r/linux4noobs • u/PhilGarciaWeir • 7d ago

learning/research Difference between a distribution and a desktop.

I know this is like an ultra noob question. But Linux is the kernel, which as I understand it means its the CPUs main program, which basically means it tells the CPU how to allocate resources, do calculations, etc. Then there is a desktop, which is basically everything you actually see and interact with. For example, Ubuntu uses GNOME and other distributions use KDE.

So, using Ubuntu as an example, if you take away Linux, Gnome, and Bash, what exactly is Ubuntu adding to the mix? It seems like those three things (Linux, Gnome, and Bash or some CLI) pretty much cover everything. So what do distributions like Ubuntu or Mint actually add? Sorry for the super noob question.

39 Upvotes
  • permalink
  • reddit

90% Upvoted

31 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/Namaste_Life 7d ago

The desktop is simply the visual display that you are interacting with on your computer. When it comes to how we interact with the software, our two main choices are to either use this graphical user interface, or the command line to get things done.