, and Lxde / Lxqt. Though there are other DEs that I have yet to really explore that could steal the crown, such as UKUI, or especially.....Wayfire!!

But this is all part and parcel, I suspect, with being in the early days of the "wanderlust phase" of being a Linux user. I imagine that someday, I'll find a place to settle down, be it back in the "childhood village" of Ubuntu, the exciting new sizzle city of Arch, where all the cool kids seem to be going and all the cool stuff seems to be happening, or somewhere else that I may or may not have even heard of yet. But for now, it's all about seeing what's out there and getting a better feel about it!

And for that (though I did already know much of it coming into it), this post is very helpful and instructive! So thank you!

I still have Windows on my company-owned work computers, my wife still has it on her personal laptop, and my teenager uses it on their school-issued laptop (which doubles as their personal laptop), plus I still deal with it when I visit my retirement-age parents across town once or twice a month since they both still use it. But in terms of my own personal devices, I am proud to say that I am now "100% Linux". I purged the last Windows install a little over a year ago, and the last macOS install a few weeks ago. I actually stopped using Mac much more quickly than I stopped using Windows (within just a couple months vs closer to a year for Windows), but had to keep the Mac install around for longer due to unfinished business with the podcast involving it. Now that that unfinished business is finished, I was finally able to wipe it, which I did - and replaced it on my Mac mini with Elementary OS 7, since it retains a bunch of the macOS vibe that I admittedly still admire. :)
 
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Thread moved/started into the Member Introductions sub-forum.

Thread cleaned up to make more sense.

Thanks and welcome to Linux.org.
 
I consider things like Android and ChromeOS to be "tomato Linux" as in "they are precisely as much Linux as a tomato is a fruit", that is, "technically yes, but for practical intents and purposes, generally no". Like if we were to adapt the phrase "knowledge is knowing that tomato is a fruit, wisdom is knowing not to put it in fruit salad" [I'd add "or in a berry smoothie", since botanically a tomato is not just a fruit, but specifically a berry], we might say "knowledge is knowing that Android and ChromeOS are Linux, wisdom is knowing not to bring them up in a conversation on distros".
Hello and welcome to the forum!

Technically, Linux is a kernel. But we tend to use the word to imply an entire OS.
Wisdom is knowing the difference. Depends on how anal one wants to be about it.
 
Welcome to the Forums,
Gnu -Linux is a big family, you may not appreciate, just how vastly big it is, if you were to hop through every different possible desktop build at the rate of one per week, it would keep you out of mischief for around 10 years, take into consideration the special builds and the various embedded systems we get to over 1000, it can be mind-boggling,
and that is why no matter how much you know or think you know, you will never stop learning.
So kick off your shoes, grab a beer, sit back and, enjoy the ride.
 
I have been experimenting with Linux Distros since my beginning years as an Emergency Comms operator but it is not easy. The app I mainly use is JS8CALL the rest is actually just apendices for me but there is no Winows or linux distro that satisfy my needs. Im iterested in digital emergency transmission and NVIS transmitting and believe that everything is with your antenna. If the antenna is efficient then more than halve is won. You do not need 100 Watt all the time and with JS8CALL can use hops, if there is enough nodes. But there is not always that is why you need an efficient antenna which is easy to erect. Needless to say I'm fro ZA and all is not well with my and the contrys finances so that is where the problem start!! You have to make everything by hand and owning a lot of transceivers is not an option. So my primary rig is a heavilly modified FT-897 for any field conditions, and I am not idealy situated. I can reach Japan with FT8 on 100W thats 14000odd km but battle more to the norh and west. I have been watching Jason Km4ACK but is lateley more into OH8STN as he is more to my liking but way beyond my budget. But wait, load shedding coming up so I have to shudown the desktop. Pardon the wrong spelling but I hope yo catch my drift, do not have the time to reread my message
 
And I am ZR4EM and not ZR4EN but the fingers is not doing that well anymore
 
Welcome to the forums

And I am ZR4EM and not ZR4EN but the fingers is not doing that well anymore
I will call on @wizardfromoz and @Rob one of them will be able to change it for you. [sorry I am not into radio so I cannot personally help with your question]
 
Yes, they can, and then it is 30 days before it can be changed again.

Welcome to linux.org @ZR4EM :)

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz
 
Welcome aboard! Have you considered Slackware? Not to worry about being long winded, it happens sometimes. Nyuk, Nyuk:p Also welcome to Eugene.
Happy Trails,
Paul
VP9KS / WA1WJB
 
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Welcome to the Linux.org forum. Enjoy the journey!
 

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