this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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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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The Linux Ship of Theseus

  1. pick any distro and install it.

  2. Then, without installing another distro over the top of it, slowly convert it into another distro by replacing package managers, installed packages, and configurations.

System must be usable and fully native to the new distro (all old packages replaced with new ones).

No flatpaks, avoid snaps where physically possible, native packages only.


Easy: pick two similar distros, such as Ubuntu and Debian or Manjaro and Arch and go from the base to the derivative.

Medium: Same as easy but go from the derivative to the base.

Hard: Pick two disparate distros like Debian and Artix and go from one to the other.

Nightmare: Make a self-compiled distro your target.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 7 hours ago (1 children)

Is that even possible? I'm already in panic when I remove a package and it's dependencies with pacman 😅.

Sure I did replaced Thunar with Nemo, but a few things don't work exactly how it should, like opening the download directory from Firefox (Known issue BTW) even though all mime-types are correctly set !

Even switching from Alternative -> Base distro seems like a really difficult task :/

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 hours ago

Possible? Absolutely. Pleasant? Hell, no.