Posted: 10/25/2007 1:56:19 AM EDT
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I've fiddled with linux on and off for years now. My first distro was redhat....4? Command line only, ran it on an old 486 around 1998 or so. Anyways. My current Windows XP build started acting up, and long story short, it looks like I'm at the format and reload part. Fortunately for me, I'm a computer tech, and have extra parts lying around. So, I snagged another HDD, and have just loaded up Ubuntu 7.10. Pretty slick install, it loaded up all my hardware and configured my network, and here I am posting at arfcom on a linux version of firefox. The install was faster and more complete than the WinXP install I just did a couple hours ago. It's also cool that the iso servers double duty as a Live CD, so you can try out the OS before committing to an actual install on your HDD. anyway... Since I have been slowly converting from PC gaming to console gaming, the only thing I use my PC for is arfcom, MP3 and DVD ....archiving, and photo editing. So, I figured I'd give Linux another try. Perhaps this time it will stay on my hard drive for more than a few months... So, point of this is: Who else is a linux geek, and/or what distros do you like? I've run redhat and I ran Mandrake for a long time on my webserver box. Ubuntu is totally new for me. I'd say I like it so far, but it is 5 am, and I've only been 'using' itfor about 15 minutes now... 
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Major Linux geek checking in. I have been running some flavor of Linux since RH4. Some of the distros that I have run are: -Gentoo -Ubuntu -Redhat -Slackware -Mephis -Pure Debian -BSD - Tons others that I tried out, but never stuck with for very long In general most flavors are the same. They key difference in my opinion between them all is the package management, ease of install and hardware support. With that being said I am currently running Ubuntu Gusty. At this time, its about the best distro out there in general for Desktop use. |
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I mostly use Mint, which an offshoot of Ubuntu. It has more media stuff like DVD codecs already installed by default so it's ready to go out of the box. That got me into it, but the nicer menu system and slicker packaging has me hooked. I run Ubuntu on another old computer, which defines OS simplicity itself. They are my two most often used Linux distros. Linux Mint is slicker, more polished, complete, and up to to date than Windows XP or OSX, both of which I also run. I also sometimes boot into Fedora and PCLinux2007 which is installed on a couple of old removable hard drives. It's nice to see how other distros make things work. Fedora has fantastic networking, but I've never been been able to get the fonts to play nice. At best they look smudged on my monitor. That's common with every Linux distros I've tried until Ubuntu and it's derivatives. I'm not sure what they did to change it, but it made the difference in switching more of my computing over to Linux. |
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I've always had issues with the messed up fonts in Linux. This version of Ubuntu has much better looking fonts from what I've seen so far. In regard to the Resolutions, I've never had problems with that. I had to watch it back in the old days cause you could really mess up your card and monitor by playing around with the settings. But, Ubuntu detected the card, and loaded up their version of the drivers, and my screen is at 1280x1024. I was also glad that my thumbdrive popped right up. Most of my USB experiencees in linux haven't been good. but, they must have fixed all that since the thumbdrive and my keyboard and mouse are working just fine. (Heck, I think it even is using the extra buttons on my G5 mouse...) Now, I'm hoping to get my Creative Zen to work with it. The system kind of sees it, cause it launches the music player, but it doesn't actually mount the player itself. Also, anybody have any suggestions for CD and DVD rippers and burners? I haven't dug around too much, so it might already have something there, but I do need to find some stuff to install, since every distro does that stuff differently anyway... Oh, I was also really impressed that it not only saw, but was able to access the other windows computer! I was dreading having to mess with samba, but it appears to not be an issue! Very cool. |
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Turns out, there is a music player for linux made just for the creative devices (gnomad). So, I got that installed, and now my Zen talks to Ubuntu. Sa-Weet. One more step away from Windows... (although the system has autologged me out a couple times tonight....I fear I may have broke something....) |
Yeah. I just switched mine to the grey and purple scheme. (Too bad I never went to K-State, this scheme is perfect for a fan...) Looks pretty good. I always set my PC's up with darker colors anyway, so this looks pretty nice. I have noticed a few pages that don't work right. My bank's page, and Foxnews. They work fine under firefox in windows, so not sure what the deal is here...but, I'm still getting random little things installed and configured, so hopefully I can get them looking decent/working. |
Yep, I believe that is it. I think compiz fusion is now standardized in the current version now that I think about it |
A few good ones: DVDrip - Great for encoding DVDs Graveman - CD Burner software grip - CD Ripper |
That is correct. If you have the restricted drivers installed, compiz is running by default. I can't live without these days. |
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My first and only attempt at Linux via boot CD, "Mint" distro, I couldn't make the internet work with the wifi card in my laptop. It could see the network and everything, but the internet just, wouldn't work. I quit after that because my time is to precious to fool with it. |