Linux Users Unite!

[debio264]

So, it looks like there are at least a few linux users active on these forums, so here's a place to talk about your distribution, why you use it, and (to keep this from becoming a holy war) why it may not be for everyone.

I use Arch linux. It's a more advanced distro, although not as advanced as linux from scratch. It's realistically somewhere near Gentoo.
Arch is separated from other distributions by a belief in keeping it simple. Not simple as in no configuration and automagical goodness, but simple as in basic. When you install an Arch system, you reboot and get a command line. From that command line, you can install KDE, Gnome, XFCE, E17, LXDE, Awesome, RatPoison, OpenBox, FluxBox... whatever you want. You build the system from Arch's large package selection (binary packages, like Debian/Ubuntu, not build scripts like Gentoo), and even when there isn't a package for what you want, you can get a PKGBUILD script from the Arch User Repository and build a package yourself.
Arch also has a rolling release system, which means that it really has no release system. Other distributions update everything at once, forming a release, on a set schedule. Arch just releases new versions of packages to the public as they are released, and Arch packages are always the latest stable version of an application. Packages are tested before they are released, and the rolling release system means that Arch is always up to date, even bleeding edge.

Arch is not for everyone. Starting from a command line and building your system can be a daunting task, and new linux users won't know where to start. At least reasonable command line proficiency is pretty much a requisite, although a few very determined people have managed to learn as they go.
Also, the rolling release system does occasionally cause problems. The largest source of errors after an upgrade is user error because when packages contain changes that break things, there will almost always be a message displayed when the package is installed. Not reading these messages can make Bad Things(TM) happen. Also, certain upgrades cause problems without warning. This is the dark side of a rolling release system, and it's the reason most distributions avoid such a system. Despite dire warnings, though, I generally encounter upgrade problems about twice a year. I used to experience them almost every month, but that was because ATI's Catalyst drivers don't support my laptop's graphics card, and literally every other release of their drivers would crash my computer on startup. I've switched to the open source drivers for my card, and now I'm happy.
On a side note, Arch has officially dropped developer support for the ATI Catalyst drivers, mostly because ATI supports Ubuntu. They don't support Linux, just Ubuntu. When Ubuntu includes a new kernel in a release, ATI will jump on it and get drivers made. When Ubuntu changes XOrg server versions, ATI upgrades their drivers. This was more than problematic for Arch because Arch is generally more up to date than Ubuntu, and thus new versions of the XOrg server and kernel would often have to be held back because they would break compatibility with ATI's drivers.

Anyway, that's a summary of Arch. Just in case someone gets the wrong impression, I don't hate Ubuntu. I have recommended it to many people, and I think it's probably the best linux distribution for a first-time linux user to use.

[ichwar]

I was going to try arch, but at the time I downloaded it, I was having some other computer troubles (windows problems *ahem*) and in the midst of rebooting and reformatting, I lost the .iso and haven't taken the time to redownload it since.

Right now, I'm using Ubuntu 9.04 (Jaunty Jackalope) and have spruced it up to make it look much like the Apple OS X. lol

I've found surprisingly however, that all the fancy graphics hardly slows my computer down at all. But then, maybe that's just because I just got a new computer, and not even windows has been able to bog it down so far.

On another note, any one who knows anything about games, come over here and continue an age old game (current game subject is linux, don't get fooled by zener's joking around with avatars).

[Smith6612]

I've tried a couple of Distros. I'm currently running Fedora Core 11 on a slow Pentium III box, which is running as a network router and gateway. Besides that, I've also used Ubuntu, Knoppix, ArchLinux, Puppy Linux, Damn Small Linux (aka DSL), and Puppy Linux.

[canalavelibrary]

I used to be a Linux user... but, my priority was gaming, and gaming didn't work too well even with WINE, so I switched back to Windows. However, I uesd Ubuntu, and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Compared to Windows, it was pretty darn fast, and cool. I did get a few issues with customization that caused my computer to hang (I think my graphics card wasn't fully supported at the time), and so I had to re-install it a few times, but whatever. I'll go back one day, because it's a fact that it's only going to get better and better. And I'm sure there's probably some better distro out there, but a friend told me to try Ubuntu.

[steronius]

debia264, what is your source for open source ATI drivers? I've corrupted a few installs with ATI myself. Thank you,

I've been using VirtualBox to test Linux for a couple years now. I always go back to ubuntu due to ease, but still use the terminal often. Actually I use Xubuntu (XFCE) most. I just like it because it's stable. and "it's linux damnit" -- i like being a nerd. I even have my step-daughter using Xubuntu on an old slow Dell that just sucked under XP. I agree, linux is not for everyone, people just don't like command prompts anymore, and you certainly have to "sudo" a lot when installing new software. The "regular Joe" out there just wants to use a pc, not play with it. So those people usually see software in wal-mart, buy it and expect to throw it on there computer and that's it. Well that's not the linux world. These people usually doesn't even know Linux exists, much less that they can usually find equivalent software for free.

If I could ever get hamachi and ddclient to work without the su password, then maybe i'd be 90% linux. but i cannot seem to do that. if i boot XP everything comes up, DynDNS and Hamachi go online, but i cant properly get those to go in linux. Also I use Quickbooks for my business and that's Windoze only. And lastly MS-Office, yes I can just use OpenOffice, but some things just aren't easy. I use.. (barf)... powerpoint for a client. Version 2007 is just easy and pretty, where i cannot do the same easiness and pretty-ness in OpenOffice.

Also I'd like to add that at work I use a Mac pro and XP box side by side. My Mac Pro has parallels, so i'm running a Xubuntu and an XP in Virtual Machines. The XP is for certain network management requirements and Xubuntu is "for me". That machine (OSX) is very stable and it's always on -- always. The two VM's stay on too, at the same time without speed or usability issues.

[briapv]

Im running ubuntu 9.04 and Windows 7 on my Duo Core and Ubuntu 9.10 Alpha 2 on my test PC( Pentium IV)
Ubuntu 9.10 haves after Grub2 Loaded(3 secs, i disabled mem test[what taked 5 secs to do) 8 seconds load time(WITH A PENTIUM IV 2.0 ghz processor)so a total of 11 secs to the login screen

[debio264]

debia264, what is your source for open source ATI drivers? I've corrupted a few installs with ATI myself.

On Arch, the packages are xf86-video-ati and xf86-video-radeonhd. There are actually three drivers for XOrg, radeon, radeonhd, and ati (ati is just a wrapper that loads whichever driver is appropriate). The equivalent Ubuntu packages are... xserver-xorg-video-radeonhd, xserver-xorg-video-radeon, and xserver-xorg-video-ati

Arch probably bundled the radeon and ati drivers together and left radeonhd separate because radeonhd is much more experimental than the others. It runs, it just isn't as mature.

[taha116]

I now use ubuntu desktop edition 9.04... i originally tried xubuntu but it actually turned out slower then ubuntu for some reason....

I am new to linux but i am still impressed.

My complaints: I didnt find any easy way to control color settings and such, and the package system is confusing... except for the add/remove manger wich rocks.

[Divinorum]

I used to be a Linux user... but, my priority was gaming, and gaming didn't work too well even with WINE, so I switched back to Windows. However, I uesd Ubuntu, and I have to say I enjoyed it a lot. Compared to Windows, it was pretty darn fast, and cool. I did get a few issues with customization that caused my computer to hang (I think my graphics card wasn't fully supported at the time), and so I had to re-install it a few times, but whatever. I'll go back one day, because it's a fact that it's only going to get better and better. And I'm sure there's probably some better distro out there, but a friend told me to try Ubuntu.

Like you WinE or Cedega could not meet my needs in programs I needed to run.

I found another purposes for Linux distros though, mainly education for networking tactics, and building servers.

However for everything else it's beat by other OS' like Windows.

Windows holds top in Productions, (many good production programs like FL Studio, Cubase, and Reason will not work with Linux, WinE's audio hardware support fails.)

Windows holds up the best for gaming, (many games I tried to convert to linux did not work.)

Linux was also very annoying to get the way I wanted to get it, literally I spent days just trying to get a perfect desktop going.

Everything else was alright though.

I liked the GUI, the programs, and the customization.

For everything else there is Windows.

If Linux was more compatiable with Windows programs, and drivers, I'd consider using it again.

Until then it's in my scrap cd case, there until the CD's either get thrown out or put to actual use.

[rosenth]

distribution : Ubuntu 8.04 Long Term Support
why linux? : Completely OS , lack of extra cash , bealiving in humanity , sincear relation between coder and user.
why not other linuxes?
: Ubuntu has a great forum!
my usage : Editing sounds , sketching , surfing internet , 3D/2D modeling/animation (newbie)