Which Linux distribution do you use most frequently?
April 27th, 2009 by LJ Staff
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December 2009, #188
If last month's Infrastrucuture issue was too "big" for you then try on this month's Embedded issue. Find out how to use Player for programming mobile robots, build a humidity controller for your root cellar, find out how to reduce the boot time of your embedded system, and if you're new to embedded systems find out the basics that go into one. You can also read about the Beagle Board, the Mesh Potato and a spate of other interestingly named items. And along with our regular columns don't miss our new monthly column: Economy Size Geek.
FreeBSD works for me the
On August 7th, 2009 Franz (not verified) says:
FreeBSD works for me the best.
Other........
On August 2nd, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I use something I am sorry to see not mentioned here. What is this something? DAMN SMALL LINUX!!!!! It is the best distro EVER!!! I am 13 years old, and as such will do IT work for my school for free, with the added benefit that I get out of class free. I am soon to have my MCTS certification, and I cannot tell you how much ALWAYS having a copy of DSL with me has helped me. If there are any other users of this wonderful distro, please reply. DSL FTW!!!
indeed
On June 8th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
All distributions are the same:
1. Packaged up binaries
2. A stance against closed source binaries
3. No support out of the box for retail DVD's
4. Some support some video / audio formats others don't
5. Drivers for your video card are sub-par compared to a retail Walmart computers
6. ...
See if the developers of these distributions would just focus on the user experience then Linux would have one distribution and one vision.
Problems:
Debian is too busy worrying about packages for documents, packages for binaries, packages for other packages like source code. Obsessive Compulsive. Slackware is too worried about remaining politically correct with source code authors. Fedora is too worried about patent infringement. Which they basically all are. Ubuntu is nice about spreading the software out but they leave you with a very operational but generic system.
Mandriva and SUSE well... same as same is.
People want 10 things from the expensive toy they bought at Walmart, BestBuy.
1. Surf the net
2. To read and send email
3. Play a few games fast
4. Watch a few videos, DVD's
5. Write a paper
6. Work on some bills
7. Look at Photos off the camera
8. Listen to music
9. Entertain the kids
10. Relax to just playing with the computer
Chances are if you bought a computer at a retail store, it's a laptop and it's an Intel video card.
It runs great with Vista and crap with Linux.
The truth hurts.
So if you want the great experience. You're going to have to:
1. Recompile the kernel for your hardware, Core2 processor/Voluntary Preemption/1000mhz clock/ no tick timer
2. Recompile the font library, libfreetype2 to support subpixel hinting and various other disabled options (apple/microsoft) stuff
3. Compile your own version of Xwindows based on beta code for the i945gm and newer Intel cards
4. Tweak lots of options that should be easier to enable like KMplayer's ability to use flash
5. Download flash and install it because Firefox is too afraid to by default.
6. spend alot of your non free time doing all this crap you hate.
Share the pain is the moto.
Never share the answer.
Mint
On May 25th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I have used Linux Mint past couple of years. have tried the top 10 but always go back to Mint 64 bit.
Fedora
On May 23rd, 2009 tktim (not verified) says:
Fedora - Fedora 10 currently. Ubuntu users are great, but Fedora just seems easier to me. Add/Remove Software or Automatic Update System all seem easier. I've tried Ubuntu many times and it's always back to Fedora. Fedora just works and is more up to date. Fedora user working together with Ubuntu / Linux users.
Mint and Sabayon
On May 23rd, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Mint (works perfectly!) and Sabayon (I like KDE and there is not a amd64 KDE version of Mint).
Suse 11.1 x86_64
On May 22nd, 2009 Harvey (not verified) says:
I have been using Suse since the year 2000 while trying out every Linux distro I could, looking for something that I like better. So far I haven't found anything that suits my use ( day to day computing ) better.
The one thing we all need to remember is LINUX is LINUX and all distros do what they do well, and freedom of choice is what it's about.
If only Penguins could fly.
puppy
On May 22nd, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
puppy
Sabayon
On May 22nd, 2009 Chandra (not verified) says:
Sabayon - works great for me and detects everything
trustix
On May 22nd, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
trustix 2.2
Arch linux is the best :p of
On May 21st, 2009 ndowens (not verified) says:
Arch linux is the best :p of course IMHO, fast, up2date, great package manager
zenwalk
On May 21st, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I use Zenwalk wich is slackware based
Other: None of the above
On May 20th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I don't currently use any Linux distro.
Maybe you should
On May 24th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Maybe you should give Linux ago you might be pleasantly surprised
Puppy!!!
On May 19th, 2009 Flash858 (not verified) says:
Ubuntu rocks, as does Mint, but nothing is as flat out cool and useful as Puppy Linux!
Linux Mint
On May 18th, 2009 CD (not verified) says:
All the way with Mint!!!
Mint
On May 24th, 2009 Leccy (not verified) says:
Mint, Mint, Mint :)
Cool
Still Freespire(going to
On May 18th, 2009 Jaqian (not verified) says:
Still Freespire(going to miss it when I eventually have to upgrade).
My distro of choice is...
On May 18th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Still Xandros
other linux
On May 17th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I use puppy linux. It runs really well on old equipment and at supersonic speeds on current kit.
PCLinuxOS plus
On May 16th, 2009 The Doctor (not verified) says:
I run PCLinuxOS 2007, plus Windows XP, Ubuntu 9.04, and Windows 7 RC1 in VirtualBox.
Is Mint considered part of Ubuntu?
On May 15th, 2009 Bob Stout (not verified) says:
In the process of working on a new book, I managed to crash my primary Linux machine which ran Ubuntu Studio 8.04. Based on some of the research I was doing for the book, when I went to reinstall the OS, I used Mint 6, then added all of the Ubuntu Studio packages I'd been using. Mint is great! I've worked with both the normal GNOME and KDE versions and it just works, period. It's a wonderfully well thought out and executed distribution.
Just for reference, I run Debian on my server, Mepis (dual-booted with Vista) on my laptop, and Puppy (dual booted with WinXP) on my notebook. However, after my experience on my primary Linux desktop machine, I'm planning to replace Mepis on my laptop with Mint as well. Mint's out-of-the-box functionality and hardware detection rival that of Mepis. That it also gives me access to the vast Ubunutu repositories is added incentive.
slack
On May 14th, 2009 bikolinux (not verified) says:
slackware 12,2 is cool :)
arch
On May 14th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
arch all day on everything
Puppy Linux 4.0
On May 13th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Puppy Linux 4.0
Mint
On May 13th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Mint
Linux Distro
On May 12th, 2009 Martin Prior (not verified) says:
Dreamlinux and looking at ZenWalk
other
On May 11th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Linux Mint 7rc1. Everything works.
I hop distros as if there is
On May 11th, 2009 Maxime (not verified) says:
I hop distros as if there is no tomorrow, but I come always back to Fedora. I like the person Mark Shuttleworth and in due consequence try often Ubuntu. Opensuse is good too but always a bit of hassle with multimedia codecs.
Recently I gave Mint a spin and was quite frankly surprised. It seems nicer and in a way better than Ubuntu?
For no real reason I am a Red Hat fan and so follow always Fedora. Fedora has a beautiful graphical interface and is as good for the desktop as for instance Ubuntu.
OpenSUSE 11.1 + KDE
On May 11th, 2009 hapciupalitiq (not verified) says:
On my desktop computer I use OpenSUSE Linux 11.1 with KDE. It's stable and easy to configure (thanks to YaST2). I'm trying to stay away from commercial linux distributions (SLED, Mandriva, etc) because it doesn't feel right to use a commercial version of a free software (but this is another discussion). I'm sorry to see here that Ubuntu has 46% and OpenSUSE only 5%. I think OpenSUSE is far more mature and easier to configure than Ubuntu (with a GUI tool, not editing config files by hand). I have nothing against Ubuntu, nor their users, but it's artificial. There are many linux distributions out there alot better than Ubuntu (see Fedora, Debian, Slackware, Gentoo, ...). Anyway, I think that's a matter of taste (rather than technical issues) in choosing the "right" desktop OS.
Why Ubuntu's 46%
On May 15th, 2009 Bob Stout (not verified) says:
"I'm sorry to see here that Ubuntu has 46% and OpenSUSE only 5%. I think OpenSUSE is far more mature and easier to configure than Ubuntu (with a GUI tool, not editing config files by hand).I'm sorry to see here that Ubuntu has 46% and OpenSUSE only 5%. I think OpenSUSE is far more mature and easier to configure than Ubuntu (with a GUI tool, not editing config files by hand)."
Please don't take it personally when I paraphrase a popular political catchphrase, "It's the repository, stupid!" Debian has long had the richest repositories and some of the best (the best?) package management tools. Ubuntu inherited that tradition and has improved upon it.
BTW, I tend to agree somewhat about configuration. Which is one reason why I recently migrated my primary Linux machine from Ubuntu Studio 8.04 to Mint 6.
CrunchEEE
On May 11th, 2009 KurtM (not verified) says:
A version of Crunch Bang for the EEE PC. Best Linux distro I've tried, even better than Ubuntu or Xubuntu.
Linux Mint (Gloria) RC1
On May 11th, 2009 Larry (not verified) says:
Linux Mint 7 will stop windows 7 in it's tracks!!!! :)
SuSE
On May 11th, 2009 John Fitzpatrick (not verified) says:
I use Open SuSE. Every day.
Linux Mint
On May 10th, 2009 loyalfan (not verified) says:
And why was this wonderful desktop Linux not included in the list? I noticed there are already several votes for it. I use it on my main computer which is my laptop. I also use it for our internal name server.
xandros on asus eee-pc,
On May 10th, 2009 marc (not verified) says:
xandros on asus eee-pc, pre-installed, do i have a choice?
It's Linux man, you always
On May 11th, 2009 Nathan210 (not verified) says:
It's Linux man, you always have a choice.
Get yourself a usb cd/dvd drive and install eeebuntu, easypeasy, mandriva-one (spring 2008), or any other light distro. Or, study up and make your own distro. I'd make sure to use the Array Kernel that is tailored to the eee pc though.
Your only limitation is your knowledge and imagination. (and I guess your hardware...)
want to change distro on a
On May 17th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
want to change distro on a eee pc (or any laptop with no cd/dvd drive)? check out pendrivelinux.com
Fedora
On May 9th, 2009 Gordy (not verified) says:
Fedora is my main system.. presently using Fedora 11 Preview
Gentoo All the Way Baby...
On May 9th, 2009 canito says:
Long live RMS and the GNU project.
-btw, my vote went to Gentoo.
Linux Mint is by far the
On May 9th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Linux Mint is by far the best distribution. It has the usable "out of the box" experience and/or you can customize it how you want it. What more do you want?
OpenWRT
On May 9th, 2009 elint (not verified) says:
I'm an RHCE working in a primarily-Windows consulting shop. I handle the handful of RedHat, CentOS, and VMWare ESX servers we support, but the majority of the installs I support are OpenWRT routers (usually running Shorewall firewalls and OpenVPN tunnels from remote stores to a central office).
Mint
On May 9th, 2009 David Brown (not verified) says:
Linux Mint 6 (Felicia)
gNewSense
On May 9th, 2009 SamAllen (not verified) says:
I only use GNU/Linux distros built with 100% Free Software.
With GLX reintegrated 3D now works, Compiz included.
The Linux distribution I use
On May 9th, 2009 Timo (not verified) says:
...is Linux Mint.
other...
On May 8th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Knoppix
Well, I use Sidux.
On May 8th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Well, I use Sidux.
Hi, I have voted for
On May 8th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
Hi,
I have voted for "other", also Zenwalk GNU Linux.
I use two.
On May 8th, 2009 GreenBowlPacker_3 (not verified) says:
I prefer Ubuntu to just about any other OS, but I also use Damn Small Linux (DSL).
I use Linux Mint (Ubuntu
On May 7th, 2009 Anonymous (not verified) says:
I use Linux Mint (Ubuntu derivative).
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