Every time a new boutique Linux distro rolls out into the limelight it seems the same two thoughts cross my mind. First, the distro’s developer must be excited to present their vision to potential uses and work hard to provide the best distro possible. Second, this also means that if something happens to the developer the project can instantly end in its tracks.
In this article, we’ll examine the risks of relying on a boutique Linux distro and what to do when you're forced to switch due to a distro ending its development.
Linux distros do differ
Perhaps one of the most annoying stereotypes I hear about is how all Linux distros are basically the same. This is inaccurate on a number of levels. The biggest thing that separates one distro from another is its community and the developers who interact with them.
I think this is what draws users to the boutique distributions; A tight knit group all sharing a common desktop Linux experience. Perhaps one of my favorite perks is how easy it can be to get the attention of a developer for a feature or a bug. Because let's face it, filing bug reports is rather impersonal. Being able to message or email a developer directly can instill a real sense of community.
I've also found that sometimes these smaller distros will incorporate special ideas not found with the larger ones. One of my favorite examples are the distributions based on Arch. Here we have the mighty Arch distro – it's bleeding edge, fast, and generally awesome. But for newbies it's a bit much to get used to. I've used Arch in the past and will agree that once it's setup it's really appealing.
Where some users have a problem with it, is that they may wish to divert from the traditional "Arch Way." The idea of taking the time and setting up each individual aspect of the install isn't something these users want to undertake. Their reasons may vary but the desire for a plug and play alternative remains among this small user base. This is where small boutique distros based on Arch come into play. Antergos and Manjaro are two of the most commonly used Arch based distributions used by those wanting a distro that is ready immediately after being installed.
Clearly, if a developer stops contributing to Arch proper it is in a better position to absorb any sudden impact than distros like Antergos or Manjaro. However, when a smaller distro loses a developer, it can mean big problems. Sometimes the distro survives with the support of the community picking up the slack. In an instance where the distribution is a one-person project, this translates into the distro shutting down completely.
The CrunchBang project
CrunchBang was designed to be a simple to use, highly configurable desktop distribution. Sadly, its main developer decided to stop developing it. This left the CrunchBang community with a tough choice. They could either look into taking on development themselves or find another distro. I've heard from a few individuals who have decided to move onto other Debian-based distributions.
Then today, I learned that there is a "new" project starting up that is called CrunchBang++. It's the same basic project vision as CrunchBang, but it's using a newer package base. The immediate downside is that, once again, it’s a one man show with a single developer at the helm. And the second bit to consider is that it's still a beta product and isn't ready for prime time, like we found with CrunchBang.
From my perspective, I found the following takeaways with the closing down of the CrunchBang project:
-If a distro has a passionate enough community, sometimes someone will be willing to pickup the pieces.
-Cool, yet smaller projects like CrunchBang can disappear in the blink of an eye.
So realizing the fact that boutique distros come and go all the time, one must ask themselves – is this worth it?
Are boutique distros worth it?
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