distro-hopping

UK/ˈdɪstɹəʊˌhɒpɪŋ/US/ˈdɪstɹoʊˌhɑpɪŋ/

noun

The process of frequently changing the operating system of one's computer to a different distribution of Linux.

“After years of distro-hopping, I finally settled on Debian.”

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Meanings

noundistro-hopping (uncountable)

alternative distro hopping

  1. uncountablecomputingThe process of frequently changing the operating system of one's computer to a different distribution of Linux.

    After years of distro-hopping, I finally settled on Debian.

    3 more examples

    Choosing a distribution is a personal choice and most people find the one that's right for them by distro-hopping, the process of trying out different distributions, until, like Goldilocks, you find the one that's just right.

    2016 November 17, Steven Ovadia, Learn Linux in a Month of Lunches, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN

    Distro-Hopping is a term that refers to the activity or hobby of Linux users to switch between distros frequently, exploring them and trying several distros out in an attempt to find the one that best suits their needs.

    2020 February 6, Balaji Gunasekaran, “Distro-Hopping, What, Why & How Explained!”, in EmbeddedInventor.com, retrieved 07 May 2023

    Distro-hopping is a time-honored pastime, where you download and try different Linux distributions.

    2021 August 13, Carla Schroder, Linux Cookbook, "O'Reilly Media, Inc.", →ISBN
verb

alternative distro hopping

  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of distro-hop

Origin

From distro + hopping.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

distro-hopping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distro-hopping

MLA

“distro-hopping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distro-hopping. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “distro-hopping,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/distro-hopping.

Source: distro-hopping on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.