Hoping to clarify my own understanding...
Michael JasonSmith wrote:
The distributions are free to choose what ever tools they want to go with the kernel. Some ship many tools, some ship only a few. Some run on many types of machine, some run on one. Some ship mainly server tools, some ship mainly GUI tools. It is a bit like eating a buffet, but with more code and less food :) The distribution is what most people think of as âthe operating systemâ.
The key distinguishing features between distributions are:
* Default selection of tools and applications * Platform availability * Package management system * Default configuration of various tools and applications * Configuration tools that are provided (e.g. Yast, Drake) * Installation tool * Binary or source-code distribution * Availability of a live CD * Release schedule * Availability of on-line and commercial support
I wanted to add something here about where different bits and pieces are put in the filesystem, but don't know enough about it. This is sort of like the default config, but has more to do with the-way-it's-done-here for packaging purposes.
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