Whenever GNU/Linux trumpets a excellent or polished UI, it’s always second-hand. Linux never pushed user interface, and just follows or copies what others have done before, with small variations.

So says Cameron Hunt. I dislike categorical statements such as these, especially since they tend to be untrue. First, of course, it should be noted that as far as I know, no other OS has anywhere near the breadth in different UIs than Linux (whether those are knock-offs or original.)

Second, a counterexample: tiling window managers. They rival the desktop metaphor (well, not in user mass, but then again, neither do Linux or OS X rival Windows in user mass) and aren’t just following or copying what others have done before. DWM, Ion and xmonad are examples.

Third, it’s easier to change the UI in Linux. Xmonad is somewhere between 500 and 1000 lines of code.