What Order Have You Used Linux Distros In?

An interesting question is posed over at Network World today, by “Linux Tycoon” and funnyman Bryan Lunduke. Simply put, is there such thing as a “best” distro order for learning and becoming absorbed into Linux? Or rather, does the first distro you use kind of determine where you eventually end up? I’d imagine this could be the case for those who like to experiment, but I am not so sure anyone who discovers Linux via Ubuntu would be that quick to leave it. Though, I could be wrong.

Lunduke’s personal progression had him start with Ubuntu, move onto Arch and wind up at openSUSE. Ubuntu is the “newbie” distro, on par with dipping your toes in the water before making the full plunge. As you learn the OS enough, you get interested in learning more, the nitty gritty. Hence, Arch. With that mastered, you may wish to simply find a distro that offers a good blend of both common-sense simpleness and enough power to make it feel like you’re not being held back. Enter openSUSE.

My personal order is a bit strange, because I didn’t really choose one distro over another because it was more or less challenging. I first began fiddling around with Red Hat 7, and intrigued, purchased a copy of Caldera OpenLinux 2.3 at a local brick and mortar (yes, purchased). As I recall it, the distro was suitable enough, but then I got drawn to SuSE, which I also eventually purchased at the same store. As time passed, I decided I was more interested in a distro that could offer me as much control as possible without going into hardcore overkill mode. Thus, I’ve been using Gentoo since 2005, and don’t feel any real pull to leave.

If you’re a Linux user, what order did you go in?