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Disclamer: the question i am asking is what determines what linux distro i'm using not "am i still useing ubuntu" now for the question. I use to think that a linux distro was defined by its desktop environment, but now I have 7 desktop environments. Am I still useing ubuntu? Have I made a ubuntu dirivitive? I know some distros have difrent ways you install stuff like debien & ubuntu use apt-get, & arch uses pacman. So what i'm asking is what determins which linux distro you are useing?

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From Wikipedia:

A Linux distribution (often called a distro for short) is an operating system made as a software collection based on the Linux kernel and, often, on a package management system.

So basically, a Linux distribution is a set of packages that creator selects for you.


...but now I have 7 desktop environments. Am I still using Ubuntu?

Yes! Because even you have modified with desktop environments, the remaining set of softwares are still the safe.

The fun thing to note is, even if you modify all the softwares to match other distro, the name of Ubuntu will still be connected somewhere deep in the source code. ;)

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Linux distro is basically used for Linux distributions. When you decide to use Linux on your desktop, you need to choose a distro. Linux OS is developed by different organizations and people working on different parts. System services, graphical programs, terminal commands – many are developed independently from another. They’re all open-source software distributed in source code form. Linux distributions do the hard work for you, taking all the code from the open-source projects and compiling it for you, combining it into a single operating system you can boot up and install. They also make choices for you, such as choosing the default desktop environment, browser, and other software. Most distributions add their own finishing touches, such as themes and custom software – the Unity desktop environment Ubuntu provides, for example.

For more details - Source - http://www.howtogeek.com/132624/htg-explains-whats-a-linux-distro-and-how-are-they-different/

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The desktop environment is what you see, the distro defines what 'is running in the background'.

Linux is the kernel which manages everything from process scheduling to memory management.

A desktop environment gives the user an interface to talk with the kernel, which by itself talks to the computer hardware. Examples for known desktop environments are GNOME, KDE, XFCE.

So even if you are using different desktop environments you are still running the Ubuntu system.

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