Your favorite Linux distro

[Alphalutra1]

Originally Posted by Longboard

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]

Originally Posted by 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 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

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.
that's what makes it all good.

[andb]

Originally Posted by Longboard

I am interested in Frugalware: heh: slacklike and pacman !!

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

[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]

Originally Posted by huangker

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.

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

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

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)

[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

[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 on a 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]

Originally Posted by YeOldeStonecat

3D effects on the new KDE are jaw dropping!

My money is on KDE 4.3.