Which Linux distro and why?

[Vort]

FreeBSD fans welcome, too. Please name your preferred *nix distro and tell why you like it.

[HiJolly]

Meh.

I tried several but they're all techie-nerd-disposition required. Tried Suse, Ubuntu, I don't know what else. Yech.

I use AVI & MP3 files a lot and the add-ons stuff is not fun.

HiJolly

[scdoyle]

Ubuntu is probably the easiest for a newbie. Mint Linux is also pretty good. What I like about Mint is that most of the usual plug-ins are pre-installed (Java, Flash,etc.) I used to really like Mandriva because it came with so many programs pre-installed, unlike Ubuntu which is pretty bare bones out of the box. For servers, Ubuntu Server is really easy to set up, but you need to know some command line.

[Vanhin]

As far as Linux is concerned I'm a Red Hat fan, so I use CentOS for all of my server needs, Fedora Core for any time I use Linux as a desktop OS.

I also use FreeBSD a good bit, and I definitely prefer the BSD license over GPL.

Vanhin

[pam]

Is anyone else as lost as I am in this conversation?

[lydlou]

Is anyone else as lost as I am in this conversation?

absolutly Pam! we wanderd into a tecno-geek dicussion, so i'll just mosey back out and leave them to it. lol

[Dravin]

Is anyone else as lost as I am in this conversation?

Linux is an operating system. Like how Windows in an operating system*. Unlike in the case of Windows where a company owns all the code and is the only one allowed to monkey around with it, Linux is open to people making changes to it. The end result is you get varying distros (Distributions/Versions) of Linux based on who is working with it. If it helps any (and it may not) think of it like a bunch of mechanics talking about their favorite car engine, they all basically do the same thing but there can be some pretty big difference in how they do it and how reliable they are.

* I'm sure even that small comparison made someone in this thread a little nauseas.

Me. I installed Ubuntu on my Brother's older computer down in his X-Box room (I also use it in demo mood on a computer that has a license Windows says is invalid and it likes to reboot every hour or so on you). He mainly uses it for surfing, listening to music and syncing his iPod. The the last one is giving fits because his is a touch and Ubuntu only sees it as a camera. My understanding though is this is a common problem with Apple trying to keep anyone but iTunes** out and so the particulars of the newer firmware are the issue. So I guess he'll have to wait until somebody figure it out.

** Okay guys, this is ridiculous. I can understand you wanting us to use iTunes. Then offer a freaking Linux version. Its not like you have no experience with Linux.

Edit: Oh, why! My more Linux hip Brother-In-Law recommended (at request) Ubuntu for my brother's machine. As far as using it in demo mode on the expired Windows machine? Well, I already had a disk hanging around.

Edited December 22, 2009 by Dravin

[Vort]

Ubuntu is probably the easiest for a newbie. Mint Linux is also pretty good. What I like about Mint is that most of the usual plug-ins are pre-installed (Java, Flash,etc.) I used to really like Mandriva because it came with so many programs pre-installed, unlike Ubuntu which is pretty bare bones out of the box. For servers, Ubuntu Server is really easy to set up, but you need to know some command line.

Which do you personally use, and why?

[Vort]

As far as Linux is concerned I'm a Red Hat fan, so I use CentOS for all of my server needs, Fedora Core for any time I use Linux as a desktop OS.

I also use FreeBSD a good bit, and I definitely prefer the BSD license over GPL.

Why RedHat, and why do you prefer the BSD license?

[theoriginalavatar]

FreeBSD fans welcome, too. Please name your preferred *nix distro and tell why you like it.

I am ashamed to say I didn't even understand a word of your thread.

Computers, right?

[theoriginalavatar]

Is anyone else as lost as I am in this conversation?

I should have read ahead before posting. You beat me to it.

[Vanhin]

Why RedHat

I like Red Hat. At work I use RHEL (in the form of CentOS) because it is one of the distros that seems to always be supported by 3rd party applications at an enterprise level. SUSE is another one, but because I like Red Hat and it is what I'm most familiar with, that's what we use when we need a Linux server.

and why do you prefer the BSD license?

I like the BSD license because it is more friendly to proprietary commercialization. It is less complex than GPL, which allows developers to focus on developing quality code without worrying too much about violating licensing. It gives software developers the option of keeping the code open source, or making it proprietary when it's time to compete in the market place - sometimes even with others who are working off the same base.

Regards,

Vanhin

[rameumptom]

It has been years since I used much Linux. I used to use Red Hat, Mandrake, FreeBSD, and Novell's Suse (actually pre-Novell). Personally, if I needed a desktop Linux now, I'd probably go with Ubuntu.

Of course, this from someone who used to work in UNIX prior to the pretty Gnome shell everyone uses today.....

[Vort]

I am ashamed to say I didn't even understand a word of your thread.

Computers, right?

VORT'S TRANSLATION SERVICE

50% off -- today only!

Which Linux distro and why?

As Dravin explained above, Linux is an "operating system", like Microsoft Windows. An operating system is a bridge between the physical computer ("hardware") you have and the applications (such as Internet Explorer) you use. The operating system also provides you with the nice "desktop" that you use to get around on your computer, find files, and so forth.

Unlike Windows, which is owned by Microsoft and offered in only a few specific versions, Linux is open source, meaning (essentially) that no one and everyone owns it. Different groups collect different configurations of the Linux OS, bundle them up with different sets of applications, and offer them as "distributions", or "distros". Some distros are specifically targeted at people new to Linux and migrating over from Windows; others are targeted toward the super-technical computer geek who likes to write all his own code; and others are targeted at other types of submarkets (gamers, students, server administrators, etc.).

My question was, Which Linux distribution do you prefer to use, and why do you like it best?

FreeBSD fans welcome, too.

The Linux operating system was developed primarily by Linus Torvalds (not Linus Pauling, as I almost wrote ) from an old and very reliable operating system called UNIX. (Hence the name Linux, a geeky combination of Linus and UNIX.) Torvalds and his buddies essentially copied UNIX by rewriting the software code libraries that make UNIX run, but instead of the large computers UNIX was written for, they wrote it for PCs.

Meanwhile, UNIX was still alive and well in several versions among different companies. Some folks at AT&T used their Berkeley UNIX "kernel" (the basic code for the operating system) as a base for a version of UNIX to run on a PC. The called it the "Berkeley Software Distribution 386" (the "386" shows it was meant for PCs), or BSD386. Thus was born FreeBSD (and several other BSD-derived OSes). A few years later, the AT&T Unix group sued BSD, so they simply rewrote their code, removing all proprietary AT&T-owned code.

So as far as I can tell, BSD is basically the same thing as Linux -- a UNIX-type OS that looks, sounds, and smells like UNIX but runs on a PC.

Please name your preferred *nix distro and tell why you like it.

I said "*nix" to include FreeBSD, since technically it is not Linux. In Computerland, the asterisk * is used as a "wildcard" and means "put whatever fits into this place". Thus, *nix would mean Linux, UNIX, or (by extension) FreeBSD or other BSD distros. (I realize that FreeBSD does not end in "NIX"; this is geekspeak, so please work with me here.)

I am sure that Vanhin, rameumptom, Dravin, and many others here could tell you a whole lot more about Linux than I can. Ask if you're curious. Wikipedia has a pretty good write-up on Linux and related issues.

Edited December 22, 2009 by Vort

[theoriginalavatar]

VORT'S TRANSLATION SERVICE

50% off -- today only!

Which Linux distro and why?

As Dravin explained above, Linux is an "operating system", like Microsoft Windows. An operating system is a bridge between the physical computer ("hardware") you have and the applications (such as Internet Explorer) you use. The operating system also provides you with the nice "desktop" that you use to get around on your computer, find files, and so forth.

Unlike Windows, which is owned by Microsoft and offered in only a few specific versions, Linux is open source, meaning (essentially) that no one and everyone owns it. Different groups collect different configurations of the Linux OS, bundle them up with different sets of applications, and offer them as "distributions", or "distros". Some distros are specifically targeted at people new to Linux and migrating over from Windows; others are targeted toward the super-technical computer geek who likes to write all his own code; and others are targeted at other types of submarkets (gamers, students, server administrators, etc.).

My question was, Which Linux distribution do you prefer to use, and why do you like it best?

FreeBSD fans welcome, too.

The Linux operating system was developed primarily by Linus Torvalds (not Linus Pauling, as I almost wrote ) from an old and very reliable operating system called UNIX. (Hence the name Linux, a geeky combination of Linus and UNIX.) Torvalds and his buddies essentially copied UNIX by rewriting the software code libraries that make UNIX run, but instead of the large computers UNIX was written for, they wrote it for PCs.

Meanwhile, UNIX was still alive and well in several versions among different companies. Some folks at AT&T used their Berkeley UNIX "kernel" (the basic code for the operating system) as a base for a version of UNIX to run on a PC. The called it the "Berkeley Software Distribution 386" (the "386" shows it was meant for PCs), or BSD386. Thus was born FreeBSD (and several other BSD-derived OSes). A few years later, the AT&T Unix group sued BSD, so they simply rewrote their code, removing all proprietary AT&T-owned code.

So as far as I can tell, BSD is basically the same thing as Linux -- a UNIX-type OS that looks, sounds, and smells like UNIX but runs on a PC.

Please name your preferred *nix distro and tell why you like it.

I said "*nix" to include FreeBSD, since technically it is not Linux. In Computerland, the asterisk * is used as a "wildcard" and means "put whatever fits into this place". Thus, *nix would mean Linux, UNIX, or (by extension) FreeBSD or other BSD distros. (I realize that FreeBSD does not end in "NIX"; this is geekspeak, so please work with me here.)

I am sure that Vanhin, rameumptom, Dravin, and many others here could tell you a whole lot more about Linux than I can. Ask if you're curious. Wikipedia has a pretty good write-up on Linux and related issues.

That was very kind of you! The hieratics are more clear now. Understanding computers is like math to me...flying over my head with great abandon.

Your check for the translation services is in the mail.

[Vort]

That was very kind of you! The hieratics are more clear now. Understanding computers is like math to me...flying over my head with great abandon.

Your check for the translation services is in the mail.

Oh, by the way, did I mention how much Linux costs? It's offered at an especially low price. In fact, your check to me should pretty much cover the price to download Linux. For more information, Google "Linux download" and pick your favorite link. (Or come back to this thread to find out which distros people like and why...)

[Vanhin]

I would just add that the BSD variants (which includes FreeBSD, SunOS, Mac OS X and others) are an actual branch of UNIX, because they share a code base with the original AT&T UNIX. Linux is described as a UNIX-like operating system at best, mainly because it shares certain common features with UNIX, but is itself not a derivative of UNIX. So, *NIX is a good moniker for both types.

The kernel is the central most basic component of a given operating system. It is the component that communicates with the underlying hardware. Linux, most properly, describes the kernel which was created by Linus Torvalds (another Finn, like yours truly), though most people consider the bundled software distribution which includes the kernel, shells, compilers, editors, graphical interfaces, etc... to be synonymous with Linux. Technically, Linux is just the kernel.

Anyway, just some additional info for anyone who is interested. It think there is a scripture or something that Brother Brigham once said that establishes this as doctrine somewhere... I'll try to find it.

Regards,

Vanhin

[Vort]

It has been years since I used much Linux. I used to use Red Hat, Mandrake, FreeBSD, and Novell's Suse (actually pre-Novell). Personally, if I needed a desktop Linux now, I'd probably go with Ubuntu.

Of course, this from someone who used to work in UNIX prior to the pretty Gnome shell everyone uses today.....

Why do you like Ubuntu? And if you're not a Linux person any more, what do you do for computer use? Have you been inducted into the Mac cult, or do you just plug your neurons directly into an internet server?

[scdoyle]

Which do you personally use, and why?

I personally use Windows 7. We don't have any Linux systems at work so I don't have any need to use it daily. I just like to experiment with different distros in VMs.

[Vanhin]

I personally use Windows 7. We don't have any Linux systems at work so I don't have any need to use it daily. I just like to experiment with different distros in VMs.

Right on. I use Windows too. I'm not one of those die-hard anti-Micro$oft Bill Gates is the devil kind of guys. In fact, most people I know who prefer BSD license over GPL have no problems with Microsoft and Windows. That would be the domain of Stallman GNU fanatics.

I do all my gaming in Windows 7 (64bit).

Regards,

Vanhin

[Dravin]

I do all my gaming in Windows 7 (64bit).

Ah, gaming. One of the things that keeps me from ever seriously giving Microsoft the boot.

[Moksha]

Ah, gaming. One of the things that keeps me from ever seriously giving Microsoft the boot.

That keeps individuals from the benefits of Linux or FBSD. Many businesses on the other hand owe their usage of Windows to not budgeting their resources wisely.

[DigitalShadow]

I'm not a Microsoft fanboy by any means, but I like my Windows too much to use anything else on a regular basis. My friend is always tinkering with his Ubuntu install trying to get a particular piece of hardware or software to work on it that would easily run on Windows. I would rather just use windows and if the operating system needs anything, I know enough low level windows hacking to fake it with an application I could write.

I've used windows since I've used computers, starting with Windows 3.1 when I was little. I know it's quirky and bloated and has security holes, but it is familiar to me and in many cases it is better than people give it credit for.

[Mahone]

Many businesses on the other hand owe their usage of Windows to not budgeting their resources wisely.

Absolutely. Personally I use linux wherever it is possible to do so, usually this means servers (most win2003/win2008 server functions can be replicated with linux, including windows domain controller functions to a certain extent - though this isn't recommended in a production environment). I don't have a "favourite" distro per se, though my first choices would likely be ubuntu and fedora. My reasons are simply that I've worked with them before, know they work sufficiently and are popular, which is an advantage because more people will be contributing to it.

I'm not a Microsoft fanboy by any means, but I like my Windows too much to use anything else on a regular basis. My friend is always tinkering with his Ubuntu install trying to get a particular piece of hardware or software to work on it that would easily run on Windows. I would rather just use windows and if the operating system needs anything, I know enough low level windows hacking to fake it with an application I could write.

I've used windows since I've used computers, starting with Windows 3.1 when I was little. I know it's quirky and bloated and has security holes, but it is familiar to me and in many cases it is better than people give it credit for.

This is why I still use windows on my desktop machines. I use too many windows exclusive applications to be feasible for having linux on my desktop. Plus I have far more experience with windows than linux, linux is just a tool I use as and when it's possible, learning on the job.

As a side note, a few months ago I installed windows 3.1 on my brothers computer as a prank. However it is the most stable microsoft OS I've ever used (even though I did have to remove at least 3/4 of the RAM to get it to work).

Here is one of the finished product pics I took (excuse the mess, it's used more as a work bench than a desk):

Edited December 23, 2009 by Mahone

[rameumptom]

Why do you like Ubuntu? And if you're not a Linux person any more, what do you do for computer use? Have you been inducted into the Mac cult, or do you just plug your neurons directly into an internet server?

Ubuntu seems to have focused on the user. Red Hat still focuses on servers, which it does well. I just don't have a need for a Linux server in my home right now. Ubuntu plays nice with hardware, they've worked hard to ensure drivers are available for a lot of the stuff out there.

I actually like Win XP and Win 7. I still have a few apps that I frequently use that only run on Windoze. I've looked at cloud computing, and it just isn't quite there yet, though I have been known to bring up Google Docs for a quick and dirty spreadsheet or document. I'm not worried about a Microsoft monopoly anymore, as the Internet has erased much of their power. And I don't have a need for virtualization or dual booting on my PC. Therefore, I'm basically a PC guy, right now. If software changes, etc., change down the road for me, I could easily switch back to Linux, or perhaps Android (when it gets stable).

I will never join the Mac cult. I'm just not interested in joining a group that is so closed to the rest of the world. I like buying my hardware from a variety of sources, and to have the option of changing my OS, if I so choose. Mac is still a very closed standard, IMO.