Linux

[BlueGene]

So does anyone here use Linux? I’ve tried the odd LiveCD but I’m wondering what’s so special about it. Is there anything particularly appealing is there any specific software or games that are not available for Windows? The XGL stuff looks cool but it’s basically all eye candy?

What desktop environment do you guys use? What distribution? Any suggestions? Also can someone post a screenshot of their desktop, I’m wondering how your setup looks.

[Underpants?]

the eye candy isn't usually what draws people to linux, but i've heard tell Kubuntu/ububtu has a nice x-windows gui. Do a search in T&T, it's been explored ad-nauseum there.

[DiscoDave]

I currently use Linux for a lot of my C++ work. We're forced to use it at uni and lecturers won't accept code that doesn't compile in a linux complier, even if it will in windows.

Its also efficient and has much better memory management (one of windows's weaknesses) And it can run on pretty much any PC.

I've used Fedora Core/Mandrake and had a fiddle with a few other distros. The uni im at uses fedora core and its quite good

[menkent]

i have gaybuntu installed on an old athlon t-bird box i had lying around collecting dust.
went with ubuntu because i could NOT get x-win installed right in debian. i've got suse on a cd somewhere, but ubuntu works well enough for just screwing around - not like i'm running a server or anything, just playing gMines etc and maybe writing some html in pico :>

[BlueGene]

I think I'm going to give Ubuntu a try.

[^misantropia^]

So does anyone here use Linux?

Yes. Debian GNU/Linux etch (testing branch) with X.org and xfce4 for the desktop.

I’ve tried the odd LiveCD but I’m wondering what’s so special about it.

- secure[1]
- tweakable
- free as in beer and speech
- great development platform
- excellent networking support
- tens of thousands different software packages

[1] Obviously, this also depends on the setup (distro defaults, administrator, etc.)

[^misantropia^]

I forgot to mention that the most commonly used filesystems, ext(2|3) and reiserfs, are:

a) fast
b) stable[1]
c) properly designed[2]

[1] Not easily corruptable. Less so for ext2 since it doesn't do journalling.
[2] As in 'not needing to be defragmented every x days'. Actually as in 'never'.

[l0g1c]

[lvlshot]http://members.cox.net/illogical/desktop021706.jpg[/lvlshot]

Running Gentoo with fluxbox as my Windows Manager. I use it for everything (even WoW) but the main thing is don't ever expect an "easy fix" if you run into a problem. There's always a way, but you'll have to look for it. I already had a rudimentary understanding of linux before I switched over to it for day-to-day use. I've tried converting a couple non-nerd friends and they usually get pissed off during installation/setup. If you can get your box setup the way you like, a lot of the updating is a breeze.

[BlueGene]

Interesting setup not sure if I can use something like that, I'll probally go with gnome.

[+JuggerNaut+]

i have WHAX dual booted with XP on my laptop and use it quite often. constantly using other live distros (elive, kanotix, suse, and dsl on a flash drive)