It started when I was developing my Linux distro.
There are so many distros available in Linux. There are some distros developed by large communities; there are some distros developed by smaller communities; some are even developed by individuals.
But this is not the case for Windows or macOS.
Windows/macOS can be customized, modified in terms of preferences, settings, etc., and you can develop your own version of it.
But you cannot convert Windows or macOS into your own distro of it like what you do with Linux distros.
What makes Linux different from Windows and macOS?
Is it the open-source nature of Linux?
Is it anything related to licensing?
Or is it just the nature of Windows and macOS?
And one more question:
What if Windows/macOS becomes open source tomorrow, will we have hundreds of Windows/macOS distros overnight?
Well, it takes some effort on my part to believe you are not making a joke. Ok, just in case you are not kidding…
First, Linux (as OS) from the very start is composed as Lego toy. It is union of many independent parts by design. And the great majority of these parts have alternatives to select from.
Second, that design is thoroughly documented as well as the assembly process.
For Windows, there’s Windows Embedded. This allows you to customise and remove at least some components.
However, it can hardly be considered a proper distro.
A few years ago, in a previous job, I created Windows 10 Embedded images for embedded Intel Atom boards with an 8GB SSD (soldered in place!). Yes, that’s right, 8GB of storage space, not 8GB of RAM (that was 2 or 4).
I also created a few slightly customised Ubuntu installations (server) for the devices.
Linux, as an ecosystem of sofware, allows independant individuals or groups to create their own distro by the simple fact that those individuals or groups are applying the philosophical advantages spelled out in the Open Source ecosphere’s various licenses, which specifically allow
the re-use of code published under one of those OSS licenses,
and
the modification or customization of such code … without restriction or cost … as long as those mods/customizations are also shared publicly under the same licences as the original code.
The end goal is to underline and, by the eventual availability of the various permutations as distinct versions, offer shared benefit derived from the availability, and free distribution and application, of all such code!
