Linux users: What do you use?

[Lowfategg]

1. Laptop: Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop: Windows XP SP3
2. Laptop: Because it works, and its easy to setup. Desktop: Because I need a windows box and I like to play games.
3. Laptop: Adv. Apt-get is the most awesome thing in the world. It just works. Dis. Barely any. Most of the problems I did have are fixed. Biggest draw back is not having MS Office (yes I know it works in wine). Desktop: Adv. Its still running barely. Dis. It completely waste the power of my quad-core.
4. www.ubuntu.com
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid
5. It should be gnome or KDE (I like gnome). Really I do like the windows interface.

On the Fedora switch, I went over to Ubuntu around version 6, never looked back. I like it, it really all depends on you.

[whitetiger0990]

1. What OS are you using? (Dual-boot? with what?)
Windows on the terminal, ubuntu on the server I ssh into constantly.

2. Why do you use that(these) OS(s)?
I don't own own the end computers I use, one day, but for now I control the servers in the basement and the network. I use ubuntu because its what worked for me. I liked gentoo but my hardware is too old for the compiling (and if you use precompiled binaries on gentoo you might as well not use gentoo).

3. What advantages/disadvantages does it have?
I use web-based things for email and everything, only need PuTTY and I can live. =) The disadvantage is that I can't install whatever I want on the computers (well, I can... but I have to be more careful not to mess them up).

4. Related websites?
http://microsoft.com
http://ubuntu.com
http://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secure_Shell

5. What should an OS consist of?
A web browser and ssh client. Optionally some sort of graphics and the ability to use a mouse. I could live entirely CLI. I should see how long I could go entirely CLI... I don't have a good way to view images =P I'm thinking image->ascii art.. I'll play with that later.

[synth3tk]

1. What OS are you using? (Dual-boot? with what?)
Windows XP and Ubuntu 8.10

2. Why do you use that(these) OS(s)?
Ubuntu, because I love the ease-of-use of it. Some people scold me for not going hardcore and building my own kernel from scratch. To that I say, "to each, his own"...

Windows, because there are two purposes that Linux has not truly mastered yet: Gaming (think TF2, BF2, COD) and video editing (Sony Vegas, Adobe Final Cut). And I just found out that Steam will be making native Linux games soon, including some back-catalogs (TF2 FTW!!!)

3. What advantages/disadvantages does it have?
Advantages? Easy to install, use, upgrade, yadda yadda. Very newbie-friendly.

Disadvantages? I'm not sure, but I know some are there.

4. Related websites?
http://www.ubuntu.com/
http://www.ubuntuforums.org/

5. What should an OS consist of?
According to HP, bloatware. No, really, it should have solid support, a good developer backing (programs, security, etc), and most important of all, faithful, loyal fans to defend it.

[hihihiflcl81pig]

Today I went to a Speech and Debate meet, (Yes, I'm even nerdier than just being involved with FRC) and there was a kid during break time who started up Ubuntu. Of course I had to run over and give him a high five.

On the note of Ubuntu, there are a few things that I can point out that I see are wonderful, and not so much.

First off, Ubuntu is a wonderful distribution because it allows people the choice to their operating system. Before You had an Apple computer, or a Windows computer. Most people hadn't even heard of Linux. Then Ubuntu came along, and from it other distributions have evolved with the same mentality, like Mint. It also has one of the greatest communities that will solve almost any problem presented to them.

The only bad thing that Ubuntu does is force core packages (Firefox, F-Spot, fileroller, other small programs), and there are few optimizations for your architecture. But even through these two disadvantages, Ubuntu is still really fast and clean.

[mrbob1000]

Originally Posted by Lowfategg

1. Laptop: Ubuntu 8.10 Desktop: Windows XP SP3
2. Laptop: Because it works, and its easy to setup. Desktop: Because I need a windows box and I like to play games.
3. Laptop: Adv. Apt-get is the most awesome thing in the world. It just works. Dis. Barely any. Most of the problems I did have are fixed. Biggest draw back is not having MS Office (yes I know it works in wine). Desktop: Adv. Its still running barely. Dis. It completely waste the power of my quad-core.
4. www.ubuntu.com
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Intrepid
5. It should be gnome or KDE (I like gnome). Really I do like the windows interface.

On the Fedora switch, I went over to Ubuntu around version 6, never looked back. I like it, it really all depends on you.

There is a thing called... win-get...
http://windows-get.sourceforge.net/
i still prefer linux.

[Michael Hill]

1. What OS are you using? (Dual-boot? with what?)
Desktop: Triple Boot XP x64, Vista x64, Ubuntu
Laptop: Ubuntu
Server: Ubuntu

2. Why do you use that(these) OS(s)?
I use Windows on my desktop for gaming.
I use Ubuntu on everything else because it's fairly reliable, easy and fast to update and install software cleanly.

3. What advantages/disadvantages does it have?
See #2. The disadvantage of Ubuntu on my laptop is that my laptop is a tablet. So getting my Wacom digitizer was fun. Also, Purdue's wireless network kinda sucks. They know there's a connection problem when trying to connect with a Linux computer, but they don't know why. You might connect to it 1 in say...500 times.
Also, advantage: it will do what you tell it to.
Disadvantage: it will do what you tell it to.
What you tell it to do and what you want are not always the same, and you can easy suffer the consequences with Linux.

4. Related websites?
already posted.

5. What should an OS consist of?
An OS should be reliable and not crash when you need it not to (lol @ Windows with this one). However, there should be a rather easy way to fix human error (Linux sucks at times). The OS should support a wide variety of hardware and without DRM (cough Apple). There, I think I bashed most OSes on that one.

[mrbob1000]

Originally Posted by Michael Hill

1. What OS are you using? (Dual-boot? with what?)
Desktop: Triple Boot XP x64, Vista x64, Ubuntu
Laptop: Ubuntu
Server: Ubuntu

2. Why do you use that(these) OS(s)?
I use Windows on my desktop for gaming.
I use Ubuntu on everything else because it's fairly reliable, easy and fast to update and install software cleanly.

3. What advantages/disadvantages does it have?
See #2. The disadvantage of Ubuntu on my laptop is that my laptop is a tablet. So getting my Wacom digitizer was fun. Also, Purdue's wireless network kinda sucks. They know there's a connection problem when trying to connect with a Linux computer, but they don't know why. You might connect to it 1 in say...500 times.
Also, advantage: it will do what you tell it to.
Disadvantage: it will do what you tell it to.
What you tell it to do and what you want are not always the same, and you can easy suffer the consequences with Linux.

4. Related websites?
already posted.

5. What should an OS consist of?
An OS should be reliable and not crash when you need it not to (lol @ Windows with this one). However, there should be a rather easy way to fix human error (Linux sucks at times). The OS should support a wide variety of hardware and without DRM (cough Apple). There, I think I bashed most OSes on that one.

I had that problem some time back, it turned out my wireless card stunk and so did the drivers. look for a new wireless card and you will be ok.

[keen101]

1. I use Ubuntu Linux. It was the one i was introduced to first.

I tried out the kubuntu version because someone said it was closer to a familiar windows environment. Personally i hated the KDE interface, and have since preferred GNOME.

2. I use it because i'm tired of servicing my windows machines. No viruses, and everything is organized in a way that's understandable. I also like the helpful community, which is not unlike the chief delphi community in some way's.

3. umm.... well, that is really up to opinion. I have a few quirks with GNOME here and there, and a few other various things i don't like. Advantages... well opinion again. No viruses, clean packagement, open source software, more intuitive feel to it.

4. http://ubuntuforums.org/ https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoTeams

5.An OS should be reliable and not crash when you need it not to. However, there should be a rather easy way to fix human error, or at least a way to fix it without having to reinstall it.

[GUI]

1. Ubuntu 8.10 on the desktop, Windows XP on the family laptop, and FreeBSD on the old laptop.

2.I use Ubuntu for basic computing (web, im, word processing etc.). I use XP for Inventor and because I'm not allowed to put anything else on that computer. I was messing with Free BSD because I was bored and felt like learning about stuff.

3. Ubuntu is easy to install and use, and quick. There is great community supprt. However, it seems to follow the trend for more "powerful" (slower, for me at least) media applications, and Gnome seems a little bloated.

XP supports almost all popular applications, and is relatively fast. It is rather confusing to cnfigure for me, and is too susceptible to malware and viruses.

I can't really comment on FreeBSD, I've only messed with it a little. I'll report back in the event i get motivated to do something though.

4. None that haven't been posted, I was looking at some useful Free BSD tutorials, I'll link to it if I find it again...

5. I think an OS should be simple (both graphically and functionally, secure, and standardized (I've tried several other linux distros, and they all had no problem using my /home partition).

[synth3tk]

Originally Posted by mrbob1000

There is a thing called... win-get...
http://windows-get.sourceforge.net/
i still prefer linux.

Interesting. I'll have to try it sometime...

[whlspacedude]

1) Ubuntu 8.10 and Windows XP sp2
---a. Windows is installed on a nvraid RAID 0 (fakeraid/softwareraid)
---b. Boot Loader (winGrub) is installed to a third hard drive.
------i) Drive 3 has boot.ini and autoexec for windows and allows boot into RAID
------ii) Drive 3 also boots into Ubuntu Hard drive (chain boot loading).
---c. Ubuntu is installed to a second Hard drive and boots with grub.
2) Windows for Inventor and gaming Ubuntu for everything else
3) Advantages of Linux
---1. OPEN SOURCE (if you don't like it... Change it!)
---2. Excellent user interface selection.
---3. Codecs are readily available
---4. OS requires little processor headroom
---5. Plays Roller Coaster Tycoon!!!!! (in WINE)

4) www.Ubuntu.com , gna.org

5) See advantages of Linux