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Thread: How do you choose a distro?

  1. #16
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    I like to have a slack-based disto, because those just seem to be great for getting things done. Not sure I can explain it somehow with Slack/Slax/Kiara/Vector, I am about 33 per cent less likely to be dicking around at any one time.

    One the other hand, Debian-based distros have the ALL THAT SOFTWARE, and the easy packaging system. I'm about 50 per cent less likely to be compiling or searching for packages online with Debain based distros, including Stable Debian, *buntu, and Sidux.

    I keep all my data on two external 500 GB harddrives. It all fits on one, so the other is backup. So distro hopping really isn't an issue. I have three IDE hard drives that I can snap into my machine like an 8 track, and sometimes I use live CDs.
    ________________

    Quote Originally Posted by gemmakaru View Post
    I found yoper really really confusing which is why I didn't choose it.
    HAHAHA! The Sabyon live CD that I tried, instead of booting played the worst heavy metal song I have ever heard in my life.

    Do you know the difference between Sabyon and Sabien? One is a masturbation machine for ladies, and the other is a sex toy.

    See you guys in a while, after my ban expires.
    Last edited by blackbelt_jones; 02-28-2010 at 11:03 PM.

  2. #17
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    My friends at JustLinux used to rib me for being a distro hopper, and I haven't changed a bit. My Dell Optiplex computer allows me to switch hard drives almost as easily as I might change a VHS tape, and I have a couple of live CDs I favor. I'm still a distro hopper, though it's not much of an issue. All my critical data is on two 500 GB external hard drives (one is backup), so I can switch distros with ease. I always mount the external hard drive at the same point ( /files ), so all my shell scripts, shortcuts, and bookmarks work with my data regardless of whether I'm running slax, which lists the external hard drive as /dev/sda1, or Ubuntu, which lists the external hard drive as /dev/sdb1.

    Slackware based distros are great for getting things done. I don't know why, but if I'm using a Slackware based distro, I am about 33 per cent less likely to be dicking around at any one time.

    Debian based distro like Ubuntu provide easy access to a world of software. With Debian-based, I am about 66 per cent less likely to be compiling or digging my way out of dependency purgatory.

    Theoretrically, if you're a real Linux guru, any linux distro can be made to do anything that any other Linux distro can be made to do, The only limitations are the user's... but most users DO have limitations, after all. It may be my ADHD that makes KDE4 so frustrating and distracting. That's not KDE's fault, it's my fault. But it's the Desktop that has to go.

    Hey wait, I already DID post. Oh well, maybe no one will notice.
    Last edited by blackbelt_jones; 03-05-2010 at 12:43 PM.

  3. #18
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    I decided to stick with Sabayon, tried it at 4.2 and Im still with it. Its gentoo based but it has helped me learn alot about linux, its simple to use, yet allows you to take more control. I left Debain for Sabayon, plus, it has alot of driver support for alot of devices I had issues with other distros. picks up my ATI Radeon 9550, my Broadcom wifi on my Dell B130 and my Edimax PCI wifi adapter. all these devices were problematic with Debain/Ubuntu.

    Sabayon 4 life

    http://dev.forums.justlinux.forums.relay.cool/
    registered Linux user number 371609

    SaBaYoN LiNuX DoWnLoAd NoW

    Zip Ties = Reef Duck Tape

    If guns kill people, then...

    Pencils mis-speel...
    Cars make people drive drunk...
    Spoons make people fat...

  4. #19
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    I can understand some folks liking Slackware or Gentoo or Arch or other distros like that. I understand their strong points. But like all things now, it is the easy of installation and maintenance of one's OS that's at the forefront. With the evolution of Linux, no one needs to have a CS degree to install your Linux OS anymore. None what's so ever. But ease doesn't mean Linux is getting bad. No way.

    Come on folks, is it really necessary to pull up a terminal just to do some of the more mundane things? Not anymore. I can't remember the last time I did so - that is, pull up a terminal. And I've been using Linux since the late '90s. It was that way back then. It's not so now. What a breath of fresh air!

    I've been a long time Debian proper user. As far as use and ease I have to give Ubuntu kudos for that. They have made many old timer and new users aware that's it's not necessary to be a geek to do so. And many distros have followed their lead. Even my beloved Debian; And I use Debian for both my desktop and laptop. (By the way, I don't use Ubuntu) I'm a hardcore Debian user. And it's as easy to use as Ubuntu, which it's based on. But the use and maintenance of both is the same.

    I hope I can pursue more to use Debian or any Debian based Linux OSs. Can't beat it with a stick. And that's a fact.
    Last edited by loopback48; 03-25-2010 at 09:21 PM.
    Thanks,
    Loopback48

    Debian fanboy. And only Debian.

    http://www.debiantutorials.org/

  5. #20
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    I started with Debian, I loved the easy install interface, and easy to install apps were a big seller for me when I merged from microsoft. The I was out scouting for something different and I ran into Sabayon. What sold me on Sabayon was It had a "Live DVD", so I could test run before I purchase so to speak, the Install was easy in compairison to Ubuntu, and all the hardware I had to manually install drivers for on other distro's.

    Key Points:

    Live DVD

    ATI, Edimax, Linksys and Intel Hardware Recogntion.

    Sulfur ( GUI Software Manager )

    Terminal - starting to understand linux because of it.
    registered Linux user number 371609

    SaBaYoN LiNuX DoWnLoAd NoW

    Zip Ties = Reef Duck Tape

    If guns kill people, then...

    Pencils mis-speel...
    Cars make people drive drunk...
    Spoons make people fat...

  6. #21
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    Jun 2002
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    montreal canada
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    Slackware for ease of use and i am no programmer ,with slackpkg to keep with updates ,SlackBuilds.org for compatible software, everything works and no cryptic questions-choices as when upgrading with Debian. , i don't know if Debian is still like that...but it sure turned me off back then....and great community.
    voilà....thanks
    3 Slackware12.1 and 1 Debian Squeeze (3 puters), purring

  7. #22
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    United States
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    Sabayon - all around use

    I love my sabayon:

    su
    #########

    equo search package.name

    equo install package.name

    equo update

    equo upgrade

    its Gentoo based, and very stable.

    I do C# and video editing and watch movies, all around its A+++++++ for me
    registered Linux user number 371609

    SaBaYoN LiNuX DoWnLoAd NoW

    Zip Ties = Reef Duck Tape

    If guns kill people, then...

    Pencils mis-speel...
    Cars make people drive drunk...
    Spoons make people fat...

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
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    Republic of Texas
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    5,898
    $ uname -a
    Linux foghorn 2.6.33-gentoo #1 SMP PREEMPT Thu Feb 25 21:53:52 CST 2010 x86_64 Intel(R) Core(TM)2 CPU 6700 @ 2.66GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
    Need help in realtime? Visit us at #linuxnewbie on irc.libera.chat

    Few of us will do as much for our fellow man as he has done.
    --Andrew Morton on RMS

  9. #24
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    uname -a
    Linux linux 2.6.31-sabayon #1 SMP Mon Mar 1 19:18:27 UTC 2010 i686 Intel(R) Celeron(R) M processor 1.40GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
    registered Linux user number 371609

    SaBaYoN LiNuX DoWnLoAd NoW

    Zip Ties = Reef Duck Tape

    If guns kill people, then...

    Pencils mis-speel...
    Cars make people drive drunk...
    Spoons make people fat...

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    5
    a reply from "those other people":
    take this w grain of salt, cuz i'm not freq nix user.
    1) IME, cli is not consistent. if i google for method or solution, I find variants of even simple cl. (trying these returns errors which fortunately give clues :-) )
    eg, i wanted to edit grub menu.
    i tried various.. pedit? nanoedit? whichever editor i tried the third time worked, but only after i *installed* that particular editor.
    anyway, i made notes in text file so that i can redo method when needed.

    2) so, choosing an os is based on:
    things working without needing mucho research on options or syntax. Also when options or syntax are occasionally needed, i prefer to save those into a script.

    impromptu cli is very unproductive for me. Reasons:
    I can't recall exact syntax unless i use it super-often. And even then, my typing misfires badly.
    Last edited by nxja; 03-27-2010 at 12:29 AM. Reason: bad grammar.. cuz i'm only half awake now :-)

  11. #26
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    the distro chooses you....

  12. #27
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    Quote Originally Posted by happybunny View Post
    the distro chooses you....
    "Linux reversal" joke :-)

  13. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puppyite View Post
    I suspect many make their choice based on wallpaper. First impressions count and some are easily seduced by a pretty face. Mess #7 from Redmond is one example but there are others too, like that OS with big burgers and fruit.

    Others I suspect make the choice based on their first experience. Once they find something that works they never stray from it. I picture them chanting about their “lucky distro” as they push the power button.

    Then there are those (like me) who value speed, functionality and ease of use above all else. These people eschew appearances and go for the jugular. Being pretty doesn’t even enter into the equation. Like me they could give could give rats a$$ less about wallpaper or shiny baubles, that’s why I use Puppy Linux.

    So what’s your story? How do you choose an OS? Is it wallpaper, shiny baubles, a pretty (inter)face, beginners luck or the need for speed and ergonomics?
    I also value the speed, functionality and ease of use above all other characteristics. However, all of us are making the choices based on different approaches in different time of our life. I also use Puppy Linux, but before becoming at least this much experienced in IT it has been damn hard for me to jump from something that has been already working - so I was chanting on that for a while .
    Mark
    my blog

  14. #29
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    Newcastle upon Tyne
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    I quite enjoy booting and working on different distros. The differences are mainly in the desktop as the kernels are substantially similar. Ubuntu and its family members does have more supports than the others though.
    Linux user started Jun 2004 - No. 361921
    Using a Linux live CD to clone XP
    To install Linux and keep Windows MBR untouched
    Adding extra Linux & Doing it in a lazy way
    A Grub menu booting 100+ systems & A "Howto" to install and boot 145 systems
    Just cloning tips Just booting tips A collection of booting tips

    Judge asked Linux "You are being charged murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it?" Replied Linux "A Live CD"

  15. #30
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    Rochester, MN
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    The short answer?

    Gentoo - Flexibility
    Debian - Stable, easy
    Kubuntu - Okay, this one isn't simple. I don't really like it that much, but thanks to *buntu's popularity it tends to be well-supported by software so if I have a problem (and I will) odds are very good someone else has already had it and has a fix, or at least can tell me that there is no fix and I should stop wasting my time looking.

    FWIW, compile times on Gentoo are much less an issue with modern multicore systems than they used to be. Thanks to my somewhat slow internet, download times are frequently longer than compile times. A few big things (KDE, Xorg, etc) still take a long time, but I always do big upgrades like that while the system isn't in use anyway since things tend to get weird if you try to use KDE functionality halfway through an upgrade.

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