[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Which Linux Distro should I run? (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 8/12/2012 3:14:24 PM EDT
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I just built up a New PC and am in the process of picking a New Linux Distro for it.
I have run Debian in the past, but have been running Ubuntu for the past few years But I'm not to keen on the new desktop in 12.04 (yes I know I can change it) I was playing with Mint 13 and Debian 6.0.5 both look good but Mint looks a bit more user friendly (AKA just because I can do it all the hard way does not mean I want to) So what Distro should I look into ? Thank you |
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Lately I've switched my newly-installed machines to Debian 6.05. I had been using Ubuntu since 8 but I'm going to wait out the desktop insanity they've gotten themselves into running Debian. I have a bunch of laptops, servers, and workstations that I use/manage. Debian isn't without its own quirks (Iceweasel) but thrashing 20 years of X environment productivity via customization is dumb. My history is running Unix/Linux professionally and privately since about '92.
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Lately I've switched my newly-installed machines to Debian 6.05. I had been using Ubuntu since 8 but I'm going to wait out the desktop insanity they've gotten themselves into running Debian. I have a bunch of laptops, servers, and workstations that I use/manage. Debian isn't without its own quirks (Iceweasel) but thrashing 20 years of X environment productivity via customization is dumb. My history is running Unix/Linux professionally and privately since about '92. It is all the desktop silliness that has me looking to move away from Ubuntu. I could just go back to Debian, but the package managers/ softwaymanagers sure are nice. |
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Linux is free! Try a bunch of distros and see what you like
I suggest: - Xubuntu - very nice and stable - Mint - very nice, stable - Fedora with XFCE - cutting edge - Fedora with Cinnamon - cutting edge I run a mix of machines, the Debian based systems (Debian, Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Mint) are always the most stable, but aren't the first to get new versions of the kernel or other packages. Fedora tends to be much closer to the bleeding edge so you get new stuff sooner, but occasionally at a faster pace than I would like. |
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Linux is free! Try a bunch of distros and see what you like I suggest: - Xubuntu - very nice and stable - Mint - very nice, stable - Fedora with XFCE - cutting edge - Fedora with Cinnamon - cutting edge I run a mix of machines, the Debian based systems (Debian, Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Mint) are always the most stable, but aren't the first to get new versions of the kernel or other packages. Fedora tends to be much closer to the bleeding edge so you get new stuff sooner, but occasionally at a faster pace than I would like. I actually like Debian and it was my son who got me to switch to Ubuntu in the first place but Debian does have the stability going for it |
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I just built up a New PC and am in the process of picking a New Linux Distro for it. I have run Debian in the past, but have been running Ubuntu for the past few years But I'm not to keen on the new desktop in 12.04 (yes I know I can change it) I was playing with Mint 13 and Debian 6.0.5 both look good but Mint looks a bit more user friendly (AKA just because I can do it all the hard way does not mean I want to) So what Distro should I look into ? Thank you Mint has an edition from Debian now too not just Ubuntu. |
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I just built up a New PC and am in the process of picking a New Linux Distro for it. I have run Debian in the past, but have been running Ubuntu for the past few years But I'm not to keen on the new desktop in 12.04 (yes I know I can change it) I was playing with Mint 13 and Debian 6.0.5 both look good but Mint looks a bit more user friendly (AKA just because I can do it all the hard way does not mean I want to) So what Distro should I look into ? Thank you Mint has an edition from Debian now too not just Ubuntu. Yes I see that, I have always been a fan of Debian, but I'm not sure about the direction Ubuntu is going |
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I'm retired now but have used a bunch of Linux distros for various things, including servers and Nessus scanners, etc. I've liked the Debian branches the best. Now I mostly use OS X (I know it's not Linux), but have an old Dell laptop that I run Ubuntu on. I'm also thinking of upgrading and found this article comparing Ubuntu and Mint. Has some good info about backup management and package managers. Of course, all reviews are subjective to some degree. See:
http://www.datamation.com/open-source/linux-mint-vs.-ubuntu-the-best-option-1.html |
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I've been running MINT for the last two distro's - gave up on Ubuntu after it went full on multi media. I tried openSuse for a while but it was SUPER buggy, both cinnamon and mate work okay for me on MINT though
I need something more like a power users interface though for work so the whole hide away menus and three button clicks to open an app doesn't work for me |
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I've been running MINT for the last two distro's - gave up on Ubuntu after it went full on multi media. I tried openSuse for a while but it was SUPER buggy, both cinnamon and mate work okay for me on MINT though I need something more like a power users interface though for work so the whole hide away menus and three button clicks to open an app doesn't work for me More and More Ubuntu is off my list It is pretty much looking like Debian or Mint Debian Edition |
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I am considering switching over to Linux as well. My son somehow got a virus, and I'd like to avoid this in the future. I know linux isn't virus proof, but it's gotta be head and shoulders above windows. It will mainly be used for surfing...but I'll need Flash, Java, and PDF support integrated into the browser. I assume none of this is an issue right?
Also, it's about time we added parental controls. Is there a good one for linux? Not trying to hijack...but I didn't feel another linux thread was warranted at this time. ETA: A nice GUI is a requirement. |
| Pick one that you basically like most of the features, and then build your own from scratch. This is what I do and it eliminated 90% of any and all Linux frustrations and update-borks, and no need to distro-hop anymore when your favorite distro has one of it's periodic meltdowns. |
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Linux is free! Try a bunch of distros and see what you like I suggest: - Xubuntu - very nice and stable - Mint - very nice, stable - Fedora with XFCE - cutting edge - Fedora with Cinnamon - cutting edge I run a mix of machines, the Debian based systems (Debian, Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Mint) are always the most stable, but aren't the first to get new versions of the kernel or other packages. Fedora tends to be much closer to the bleeding edge so you get new stuff sooner, but occasionally at a faster pace than I would like. I actually like Debian and it was my son who got me to switch to Ubuntu in the first place but Debian does have the stability going for it I've preferred Debian for a while, but recently installed Ubuntu 12.04 with Gnome Panel. So far its running fine, and its close enough to Gnome 2. |
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Linux is free! Try a bunch of distros and see what you like I suggest: - Xubuntu - very nice and stable - Mint - very nice, stable - Fedora with XFCE - cutting edge - Fedora with Cinnamon - cutting edge I run a mix of machines, the Debian based systems (Debian, Ubuntu, Xubuntu, Mint) are always the most stable, but aren't the first to get new versions of the kernel or other packages. Fedora tends to be much closer to the bleeding edge so you get new stuff sooner, but occasionally at a faster pace than I would like. I actually like Debian and it was my son who got me to switch to Ubuntu in the first place but Debian does have the stability going for it I've preferred Debian for a while, but recently installed Ubuntu 12.04 with Gnome Panel. So far its running fine, and its close enough to Gnome 2. Take at look at Wheezy (Debian testing) it is very impressive |
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I've been running Linux for several years now and I have to say I'm tired of all the hoops you have to jump through to do the most simple of tasks.
I wanted to install some new software for my weather station last night. Well, I couldn't just install the software. I had to manually install some other software first. But before that I had to install multiple dependent packages. Then you have to make sure that if you're trying to install a 32-bit package on a 64-bit OS that you remember the flippin' dpkg command is to force architecture. I use Linux every day at work. I'm a nerd by trade. And I still think Linux is a royal PITA for way too many things. Sometimes Linux just plain sucks. |
OSX for your workstation, and FreeBSD for any servers.  Honestly, I've given up on Linux, and I've been using it since 1998 or so. I dig the really specialized distos (think: appliance use), but for a general purpose workstation, it just got to be too much of a pain in the ass.
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I just built up a New PC and am in the process of picking a New Linux Distro for it. I have run Debian in the past, but have been running Ubuntu for the past few years But I'm not to keen on the new desktop in 12.04 (yes I know I can change it) I was playing with Mint 13 and Debian 6.0.5 both look good but Mint looks a bit more user friendly (AKA just because I can do it all the hard way does not mean I want to) So what Distro should I look into ? Thank you Mint is nice. If you want to be l33t and ub3r-fast, run Arch, Arch-bang, or Crunch-bang. My motto is that the OS shouldn't use any more system resources than absolutely necessary. |
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Quoted: OSX for your workstation, and FreeBSD for any servers. Honestly, I've given up on Linux, and I've been using it since 1998 or so. I dig the really specialized distos (think: appliance use), but for a general purpose workstation, it just got to be too much of a pain in the ass. I'm actually thinking about diving in that pool. |
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Quoted: Quoted: OSX for your workstation, and FreeBSD for any servers. Honestly, I've given up on Linux, and I've been using it since 1998 or so. I dig the really specialized distos (think: appliance use), but for a general purpose workstation, it just got to be too much of a pain in the ass. I'm actually thinking about diving in that pool. I am still wanting to like Linux really bad. I have been trying hard since the mid nineties, and it just isn't happening for me. At first it was Redhat, Mandrake and Slackware, each had their ups and downs, none of them were a true desktop replacement. A few years later I tried Debian, Redhat and Suse, still not a winner among them. I currently have one machine running Ubuntu, and another that runs Fedora, Ubuntu seems great for people with very basic needs, who will never change any hardware that would require a new driver, and want to feel geek cool. Fedora like all Redhat distros I have ever worked with seems rock solid, and damned powerful, but is not forgiving of a novice user (or even a fairly advanced user who doesn't run Linux on a desktop full time). I certainly understand the place of Unix and it's myriad clones, I spent the majority of my adult life in telco central offices, Unix was a large part of my daily routine, but it just isn't what I want in a desktop. For well over a decade I have been hearing fanboys telling me that it is READY for the desktop, and every time I jump back on the bandwagon, I end up disappointed, mostly by the cumbersome way you have to do minor stuff. Installing simple programs should not require recompiling or command lines, this isn't 1996. |