Your favorite Linux distro

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,
This might have been posted once - if so, feel free to annihilate it.
Anyhow, I was wondering what distro do you lean towards? And I don't mean the desktop environment.
Mrk

[Meltdown]

PCLinuxOS

[Meriadoc]

Done quite alot of work with Fedora project in the past. Use and like all on the list, voted for SUSE.

[King FN Kong]

slackware for me.

[Lamehand]

I am not in the position to make a real choice, i've only used Ubuntu up till now, so i voted for that one, at least it's better then what i used to have. ::)

Lamehand

[dog]

I voted Mandriva ... but in all reality I like all those listed (except Gentoo - which I don't dislike at all, as I've only tried to install once and failed, I haven't tried it since but I plan to again soon). While all the distros are really just different flavoured wrappers, I fell in love with Mandriva because that was the distro I was using when I finally got it and began to understand Linux beyond the basics.

Slackware is slower moving, but because of that care it's absolutely rock solid - it's also the oldest surviving distribution. I love the progressiveness Ubuntu (all flavours) brings to new users; it's likely made more in roads to making Linux accessible to new users than any other - their support and help is simply outstanding and friendly; their Shipit program adds immensely to it's accessibility and is also noteworthy. Debian deserves a lot of credit for Ubuntu successes --- for without it's packages (and a huge selection at that), Ubuntu would not have been able to achieve what they have. Debian's stance on "free" is also notable on it's own ... it's something pretty special to stick to an ideology like they do - Bravo.

All the other distros listed are solid and well implemented ... they are all truly the cream of the crop.

PCLinuxOS which is mentioned above by Meltdown, is also a friendly for new users and an excellent starter distro for those new to Linux to consider.

I can't fault anything Linux ... For what it means and what it stands for is most remarkable, as are the efforts, selfless contributions and sacrifices of every single person involved. The movement reserves so much respect and adulation for the principles of the ideology; it goes beyond its bounds in the end making the world a better place.

Steve

[GS2]

Ubuntu for me, ideal for those just geting into Linux

[chrisretusn]

Slackware, I've been using it for years. I was disappointed when GNOME was dumped, but there are good 3rd party replacements for it, besides I am partial to Xfce anyway.

Ubuntu is great, I've tried it, but not for me; however, Ubuntu is directly responsible for several good friends making the switch. So that gets it three thumbs up. With a thumb or two going to Debian.

Another favorite, not a Linux distro is FreeBSD.

[pvsurfer]

From my brief experiences with Linux distro's, I haven't found any that come close to Windows' user-friendliness, nor one that didn't have driver issues with at least one of my devices (all of which work just fine in Windows)!

However, of those I've tried, my vote goes to 'SimplyMepis 6'.

[Alphalutra1]

Arch Linux, and it has no equal for what I look for. I want a sleek system for the power user and is completely customizable. I also don't want anything done for me, so therefore no stupid GUI tools. I also want a good package manager so I don't dive into dependency hell. In addition, a fast system that is optimized for i686 is also a thing I look for. Arch provides all of these things, in addition to a great irc group and forum.

Ubuntu is nice for learning linux if you want your hand held through the process, and it has a nice and very large community.

Slackware is awesome, stable, everything that I want except no package manager, and I am way too lazy to go about getting netbsd's pkg_src onto it which would be the only acceptable way to get package management working IMO.

Gentoo is a PITA when it comes to compiling everything and major updates are awful, since you have to recompile the enter friggin system (see you tomorrow and use your pc as a space heater as the fans begin to sound like a harrier ;D )

Don't forget about the rock solid BSD's which also are pretty sweet!


Linux is what you make of it. All it is is a kernel. What is added on top is for you to decide (the distro, unless you are a real guru and want LFS) One of my favorite things is the choice of WM and DE. Ratpoison has currently become my favorite due to its insane speed, and it gets rid of that mouse which slows you down! Openbox is a close second.

Cheers,

Alphalutra1

[WSFuser]

i voted for SUSE and (K)ubuntu because those are the two linux distros ive tried. each has its pros and cons but both id recommend.

[incursari]

Gentoo all the way.

[iceni60]

i don't have a favourite, i use suse now because it was the newest distro when i did this install. ubuntu is good because it's fairly basic and doesn't have alot of gui apps to administer the system. it has great support and a really good package manager with lots of packages. i like anything which uses GTK. suse has lots of qt :(

[Firefighter]

SAM 2007.1 Linux for me. The best multilingual alternative I've tried so far, when I've tried Granular, Knoppix, (K)Ubuntu 7.04, Mandriva Free 2007 Spring, openSuSE, PCLinuxOS 2007, Sabayon 3.3b. It's based on PCLinuxOS 2007. Many times safer security solution than any antivirus available and the fastest browsing you can get with it. ;D

Best regards,
Firefighter!

[fixmypcmike]

Puppy.

[zapjb]

I voted (other) PCLinuxOS-2007. Using it 95% vs XP. Got suggested, I believe from members here. :) Easiest distro in my limited exp.

http://www.pclinuxos.com

[FastGame]

PCLinuxOS is my favorite, LinuxMint would be next in line.

Happy Linux 8)

[hyatt69]

im using xandros right now very easy to use

[Chuck57]

Right now, I'm using 3 - Puppy, DSL Linux, and Feather, ISO's all saved on my second drive - mainly because they're small downloads. I'm on the slowest dsl and don't want to spend hours downloading a distro only to find out I don't like it.

I run them in VirtualBox, which is fine except for having to set them up each time I want to use one of them, and that's no big deal.

Of the 3, I prefer Puppy.

I'll grit my teeth and take a shot at one of the monster versions one of these days, just to see what a full distro looks like. Probably PCLinux or one of the Ubuntu variations.

[farmerlee]

I really like SLAX which i run off a USB flashdrive. It works just like a live cd except it loads a heck of a lot faster.

[Kerodo]

PCLinuxOS 2007 works best for me...

[Chuck57]

I've downloaded Slax Kill Bill twice. Both times it never appeared on my other hard drive. Then, I remembered, I'd forgotten to tell Sandboxie to remind me before deleting files. DUHHHH.........

I'll give it another try tomorrow. Slax is based on Slackware. Can't hardly go wrong with that distro. I've got to play with VirtualBox some more, too, and see if I can make at least one of these distros work with my printer. I'm sure it's the virtual machine. They can't all refuse to run an HP printer.

Spent most of the evening downloading Ubuntu. Not impressed with it at all. After all those hours and all I'd heard about it, I expected more.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

1. What did you expect?
2. What are you not impressed with?
3. Took you hours to decide that - how about try weeks?

Mrk

[lucas1985]

PC-BSD, Sabayon, Debian and Arch Linux are among my top favourites.

[Chuck57]

-{ Quote: "Hello,

1. What did you expect?
2. What are you not impressed with?
3. Took you hours to decide that - how about try weeks?

Mrk" }-

Poorly worded sentence..I have the slowest dsl offered and it took hours to download. I still have Ubuntu iso saved and will work with it some more, but of the those I have, Puppy seems by far the best of the lot.

Still have Ubuntu's iso and do plan to play with it more, or perhaps download another version. This version, I've discovered on looking through the various files, has no programs at all to access the Internet.

[MusicAddict911]

Ubuntu is my favorite. :)

[Pedro]

-{ Quote: "Debian" }-
Me too. I prefer Debian, it runs well on a test pc, i hope it will run on my laptop.
More than that, i like what it stands for, what it's made of.

If it runs well, that is going to be my OS for a long time.

[incursari]

I'm trying Ubuntu now since Gentoo 2007.0 giving me a lot of problem.8)

[zorro zorrito]

In this momento I am using UBUNTU, and it is very easy, this is the first time I use a linux distro and works fine, I have used many live cd's and all are very usefull, at least better than windows hahaha.

[Pedro]

OK, Debian seems to need a generic driver for the monitor/graphics (vesa). It booted to a black screen.
I installed Ubuntu to see the problem, and it ran great. Very easy, Berylized good :) , just can't get the fonts right and change some settings (like the color of the tray).

Erased the Debian partition (i was messing with it without knowing what to do) and you experienced folks know what happened next... GRUB error 22 :P
Reinstalled Windows, since i only have the Toshiba recovery CD, to recover MBR. I was going to do it anyway, had all the backups.

Now Ubuntu, next Debian somewhere, to see if it works. Then, with time, i'll settle. Debian needs some improvement in auto-detect hardware stuff.

Now if any good people know how to answer the above, fonts and colors. Time to read, yes, when i settle with only one. I don't even know if i stay with GNOME, it doesn't work properly.

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

One of the golden rules of Linux:
Write down your error message exactly. That way, people can help you much faster and more accurately.

Rule no.22: If there are no logs, try to explain in as much detail as possible.

Sub-rule no.22-2: If you have done a lot of tampering, deleted stuff, had errors etc, it makes the tweaking and tracing back much more difficult.

You do not need to reinstall if you damage GRUB. Repairing it is a very simple thing.

Now, it is possible you have not installed your graphic card properly, you might lack some fonts, both, or something else entirely. So more details would work.

Don't forget the Ubuntu forums, where people answer in less than 5 seconds to all problems.

Mrk

[Pedro]

Mrk, i would like to know what rescue cd i could use to restore the mbr. Or how to repair GRUB. But what i did was actually something i wanted to do in a long time, reinstall XP. So in the end, that was the answer for me.

My Debian problem is very well described here (http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?t=15041&sid=1b0406289cfacd77dafed3124a541e6f). A solution is provided in a site i can't recall, it was about laptops and "Linux". Ultimatly it's about using vesa, not ATI drivers.

Anyway, right now, my problems are fonts, well customizing in general. I'll figure it out though. Maybe XFCE is better for me, GNOME isn't that good. resizing windows, columns, etc., it doesn't feel right. I have to aim carefully to do it.. :P

[Mrkvonic]

Hello,

Please visit my site and see the a (sweet) collection and a (cool) list. You will find more than plenty of sources there.

That said, Super Grub Disk can repair MBR.

GRUB, any Linux live CD, plus SystemRescueCD, Super Grub Disk ...

Now, finally, repairing GRUB is absolutely simple. I have written a full tutorial for that one too and will post it soon.

Basically, it's just knowing where your OS is installed. On what partition, in GRUB terms. Even if you do not know, you can find it.

find /boot/grub/stage1

This can return, for example (hd0,3) - first disk, fourth partition or maybe (sd1,1), second disk, second partition.

You tell GRUB where to look for stage 2 (usually where your root is)

root (hdX,Y) or root (sdX,Y)

If not, you'll have to specify where the kernel image is located, but more about that in the tutorial.

Then, you install it in MBR:

setup (hd0)

And then you type boot to boot.... And then once in Linux, you manually edit the GRUB menu with this info.

gedit /boot/grub/menu.lst

Replace gedit with any text editor.

Mrk

[Pedro]

I'm rediscovering your website now :) , from inside Ubuntu. I think i'll go for System Rescue CD.
Final answer: My favourite distributions are Debian and Ubuntu ( / Xubuntu).

[FastGame]

-{ Quote: "Don't forget the Ubuntu forums, where people answer in less than 5 seconds to all problems.

Mrk" }-

::) must be in line with that Ubuntu has the fastest repository thing...anyhoo I checked the the General section @Ubuntu forum, unanswered post range from hours to weeks, there's also many replied to but unsolved post, guess its like all the other Linux forums ;D

I liked the old Mrkvonic better, the one who never let hype into the factual picture :D

[YeOldeStonecat]

-{ Quote: "I voted (other) PCLinuxOS-2007. Using it 95% vs XP. Got suggested, I believe from members here. :) Easiest distro in my limited exp.

http://www.pclinuxos.com" }-

:thumb: Same here.

[Mrkvonic]

-{ Quote: "::) must be in line with that Ubuntu has the fastest repository thing...anyhoo I checked the the General section @Ubuntu forum, unanswered post range from hours to weeks, there's also many replied to but unsolved post, guess its like all the other Linux forums ;D

I liked the old Mrkvonic better, the one who never let hype into the factual picture :D" }-

Hello,
Please ... I'm still the old same guy running a 8-year old firewall that rocks everything else and playing 500Kb DOS games. If I say I likes Ubuntu, that's because I have posted quite a fair deal in the forums, helped quite a few people, use Ubuntu / Kubuntu extensively. No hype ...
Mrk

[Kerodo]

-{ Quote: ":thumb: Same here." }-
Same here, PCLOS seems to have it all... :)

[coolbluewater]

-{ Quote: "
Linux is what you make of it. All it is is a kernel. What is added on top is for you to decide (the distro, unless you are a real guru and want LFS).
Cheers,
Alphalutra1" }-


Seconded :thumb:

For me, there are wayyy too many desktop environments/add-ons to have fun with to pigeonhole having a "favorite" distro.
That said, I like seeing this thread - it's enabling people to explore the world of Linux, and after experiencing the benefits, also having a positive domino-effect, both through this Forum and by word of mouth.
My hat's off to the developers who have given their time to make Linux more user-friendly for newcomers to join the bandwagon.

[Beavenburt]

Thought i'd revive this old poll. After much distro hopping over the last six months I feel i'm qualified enough to answer now! 8)
My favourite is Arch. You get out exactly what you put in. It's a very rewarding distro. You build your system up how you want it and only install what you want. There's no bloat, no software that you really don't want or need. Totally customisible, so you end up with a truely unique OS personal to you.
Funnily enough, it may seem strange, but my next favourite is PCLOS 2007. Totally the other end of the spectrum to Arch. This is because it was by far the easiest to setup on the missus' Dell Laptop with the dreaded Broadcom Wireless card. Something I never managed to do with the (imo) overhyped Ubuntu.
The thing is, you not only have to get a feel for the OS, it's also the DE aswell. One day i'd love Gnome and the next prefer XFCE. But now, after trying most of the DEs i've come to like KDE best.
For me that is the greatest thing about Linux - freedom of choice.

[steve161]

I dual boot PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu, and am happy with both. I did favor PCLOS until I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04. The look and font rendering on my system is beautiful. I am dying to try out zenwalk, but I also use this comp for work, and my setup right now is perfect and I don't want to screw it up.

[Beavenburt]

-{ Quote: "I dual boot PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu, and am happy with both. I did favor PCLOS until I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04. The look and font rendering on my system is beautiful. I am dying to try out zenwalk, but I also use this comp for work, and my setup right now is perfect and I don't want to screw it up." }-

I really really liked Zenwalk and thought it was a keeper for a while. It's light and quick and was reletively easy to set up for my Broadcom wireless. I highly recommend it. Go on, give it a try ;)

[steve161]

Beavenburt, I'm fighting the urge to distro hop, and here you are encouraging me. Seriously, I think I am going to get a moderately priced laptop as a second computer, and either dual boot with MS/zenwalk or just linux; zenwalk/?

Edit: Actually, I think I may be done with windows.

[Beavenburt]

Do it, it's good idea if you like playing. There's some very moderately priced laptops out there with reasonable enough specs to run even the heavier distros. I use my old 2.5GHz / 512mb RAM desktop. Only that what is deserving enough makes it anywhere near the laptop, it's the missus pride and joy.
I have totally migrated to Linux now. I've no need for Windows at all. Only use it at work now, or when fixing others malware infested machines.

[Riverrun]

-{ Quote: "Beavenburt, I'm fighting the urge to distro hop, and here you are encouraging me. Seriously, I think I am going to get a moderately priced laptop as a second computer, and either dual boot with MS/zenwalk or just linux; zenwalk/?

Edit: Actually, I think I may be done with windows." }-

I'm certainly done with Windows, for the present at least, though I still have an old laptop running XP.

I find that using Linux is far more relaxing experience for me personally and though I bricked it about 5 times in 2007, those days are over. The thing is that Linux is sooo tweakable and when I got it first I just couldn't resist fiddling with it and those experiments often ended in tears.

I'm still using Gutsy and it's as stable as a rock.

My favourite Distro has to be PCLOS, (the result of a bout of severe Distro hopping) it and Mac OS X are the friendlest OS's I've ever used.

If I mess up my present and well beloved but slightly boring Ubuntu install, I will go back to PC Linux esp. now that I know how to manage the aggressive power issue (only affects laptops) thanks to this thread:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&topic=34793.0

[Riverrun]

-{ Quote: "Beavenburt, I'm fighting the urge to distro hop, and here you are encouraging me. Seriously, I think I am going to get a moderately priced laptop as a second computer, and either dual boot with MS/zenwalk or just linux; zenwalk/?

Edit: Actually, I think I may be done with windows." }-


Hello Benny,

I tried the then latest Zenwalk edition on my Linux laptop in January of this year and had a problem with screen resolution. When I asked in the forum, they told me that at time there was no way of resolving this problem in wide-screen laptops but that it would be fixed in the next release. I guessed that this wasn't entirely true (Linux is Linux after all) and I'm sure that if I were more adept that I could solve the problem. However, I was too lazy to search for a solution and so abandoned a beautiful, elegant and simple Distro. I haven't tried it since but if you like a minimal OS this is one to keep in mind.

[Riverrun]

-{ Quote: "I dual boot PCLinuxOS and Ubuntu, and am happy with both. I did favor PCLOS until I upgraded to Ubuntu 8.04. The look and font rendering on my system is beautiful. I am dying to try out zenwalk, but I also use this comp for work, and my setup right now is perfect and I don't want to screw it up." }-

Reading this makes me want to try Hardy once again.

[Riverrun]

I found that reducing the default font rendering in PCLOS by two points made a huge difference.

[steve161]

I'm not on PCLOS right now, but isn't the default 10? I think eight would be a little small for me. I found using liberation sans as the default font made the appearance better (and smaller). i also used a tip found on their forums to enable subpixel hinting.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&topic=41898.0

[Eagle Creek]

Ubuntu.
Although I also like Mandriva.

But I'm not really a Linux guy.

[steve161]

-{ Quote: "I tried the then latest Zenwalk edition on my Linux laptop in January of this year and had a problem with screen resolution. When I asked in the forum, they told me that at time there was no way of resolving this problem in wide-screen laptops but that it would be fixed in the next release" }-

Thanks for the heads up Riverrun. I'll keep an eye on that issue when I get around to the laptop.

[Riverrun]

-{ Quote: "I'm not on PCLOS right now, but isn't the default 10? I think eight would be a little small for me. I found using liberation sans as the default font made the appearance better (and smaller). i also used a tip found on their forums to enable subpixel hinting.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=58&topic=41898.0" }-


I thought the default was 11 Benny but I could be wrong. I know that I reduced it by 2 points and that it made a big difference.

[steve161]

So you are using 9 with the default sans font? I will try it out but, although I complimented the font rendering in Ubuntu, I do not have an issue with it in PCLOS. Actually, since I switched to liberation sans it looks good., and it is a smaller font than the default.

[wat0114]

PCLinuxOS 2007 (dual booting w/XP), with Ubuntu a close second.

[jrmhng]

Arch is very configurable and awesome if you are willing to get your hands dirty. Xubuntu is also nice because everything is already configured. Really depends on if I feel like hacking or just want a desktop that works.

[Beavenburt]

There were no problems with screen resolution for me in the latest release.

[Arup]

Linux comes in so many flavors its like being in a ice cream parlor, can't nominate one, all of them come with their pros and cons.

[Pseudo]

Fedora and SUSE.

[steve161]

-{ Quote: "Linux comes in so many flavors its like being in a ice cream parlor, can't nominate one, all of them come with their pros and cons" }-

True, and I assume there are only a small number of members who have tried more than 15-20 distros.

[Eagle Creek]

I wonder why... ;).

But I agree. I think that's why a lot of novice people get confused by it. The Windows version you get corrospodents with the year of it being published, period.

[Pedro]

That's the generalized "Linux". If you think Ubuntu (only an example), then it's simpler. Just a perspective.

[Riverrun]

Don't know if you folks have seen the screenshots for Ubuntu 8.10. I think that they look really promising. Good to see that the developers are paying attention to how the Distro looks.


http://news.softpedia.com/news/Ubuntu-8-10-Alpha-1-Screenshot-Tour-89049.shtml

[Eagle Creek]

Absolutely. I think that's one of the reasons why many Linux 'starters' like Ubuntu.

[Ocky]

Ubuntu. Haven't tried any other distros yet, but was given a Mepis 7.0
live cd. Seems very good, but won't install just yet. Anybody else
tried Mepis ?

[BrysonB]

I haven't had Linux for a few years now. I started with Caldera and liked it a lot. When I get the nerve up to dual boot my laptop with Linux/Win XP, I will probably try SUSE.

[SteveTX]

OpenWRT

[Beavenburt]

Still Arch with KDEmod DE :P
I tell you, this is the absolute nuts.

[Al_C]

Free BSD. Technically Unix, not Linux, it runs Linux just fine, and the ports collection make installing apps a breeze.

[Mr2cents]

I've burned around 25 linux live cd's in the last few months. There's a lot of good distros out there. After all the cd burning frenzy, My favorite is:

1. Linuxmint 5 (Elyssa ) Main Edition (rev1) Gnome Here (http://www.linuxmint.com/) Mint now has a x64 bit edition. May not be stable yet though.

2. Mepis 7.9.70 beta Like it almost as much as mint. Currently booting mint, mepis, and xp in a triple configeration. You can find it Here (http://www.mepis.org)

3. Parsix, Like mint, is based off "ubuntu." I may add this one to my harddrive. Be booting 4 os.lol. Not a well known distro. Newbie friendly, I would urge anyone to download it and run the live cd. Cons: unlike mepis and mint. It doesn't have a very big forum. :(
You can find "parsix" Here (http://www.parsix.org/html/index.php) If you run the live cd and click on something that brings up a box requiring root privilages. the root password is "parsix"

It comes down to a matter of taste aand what works good with your computer.
There's a couple more I like.

4. Ubuntu
5. Suse

[element119]

linuxMint
http://www.linuxmint.com/

[rolarocka]

I once tried Puppy Linux and liked that it was so light.

[Beavenburt]

Still Arch here, I loves it. Using XFCE rather then KdeMod now, it's just so ~snipped~ light and fast on my ~snipped~ old desktop.

~EC edit: Please watch your language, thank you.~

[yeow]

Pardus Linux (http://www.pardus.org.tr/eng/index.html), a Turkish disto. So far almost painless for me compared to Ubuntu & Xubuntu. Lighter than those 2, but still not as light as WinXP on my ancient P3.

I've read that Pardus was being used/trialed on the Turkish defense ministry's recruitment dept? I wonder how that turned out. It'd be good for dev & stability if it actually manages to achieve some sort of penetration into ministerial depts.

[Minimax2000]

My vote goes to Knoppix!

http://www.knoppix.net/

Frank

[Longboard]

;D
What's wrong with you guys LOL
Wolvix.
Rock and Roll...

[Pedro]

pffft
"Debian runs on just about anything, including toasters and electric toothbrushes"

[YeOldeStonecat]

Changing vote from PCLinuxOS

To Linux Mint

Although this may change again...running openSUSE lately.

[wilbertnl]

I like OpenSUSE for it's Gnome SLAB (http://en.opensuse.org/GNOME/Slab) and it's system configuration interface, I like Ubuntu for it's hardware support and deb packaging system.
I hate Linux in general for it's restrictive license, especially since it's way behind on support of hardware.

Linux is like buying a car that can only be used on the highway, but you are not allowed to get into your own neighbourhood. You need to take the bus to reach your home. Stallman (http://www.stallman.org/) calls that freedom.

My favorite is (Open)Solaris, although behind in general, they are catching up fast. And Solaris is released under a different license (Look Mom, no restrictions). I'm impressed with Solaris, and I see a lot of potential.

(Open (http://www.opensolaris.com/))Solaris (http://www.sun.com/software/solaris/) it is!

[rdsu]

My favorite: sidux (http://www.sidux.com) - Debian Hot & Spicy!

Why Debian is not in the list!!!???

[Cerxes]

IMO, using the ZFS as a root booting filesystem is the killer feature of Solaris right now, and I agree wilbertnl, they will soon catch up with the linux/gnu distros as a desktop alternative. It was a wise move to change the license model as well as copy the Ubuntu/Debian structure in its goal to achieve this, on top of the well-designed kernel. As a server OS, it´s hard to find a better alternative today.

/C.

[Pedro]

-{ Quote: "
I hate Linux in general for it's restrictive license, especially since it's way behind on support of hardware." }-
Really? I though it was gaining more and more. AMD/ATI, Intel..
-{ Quote: "
Linux is like buying a car that can only be used on the highway, but you are not allowed to get into your own neighbourhood. You need to take the bus to reach your home. Stallman (http://www.stallman.org/) calls that freedom." }-
wilbertnl, I don't see how you arrived there. You can use anyway you want it. Yes, you're free..
I used to think Linus was this or that too, but frankly, i just love both of them. I don't agree with them all the time, but i'm not them.

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "IMO, using the ZFS as a root booting filesystem is the killer feature of Solaris right now" }-
I forgot to mention that, you are right Cerxes: ZFS makes Firstdefense-ISR and Rollback-RX look like a big joke.
And the Linux license restrictions show how it shoots in it's own foot with ZFS.

[Pedro]

I don't know, really, where you're getting that strong opinion.
Linux: ZFS, Licenses and Patents (http://kerneltrap.org/node/8066)

GPL 2 has been around for a while...

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "wilbertnl, I don't see how you arrived there. You can use anyway you want it. Yes, you're free.." }-
Ubuntu shows a warning that it uses restricted drivers, I almost feel like I'm conducting piracy when I see that warning.
Kernel logs show 'tainted (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/tainted) driver loaded'
And Debian offers a stripped Mozilla browser that is called Iceweasel....

[Pedro]

Good warning in that, it's not scarry, it's informative.
And yes, Debian and Mozilla worked that solution out. I'm using Iceweasel right now. So?

Did you read above about ZFS and Linux?

[sukarof]

For me it is Ubuntu.
Through the years I have occasionally tried different free distros but always grew tired of the tedious way of handling things in Linux world.
The latest Ubuntu 8.10 is a breeze to install, it was easier and way faster than Vista or any Windows installation or earlier versions of ubuntu and other distros(about 10-15 minutes!:o) I didnt have to tell it anything.

Maybe it is because of Wubi though? If I did a straight install I´d have to tell it about resolution and stuff? but anyhow being a linux noob as I am I like the way they have moved a way from having to use the terminal for most of the tasks. But maybe it is like that in all other distros too nowadays? I havent tried other than Ubuntu for a bout a year now.
I havent migrated yet coz I still play high end games so it is easier to stay with windows. But I find my self spending more and more time on Ubuntu.

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "Did you read above about ZFS and Linux?" }-

I also see an interesting dilemma for GNU/Linux as OpenSolaris will be able to use GNU/Linux code, but GNU/Linux won’t be to use OpenSolaris code. (http://www.oreillynet.com/onlamp/blog/2007/09/opensolaris_vs_gnulinux_deathm.html)

My point was that Rich is considering making other portions of our “CDDL only” portfolio available to the GPL community - including elements like ZFS, which are today in BSD, OpenSolaris, etc., but not Linux. (Executive Vice President, Software) Rich Green is leading the charge…” (http://www.linux-mag.com/id/5937)

Porting ZFS to Linux is complicated by the fact that the GNU General Public License, which governs the Linux kernel, prohibits linking with code under certain licenses, such as CDDL, the license ZFS is released under. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ZFS)

[Pedro]

wilbertnl, it seems you're saying i'm right. :) They're even changing from that license to the GPL, like Java.
The GPL exists for quite some time now, and the CCDL was created well after the GPL.
Showing that they can use GPL projects and not the other way, only makes it worse.

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "wilbertnl, it seems you're saying i'm right. :) They're even changing from that license to the GPL, like Java.
The GPL exists for quite some time now, and the CCDL was created well after the GPL.
Showing that they can use GPL projects and not the other way, only makes it worse." }- Pedro, I'm not sure about what you are right with. (And I don't intent to start a debate about right or wrong, or good and bad, I just wonder).
The issue that bothers me is that FreeBSD has a license that seems much more flexible than GPL. ZFS is already implemented there (I didn't verify that information). FreeBSD doesn't give me a warning when I use a Atheros driver or a nVidia driver.
By publishing their software under multiple licenses, Solaris is trying to reach out to Linux. Linux or Stallman don't deserve credit for that.

I'm sure that there is a lot that I simply don't understand and don't care about. When I buy a system, I just want to install any operating system and get full support for the hardware. Recently I got a Compaq-CQ50 notebook, and it's even challenging to install Windows XP on it, since drivers are not directly available. I got it working after many frustrating hours.
Now I need to find the drivers to get OpenSolaris and Linux installed on it. Sigh.
And this baby has hardware support for virtualization, which makes me want to play with Xen (http://www.xen.org/) and OpenVZ (http://wiki.openvz.org/).

Oh, and isn't it true that the BSD license is older than GPL? And Solaris has a history of centuries, compared to Linux.

Anyway, OpenSolaris is potent!

[farmerlee]

At the moment Foresight Linux is topping my favourite list. It looks great and makes things easy for linux newbs like me.

[lodore]

btw the thing i dont like about linux is a fault of certain vendors.
once you installl nvidia graphics driver you get a nvidia splash screen everytime you start your computer. since i paid for the hardware i should be able to use it with any operating system i choose. when you install an nvidia driver on windows i dont get a splash screen from nvidia everytime i start my pc so i shouldnt on linux.
if people want an operating system with only free software let them have it but dont stop me from using proprietary drivers or have an annoying splash screen basically saying you are using a tainted kernal.

i dont know why ATI and Nvidia dont open sourse there drivers anyway. would it really revel any secrets?
surely if Nvidia open soursed all there drivers more people would buy there graphics cards?
which would force ATI to do the same? or other way around.

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "if people want an operating system with only free software let them have it but don't stop me from using proprietary drivers" }-
Exactly!

[Pedro]

Think about it... the proprietary driver is showing a splash screen.
Why is this the fault of anyone (!) but the HW manufacturer? It's their driver and their installer.

To remove it:
http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/NVIDIA#Disable_NVIDIA_Graphics_Logo_on_startup
-{ Quote: "Pedro, I'm not sure about what you are right with. (And I don't intent to start a debate about right or wrong, or good and bad, I just wonder)." }-
You're right, forget that.
-{ Quote: "
The issue that bothers me is that FreeBSD has a license that seems much more flexible than GPL. ZFS is already implemented there (I didn't verify that information). FreeBSD doesn't give me a warning when I use a Atheros driver or a nVidia driver.
By publishing their software under multiple licenses, Solaris is trying to reach out to Linux. Linux or Stallman don't deserve credit for that.
" }-
Why would Stallman want credit for the ZFS? Hell, what does Stallman have to do with this? He wrote a license a long time ago, which he updates as threats emerge, to defend free software. He released software under that license, and projected a whole free OS. That's it.
If it was up to him, i bet there were no license. At least patents would not exist.
You don't have to agree with him on everything, but you must separate the issues. He isn't actively trying to sabotage ZFS.. ZFS showed up, and its license is incompatible by birth. At least AFAIK.
-{ Quote: "
Recently I got a Compaq-CQ50 notebook, and it's even challenging to install Windows XP on it, since drivers are not directly available. I got it working after many frustrating hours.
Now I need to find the drivers to get OpenSolaris and Linux installed on it. Sigh." }-
It's a HW manufacturer thing. Lets again separate some more:
1- you want a driver, even if it's non free. OK. Get it and install it. Same thing on any OS. Why isn't it already available? For a variety of reasons, here's 2:
a) it's not free. Even the BSD guys, who really are more open (Stallman has 0 issues with them afaik), they tell you clearly - we want free software, not blobs. They want to check for bugs for one thing. Yes they concede and accept. Yet companies don't turn to it as much as Linux. License does have a role, but it's upside down to what you would expect. GPL defends itself.
b) it's not supported. As Linux evolves and the driver is not longer supported, they can't guarantee it still works. They do not have source or the power to update or fix it.

2- If it doesn't exist, it's not possible. We can both agree on that.

-{ Quote: "
Oh, and isn't it true that the BSD license is older than GPL? And Solaris has a history of centuries, compared to Linux.

Anyway, OpenSolaris is potent!" }-
Yes, BSD is older. OpenSolaris no. Solaris maybe, i don't know that much about it.
Taking Wikipedia for granted
-{ Quote: "Planning for OpenSolaris started in early 2004. " }-
SunUnix/OS ~1982/83.

[wilbertnl]

I do not need this kind of belittling, I'm able to take care of myself:

203769

There doesn't seem to be a risk when I use Windows, Solaris or FreeBSD with similar drivers.
Solaris is praised for backwards binary compatiblity for many releases. Drivers don't expire as they age.

[Pedro]

That's not a pop up is it?

[wilbertnl]

-{ Quote: "That's not a pop up is it?" }-
It's what I get when I click on the icon that is ballooning about restricted drivers.

[Pedro]

I'm afraid i'm not picturing it (Debian here).
BTW, maybe we can take this to PM?

[Alphalutra1]

Changing my mind slightly now:

If I have to use linux for hardware support (such as suspending to RAM, proprietary nvidia driver), then:
Crux (http://crux.nu) has become my new favorite just on how simple, light, and speedy it is (by far the fastest distro I've used yet that isn't loaded completely in RAM)

However, I still heavily favor the BSD's. If the computer is newer and I want to get as much speed out of it (and has a 64 bit support and 2 GB RAM or higher) I will use FreeBSD -CURRENT (ZFS is really nice....). However, if the computer is older and doesn't match those requirements, then OpenBSD -CURRENT is my choice, especially now that DRM is being worked into the kernel.... Also, it is great as a gateway and firewall with pf, by far the best firewall for me I've seen, ever.

Cheers,

Alphalutra1

[Longboard]

eek: CRUX scary :o
Just 1s and 0s I know but intimidating:
heh: see how far you are along the track
From a review-{ Quote: "Personally, for me, I have passed the point in my life where I want to have to deal with all the details by hand. I like being able to install a distribution and have it fully configure to my hardware and have a wealth of ready to use applications in a short period of time." }-

Alpha you're way on up the line. For me,sigh; still such a llooonngg way to go..

OOI why CRUX??

[andb]

I was distro hopping in the beginning until i found archlinux. Now i have stuck with it for a long time and i can't imagine switching to anything else ever again.

IF for some reason i couldn't use arch i would probably go with another rolling distro such as sidux.

Fedora, ubuntu and opensuse are also excellent and i always give them as an example to anyone who want's to try linux (i mostly recommend ubuntu for beginners since it's the easiest to setup and get to work out-of-the-box imho).

[Alphalutra1]

-{ Quote: "
OOI why CRUX??" }-
I like things to be simple. Not necessary point and click on something and it magically works, but rather simple to configure via a text file. The thing that has frustrated me with distros like ubuntu (which are great don't get me wrong, I love them myself if I have a computer and simply don't have the time or will to configure it), is that sometimes problems happen. If a problem happens on my computer, I want to know what software is acting up and whether or not it is a configuration problem. On programs where there are graphical applications that touch all the configuration texts files without me knowing, it is much harder to do.

Also, I like starting from almost nothing (bare userland and stuff to compile) so I only have the applications I want and need on the computer (I'm easy to please and don't need that many anyways). Crux is about as minimal as you can go it often seems to me, though gentoo keeps on calling me for some reason, but I always get frustrated at its USE flags......

There are plenty of other reasons, but simplicity and speed are big ones for me. Of course security is always paramount, and fewer things running means fewer things that could possibly have security holes.

Cheers,

Alphalutra1

[jrmhng]

-{ Quote: "Changing my mind slightly now:

If I have to use linux for hardware support (such as suspending to RAM, proprietary nvidia driver), then:
Crux (http://crux.nu) has become my new favorite just on how simple, light, and speedy it is (by far the fastest distro I've used yet that isn't loaded completely in RAM)

However, I still heavily favor the BSD's. If the computer is newer and I want to get as much speed out of it (and has a 64 bit support and 2 GB RAM or higher) I will use FreeBSD -CURRENT (ZFS is really nice....). However, if the computer is older and doesn't match those requirements, then OpenBSD -CURRENT is my choice, especially now that DRM is being worked into the kernel.... Also, it is great as a gateway and firewall with pf, by far the best firewall for me I've seen, ever.

Cheers,

Alphalutra1" }-
How do the BSDs function as a desktop? Do they support things like flash, java etc? What about hardware support? Is it as good as Linux?

[Longboard]

@Alphaultra1
OK
For gurus, I can see the appeal and those distros will always be there, be it Crux or perhaps BSD.
I really like DesktopBSd and PCBSD, but frankly their issues with flash and a couple of other apps is a pita; although I expect that to change. The partitoining and file mgt is steep experience.

All the significant market penetration has come from the oob distros for the Hungry Hordes and suchlike ;D

I have installed Arch and liked it sort of: much of it was straight out of the manual and as such good education, the speed is marginal for me, The apps I installed were those I had come across while hopping other distros.

Interestingly I felt sort of insecure in Arch in that : How do I know what I have done is right and I did have some issues with config files and that bloody vim !! LoL

I have found that that is the reason I have stuck with Wolvix: nice GUIs but easy access to Slacky goodness if I want. ( the slack forums can be intimidating heh heh)
Puppy is my next best for similar reasons.
I dont need 10 text editors or complex desktops or 5 browsers....etc etc

My fave oob is PCLOS.
I am interested in Frugalware: heh: slacklike and pacman !!

All the distros have their quirks.
I appreciate your POV.
From my end of the learning curve: perspectives a bit different. ;D
that's what makes it all good.
:thumb:

[andb]

-{ Quote: "
I am interested in Frugalware: heh: slacklike and pacman !!
" }-

Yeah i have Frugalware on my "have to try when i have time" list :D

[my_underside]

For any man, who want to change Win -> Lunix, Ubuntu will be easiest way to do this :)

But for servers, I think, Fedora is very good solution.

[Alphalutra1]

-{ Quote: "How do the BSDs function as a desktop? Do they support things like flash, java etc? What about hardware support? Is it as good as Linux?" }-
All of them have java support. They all have flash support through open source alternatives like swfdec and gnash or adobe's flash player 7. However this is a very old version and has security holes. FreeBSD quite recently became able to run adobe flash 9 in a native freebsd browser, so FreeBSD is fully capable of flash and java in firefox now.

In terms of hardware support, linux will support more devices, especially the more obscure ones. However, I rarely have come across something that the BSD's don't support (actually, I haven't except one wireless card that linux also did not support without ndiswrapper). However, in terms of suspending to RAM and to disk, this rarely works in the BSDs. They have such a fast startup though that it doesn't really bother me too much.

I actually switched from crux to freebsd on my laptop today just because i got frustrated with the limited number of applications crux provides in its ports (it's a very small project with around 10 developpers or less I think, so this is understandable)

Cheers,

Alphalutra1

[kr4ey]

Zenwalk, Slackware, Bluewhite64, Wolvix, Arch, sidux

Can you tell I like Slackware based distros. But my most favorite is Zenwalk.

[Pseudo]

I have a new favorite: Arch Linux. Learned about it shortly after re-trying Slackware.
It's Slackware + Gentoo + Debian... perfect. :) Running it with XFCE.

[Arup]

Ubuntu x64 Intrepid.........everything works right out of the box, good attractive desktop, stable, fast, everything x64, Opera x64 flies so does encoding, decoding mp3s DVDs etc. One of the best reps out there and also one of the best supported Linux distros out there.

[Rapid Dr3am]

Would have to be Debian all the way.
I remember I liked Mandrake a long time ago, and I hated Yellow Dog.

[Kerodo]

Yes, I have to agree with Arup on Ubuntu x64 as well.... it's virtually the ONLY distro I have installed that has been issue free, easy out of the box, effective and good performance, and looks nice etc. Has all I need...

[vijayind]

I use Linux Mint (its actually based on Ubuntu). It has all prop/non-GPL stuff also bundled along. Including DeCSS for DVD playback ;D

[Arup]

Ubuntu is not liked by Linux purists, its the Windows of Linux world, its best supported and all apps work in pure x64 mode with the x64 version.

[Beavenburt]

-{ Quote: "I have a new favorite: Arch Linux. Learned about it shortly after re-trying Slackware.
It's Slackware + Gentoo + Debian... perfect. :) Running it with XFCE." }-

Good Man. XFCE on Arch is fantastic. A great balance between speed, light resource usage and usability. XFCE is my de of choice, used to love kdemod but it never really felt right on my old machine.

[Beavenburt]

Oh my, I may have to change my opinion. Having used Arch for some time I thought I'd go a hopping. My choice - Debian Lenny netinst with KDE 3.5. The jury is still out but my word this is the the fastest, lightest, well implemented kde i've seen yet. Quicker than XFCE!!! Also seems very,very stable. Man, this is good.
Negatives were getting my nvidia card working but wasn't a great hassle. And, KDE does have a lot redundant apps but that's no biggy.
I didn't think anything would kick Arch off its throne here, but this certainly looks like it will. I need to play a bit more but this is looking good. Of course theres the added benefits of a huge community and massive repos.

[Pedro]

While i don't preach it, yes i told you so. :)

The main/only problems you can find is setting something up, like drivers etc. Once that is done, you're set.

Keep in mind though, Lenny is frozen. It's the next stable.

[Beavenburt]

-{ Quote: "While i don't preach it, yes i told you so. :)

The main/only problems you can find is setting something up, like drivers etc. Once that is done, you're set.

Keep in mind though, Lenny is frozen. It's the next stable." }-

I did try Etch briefly before Lenny. It was rock solid but just felt a little outdated package wise. I think I will stick with Lenny for a while even when it goes stable (it really is stable anyway) and upgrade when I want newer packages.
As much as I love Arch it has broken a couple of times and KDE has never ran as well as i'd like with it on my machine. Providing Debian doesn't break and continues to run as well as it is, I reckon it might be the keeper (till the next bout of curiousity, distro hopping madness) :P

[Pedro]

I used Etch for quite some time, same thing. Stable is the right word, but i preferred Lenny. You can use the backports though, if you only miss a few up-to-date packages.

I don't expect anything to break just like that. Some packages can "break", but nothing like KDE imo.
The only one i can remember was Virtualbox, where you had to compile the modules to fix it. The maintainer/packager made a mistake, twice i think (!), and versions were incompatible.

Then there's Sid/Sidux/Ubuntu :P

[Beavenburt]

Sidux does look interesting. I'll probably try when i'm bored of Lenny. I'm back at home on Lenny now after posting from work today and i've got to say again this just flies. I'm shocked at the speed and my fans aren't making a sound. This feels like openbox on Arch!! Very pleasantly surprised.

[GlobalForce]

After having delved with urpmi in the past, I chose other, Slackware based.

S

[dw426]

Ubuntu, the only distro that has ever worked in full. No other distro likes my video and sound card, and even then, only Gnome seems to work well, KDE sucked.

[clansman77]

ubuntu for me right now followed by arch linux

[noone_particular]

Knoppix 3.7 (http://www.kernel.org/pub/dist/knoppix/) on a Win Partition (http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Win_Partition), using the Grub bootloader. Much faster than using the CD. I've tried several distro's, installed and live CDs. This version of Knoppix is the only one that gave me sound, a good display, working internet access, and let me access all of my internal and external drives and devices, all without my needing to do anything. It's also a much better match to my hardware specs than most of the present versions. The Win Partition "install" gives me a permanent swap file, home directory, and saves my settings. Except for installing software, it's almost as good as an installed OS. As good as this works for me, I'm in no hurry to install any other version.

edited to add link.

[YeOldeStonecat]

OpenSUSE 11.1 was released a week or so ago....so I'm back to that for a while. Running very nicely, and the 3D effects on the new KDE are jaw dropping!

[Pedro]

-{ Quote: "3D effects on the new KDE are jaw dropping!" }-
;D
My money is on KDE 4.3.

[bktII]

As a dial-up user, I prefer openSUSE for the delta rpm's. A lot less time to keep the system updated. Runs PostgreSQL with PostGIS, Oracle, Quantem GIS and R and keeps them current.

Also, I like both Debian and Ubuntu for the number and variety of packages.

Love the guest account in Ubuntu 8.10 as a sandbox. Just reboot and /tmp is flushed.

[gkweb]

Hello,

I wanted to make the exact same poll, but checked before if one was existing, and obviously it does :)

I have tested as desktop OpenSUSE(KDE), Ubuntu(KDE/GNOME), and Fedora. OpenSUSE and Ubuntu were very nice, Ubuntu being even easier to use and to install packages. Currently using Fedora to test it, and am really enjoying it currently, more than Ubuntu, whereas it has drawbacks compared to it (more command lines involved to install packages).

Fedora then is my answer :) (might as well be another one next month lol).

Regards,
gkweb.

[Leolas]

I'm running Ubuntu on the laptop, and Sabayon on the home pc, and I like them both: I voted Other and Ubuntu ;)

Before Ubuntu 8.10 was released, I used to use Ubuntu on the home computer too, but 8.10 didn't want to run on it, so, after reading good reviews on italian blogs and forums, I decided to try Sabayon, and I must say I love this distro and KDE :lurking: ;)

[suliman]

Ubuntu was my favourite, but now I dont know what to test....
Everything was working fine for a couple of months until first one update of Firefox made all my bookmarks and extensions to disappear and then another Ubuntu update rendered in a unbootable Ubuntu. It just stopped and came to a prompt which I couldnt use in any way (didnt take any input)

Having not so much experience in Linux world I didnt know what to do. And after having tweaked Ubuntu to the way I wanted it (which took quite alot of howtos) Its a bummer to have to start all over again....but I will, later, when the inspiration comes along again :)

[Mr.PC]

Ubuntu.
I tried once and went back to Windows...;D

[J_L]

Tried all of them, but it's Ubuntu for now because I'm still a Linux newbie.

[ard14n_y]

Debian and Ubuntu

[linuxforall]

Ubuntu, followed by Fedora and sidux.

[rdsu]

sidux (http://sidux.com)...

More user friendly, Linux Mint (http://www.linuxmint.com/)...

[Boyfriend]

I prefer MEPIS

[AvinashR]

I like Ubuntu, Feodra and Puppy Linux.

To be very honest i like Puppy very much...

[makios]

Linux Mint

[wearetheborg]

What? No Debian option? >:( >:(

Sacrilege

Burn Mrkvonic!!!!

[korben]

PCLOS

Cause it works with my laptop. Others don't.

[SirPeterPan]

Ubuntu, for 2 reasons:
- it appears to be the current most popular distro;
- I can install and uninstall it easily using Wubi (http://wubi-installer.org/).

[johnny_dacu]

This is my second attempt to switch on Linux... I've just installed a (few days ago) Ubuntu 10.4. On my first attempt i've tried Mint... Ubuntu is better

[Searching_ _ _]

I like Fedora for it's out of the box security, which is what a noob needs.

Fedora has some problems like getting dual monitors working and using Network Manager as default when WiCD is mucho better.

I heard that the other security conscious OOTB distro is OpenSUSE but not sure.

I wouldn't touch Ubuntu with a ten foot pole.

[xandros]

maybe i will use linux when microsoft die.
one time i use linux but i dont like it , i dont know how to use it & i dont know how to make any program.

[PRUHDG]

I tried pclinux ,zorin,elive,ubuntu,fedora,opensuse,freebsd.Fell in love with fedora kde and opensuse

[cgeek]

I have three favorites.

1. Arch linux
2. Fedora
3. Aptosid formaly known as "sidux"

No gnome desktops for me. Only KDE! ;D

[Creer]

Ubuntu, Mint.

[Nevis]

definitely ubuntu

[xxJackxx]

I thought I would be put off by the new theme in Ubuntu but after playing with 10.10 I am finding that I like it a lot more than I expected. If Windows was not an option it would definitely be my first choice.

[ExtremeGamerBR]

UBUNTU! :thumb:

[cm1971]

Other: PCLinuxOS

[chrisretusn]

My last post in this thread was October 25th, 2006, 08:27 PM, I said Slackware then.

So I figured I'd post an update. My current favorite distribution is Slackware.

I recently tested a bunch of distributions for my daughters laptop and settled with PCLinuxOS. It's running Slackware right now though. :)