Linked by Howard Fosdick on Mon 22nd Oct 2012 04:51 UTC
Here's a topic guaranteed to start controversy. Which Linux distribution is best? It all depends on your criteria for judging. Even then the topic is highly subjective. Here are a few nominees for "best distro" in specific categories.
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Member since:2010-01-11
Has anyone changed distros to something that wasn't a parent/derivative of your old distro and stuck with it?
Since you asked, I would love to tell you about my Linux history! (doesn't every Linux nerd?)
I was introduced to Linux using Mandrake.
I learned Linux using Slackware.
I discovered package management using Debian.
I took a break and used the user friendly Ubuntu.
I became passionate about software freedom using gNewSense.
I keep current and in control using Arch Linux.
I used each of those distributions for at least about a year. I've been using the same installation of Arch Linux for three years now.
More information: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/User:drcouzelis
Edited 2012-10-22 11:54 UTC
Member since:2008-03-25
wow, almost my same path. I also used gentoo and tried a bunch of less common distros. My last change was migrating from Arch back to Slackware. Arch was going through too many changes and I wanted something stable. Slackware may not be the most popular or easy to use but I don't think any other distro is more stable.
Member since:2005-07-06
"Has anyone changed distros to something that wasn't a parent/derivative of your old distro and stuck with it?
Since you asked, I would love to tell you about my Linux history! (doesn't every Linux nerd?)
I was introduced to Linux using Mandrake.
I learned Linux using Slackware.
I discovered package management using Debian.
I took a break and used the user friendly Ubuntu.
I became passionate about software freedom using gNewSense.
I keep current and in control using Arch Linux.
I used each of those distributions for at least about a year. I've been using the same installation of Arch Linux for three years now.
"
I remember Mandrake. I think it was the third or fourth that I used. I started out with Corel Linux though. And they had (and I still have the CDs for both) Word Perfect for Linux. I really liked Word Perfect (still like it more than Word) and used it work DOS and UNIX and thought it was really cool there was a version for Linux. It didn't last long though.
Most of the versions for Linux I used aren't listed here and don't exist anymore. Then I dropped out of Linux.
Member since:2008-04-15
Member since:2012-10-25
Member since:2006-09-01
Has anyone changed distros to something that wasn't a parent/derivative of your old distro and stuck with it?
Yes. FreeBSD --> Ubuntu --> Fedora
I still try other distros out, and I try them out to see how different lineages do things. A Slackware lineage is different then a Red Hat lineage which is different then Debian, Gentoo, Arch etc.
For me, the sense of newness come from the friction of them not being all the same. I'm well versed in Red Hat derived distros, so running Debian feels like I'm using my left hand instead of the right.
Of course, GUIs do a pretty good job of smoothing out the differences, so it's much easier to feel the differences on the command line.
Edited 2012-10-24 18:59 UTC
Member since:2005-07-06
(Anyone who has read my comments will know that Debian is my choice when it comes to linux so I won't harp on about that.)
Actually... this might come as a shock, but you probably aren't that important to most people ;P (I'm fairly certain I read your comments in the past, I recognise your avatar - but I wouldn't know it's Debian)
News
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/20/13 6:17 UTC, submitted by MOS6510
"In the first episode of Microsoft's new film series 'On the Whiteboard', Editor Pamela Woon chats with two-time Oscar winner Randy Thom about the (often underestimated) importance of sound in human-technology interactions. Thom, the lead sound designer at Skywalker Ranch who worked on films such as The Incredibles, Castaway and Forrest Gump, says that people rarely consider the significance of those signature sounds that come from their trusty devices, whether it be a cell phone, a computer or a tablet."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 23:02 UTC, submitted by M.Onty
"Microsoft has sensationally abandoned its controversial plans to restrict the sharing of XBox One games, and has also removed daily online authentication requirements for its forthcoming console", reports The Guardian. They had no choice. Still a good move.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/19/13 22:28 UTC
"A snippet of code in the Steam digital distribution platform has revealed that Valve may be planning to let users easily share their games with friends in the future. The Verge has verified the code's authenticity, which was originally spotted by a member of the NeoGAF gaming forum; the code references a 'shared game library' and a notification that would alert a user when their games are currently in use by a borrower." This would change the, uh, game.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:33 UTC
Official Apple statement on PRISM and privacy: "Regardless of the circumstances, our Legal team conducts an evaluation of each request and, only if appropriate, we retrieve and deliver the narrowest possible set of information to the authorities. In fact, from time to time when we see inconsistencies or inaccuracies in a request, we will refuse to fulfill it." This is basically Apple re-publishing their earlier statement in a more official manner. You either believe it, or you don't.
Linked by Anonymous on 06/18/13 22:26 UTC
The open source Contiki operating system and its commercial Thingsquare distribution are making strides towards the connected home. According to a Computerworld article, a new LED light bulb manufacturer is putting small computers into their light bulbs. Each computer runs the Contiki OS, which gives each bulb an IP address and allows them to be controlled with a smartphone application. To connect the bulbs to the application, the bulbs use both Wi-Fi and the much lower power IEEE 802.15.4 mesh technology.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 22:25 UTC
"Google asked the secretive Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court on Tuesday to ease long-standing gag orders over data requests it makes, arguing that the company has a constitutional right to speak about information it's forced to give the government. The legal filing, which cites the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech, is the latest move by the California-based tech giant to protect its reputation in the aftermath of news reports about sweeping National Security Agency surveillance of Internet traffic." Draining the ditch after the cow has drowned in it.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:45 UTC
"I can't find one person who has been using the Nexus 7 for an extended period of time, and hasn't seen a massive downgrade in performance. Just what kind of downgrade are we talking here? I cannot pick up my Nexus 7 without experiencing problems like a lag of ten seconds, or more, just to rotate the display; touches refusing to acknowledged; stuttering notification panel actions; and unresponsive apps." Fully and utterly agreed. My Nexus 7 was blazing-fast and awesome for a few months, and at some point, it just started sucking. Just like that. I've tried loads of ROMs, and nothing helps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/18/13 17:32 UTC, submitted by poundsmack
A new release of the hobby operating system MenuetOS! The release notes are a bit non-descript, but you'll have to take what you can get: "updates and improvements (picview, httpc, ehci, ...)".
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:58 UTC
"The Internet is one of the most transformative technologies of our lifetimes. But for 2 out of every 3 people on earth, a fast, affordable Internet connection is still out of reach. And this is far from being a solved problem. There are many terrestrial challenges to Internet connectivity - jungles, archipelagos, mountains. There are also major cost challenges. Right now, for example, in most of the countries in the southern hemisphere, the cost of an Internet connection is more than a month's income. Solving these problems isn't simply a question of time: it requires looking at the problem of access from new angles. So today we're unveiling our latest moonshot from Google[x]: balloon-powered Internet access." Insane.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 06/17/13 17:52 UTC
"MineAssemble is a tiny bootable Minecraft clone written partly in x86 assembly. I made it first and foremost because a university assignment required me to implement a game in assembly for a computer systems course. Because I had never implemented anything more complex than a 'Hello World' bootloader before, I decided I wanted to learn about writing my own kernel code at the same time. Note that the goal of this project was not to write highly efficient hand-optimized assembly code, but rather to have fun and write code that balances readability and speed. This is primarily accomplished by proper commenting and consistent code structuring." Just cool.More News »
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Member since:
2008-04-15
(Anyone who has read my comments will know that Debian is my choice when it comes to linux so I won't harp on about that.)
The biggest problem I find with choosing a new distro is that every single one of them feels like essentially the same thing. Beyond what gets chosen by default for you can usually end up with the same product/packages/versions you desire in any combination you want.
Most people at least semi knowledgeable with linux know how to get these things and those who don't will settle with what they find comfortable and probably stick with it.
Every time I get bored and look for something else to play with I end up back where I started. I haven't seen enough value in actually changing to something else because I don't see the difference.
Has anyone changed distros to something that wasn't a parent/derivative of your old distro and stuck with it?