Chitchat Any Linux Users?

[Role Model]

Linux has always been a fascination of mine, ever since I was 13 years old. I've always wanted something different than the Windows operating system, but not as expensive as Mac.

When I first started using Linux it was simply because I was bored of Windows and wanted something else. As time progressed however, I couldn't help but notice how much more I enjoyed using Linux over Windows. Obviously there are categories that I use Windows for still (the most obvious being gaming), however in general, I have used Linux as a daily operating system every day since I was 14-15 (I am 19 now)!

I started out using Xubuntu, actually. I tried Zubuntu, and many other flavours of Ubuntu simply because (at the time Ubuntu was using Gnome 2 as the desktop-interface) I didn't like how Ubuntu looked, but I liked the way it felt. After many years of using user-friendly distros, I finally decided to use Kali. While it uses an Ubuntu 16.04 base (the latest version I used, anyway) it was much more complex in its form. I've finally decided to use something even less user-friendly. Archlinux. I am COMPLETELY satisfied with the results! I have never loved the Gnome 3 desktop-environment until I built it the way I wanted. That's what I love about Arch. I decide what programmes get used, what gets installed, if I even WANT a desktop-interface (for those of you who don't know, Archlinux starts you out with a terminal. That's it. No desktop-interface, no programmes other than those needed to boot Archlinux, and sometimes not even those (bootloader, anyone?)). It feels so fluid and fast, and with Gnome 3 it looks beautiful IMO.

So my question is, to all of the RPN members, who else uses Linux as a daily operating system and what is your distro of choice? Do you like something a bit more user-friendly like Ubuntu? Are you an experienced Linux user who uses Archlinux all the time or even builds their own distros? Or are you a beginner, looking to get into advanced Linux distros like Archlinux (I've created an installation guide playlist, and a general guide playlist to help you get started. Props to Antoun.)?
Comment and tell me all about your distros! I want to hear everything you have to say about Linux, what you love, what you hate, and what your current setup is!

 

[Lyro]

I used Linux on a daily basis when I was about 14-15, back when Ubuntu 10.04 came out. I hopped between distros pretty frequently - Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, CentOS - but usually came back to Mint because it just worked and I didn't have the patience to deal with the others.

Nowadays however I've lost much of my faith in Linux as a desktop platform. There just too many bugs, inconsistencies, performance problems, crashes and more for it to be a pleasant experience, even on the user-friendly distros. The limited space on my hard drive was also becoming a recurrent issue with a dual-boot setup. My current use of Linux is limited to my server and occasional VMs when I need to do some Linux-specific development.

In place on Linux, I've installed a combination of Cygwin (for POSIX threads mainly) and MSYS2 (for almost everything else) on my Windows 10 which provides me with all the Linux utilities I miss. I don't have any intention of going back, especially since the few times I've tried GNOME 3 I found it frustrating, counter-productive and wasteful; the new KDE Plasma looks nice however, I may try it out some day, and, if so, probably on Arch Linux or a derivative.

 

[Role Model]

I used Linux on a daily basis when I was about 14-15, back when Ubuntu 10.04 came out. I hopped between distros pretty frequently - Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, CentOS - but usually came back to Mint because it just worked and I didn't have the patience to deal with the others.

Nowadays however I've lost much of my faith in Linux as a desktop platform. There just too many bugs, inconsistencies, performance problems, crashes and more for it to be a pleasant experience, even on the user-friendly distros. The limited space on my hard drive was also becoming a recurrent issue with a dual-boot setup. My current use of Linux is limited to my server and occasional VMs when I need to do some Linux-specific development.

In place on Linux, I've installed a combination of Cygwin (for POSIX threads mainly) and MSYS2 (for almost everything else) on my Windows 10 which provides me with all the Linux utilities I miss. I don't have any intention of going back, especially since the few times I've tried GNOME 3 I found it frustrating, counter-productive and wasteful; the new KDE Plasma looks nice however, I may try it out some day, and, if so, probably on Arch Linux or a derivative.

I agree that there are many bugs within the Linux community, however, since I've started using Archlinux I have not encountered a single crash or bug in 2 months. When I was using Ubuntu/Kali my computer would randomly hardfreeze, requiring a hard reboot. This was a DEALBREAKER, and I could not continue using it. Turns out it was a GPU driver issue, which was solved by installing Archlinux and manually installing my drivers.
If you know what you are doing, Archlinux is a GREAT alternative. There is no machine guessing what you want to install. If you know what you need, you install it. This cuts the chance of error down substantially (again, if you know what you're doing). If you're serious about Archlinux check out those guides I linked. They helped me out and will surely help you too!

As for KDE Plasma 5.9 it looks BEAUTIFUL. I am seriously considering switching X over to Plasma instead of Gnome 3 simply for how gorgeous it is. I just simply don't want to risk breaking my installation (normally this wouldn't be a problem, if you had installed Plasma INSTEAD of Gnome 3, but since I've already installed Gnome 3 I'm scared I will break something on accident).

 

[Lyro]

I just simply don't want to risk breaking my installation (normally this wouldn't be a problem, if you had installed Plasma INSTEAD of Gnome 3, but since I've already installed Gnome 3 I'm scared I will break something on accident).

This is why I don't want to risk Arch. Yes it's rare that an update will break things, and usually there'll be a post up detailing how to resolve the situation. But I can't risk it, since I need my computer for work every day.

I just don't see why I would switch. Performance? Not an issue for me on Windows 10. Applications? Windows dominates Linux, especially with regards to games. Aesthetics? That's a matter of taste, but I prefer the 10 aesthetic. Security? I've been running without an anti-virus for several years now (beyond the basic Windows protection) and never had an issue. The only advantage for me comes from having package managers to install libraries and utilities, but with MSYS2 even that's covered in Windows.

The only reason I'd try it out would be curiosity. If I had more time, I would certainly try it out one afternoon, see what I can do with Arch Linux.

 

[Role Model]

This is why I don't want to risk Arch. Yes it's rare that an update will break things, and usually there'll be a post up detailing how to resolve the situation. But I can't risk it, since I need my computer for work every day.

I just don't see why I would switch. Performance? Not an issue for me on Windows 10. Applications? Windows dominates Linux, especially with regards to games. Aesthetics? That's a matter of taste, but I prefer the 10 aesthetic. Security? I've been running without an anti-virus for several years now (beyond the basic Windows protection) and never had an issue. The only advantage for me comes from having package managers to install libraries and utilities, but with MSYS2 even that's covered in Windows.

The only reason I'd try it out would be curiosity. If I had more time, I would certainly try it out one afternoon, see what I can do with Arch Linux.

At the very least you should run Archlinux in a VBox just to see if it fits your tastes. Linux isn't for everybody, and that's all right. When I was younger there were several times I wanted to quit and never go back to Linux. However I powered through it, and seeing the results of something that I created from the ground up is more than enough to keep me going! I don't think I could ever daily another operating system again.

 

[Lyro]

At the very least you should run Archlinux in a VBox just to see if it fits your tastes. Linux isn't for everybody, and that's all right. When I was younger there were several times I wanted to quit and never go back to Linux. However I powered through it, and seeing the results of something that I created from the ground up is more than enough to keep me going! I don't think I could ever daily another operating system again.

Oh I've tried Arch in a VM, but I mean... once you've gone through a few Linux distros, they start to feel the same, at least from the command-line. I even played around with Linux From Scratch briefly to gain a better understanding of Linux.

I just find it's not worth the time, once your initial intellectual curiosity has been satiated.

 

[WolfSol]

I recently learned Linux through a Unix fundamentals class. We used Ubuntu and Kali and it was mainly to create Bash and Python scripts in VMWare. All the commands get jumbled up for me, but it was a pleasant experience. It has encouraged me to look into getting an OS for programming purposes. A good way to gain more experience in the language (hands-on-xp for me). Might look into the one you settled with as the GUI doesn't look half bad, but for now I like the Debian distro. Haven't explored yet to actually have a solid preference.

Using cmd makes me feel fancy as hell. Although, I use Windows cmd for Java programs so... eh.

 

[Role Model]

Oh I've tried Arch in a VM, but I mean... once you've gone through a few Linux distros, they start to feel the same, at least from the command-line. I even played around with Linux From Scratch briefly to gain a better understanding of Linux.

I just find it's not worth the time, once your initial intellectual curiosity has been satiated.

Completely understandable. As I said, some people just straight-out don't like Linux. And that's perfectly fine! That's the wonderful thing about computers is nobody forces you to choose any OS

I recently learned Linux through a Unix fundamentals class. We used Ubuntu and Kali and it was mainly to create Bash and Python scripts in VMWare. All the commands get jumbled up for me, but it was a pleasant experience. It has encouraged me to look into getting an OS for programming purposes. A good way to gain more experience in the language (hands-on-xp for me). Might look into the one you settled with as the GUI doesn't look half bad, but for now I like the Debian distro. Haven't explored yet to actually have a solid preference.

Using cmd makes me feel fancy as hell. Although, I use Windows cmd for Java programs so... eh.

Learning the terminal is absolutely the most confusing thing to do on Linux. However, once you have mastered it, the terminal will be your absolute best friend. Now that I know how to use the terminal, I almost wish I could run GUI based applications without a desktop-environment so I could still use google-chrome and other applications from a terminal-only shell. The terminal, I feel, is absolutely more powerful than any Windows application (with the obvious exception of Cygwin).
If you're planning on using Archlinux and setting it up similar to how I have mine, you should know that even after I installed Gnome 3 (the desktop-interface) there was still a substantial amount of adjusting and modifying of the themes, icon packs, and general user preferences to get it to look like that. If you want a full list of the visual mods I use, don't be afraid to shoot me a PM. I can provide you a list and the command/or guide on how to install them!

 

[Omnimon]

I've used ( or am currently using ) RHEL/ Ubuntu LTS/ Fedora 25 , currently trying to learn how to use Security Onion ( they're all in VM's however ) .

Though i've dealt with HP-UX 11 , Solaris and AIX a bit. Granted that's just only on the server side .

As a DAILY OS ? Its mostly Windows 7 ( yes I haven't upgraded yet , although on Virtual box / VMware I'll run W10 there ) . Granted I've modded Win 7 to the point where I'd loathe to lose the options/ modifications I've got on Win 7 versus W 10 . Wish i could get SLI / Crossfire to work ( in general) but its literally touch and go for linux distros unfortunately . That and the fact that a ton of programs and games just will * not* work in specific linux distros at all :/ . Programs such as : articy:draft 3 , Substance Designer 6 , PD howler, etc..... This isn't bringing up the fact that there are hardware issues in general for specific setups ( aka RAID , NAS , gateway / email server(s) , specific networking setups ) for certain distros .

Sure i could just run say ... Fedora 25 and then run WINE, but i haven't gotten around to taking that " leap" just yet.... given how Microsoft's been ...... trying to change its self for a direction that I don't agree with, I'll have to cross that bridge , soon ( waiting till EOL for Win 7 tbh , while giving other Linux distros time to " catch up" on driver issues and specific set ups that one might have for a home / workstation PC ) ..... Just that it'll take more then a few hours given that I've got to set up the vm's again and re-customize it all and ofc get used to it again.

More or less, a lack of will power combined with " Will these ( software / hardware / specific set ups ) work again if i switch over fully to Linux ? " type issues. If it doesn't then it'll mean a ton of work for little or no gain .

Sure Linux in general is " better" in some aspects then wWndows, but the issues that still plague Linux to this day ( aka compatibility issues with games, specific programs, drivers , hardware compatibility ) makes it ... a tough sell even if you can get it for free.

Now if i could just program hardware drivers...... hmmmmm....... then it'll be a different story .