GNU/Linux Turns 43 Next Month, Many Distros Actively Maintained
Next month GNU/Linux has its birthday or anniversary again. It's now becoming very mainstream on laptops and desktops, helped by various factors including the fast-rising cost of new hardware (or components thereof).
The late Murdock (the "Ian" in "Debian") said that his main baby or project took off owing to positive words from the founder of GNU/Linux, in effect sending many developers to Debian, in turn attracting users as well.
Not many people, except on devices and servers, choose Debian (for their "PC"), but most distros that are popular on PCs are based on Debian. That includes Ubuntu and everything based on Ubuntu. As recalled today in the sister site, "a recent family tree of GNU/Linux distributions (pictured above) makes clear the absolutely key role played by the Debian project in the world of free software, and the enduring contribution of the man who created it."
A lot of Debian-based distros are still actively maintained (we talk about this in IRC this evening), so the stability of the Debian Project is important. Cult-like elements pose a risk to stability. They suppress introspection. █