Please share your favorite Linux distribution

[Demon_Lord]

If you use Linux, which one is your favorite distribution, and why?

I've been using Linux for more than a decade, and after testing a few distributions, my favorite is PCLinuxOS. I prefer it because it has many options that other distributions lack. For example, there is a script to make a custom image after it's installed, for use it as a backup, or if I have to install the same OS in other computers. Before making my custom image, I update it, remove the software I don't use, and add what I use more often. I even modify the colors of the desktop and window interface to my personal choices. The image will be a copy of the current installation, so I don't have to repeat the process again.

Also, PCLinuxOS creates a root account by default, unlike other distributions, which don't have a root account, because they are concerned with users messing their system and blaming the distribution. Yes, I know about the sudo command, but I rather click my way while logged as a root user, than typing command after command. I guess that I used Windows for too many years, and I'm in the habit of using mostly my mouse.

And PCLinuxOS is a good way to make the transition from Windows to Linux. There are a few flavors of PCLinuxOS to choose. This is the official website, if you want to learn more about it:

https://www.pclinuxos.com/about/

[Post-Crisis D]

I used to like Slackware but then I tried upgrading to a newer version (this was way back when) and didn't care for it.  Tried RedHat Linux but I don't know that it really won me over.  I recall it being better than the newer version of Slackware I didn't like, but that's about it.

For modern day, I have Debian but don't use it much.  I'm slightly more familiar with Raspbian, which is based on Debian, simply because that's what's on the assorted Raspberry Pi's I have.

[Simon Haynes]

I started with Redhat, back in the mid-90's. I've been running a file/web/mail/print server from my hall cupboard ever since, switching to Gentoo linux some time in the early 00's, and more recently, Ubuntu (first on x86, and now on a Raspberry Pi 3).  I think my first Ubuntu was v4 (Warty Warthog) around 2006 or 7.

I reckon I've transferred that server across five different machines over the past 20-something years, I've had 2-3 hard drives fail (but always had more than one connected, and I'm fairly good with backups).

At various stages the linux setup ran a minecraft server, an OpenTTD server, a squidguard setup to protect my then-very-young kids from the worldwide nasty, a web cache, an ad-blocker ... actually, it's been a real workhorse.

But if I've replaced the hardware five times and the OS about twenty times, is it the same server? ;-)

[Post-Crisis D]

My original Slackware installation (the version I liked, not the later version I didn't) was on a 386 and was used to provide text-based Internet access to dial-up users.  I had Lynx for browsing the web and PINE for eMail.  Upon dialing in and logging in, I had a Perl script that presented a menu whereby they could select to check eMail, browse the web or access the text-based interface of my BBS.

Most people used a Mac or Windows-based client software to access the GUI for the BBS (which ran on a Mac server) but the Linux machine (plus a Livingston Portmaster) was there for the users that couldn't use the GUI client.

But if I've replaced the hardware five times and the OS about twenty times, is it the same server? ;-)

I have another server that's been running since the late 90s.  Same OS, same software, same hard drives.  Might see about maxing out the RAM one of these days.

[Tom Wood]

... But if I've replaced the hardware five times and the OS about twenty times, is it the same server? ;-)

Heh

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ship_of_Theseus

[Demon_Lord]

Wow, you are truly Linux experts.

Thank you guys for keeping the conversation going. I've been shoveling snow for hours, and I just got a chance to check the forums.

 I've started with Linux about ten years ago, and tried like twenty distros before staying with PClinuxOS. But I also like Ubuntu, occasionally. And Mint, too.

My main concern is to find a way to use my computer without having so much data send everywhere. And without spending a fortune on Apple hardware.  I mean, regardless of the way I modify Windows 10 settings, it always keep sending data, unless I disconnect it from the Internet.

 I'm dual-booting Windows and Linux, and in the lasts four months I've done my best to only use the Linux side. But there are certain programs that I'm just used to, and even if Linux has great equivalents, I still go back to the Windows software. 

[Simon Haynes]

I'm dual-booting Windows and Linux, and in the lasts four months I've done my best to only use the Linux side. But there are certain programs that I'm just used to, and even if Linux has great equivalents, I still go back to the Windows software. 

I'm a keen gamer, which most of the time means I'm forced to run Windows. I've dual-booted Linux for years, but these days I just run Ubuntu in virtualbox.

A lot of the really old games run under Dosbox (on Windows OR Linux), and some Win98-era games will run under Virtualbox. Valve are making an attempt to run more Win-only games under Linux, which is good because I hate to see old titles vanishing.

When I move house I'm going to have a dedicated computer room. I have several Sinclair machines (ZX80, ZX81, Spectrums) which I want to set up, as well as a windows 98 PC, a Windows XP machine, a Ubuntu PC, and a fairly powerful Windows 7 computer. That should cover most of my retro needs ;-)  I have a bunch of old 1024x768 LCD screens too. I modded a spectrum so it outputs composite video, and I bought a composite-to-vga converter which displays the screen nicely on older monitors.

I picture a huge, L-shaped bench around 2 sides of the room, shelving for parts and peripherals, and enough piggy-backed power boards to melt a nuclear power station.

[Dormouse]

Sometimes I play, but for use I generally go with Ubuntu or derivatives. Before I get into heavy use of any program, I consider my way out. Too many programs die or become dysfunctional. A large userbase attracts switching options. A large OS gets a lot of How Tos. I can't remember what I used before Ubuntu; doubt it was Debian, never got into Slackware - SUSE possibly, Mandrake (for a while) or one of the defunct distros.
And I try to maintain what Linux expertise I have to give me a way out of Windows.

[Demon_Lord]

I'm dual-booting Windows and Linux, and in the lasts four months I've done my best to only use the Linux side. But there are certain programs that I'm just used to, and even if Linux has great equivalents, I still go back to the Windows software. 

I'm a keen gamer, which most of the time means I'm forced to run Windows. I've dual-booted Linux for years, but these days I just run Ubuntu in virtualbox.

A lot of the really old games run under Dosbox (on Windows OR Linux), and some Win98-era games will run under Virtualbox. Valve are making an attempt to run more Win-only games under Linux, which is good because I hate to see old titles vanishing.

When I move house I'm going to have a dedicated computer room. I have several Sinclair machines (ZX80, ZX81, Spectrums) which I want to set up, as well as a windows 98 PC, a Windows XP machine, a Ubuntu PC, and a fairly powerful Windows 7 computer. That should cover most of my retro needs ;-)  I have a bunch of old 1024x768 LCD screens too. I modded a spectrum so it outputs composite video, and I bought a composite-to-vga converter which displays the screen nicely on older monitors.

I picture a huge, L-shaped bench around 2 sides of the room, shelving for parts and peripherals, and enough piggy-backed power boards to melt a nuclear power station.

That sounds great.

I need to setup a couple of machines I have, which I'm so glad that I didn't give away.

Because I invested in a couple of Windows 7 retail licenses, and now that from the 7th gen Intel processors will only support Windows 10 and newer Windows, and AMD is doing the same, if we want to use Windows 7, or older Windows, we'll need old hardware.

I mean, there are always ways to install Windows 7 in a new computer, but it's hard to get drivers for everything, and one must stop the Windows updates in the Computer Administrator Services too.

Sadly, I gave away some computers before knowing this.

[Demon_Lord]

Sometimes I play, but for use I generally go with Ubuntu or derivatives. Before I get into heavy use of any program, I consider my way out. Too many programs die or become dysfunctional. A large userbase attracts switching options. A large OS gets a lot of How Tos. I can't remember what I used before Ubuntu; doubt it was Debian, never got into Slackware - SUSE possibly, Mandrake (for a while) or one of the defunct distros.
And I try to maintain what Linux expertise I have to give me a way out of Windows.

I tried SUSE and liked it a lot, but it ran slow in the hardware I had back in the day. And after I found PCLinuxOS (which is Debian based, and has lot of Mandrake in it too, I've never checked on SUSE again, but I'm going to give it a try. Yes, I need to try a few versions of some distros when I get a chance.

The cool thing is that we can have a few distros in the same machine, and just switch depending on what desktop/software we want to use.

[MHodmann]

I started with Debian back in the day. I ordered it through snail mail and it arrived on CDs. Since then I've run ubuntu, debian, a source-based distro I forgot the name of, gentoo, did a complete linux from scratch install.

With the whole systemd debacle I switched to devuan as my server distro (a systemd-less debian port) and I run funtoo on my main machine, dual booted with ubuntu for running minecraft. Yep, I dual boot to play a game, but now it's into linux, instead of Windows. Although I do actually also have a win7 as an option, too. Used to play a lot of Civ 5 & 6 on that, but lately minecraft is taking my time and the bedrock version runs perfectly on ubuntu 18.

[M R M]

I've used too many distros to count since the 90s. I left linux briefly for Solaris at one point but that fling didn't last. These days I have settled pretty much exclusively on Linux Mint, which has been improving out of site in the last few years. Their version 19.x finally feels like a complete, user level windows beater, not just an enthusiasts wet dream (18.x did to, but 19 adds a seamless and flawless update system better than any I have seen, which for the average user will be a boon.) I still have as much admin power as ever, but if I want a lazy easy system, mint gives it in spades.

[Demon_Lord]

I started with Debian back in the day. I ordered it through snail mail and it arrived on CDs. Since then I've run ubuntu, debian, a source-based distro I forgot the name of, gentoo, did a complete linux from scratch install.

With the whole systemd debacle I switched to devuan as my server distro (a systemd-less debian port) and I run funtoo on my main machine, dual booted with ubuntu for running minecraft. Yep, I dual boot to play a game, but now it's into linux, instead of Windows. Although I do actually also have a win7 as an option, too. Used to play a lot of Civ 5 & 6 on that, but lately minecraft is taking my time and the bedrock version runs perfectly on ubuntu 18.

Yes, dual boot is the current way to go. But eventually, I think we will be mostly using some Linux flavor.

[Demon_Lord]

I've used too many distros to count since the 90s. I left linux briefly for Solaris at one point but that fling didn't last. These days I have settled pretty much exclusively on Linux Mint, which has been improving out of site in the last few years. Their version 19.x finally feels like a complete, user level windows beater, not just an enthusiasts wet dream (18.x did to, but 19 adds a seamless and flawless update system better than any I have seen, which for the average user will be a boon.) I still have as much admin power as ever, but if I want a lazy easy system, mint gives it in spades.

I like Mint, but it has been a couple of years since I tried it. You got me curious to give it a new run.

[Mark Gardner]

I’m late to th3 Linux love party, but her3 goes: Yesteryear, I was a Mandrake stalwart, so Mandriva is my distro of choice, but I’ve been using Darwin the mist lately.

(Apple’s new iOS keyboard is bullsh*t!)

[electricsheep]

It was Slackware, always Slackware.  But come on, we all know BSD is the way, the truth and the light! ;-)

[Demon_Lord]

 

OMG! You guys are so funny. Thank you. I really needed that laugh.

And thank you for keeping the conversation going.

 

[BillSmithBooksDotCom]

After starting with Damn Small Linux circa 2005, I started using Puppy Linux on Live CD about 2007 and stayed with it for about 7 years as my primary OS.

Since my son was born 3-1/2 years ago and I spend a lot of time childwrangling, I spend most of my time on my Chromebook and don't use the desktop upstairs at all anymore. (I've really come to love the ChromeOS ... it really is quite easy to do everything I need to do. Not a gamer, so I'm not really impacted by the OS's limitations.)

If I ever went back to Linux (because no way I would go to Windows), I would probably lean towards Mint just because it seems to be well put together, has all the media codecs built in and seems to work well without a lot of fiddling around on the user's part.