> Sorry but this is getting a little confusing. It seems there are > different forms of Linux. Are you suggesting that I use something other > than Ubuntu or is the KDE in addition to Ubuntu. Please explain. This is > very interesting. I will go online and look up openSUSE and KDE and > Debian but in the mean time explain what some of this stuff is please.
There is only one Linux, but that is the Kernel of the operating system, it does not include any applications, shells or something like that. Everything else is "Linux distributions". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux A linux distribution contains a Linux kernel and thousands of different program. Many of those programs come from the GNU project or other Open Source projects. There are dozens of different "Linux distributions", what they have in common is that they use the Linux kernel as the core, and that in many cases they also include the same applications and other software. Differences can be which versions of the applications they use or how everything is packaged. Some distributions are backed by large companies, but others are not. There are also similar operating system that are using other karnels, for example the different BSD:s. They in most cases use the same applications (because the applications are Open Source they are eaisly ported). This means that as a normal user running for example Scribus under Gnome you would know what operating system you have under the hood. /Peter
