Linux Kernel vs Distros

Linux Distro

There are three parts in a Linux Distro

1. Linux Kernel: is a computer program, acts as the mediator between computer's hardware and programs.
   • Every linux distro contains Linux Kernel
   • Visit https://kernel.org/ to know latest Linux Kernel release
2. Desktop Environment: is a graphical user interface that allows users to interact with different programs visually.
• Every linux distro contains a Dekstop Environment
• There are different desktop environments available for linux. They are:
  • GNOME
  • KDE
  • LXQt
  • Budgie
  • Cinnamon
  • Mate
3. Common Programs and Utilities: These are some common programs like a media player, audio player, notepad, calendar etc and utilities to manage software on our computer.

Some points ...

• When we choose a Linux distro, it already contains Linux Kernal, a desktop environment, common programs and utilities
• We don't choose which Linux Kernel we want to use. It is always better to use latest Linux Kernal availabe with the Linux distro.
• Choosing a desktop environment is purely a personal preference. While learning about Linux, I suggest to stick with the default desktop enviroment that comes with a Linux distro. Once you gain experience feel free to experiment with different desktop environments.