The way to interact with the OS is significantly different from almost all other Linux distros. There is no shell, no DE. This feels like a lot more than "a custom paint job".
Is Ubuntu an OS? Mint?
Neither have built the package managment system, or the kernel, the DE(s), the utilities (maybe some but certainly not all).
What about CentOS? Or Bazzite? Or even Android?
Is macOS an OS, or "a custom BSD distro"?
And if none of those are OSs, does a Linux-based OS even exist? If not, what's the point of the distinction?
> Linus Torvalds and DHH are the only two arrogant people in tech
Are you feeling ok bud?