Linux users out there?

[AtreyuKun]

After a very long spell with no Linux, I setup a dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows 7 on this past Friday. Way back around 2003, I used Red Hat and Mandrake. Mandrake because it was the most Windows-like for me. Redhat because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I actually feel much better using Linux because I'd rather use all the free software versus stealing retail stuff.
So for all you in Tuxland out there, what's your favorite distro and why?

[devilock76]

After a very long spell with no Linux, I setup a dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows 7 on this past Friday. Way back around 2003, I used Red Hat and Mandrake. Mandrake because it was the most Windows-like for me. Redhat because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I actually feel much better using Linux because I'd rather use all the free software versus stealing retail stuff.
So for all you in Tuxland out there, what's your favorite distro and why?

Not sure I have a favorite distro that would be an honest answer as I have switched back and forth so many times. Lately I have switched to Arch Linux for desktop/laptop functionality and FreeBSD for servers (which is not technically Linux but still unix like). I used to be firm in the RPM world, Fedora on desktop/laptop, CentOS on server. Before that Ubuntu/Debian.

It has gotten to the point where switching to Arch and FreeBSD was because I would rather start from scratch and add just what I want/need and I prefer the RC style init/config system which both share. Arch performance is amazing and has the most musician friendly stock kernel of any "non-studio" distro out there. There is a learning curve though if you are only used to graphic installers and control panel like configuration.

Ken

[Snusify]

My first computer was a Mac and that time I used Yellow Dog linux on it along with Mac OS 9.

When Apple Launched Mac OS X which is based on BSD unix I never needed another kind of *nix OS.

I get the benefit of all the feature rich GUI of the mac os but also a bash terminal so I can compile any open source software of my choice.

[internope]

After a very long spell with no Linux, I setup a dual boot with Ubuntu and Windows 7 on this past Friday. Way back around 2003, I used Red Hat and Mandrake. Mandrake because it was the most Windows-like for me. Redhat because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
I actually feel much better using Linux because I'd rather use all the free software versus stealing retail stuff.
So for all you in Tuxland out there, what's your favorite distro and why?

Right now I have Ubuntu 10.04 on my home laptop, centos and ubuntu server on my home servers. At work we use CentOS for our Linux servers.

I have pretty much given up on pirated Windows software at this point. Too many hassles and security worries to deal with. If I need something for Windows and I can't find a decent free alternative I either bite the bullet and pay or do without.

[lxskllr]

I like Debian based distros, and I'll be switching my machines to Debian proper when it comes time to reinstall. All my current boxes are Ubuntu 10.04. It used to be Ubuntu was Debian the way I liked it, out of the box. I liked the setup, the default colors, and the branding. I did very little customization. Their vision of computing has been diverging from mine, and it takes too much changing to get things the way I want them. If I'm going to change a bunch of stuff, I might as well go to the source, and change Debian.

Why Debian base? It's a very solid system. I like the setup, and I like apt. Also, with Ubuntu's popularity, most of the Linux world is running some kind of Debian, so support is easy to find when you have a problem. I like Debian, with the Xfce desktop. I used to be a huge fan of Gnome. I considered that the desktop perfected, but they've planted their heads firmly in their asses, so it's Xfce now. It's like a gimped Gnome, but still better than Gnome3, or Ubuntu's Unity imo.

[Thraxy]

The one distro I always end up coming back to is Linux Mint. It simply is Linux how I like it. I'm currently running Linux Mint DE and Windows 7 on my laptop. Windows 7 has more problems with this machine than Linux, which is a first for me (even the ATI graphics card works better on Linux). I'm pretty sure I'll be changing distro sometime in the near future, just because that's what I like to do... like a hobby, but I'm sure Linux Mint will be there for me once I've blown of the steam. I'm very happy that Linux Mint has chosen to remain with their custom Gnome layout, rather than jumping on Unity or Gnome-Shell.

[shikitohno]

It was Fedora, but I've been migrating more and more towards Arch lately. Once I've got it installed, it only takes me about 15-20 minutes to get Arch exactly how I want it for my usability. I like that it doesn't ship with a pre-installed GUI, as evilwm or windowmaker allow me all the functionality I need, without the excessive bloat of Gnome3. Aside from emulators, Quod-Libet, VLC, and Firefox I don't really use any programs that require a GUI that much these days, so it's nice not having a behemoth one forced on me. Linux Mint was the only Debian based one I could stand for any length of time. I don't know why, but I just don't like using apt. Arch isn't that difficult to pick up, if you're somewhat competent at reading documentation and following instructions.

[Thraxy]

...if you're somewhat competent at reading documentation and following instructions.

Yeah, that's usually where I fail. I think last time I tried Arch I was just guessing through 50% of the installation process. I ended back on Linux Mint that time too... lol

[shikitohno]

The install isn't that difficult, unless something goes wrong. It's pretty simple up until you get to editing the config files (set the clock, pick your drives, choose the packages you want to install), and even when you hit that page, you can be perfectly fine without editing most of those. If you decide to give it another go, just follow the beginner's guide on the wiki. It goes step by step through the process. Just keep in mind that if you decide to just guess, rather than follow instructions, there probably won't be anyone on their forums willing to help you.

[devilock76]

The install isn't that difficult, unless something goes wrong. It's pretty simple up until you get to editing the config files (set the clock, pick your drives, choose the packages you want to install), and even when you hit that page, you can be perfectly fine without editing most of those. If you decide to give it another go, just follow the beginner's guide on the wiki. It goes step by step through the process. Just keep in mind that if you decide to just guess, rather than follow instructions, there probably won't be anyone on their forums willing to help you.

I will say some tips for a first timer installing arch.

1. Have another computer to connect to the internet with to look up a problem on the arch wiki, or at least the machine you are installing on is dual boot so you can get out there to find a problem, particularly with network setup.

2. If you are installing on a laptop don't install while using WIFI but instead a wired network. Your wifi will not work out of the gate and you will probably need to do some searching to find the right driver for it if you don't know it already.

Once there, pacman is great, but don't be scared of the AUR. There is some great stuff there and it is very simple to use.

Ken

[shikitohno]

For those trying to install on their only computer, the whole beginner's guide can be found at /usr/share/aif/docs/official_installation_guide_en on the install disk. I like to switch to tty2 and open it in vi to check that I've not overlooked anything. I'll also second the awesomeness of pacman and AUR.

For the fellow linux users, what are your must have programmes? I can be perfectly happy with windowmaker, sakura, Firefox, Quodlibet, screen, irssi, rtorrent, mutt, vlc, vi and finch. I'd replace Quodlibet with cmus, if it ever decided to show the changes I made to a CD's ID3 tags instead of showing the incorrect, old ones. Actually, I'll be looking into it to see if it fixed them, as I quite liked using cmus.

[lxskllr]

For the fellow linux users, what are your must have programmes? I can be perfectly happy with windowmaker, sakura, Firefox, Quodlibet, screen, irssi, rtorrent, mutt, vlc, vi and finch. I'd replace Quodlibet with cmus, if it ever decided to show the changes I made to a CD's ID3 tags instead of showing the incorrect, old ones. Actually, I'll be looking into it to see if it fixed them, as I quite liked using cmus.

Here's a few programs I use regularly. Some of these I wouldn't call essential, but at least highly preferred...

Firefox
Opera
Evolution or Thunderbird
Pidgin or Empathy
Compiz
DeadBeeF
VLC
Gimp
Gcolor2
qBittorrent
IPblock
xpenguins
xcowsay with fortune-mod installed
Tomboy notes
Grpn calculator
Audacity
7Zip
LibreOffice
VirtualBox
Conky
Screenlets
UbuntuTweak
unetbootin
A few light games. I like the stock Gnome game package

[devilock76]

My setup, keep in mind audio is a big focus of mine

KDE - I know, but it looks good, works better for my wife, and truth be told when working with musicians who are used to macs, eye candy makes for the appeal of the system.
Fluxbox - When I want minimal
Libre Office
Evolution
K3B
Pidgin
Conky
Amarok
Kaffeine
Wine
Kwrite
VIM
sudo - (hey in BSD and Arch these have to actually be installed so...)

Audio specific stuff:
FFADO - Firewire audio control
QjackCtl
Jack
Ardour
Audacity
Handbreak
VLC - (most reliable media player that connects well with Jack)
Hydrogen
Qtractor
LinuxSampler
LMMS
Rosegarden
Jamin
Zynaddsubfx
Qsynth
Guitarix
Rakarrack
Lash/Ladish
a2jmidi
I am running two different wireless midi servers, but I forget the names right now and not at the machine. They are to use my android tablet as a wireless control surface.

There is probably more on the audio side I could go into but stopping for now before I start listing all the LADSPA plugins I have installed.

Server and programming tools:

Apache
Mysql
PHP
Python
Java
NetBeans
Eclipse
Tomcat
Webmin
Code::Blocks
GIT

etc.

The only other program on my setup is on the BSD boxes I have a python program I wrote for handling system updates in a little more fluid way. That is about all that comes to mind right now. I mean I could start listing CMS's that are installed from Repo's like Drupal but that is always something I consider weird to install from a repo in most server scenarios. Just used to doing those installs by hand in web root

Ken

[devilock76]

and reading lxskllr I realize I missed a bunch of general usage stuff out there.

Blender
Gimp
Inkscape
VirtualBox
Opera
Chromium

Ken