[orby]

debian + fluxbox on my laptop.
 
Win7 for gaming on my homecomputer.

 

[ximkolo]

I used Linux for years, if i decide im gonna run one its arch though.  on my on free will and desire I run windows 8 on all my computers and typing this in bed on surface rt. work I use windows 7 and apple garbage that I hate.  just a preference thing at this point but I respect Linux.  I guess what I hate the most about it is how easy it is now.  before it was more like an os that you can mess around and learn in, now distros like Ubuntu make it seem like I might as well use windows because of the way its built. im a programmer for a living so I know what to do, its just not fun anymore for me.  I was thinking about getting back into it though.   

 

[ayaflo]

ubuntu natty nerhwal(?) going on as of now ..

 

[proton007]

Quote:

I used Linux for years, if i decide im gonna run one its arch though.  on my on free will and desire I run windows 8 on all my computers and typing this in bed on surface rt. work I use windows 7 and apple garbage that I hate.  just a preference thing at this point but I respect Linux.  I guess what I hate the most about it is how easy it is now.  before it was more like an os that you can mess around and learn in, now distros like Ubuntu make it seem like I might as well use windows because of the way its built. im a programmer for a living so I know what to do, its just not fun anymore for me.  I was thinking about getting back into it though.   

 
I guess Linux needs both aspects, for both new and experienced users.
 
There's still a learning curve though. I don't notice it now, but about 5 yrs ago I started from Ubuntu because it was the easiest. Then turned to Arch, then LFS for fun (thats properly hardcore, but package management can be an issue), then back to Arch.
 
Gave Gentoo a try, but didn't really find any benefit from compiling everything. An SSD gave much more boost, modern hardware is already more than sufficient.

 

[ximkolo]

Also I was just talking about this with a coworker last week.  Now its like its my job to haggle around making software work.  When I get home and in my free time I just want it to work.  I still like Linux and I'm sure that I will get back into it again soon, but just need to have more free time, lol

 

[TwinQY]

The family was raised on Unix, so Slackware was my first experience on computers. Then it was a gradual transition to Debian, then Ubuntu when that came out, and now I use mainly Arch + DWM/XFCE for home use, and Gentoo/FreeBSD for everything else. The Windows paradigm is still so alien to me, and I don't game frequently, so whenever I go and use someone else's computer, I get pegged as a "computer illiterate", because it takes me forever to navigate through something I've barely used. I ask them where the terminal is, and they just stare at you blankly. "Doesn't that black box only come up when your computer breaks or something?"
 
Quote:

Gave Gentoo a try, but didn't really find any benefit from compiling everything. An SSD gave much more boost, modern hardware is already more than sufficient.

People always seem to think that compiling is mainly for performance boost. Not really the case for modern hardware and architectures It's really about the complete and total modular control at the package level, and how handling them can be so elegant with Gentoo. Really the best of both world from Linux and BSD. If only Arch wasn't so convenient for home use...

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Also I was just talking about this with a coworker last week.  Now its like its my job to haggle around making software work.  When I get home and in my free time I just want it to work.  I still like Linux and I'm sure that I will get back into it again soon, but just need to have more free time, lol

 
Hmm... I think my setup is exactly like that. Everything works, there's no more fiddling to do.
 
And the best thing, the flexibility of the file system.
 
I was surprised when my network was up and running, while Windows plainly said it didn't have any driver.

 

[micrors4]

Quote:

The family was raised on Unix, so Slackware was my first experience on computers. Then it was a gradual transition to Debian, then Ubuntu when that came out, and now I use mainly Arch + DWM/XFCE for home use, and Gentoo/FreeBSD for everything else. The Windows paradigm is still so alien to me, and I don't game frequently, so whenever I go and use someone else's computer, I get pegged as a "computer illiterate", because it takes me forever to navigate through something I've barely used. I ask them where the terminal is, and they just stare at you blankly. "Doesn't that black box only come up when your computer breaks or something?"
 
People always seem to think that compiling is mainly for performance boost. Not really the case for modern hardware and architectures It's really about the complete and total modular control at the package level, and how handling them can be so elegant with Gentoo. Really the best of both world from Linux and BSD. If only Arch wasn't so convenient for home use...

People are always freaked out about that little "black box" So when I was in a Starbucks a few weeks ago I was just updating my computer so I hadn't bothered to boot into the desktop environment in debian.  I guess a customer thought I was hacking or something cause all this text was just scrolling by on my screen while I sat and watched, the manager came over and asked me to leave for suspicious activity.  I asked him why but he wouldn't tell me what I did and just said a customer had complained about me, I left because it was late and I didn't feel like fighting with him, but seriously I think people watch to much TV or something, we need to educate them.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

People are always freaked out about that little "black box" So when I was in a Starbucks a few weeks ago I was just updating my computer so I hadn't bothered to boot into the desktop environment in debian.  I guess a customer thought I was hacking or something cause all this text was just scrolling by on my screen while I sat and watched, the manager came over and asked me to leave for suspicious activity.  I asked him why but he wouldn't tell me what I did and just said a customer had complained about me, I left because it was late and I didn't feel like fighting with him, but seriously I think people watch to much TV or something, we need to educate them.

 
Ha, I'd feel smug if I was in your situation...

 

[ximkolo]

Ok, I will give you that.  My home server/router/von is all Linux based.  I attempted that on windows and it was the biggest fail in my computer history.  It was just so broken.  But this weekend I get Monday off for the holiday and I am going to be getting a Linux up again.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

Ok, I will give you that.  My home server/router/von is all Linux based.  I attempted that on windows and it was the biggest fail in my computer history.  It was just so broken.  But this weekend I get Monday off for the holiday and I am going to be getting a Linux up again.

 
Honestly I was surprised but the Linux ecosystem is pretty mature nowadays. Saved me a big chunk of money, which I used for better hardware.

 

[micrors4]

Once Steam gets most major games on Ubuntu I will be getting rid of windows because that is the only thing keeping it on my HDD right now.  The Linux ecosystem has come along way, but Ubuntu has really pushed it especially with the software center that simplified installing programs and tweaks plus when you download an application it opens in the software center and installs through that just like you would on a Mac.  I have had a some time to play some indie games on my laptop under Ubuntu and they run super smooth on it although it is an Alienware M11x so I'm not sure how the games would run on a slower laptop, but they do seem well optimized.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

 The Linux ecosystem has come along way, but Ubuntu has really pushed it especially with the software center that simplified installing programs and tweaks plus when you download an application it opens in the software center and installs through that just like you would on a Mac. 

 
Agree.
However, Linux has always had distribution specific repositories, you just needed to type some words onto the terminal, and you could have the package installed and running. The GUI helped, but its more of a wrapper.
The "Oh, you need to compile blah blah" is FUD thats been spread around for cheap article bait. In my 6 years of linux usage, the number of times I've compiled stuff is < 10.
 
I hope Steam helps improve this stance.

 

[micrors4]

I think the only thing I usually have to do in terminal is CD'ing to something, everything else is just copy and paste.  The only time I have to compile something is when I making my own Android ROMs or Linux builds for my tablets, but most people aren't going to be doing that to often.

 

[proton007]

Quote:

I think the only thing I usually have to do in terminal is CD'ing to something, everything else is just copy and paste.  

Exactly. Aside from the fact that I find the terminal is better in some respects, most users don't have to use it.
 
I also think its conditioning. Most students in schools get started with windows (somehow they think they're teaching computers, when its really just teaching windows), atleast that was the case with me, I had to discover linux on my own (I was getting sick of Vista), and ended up wiping my windows partition the first time

. But then it gradually unfolded, and I saw the light.
 
I think the more ppl start using linux in their homes and schools, the younger generation will also adopt it.