Are you happy with linux?

.:B:. · 2007-06-02 12:19:59

I could make this long and full of pathos but I won't. I think Linux is the best thing that ever happened to me computer-wise, and I find it a pity i didn't get to know it 5 years earlier.

KomodoDave · 2007-06-02 17:11:32

B wrote:

I could make this long and full of pathos but I won't. I think Linux is the best thing that ever happened to me computer-wise, and I find it a pity i didn't get to know it 5 years earlier.

Exactly the same sentiment from me. I got disgruntled ~2 years ago and went back to XP, because I felt a compulsion to over-engineer all my config files constantly, and linux became less productive for me. Now I'm 21 and more mature, it's been a complete blessing to return to Arch ~2 months ago.

The bottom line is, if you're a programmer then you'll (eventually) love linux and want nothing more. Except maybe a mac, for the shiny GUI occasionally =P

- Dave

david_e · 2007-06-03 09:20:54

I wonder why I shouldn't be happy with GNU/Linux (or BSD or others open-source OSs): maybe it's not ready for desktop, but windows certainly is not! Windows systems are a blob of hundred of proprietary closed source apps, it's impossible to keep it updated for security patch as there is not a central repository (windows update is for office and base system only), so you have to update manually every applications. Moreover many users have cracked apps which may contain everytype of bugs and that it is impossible to update. Just a bug in "FIFA2007", for example, and, when you let it pass through your firewall to play on-line, you are exposed to a big security risk.

I think windows would be ok only for corporate's LAMP servers where you have only few apps and someone paid to keep everithing up-to-date.

So yes I am really happy with linux and, in particular, with Arch: it's easy to mantain, if something is broken I don't have to figure out what the "system-sailsignur.dll" is for and why it conflicts with "foo.dll", because everything is open and I can actually see what my computer is doing...

d2_racing · 2007-06-06 02:46:33

Yes sure, since I use windows to play games only.

Even at work, I use Unix

Freduardo · 2007-06-06 04:59:02

Couldn't be happier.

First of all, it just works better/faster on my relatively old systems.
Secondly, Linux is just more fun to work with, and you learn a lot along the way!

I only recently ditched my windows partitions, and now I feel ... euhm ... liberated

renners1 · 2007-06-08 08:31:37

I am happy enough with Linux to remove Windows from my desktop PC.

However, I am not happy enough to remove it from my laptop because I still need Windows for my photo printer, working on Word docs (Linux equivalents are NOT compatable enough) and playing games (yes I know Windows games *can* be played on Linux, but it's just not worth the hassle!).

Also I know when new technology is developed it will work on Windows and we'll have to wait months for Linux to catch up. It's sad, but true.

ArchPad · 2007-06-12 19:14:20

A fresh Ubuntu install uses about 2GB, not 15-20!

I think that there are just a tad too many distros that really are masquerading customizations of others. Linux Mint comes to mind. I really enjoy using it, but it's just a lightly customized Ubuntu with a couple extra packages for managing the system. Linux Mint should be, in reality, a website with a cuztomization guide and an artwork portal, and the couple very tiny utilities that they're developed should be sent to Debian to join the other packages.

phildg · 2007-06-14 10:55:24

The OS I'm most happy with is FreeBSD on my server, that just works.

With Linux I tend to go through phases. But once I've written down all the issues to overcome to run FreeBSD on my desktop (because I'll be damned if I run FreeBSD just to run the Linux compatibility layer to run native Linux apps) and realised that Linux is the lesser of three evils (OS-X and Windows being the other two) I know running Linux is the right thing to do. Fortunately these phases are few and far between. Although I've no idea what distribution I'd be running if Arch didn't exist

retsaw · 2007-06-17 17:08:23

I built my desktop machine ~3 years ago and I've only had Linux on it and I've been happy with that choice. With my day to day use Linux works well and I only tend to get problems when I decide to tweak and try out new things and even then those problems can usually be solved by using Google and the wealth of Linux related information available. Linux has its problems and there are always things that I'd like improved, but I can customize it the way I want in a way that I can't do with Windows and because I can customize it to the way I want, I'm happy with it.

KerowynM · 2007-06-17 18:25:01

renners1 wrote:

Also I know when new technology is developed it will work on Windows and we'll have to wait months for Linux to catch up. It's sad, but true.

Not always, I can think of several technologies that were first open source and then MS decided they would make a closed source version and force it on everyone. OpenGL/DirectX is probably the most notable.

chilebiker · 2007-06-18 22:42:59

I'm really happy with Linux, and wouldn't it be for some old projects, I'd never boot into Windows again. The only drawback is that my soundcard doesn't work under Linux

clam · 2007-06-25 05:40:40

jasonc221 wrote:

I am NOT happy with Linux.
I have used Linux for 7 years or so for running my servers at home and for that Linux is great. It costs nothing, has outrageous uptimes, and is easy to upgrade/maintain. I have run Linux on my desktop off and on for the same amount of time and each time I walk away disappointed. I *just* bought a new Mac Pro after my computer crapped out on me. Before I did, I tried Ubuntu, Kubuntu and Arch on the desktop and decided Linux was not yet ready.
Why? This answer may be more touchy-feely than many would like, but it's the only way I know to describe how I feel. I'm a programmer by trade, and a geek at heart. I do truly enjoy tinkering with things. I would rate my skill on the command line at above-average to advanced. But by GOD, sometimes when I come home from work my brain is just fried. The last thing I want to do is boot up my computer and have to solve some problem just to listen to some music or sync my music player or watch something on YouTube.
This is what has kept me away from Linux on the desktop: the need to tweak every little thing just to get a desktop that does what you want when you want it. I don't want to worry about syncing my sound daemons so that I can play a game and listen to a song at the same time. I don't want to think about whether an application is using GTK+ or QT. I want my music application to know that I'm using a certain sound daemon, I shouldn't have to tell it. A new version of GAIM just got released, why can't I use it? What do you mean my distro has to re-package it? Isn't that the GAIM developer's job? There's HOW many packaging systems? Hey wait... why do I have to upgrade my entire system just because GAIM wants to use the latest and greatest glibc?
I could go on and on. The bottom line is there's too many options and the work falls on the user too often.
I think Linux will be ready for the desktop when the Linux Standards Base comes further along and the various projects start syncing up on their libraries and also start using abstraction libraries (ie: compile against gui abstraction, get naitive look and feel for both GTK+ and QT).
Right now, server = LINUX YES! desktop = LINUX NO!

Actually, I have to agree. It's been 7 years of on and off Linux for my desktop usage. As an engineer in computational methods, I guess it's pretty ok for a work station for coding, email,writing,latex etc. I need things like dwm for windows management, which I have found no other equivalent in the windows environment. Aside from the myriad issues such as my colleagues complaining about the compatibility of some of my files on their systems, the lack of cohesive development for proprietory software drivers and the general lack of standardization in even the fundamental things such as kernel compilation in linux, I have come back to linux again and again. Part of the reason is that linux enables users to have inherent control over the feel and configuration of their systems. CLI has no paralell. Yet, this leads to the fact that a lot of grunt work falls upon the user in the desktop environment.

Like jasonc221, I have the feeling that after a long day of research and coding for work, I just want to relax and just listen to some music, scan my email, and read some forum posts without the need to wonder why flash isn't as responsive in the opera environment for linux after the last upgrade. College days are over and time seems much more precious. It just doesn't make sense to waste all this time outside of the work schedule to fiddle with my system for tiny optimization tweaks. I'd much rather go fishing, enjoy a book, or whatever.

Although there are excellent software available in linux, such as the windows managers, console tools, bash -- the higher level non-code related development tools are typically very lacking in the linux front. Obviously, on average, the people who are paid (and the food on their tables are depedent on their performance) to make great software will provide a better product than the open-source developer who works on a project on the side.

I understand that linux has a great community, yet sometimes it feels like everyone is working on their own backyard projects -- which inherently is what majority of opensource and free software ends up seeming to be.

Anyways, Arch is the best. but linux has long ways to go for the everyday user. IMHO.

clam

Ankka · 2007-06-25 07:23:25

Obviously, on average, the people who are paid (and the food on their tables are depedent on their performance) to make great software will provide a better product than the open-source developer who works on a project on the side.

I think the problem isn't this, but like the previous poster said:

I think Linux will be ready for the desktop when the Linux Standards Base comes further along

What commercial products often have is a clear plan on what to implement and how to. It's not superior programming (not indeed!), it's superior planning and organization.

Zoranthus · 2007-06-25 14:41:57

On the whole I'm totally happy with GNU/linux. Often when I think the opposite it's in fact rather the open source community in general or certain IT companies that are the cause of my unhappiness.

Leigh · 2007-07-17 07:04:14

Over all, I'm a happy camper. There's very little that I wish linux could do that other OS's can do. So I won't nitpick. When my friends and family use my computer they are always so impressed. They are like wow! and they always ask me why I have to be so different. It seems I'm like an odd-ball, always going against the grain, at least in their eyes. The first time I installed something from source and it actually worked, I felt such a sense of accomplishment! I guess I became addicted to that feeling. So I keep learning. If I'm able to become knowledgeable enough, I hope to be a developer one day. hey It could happen!

Acid7711 · 2007-07-17 07:47:20

I must say, the only thing that I'm unhappy with in Linux is the current state of running games. However, I can't complain because they've been making leap and bounds improvements in every single aspect since I started back with Slackware how many years ago. It really is amazing to actually see an operating come from nothing more than a command prompt all the way into this; it really is. I can only imagine what it's going to do in the next couple years. The changes, advancements, it's amazing and it blows my mind.

My only gripe above really isn't a gripe at all, because I'm lucky to run what games I can under here. I personally have fallen out of the whole gaming scene, and really my only problem with that is because I decided to make the entire switch to Linux that I really stopped being a gamer. I gave up one thing to get so much more, however, sometimes I do miss new games. I guess it's a trade off though.

It's very true that it may have a long ways to go for the average computer user in a desktop environment, but I've converted so many of my friends over to Linux, and Arch in general. They used to all give me crap for using Linux, now they use it too. It's quite funny, but not hard to see why. When you really don't do much gaming, and just want a computer for web, email, very basic games, and word processing like many of my family/friends without the hassle of adware, etc, there really is no better solution. Once Arch is up, updated, and going strong, they're good for months. I go over, do an update every couple weeks, very rarely do I ever encounter a problem, but when I do it's not hard to fix. Hell, the biggest problem I ever encountered was why GDM all of a sudden looked bland. Easy fix that was.

As stated above, maybe it'll be different when I get out of college and grow older........but I doubt it.

I use Linux. My gf uses Linux. I can only conclude my children, when I have them someday, will use Linux

Last edited by Acid7711 (2007-07-17 07:54:30)

maddog39 · 2007-07-21 00:05:12

I'm entirely and even more than happy with linux. In fact all of my personal computers only run linux and my parents dual boot it. I have basically everything I could ever want for free, on an extremely flexible and scalable platform. What else could be better?

steven · 2007-07-21 10:16:47

It's not so much that many linux distributions are trying to imitate windows, but simply make the transition from windows to linux, easier for those who have only used the windows interface. Familiarity helps a lot.

Personally, I find it so hard to be productive in windows. I'm so used to the workflow that I have under linux (a big thanks goes out to whoever created the concept of multiple virtual desktops) and find the level of customisation really beneficial. Of course, linux is by no means perfect. Some tasks take a lot more work than they should and unfortunately, there are some elitist pricks out there who prefer it that way and snicker when anyone thinks it should be "easier". Frankly, not everyone wants to use linux to learn about Operating Systems and how the computer works, some want to use it simply because it's the best alternative - or they simply just prefer it! So some tasks need to be made more simple and have less headache involved and I think that distributions like ubuntu, fedora and many of the other install and run distro's are really starting to bridge the gap.

But there's the problem. It's trying to find the right balance between having a "learning" distro, and having a hit and run, but bloated distro. I come from Gentoo - I wanted a distro for my laptop where I could install packages QUICKLY, without compiling every single package. The fact that Arch seems so stripped down at the beginning was it's selling point for me - I tried fedora before Arch and wow, I suppose I was used to having a stripped down, clean system, because fedora felt so much slower than what I was used to. But I wanted something that took relatively little time to install, also, where the time taken for a package to install, is little more than the time it takes to download. Arch. Rock.

Anyway...

SiD · 2007-07-21 10:22:27

Yes.

I only use Windows for music (production) related things (Harddisk-Recording, ect...).

e.g.
CuBase
BBox
Power Tab Editor

Last edited by SiD (2007-07-21 10:25:14)

steven · 2007-07-21 19:07:05

SiD wrote:

Yes.
I only use Windows for music (production) related things (Harddisk-Recording, ect...).
e.g.
CuBase
BBox
Power Tab Editor

Have you looked into the extensive linux packages for professional audio work? Ardour is a great DAW and it's JACK sound server is amazing. Then there's software like MuSE and Rosegarden, for MIDI work (ardour is implementing MIDI now though).

Gullible Jones · 2007-07-21 21:18:07

I think I'm reasonably happy with Linux, considering that I feel like part of me is suffocating whenever I'm forced to use a Windows box.

SiD · 2007-07-21 23:11:21

steven wrote:

SiD wrote:
Yes.
I only use Windows for music (production) related things (Harddisk-Recording, ect...).
e.g.
CuBase
BBox
Power Tab Editor
Have you looked into the extensive linux packages for professional audio work? Ardour is a great DAW and it's JACK sound server is amazing. Then there's software like MuSE and Rosegarden, for MIDI work (ardour is implementing MIDI now though).

No.
But I just found the information that there is a linux driver (freebob) for my PreSonus Firepod and tried to compile the libfreebob PKGBUILD from AUR, but it fails :-/
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=35426

But I'll take look at Ardour/Jack.

Last edited by SiD (2007-07-21 23:11:48)

Susu · 2007-07-22 00:30:39

In general: Not at all, but I like it better than Windows and BeOS. Probably I like it even better than MacOS, although it's been a time I'd been working at a Mac machine.

In special: Right now I'm delighted with my system. But tomorrow's just another day... *g*

Navi_ · 2007-07-22 04:54:16

I'm pretty happy with Linux. Everything works the way it should, on here. I have total control on what does and what does not come onto my system and that was one of the major selling points for me. At first, it was a rather daunting thought, to set everything up myself. However, after a few years, I've grown to love it.

However, like all things in life, it's not perfect, even though it comes in many flavors that suit just about everybody. There is a lack of commercial-able applications which force me to boot to Windows, no matter how much it kills me to do so. While there might be an alternative it's usually just a poor copy of the original, something that isn't exactly productive to use.

I love Linux, but I dread having booting to Windows and boot back when done, which is one of the reasons I went off and on Linux in the first place. ArchLinux, so far, has survived longer on the desktop than any other distro. I just hope I don't end up going back to Windows full-time again for convienence.

xnooby2 · 2007-07-22 05:22:44

I like linux, especially ArchLinux. I like the fact that are so many free tools available to get things done. Back in the 80s and early 90s, if you wanted to try the latest tools *legally*, it cost you a fortune. It cost me a fortune. Visual Basic, Visual C++, FoxPro, Access, Dbase4, Dbase5, Personal Oracle, Dos 5, Windows 3.11, Windows For Workgroups, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Millemium, NT4, NT 2000, games, hundreds of utilties, all that cost ME money - and all that is available for this generation free. Free 32-bit C compilers, ACID SQL databases, Office Suits, Operating Systems, etc. The current generation has no idea how good they got it.

With Arch you do a quick install, configure your machine, then pull down almost any kind of software you want. No license fees, no dongles, no laser-etched disks, and no cost. It's amazing.

Arch Linux

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