GoboLinux, NixOS, and Bedrock flourish undercover
Depending on your perspective, the vast number of Linux distributions do not appear to be so infinitely varied. Most distros are based on the filesystem hierarchy standard (FHS) [1], which stipulates that 13 relevant, known directories or corresponding symbolic links (e.g., /usr, /bin, /home) must be in the root directory. The package manager then usually distributes the files across the filesystem during package installation.
Other projects work differently and could be considered trendsetters for future Linux distributions. These are systems with a modified FHS, updates with rollback function, duplicate filesystems, apps in an app store, or containers and stateless systems. The techniques used are not necessarily new; sometimes they have been in BSD or Solaris for a long time or were influenced by other operating systems, such as NeXTStep [2], AtheOS [3], or BeOS [4]. However, in combination, they appear to be new paths for Linux distributions.
GoboLinux
If you limit your view to Linux distributions in the broadest sense, GoboLinux was the first distribution that took an entirely new approach to package management. Published for the first time in 2003, GoboLinux progressed steadily until 2008, but the distribution then disappeared into oblivion to rise again from the ashes: A new version was release in mid-2014 [5].
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