Favorite Linux Distro ?

djonatan · 08-29-2007, 01:38 AM

My favorite Linux distro is Ubuntu, because it is very easy to use...

swannema · 08-29-2007, 12:38 PM

openSuse 10.2 as my main OS

Sidux to play around

Cogar · 08-29-2007, 02:10 PM

Ah, so you've decided to go for 10.2? 10.1 didn't teach you a lesson?

I am also using openSUSE 10.2 mostly, although I am using Arch on my laptop and very impressed. My next new desktop build, which I plan in the next month or so, will use Arch as well.

swannema · 08-29-2007, 10:58 PM

I never used 10.1.

WarpSpeed · 08-30-2007, 08:14 AM

Puppy; small, clean, and fast. Excellent forum support.

wallijonn · 09-19-2007, 05:31 PM

At home, Ubuntu 6.10.

At work I have a Compaq w/Celeron 600 / 256MB RAM running Feisty (7.04).

I will only look at GNOME distros.

**k0NG0** · 09-19-2007, 05:44 PM

I'm getting Ubuntu 7.10 as soon as it's out. Using OpenSUSE 10.2 right now, not bad but not great either.

jaketerminate · 11-08-2007, 10:15 AM

MEPIS all the way, the interfase is great and its so easy to use!

yamawho · 11-08-2007, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaketerminate

MEPIS all the way, the interfase is great and its so easy to use!

BPW · 11-09-2007, 04:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djonatan

My favorite Linux distro is Ubuntu, because it is very easy to use...

I used to be a Slackware guy, but over the time it just became too tedious for me to hunt down non-default packages and to maintain the system. The default install is simply too barebone to be used as a full-blown desktop system.

Right now, I'm using Kubuntu. Keeping the system up-to-date and getting packages from the huge repository is a breeze, and I can get Kubuntu to work like I want it by doing only minor customizations.

What I can't understand is that GNOME is still used and pushed so much. In my opinion, it is clearly inferior to KDE in terms of user experience/customization possibilities as well as in terms of software architecture and inner workings.
The Qt license issue is gone, so even for Open Source zealots there is no more reason not to use KDE.

GNOME is an old C hackjob.

**k0NG0** · 11-09-2007, 05:15 AM

Software architecture and inner workings don't mean much to end users. Virtually nothing. That GTK+/GObject is C-based instead of using C++ doesn't really mean much either. Some extra load on developers perhaps, but C++ has its own idiosyncrasies. (There's GTKmm if you're so inclined. Or GTK-Sharp. Or PyGTK.)

Gnome has a reasonably good HIG, a fairly low cognitive load and generally looks nice. It's perhaps a leaf out of the Apple book rather than the Microsoft one, which according to the trends these days seems like a good thing. (Although both KDE and Gnome are more like Windows clones than anything else.)

There's often talk about how KDE exposes more options, but for 95% of users that's usually a really bad idea anyway (it's like when Linus Torvalds said he likes KDE because he can tweak this or that and just because he writes schedulers for a living it's taken as canon when he actually doesn't have anything to do with GUIs to begin with).

Customization freaks probably like IceWM and similar projects even more. Light, fast, and you fix the rest using Vi/Emacs and /etc.

BPW · 11-09-2007, 06:08 AM

I can understand that companies are pushing the easier and less customizable UI of GNOME because they probably don't want to have their employees play around with their desktops and do work instead.
And they certainly want people with the lowest possible qualification do the job (i. e. the inexpensive ones which may indeed be overwhelmed by to many features on their desktop).

Still, I personally want this freedom.

As for software development: as a company developing software, I'd rather go Qt than GTK.

Yes, Qt may cost money, but you get a professional-level, high quality library (not saying that GTK isn't) plus professional-level support via a single point of entry.
Add the cross-platform capability of Qt for Windows (whereas GTK only has a hackjob win32 port, AFAIK), and you should be sold on it (No, I'm not working for Trolltech).

Again, I personally would prefer that.

But, as we know, Linux is all about choice.

Perry County · 11-25-2007, 08:46 PM

Ubuntu I suppose. It's the only one I've messed with since Mandrake back in the day.

Cogar · 11-25-2007, 09:52 PM

I have been using Fedora 8 for the last couple weeks and have been very impressed. This is the first Fedora release that feels like it's not loaded with stuff so experimental you are using "beta" software. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions work well. (I installed one, then the other.) My only complaint is that wireless support is not as good as it should be. For example, it does not seem to support WPA encryption.

Sola1280 · 04-11-2008, 10:59 PM

Zenwalk 5.0 easy to install uses Xfce really clean and lightweight. Currently im test driving OpenSuse 10.3 and its outperformed every other distro ive used including zenwalk. they seem to have fixed the issues they had with 10.1 it seems

08-29-2007, 01:38 AM	#1
djonatan Banned Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 2	Favorite Linux Distro ? My favorite Linux distro is Ubuntu, because it is very easy to use...
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08-29-2007, 12:38 PM	#2
swannema ???????????????? Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 9,625	openSuse 10.2 as my main OS Sidux to play around
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08-29-2007, 02:10 PM	#3
Cogar Sleuth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: It varies, but usually within 100 feet of a keyboard. Posts: 7,165	Ah, so you've decided to go for 10.2? 10.1 didn't teach you a lesson? I am also using openSUSE 10.2 mostly, although I am using Arch on my laptop and very impressed. My next new desktop build, which I plan in the next month or so, will use Arch as well.
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08-29-2007, 10:58 PM	#4
swannema ???????????????? Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 9,625	I never used 10.1.
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08-30-2007, 08:14 AM	#5
WarpSpeed Quod erat demonstratum Join Date: Apr 2002 Posts: 194	Puppy; small, clean, and fast. Excellent forum support. __________________ IS-7, 2.6C @ 3.45GHz, 2GB OCZ PC3200, Antec 500, W2KSP4
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09-19-2007, 05:31 PM	#6
wallijonn PHX Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Phoenix Posts: 2,564	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? At home, Ubuntu 6.10. At work I have a Compaq w/Celeron 600 / 256MB RAM running Feisty (7.04). I will only look at GNOME distros. __________________ D875PBZLK, G4-500
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09-19-2007, 05:44 PM	#7
k0NG0 The other tainted meat... Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Sweden Posts: 13,477	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? I'm getting Ubuntu 7.10 as soon as it's out. Using OpenSUSE 10.2 right now, not bad but not great either. __________________ Use Firefox - "the one that blocks all the schmutz" Feeling multicore elation? Remember this correlation: Amdahl's Law.
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11-08-2007, 10:15 AM	#8
jaketerminate ABX Enthusiast Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: CT Posts: 625	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? MEPIS all the way, the interfase is great and its so easy to use! __________________
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11-09-2007, 05:15 AM	#11
k0NG0 The other tainted meat... Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: Sweden Posts: 13,477	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? Software architecture and inner workings don't mean much to end users. Virtually nothing. That GTK+/GObject is C-based instead of using C++ doesn't really mean much either. Some extra load on developers perhaps, but C++ has its own idiosyncrasies. (There's GTKmm if you're so inclined. Or GTK-Sharp. Or PyGTK.) Gnome has a reasonably good HIG, a fairly low cognitive load and generally looks nice. It's perhaps a leaf out of the Apple book rather than the Microsoft one, which according to the trends these days seems like a good thing. (Although both KDE and Gnome are more like Windows clones than anything else.) There's often talk about how KDE exposes more options, but for 95% of users that's usually a really bad idea anyway (it's like when Linus Torvalds said he likes KDE because he can tweak this or that and just because he writes schedulers for a living it's taken as canon when he actually doesn't have anything to do with GUIs to begin with). Customization freaks probably like IceWM and similar projects even more. Light, fast, and you fix the rest using Vi/Emacs and /etc. __________________ Use Firefox - "the one that blocks all the schmutz" Feeling multicore elation? Remember this correlation: Amdahl's Law.
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11-09-2007, 06:08 AM	#12
BPW Vista basher Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 200	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? I can understand that companies are pushing the easier and less customizable UI of GNOME because they probably don't want to have their employees play around with their desktops and do work instead. And they certainly want people with the lowest possible qualification do the job (i. e. the inexpensive ones which may indeed be overwhelmed by to many features on their desktop). Still, I personally want this freedom. As for software development: as a company developing software, I'd rather go Qt than GTK. Yes, Qt may cost money, but you get a professional-level, high quality library (not saying that GTK isn't) plus professional-level support via a single point of entry. Add the cross-platform capability of Qt for Windows (whereas GTK only has a hackjob win32 port, AFAIK), and you should be sold on it (No, I'm not working for Trolltech). Again, I personally would prefer that. But, as we know, Linux is all about choice.
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11-25-2007, 08:46 PM	#13
Perry County Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 21	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? Ubuntu I suppose. It's the only one I've messed with since Mandrake back in the day.
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11-25-2007, 09:52 PM	#14
Cogar Sleuth Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: It varies, but usually within 100 feet of a keyboard. Posts: 7,165	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? I have been using Fedora 8 for the last couple weeks and have been very impressed. This is the first Fedora release that feels like it's not loaded with stuff so experimental you are using "beta" software. Both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions work well. (I installed one, then the other.) My only complaint is that wireless support is not as good as it should be. For example, it does not seem to support WPA encryption.
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04-11-2008, 10:59 PM	#15
Sola1280 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Delaware Posts: 12	Re: Favorite Linux Distro ? Zenwalk 5.0 easy to install uses Xfce really clean and lightweight. Currently im test driving OpenSuse 10.3 and its outperformed every other distro ive used including zenwalk. they seem to have fixed the issues they had with 10.1 it seems
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