Thoughts on Linux Distros

Reading from Wikipedia this is my understanding

There's 3 big families:

Debian, Slackware, & Red Hat (Gentoo, Pacman)

Each of the original distributions are very conservative on their development, so they have spin-offs that allow for more experimentation. Debian - Ubuntu, Slackware - SuSE, Red Hat - Fedora/Mandriva.

Each of those side distributions have enterprise and home editions. Ubuntu combines both. OpenSUSE for home consumers, SUSE Linux Enterprise for enterprises. Fedora is for enterprise, Mandriva is for home consumers.

Each distro has their own philosophy. Fedora seeks breaking edge, 100% FOSS, and focus on enterprise. Ubuntu focuses on usability and stability. OpenSUSE strives to for easy administration (YaST), detailed documentation, and have a brick-and-mortar presence.