With all the different versions, won Linux splinter, or fragment, like UNIX?
First of all, there are no “different versions”. There is the Linux kernel, which is the same throughout all distributions. On top of the kernel, there are several tools and programs that are standard in any distribution. Each distribution also has its own additional features and programs. So really, the question is “Will the ‘different’ distributions cause Linux to splinter?”. Simply put, no. Why? Well, think about it this way, when I purchase a new computer I might get a copy of Windows. Depending on the computer manufacturer I may get additional programs. The copy of Windows that I get may also be specific to my computer hardware. Does that mean that the Windows code itself is any different? Will the ‘eMachines’ copy of Windows splinter from the Packard Bell copy? Of course not, they all have the same basic code. This is exactly the way it works with the different Linux distributions. The basic code is the same. Thanks to the ‘GNU Public License'(GPL), any modifications that a distr
