Any Linux users out there?

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Windows, Linux, Solaris, Red Hat, etc.....32 bit or 64 bit.
If its an OS, its here.
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kenc51
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Any Linux users out there?

Post by kenc51 »

Just wondering, do we have any Linux users out there?

- What distro are you running?
- When did you make the switch?
- Why did you make the switch?
- Do you still run M$ (Windows)?

Me? I run Arch Linux and love it. Well my true love is/was FreeBSD but software available, even via ports; is too old for a home PC. PCBSD is looking promising, but my x1400 mobile gfx has major issues. I found "teach yourself FreeBSD in 24hrs" and ran through it while in work connecting via SSH to home back in the days i was taking support calls.
It took me a week to complete all of the exercises (I was working too), but got comfortable with the command line.
Tried, Slackware, Suse; then OpenSuse, Debian, Ubuntu etc. While they didn't do it for me; I learned a lot from them. In fact everytime I install a new distro, I learn something new.
In fact that brings me to a point. I've learned far more about networking, systems architecture, enterprise systems & their design and much more ever since I made the switch. Sure I touch on these in work, but thanks to Linux I'm never comepletly lost in those really technical conference calls in work; thanks to Linux :goodman:
I then found Arch. It uses the BSD /ect/rc.conf & /etc/rc.d/ setup (instead of /etc/init.infinity) setup most distros have, which is overly complicated. Then there's the Arch Build System (BSD ports) for (re)compliling & configuring packages from source (BSD ports). Not to mention the AUR for everything else.
Ohh & it's rolling release cycle. I have Arch on this eeepc for almost 2 years with no need to reinstall and i've always got the most up to date software :supz:

I made the switch around 3 years ago.

I love the simplicity of Unix. Once you understand the basic file structure and enviroment you begin to realise how overly complicated Windows is. If I have a problem with a *Nix system, you can bet your ass there's a log file there giving you something and at the very least help via google to find your solution.
With Windows, you get an event manager error code or blue screen error (if you enable it first) which may or may not tell you the problem. eg. Most likely the error has its something to do with memory, the memory could be physical or poor programing; you find out.
Linux --> you google the log; answer. Worst case senario, you join a mailing list and contact the guy who wrote the code. he acklowledges the bug and it gets fixed. kudos to you - e-penis is now a little longer :rolleyes:

I only run windows in work, cause i have to. I also run windows at home if/when i have to (VM guest preferably), but this is for work for interoperability testing with customers cpe.

All this for free! I've paid for the hardware; why should I pay to use it......

No disrespect to Windows users intended

Ken
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by XstollieX »

I've wanted to start playing with Linux for the last couple of years, but between work, my reviews, and my kid, I have very little free time to do that. It's in the to-do list, but who knows when that will happen
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by DL126 »

I run a dual boot / dual HDD system with Win7 on a Corsair GT SSD and Kubuntu on a WD Black HDD.

I primarily use Windows.
Use Kubuntu just for web browsing every once in a while.
I loaded it just to keep up with their progress.

Sometimes I have home users who do nothing but web stuff/email, and for whatever reason continuously have Malware problems.
A few of these I have successfully converted to Ubuntu and their problems are over.

The only downside I've ever seen with any Linux distro is there simply is nobody in the "driver's seat".
Too many people going too many different directions causing too many problems.

If the whole community ever comes together with a common goal pertaining to a common end result ....
Well, things could be a LOT different, if not bleek, for Microsoft.
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by egloeckle »

Linux here among other things, actually why not...

Windows (I still run into some old 3.1 and NT4 machines from time to time...)
OSX
OS<X :)
Linux (probably had to deal with almost every distro at some point)
AIX
SCO (Sco Unix, OpenServer and UnixWare)
Solaris
SunOS
OpenSolaris
BSD (free and open)
IRIX
a little bit of AS/400
OS/2
and probably a few others that I am forgetting, I think i can work my way through almost any Unix variant at this point if needed.

I get stuck dealing with all sorts of ancient random stuff at my job from time to time, its not fun till i sit there for 45 minutes wondering why smit wont work on a sco box.... ](*,) ](*,) ](*,)

Every single OS I have ever dealt with has its good points and bad. Some of them have far more bad then good (SCO is truly terrible) but overall they all have or had their purpose. Same thing exists within the thousands of linux distro's, as long as it is updated for security fixes somewhat frequently if necessary (internet connected at all) it is all personal preference.

Though I do have a special hatred for OSX lately, mostly dealing with certain parts of its network stack. Whoever wrote the SMB stack in Lion deserves a special little place in hell.


Oh, and on the topic of unix systems being well laid out...

They *usually* are fairly well laid out. Linux and the BSD's tend to have a good handle on this and are similar enough where you dont want to pull your hair out too often. However get into some of the other systems and it tends to be a crap shoot. Add an admin who either did not know what they were doing or chose to do things their way ('the right way' #-o ) and it goes away very quickly and the system allows it.

As for errors in Windows vs *nix, meh, windows does it well enough for 99% of cases. 2008 tends to crash a whole lot less at least on the 100 or so machines I deal with. Bad programming is bad programming on either system. A kernel panic due to a garbage driver or bad hardware tends to be just as cryptic as a blue screen on windows. It does tend to be a bit easier to deal with on most of the unixes but is horrific on others (ex: sco makes you rebuild the kernel for just about everything).

Again, all personal preference that is nothing but a holy war. Everyone is right and everyone else is wrong. Most of them have their uses, none are perfect.
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by XstollieX »

egloeckle wrote: Though I do have a special hatred for OSX lately, mostly dealing with certain parts of its network stack. Whoever wrote the SMB stack in Lion deserves a special little place in hell.
And yet you have a Macbook Air :finga:
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by kenc51 »

XstollieX wrote:
egloeckle wrote: Though I do have a special hatred for OSX lately, mostly dealing with certain parts of its network stack. Whoever wrote the SMB stack in Lion deserves a special little place in hell.
And yet you have a Macbook Air :finga:
Next you'll be talking about Apple supporting Windows

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egloeckle
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Re: Any Linux users out there?

Post by egloeckle »

XstollieX wrote:
egloeckle wrote: Though I do have a special hatred for OSX lately, mostly dealing with certain parts of its network stack. Whoever wrote the SMB stack in Lion deserves a special little place in hell.
And yet you have a Macbook Air :finga:
Yup, i have to support the damn things from time to time so i force myself to use it to try to figure out all the retarded things apple does.

I do like the Air's hardware quite a bit. Very small, light and at least powerful enough to run any non development work I have to get done.

Oh wait, should have just reverted to my usual response for you.... Dan is a jerk :axe:
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