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What Linux Distro do you use?
http://www.ferrousmoon.com:80/forums/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=1345		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  eddieringle [Sat Apr 26, 2008 3:01 pm ]
Post subject:  What Linux Distro do you use?
Okay, I'm thinking about putting linux on my desktop and dualbooting between that and XP.
I tried Kubuntu 8.04, but Hardy has some problems with some users and it just doesn't install correctly.
What distros do you guys use?
Author:  Gwanky [Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
I like Ubuntu the best.
Author:  skyblownet [Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Ubuntu, Damn Small Linux, Knoppix, BackTrack...
Author:  eddieringle [Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Okay, besides Ubuntu. ;)
Author:  ChaosR [Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Quote:
Okay, besides Ubuntu. ;)
Kubuntu?
Author:  Tycho [Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:47 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
I personally despise Ubuntu. Don't get me wrong, their distro is awesome as far as ease-of-use goes, but that's just the problem.

I've met far too many people who I thought of as intelligent because being a Gentoo user, I realize the complexities of Linux and have used virtual terminals, bash scripting, etc for years. I hadn't tried Ubuntu myself for the longest time, but when I did, I came to the realization that Ubuntu has made installing Linux so easy that a grandmother or worse, an AOL-er, could do it.

I use Gentoo, Slackware, Debian. Anything but a distro that embraces user-friendliness.
Author:  prophile [Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
That's mindless elitism. Shame on you, Tycho.

I don't particularly like Ubuntu because it tries to be user friendly and fails spectacularly. People don't make user friendly stuff for linux, because the user interfaces are always exclusively designed by the engineers as they go along.

I'm more of a Debian man myself, although I'd use Gentoo on a slow machine to get some extra responsiveness.

Edit by Tycho: Fixed my damn name.
Author:  eddieringle [Wed Apr 30, 2008 5:26 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Debian is on my server, and I'm already familiar with the commands, so I guess I'll go with Debian for now.
Author:  Rickton [Wed Apr 30, 2008 6:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Yeah I've been to Linus' Bistro a time or two. Their sandwiches are pretty good, but their coffee is way overpriced and tastes like crap.
Author:  Gwanky [Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Tycho, Ubuntu comes packed full of useful programs, and the respiratories are amazing.

I do like using Damn Small Linux on older computers just to make them internet boxes.
Author:  eddieringle [Wed Apr 30, 2008 7:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Quote:
...and the respiratories are amazing.
Wait. Repositories?
Author:  Tycho [Sat May 03, 2008 6:58 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Quote:
That's mindless elitism. Shame on you, Tycho.

I don't particularly like Ubuntu because it tries to be user friendly and fails spectacularly. People don't make user friendly stuff for linux, because the user interfaces are always exclusively designed by the engineers as they go along.

I'm more of a Debian man myself, although I'd use Gentoo on a slow machine to get some extra responsiveness.
No, no, no. It's not mindless elitism. Let me try to explain my qualms about oversimplified distros like Ubuntu:

I hate when something is so simplified that anyone can use it. If they are using Ubuntu without knowing why Linux is such a great thing, learning how the OS works, understanding package management, bash scripting, virtual terminals, kernel compilation, etc, they're not the type of person who should be using it. It's just not for them.

I know far too many Ubuntu users who just use it because they want something for free. They aren't pursuing learning anything about it, just using it, and I don't think that's the stage Linux needs to be at right now.

From here on, I'm going to be referring to Linux as an operating system, though "Linux" can sometimes refer solely to the kernel itself. I despise the term "GNU/Linux". The insistence of GNU's vestigial attachment to the Linux name is insulting. If you want to talk about "mindless elitism", let's talk about Richard Stallman. Sure, GNU utilities make up a majority of the command-line utilities in the Linux operating system, but there are dozens upon dozens of programs in a Linux distribution. Should we credit them too? Sure, I'd like a copy of "OpenOffice/GIMP/Blender/Subversion/CVS/Gnome/KDE/GNU/Linux". It feels as though Richard Stallman is taking far too much credit (and being a bit of an ass about it by rejecting interview requests if the interviewer doesn't refer to Linux as GNU/Linux). It's like Stallman's crusty hippy beard is encroaching on Linus' shoulder and dipping into his tea.

I digress. It's important to remember that Linux is an OS in its adolescent years. It's also open source, and since open source depends on peoples' potentially sporadic and inconsistent voluntary contributions, I have no doubt that the Linux kernel is behind where a commercially-developed kernel would be right now if it started around the same time. I'm not saying Linux is less "good", I'm saying it's less "complete" as a OS due to largely unpredictable community contributions.

From what I've ascertained, Ubuntu is trying to oversimplify a complex beast and make it so anyone can use it. I don't think this approach is viable nor proper to pursue at this point. Linux has been very much an enthusiast's operating system since it's conception 17 years ago. Hell, it started as one guy's BBS reader and later evolved into an OS kernel.

My point here is that Linux isn't mature enough to be made user friendly yet. There are still several inconsistencies and standardizations to resolve before it can finally be simplified and consolidated as an end-all be-all operating system. OSS vs ALSA, ipchains vs iptables, and in the latest kernels there are two 802.11 networking stacks, to name just a few. I can see why these conflicts arise, and I agree they're necessary in order for a progression towards stability, but these conflicts really shouldn't exist in an end-user operating system.
Author:  Tycho [Sat May 03, 2008 7:03 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Quote:
Tycho, Ubuntu comes packed full of useful programs, and the respiratories[sic] are amazing.
I should mention that those repositories aren't truly their own. They took apt-get from Debian.
Author:  eddieringle [Sat May 03, 2008 7:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Yeah, which is one of the reasons why I'm sticking with Debian.

I noticed that some of the apt repos are named ubuntu, I know this means that the program is meant for Ubuntu, but if Ubuntu is based of Debian, why can't they just leave it at Debian and be done with it. (For as much as I know, Ubuntu is essentially a slightly modified Debian distro with GNOME).
Author:  Gwanky [Sat May 03, 2008 1:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: What Linux Distro do you use?
Tycho, Ubuntu is nice because it has everything you need, and it's great for say having a modern operating system on a slower computer. I have a laptop from 2001 that dogs with Windows Xp installed but it can run Ubuntu with all the eye candy.
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