In a recent article at TechRepublic, open source advocate Jack Wallen explored the idea of a “Flagship Linux” distribution, as a way to help Linux succeed with hardware manufacturers and software companies.
Wallen acknowledged that this viewpoint is divisive and, in the article, examined ways in which it could solve issues for users, developers, and manufacturers.
“That distribution would have only one desktop environment, one package manager, one init system, and the current stable version of the Linux kernel. Users could also download this Linux distribution and use it at will, but the primary purpose of ‘Flagship Linux’ would be to make things easier for manufacturers and developers,” Wallen said.
Wallen has posited this approach in the past and encountered pushback from those saying that “the greatest thing going for Linux is choice.” However, he emphasized that the idea does not strip away choice from users. “I am not, in any way, saying we should abandon all but one Linux distribution. What I'm saying is that we should keep Linux as free and varied as it is—for users. For consumers, maybe it's time to settle on a single distribution that could serve as the Linux "Flagship," so that manufacturers can finally have a much easier route to supporting the operating system we all know and love,” he said.
Read the complete article at TechRepublic.
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