[cntrl]

Wouldn't this be solved by just choosing a random linux distros out there and use the options that come preinstalled? Unless one proactively looks for features of the alternative there won't ever be the situation where one has to deal with these kinds of things.

Other than that I think having options / alternatives is a great thing. And if option a) intends to replace option b), then there will be compatibility issues in various degrees.

It's not that different than with other computer components, like CPU architecture (ARM vs x86/x64), GPU chips (Nvidia vs. AMD) and many more. Choosing the most popular option will usually result in the least amount of potential compatibility issues, but any of those options will work well in most situations.