DEFINITIVE: Which Linux Distro? (poll for 2009)

By markwolfe
in Linux

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The Definitive Linux Poll for 2009!  

809 members have voted

  1. 1. Which Linux Distro? (multiples allowed, if you use a couple)

    • Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/*buntu
      361
    • Debian/Mepis/Knoppix/Kanotix/Xandros/Elive/Other Debian
      50
    • Fedora Core/Redhat/RHEL/CentOS/WBEL
      78
    • OpenSUSE/SUSE/Novell
      53
    • Gentoo/Sabayon
      32
    • Mandriva/PCLinuxOS
      22
    • Slackware/Slax/Zenwalk
      18
    • Arch/Shift
      66
    • Linspire/Freespire
      3
    • Damn Small/Puppy
      12

  2. 2. Which destop environment / window manager? (multiples allowed)

    • GNOME
      366
    • KDE
      135
    • XFCE
      57
    • fluxbox/blackbox/openbox/LXDE
      48
    • Enlightenment/E17
      13
    • IceWM
      4
    • TWM or something equally basic
      5
    • GUI? pft. CLI or die!
      23
    • other
      18
    • whatever my distro came with. Is there a choice?
      15

  3. 3. I use Linux for... (multiples allowed)

    • Desktop (for school, work, home, games)
      359
    • Media Centre (primarily for videos & music)
      113
    • Server (web,ftp,file/print)
      123
    • I don't really use it for anything but learning Linux
      140
    • I've only ever used it as a LiveCD, or to recover files from a non-bootable OS
      33
    • Other
      41

Recommended Posts

Contributor

ge_generation

Posted
Posted

Arch + Gnome on my main desktop w/ Windows 7 dual boot

Ubuntu + Gnome on my laptop, just for ease of install and the whole power management thing, for some reason works better in Ubuntu, but willing to change to Arch once I get some time to tinker around

Grand Master

Andre S. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted

My opinion of Linux has risen in the last 6 months from "wtf" to "usable". As a development environment, it's not bad, with Eclipse, Code::Blocks, Netbeans and now Monodevelop (C# on Linux - woot!). Not having Visual Studio around is quite painful though, and Eclipse keeps causing JVM crashes no matter what I do. It took me a while to get used to installing programs with the package manager, but it's a nice system overall, even though it doesn't always get the latest or best version of the software. I use Ubuntu as my main OS at work because in order to run Windows you have to install all their monitoring crap that slows the system to a crawl. It's fun to watch my system boot in 30 seconds when my colleagues have to wait like 10 minutes to get into Windows XP.

I still use Windows, but the 7 RC version, and in a VM on Ubuntu. :p And at home, it's Vista SP1 and will stay so until Windows 7 appears on MSDNAA.

  • 1 month later...
Neowinian

philtro

Posted
Posted

I'd like to suggest Sabayon for those who haven't tried it. I recently switched to Sabayon KDE from kubuntu and have found it to be a breath of fresh air compared to the buggy kubuntu. Plus it comes with all the necessary codecs already installed for avi, mp3, etc.

  • 2 weeks later...
Rookie

moonfleet

Posted
Posted

I've tried many distros, but I've settled on Windows XP (I have no need to change yet) setup with all the open source software I need, and with Cygwin installed. Cygwin is not Unix or Linux, but it lets me do everything I want to do the Unix way while never having to leave the underlying Windows I'm already booted in. As a an old non-GUI computer user going back to Apple II and Radio Shack TRS-80 days, I love the way Cygwin lets me do things. I would choose Ubuntu though, if it wasn't that I have only one computer, and it's a laptop on which some of the convenience features just won't work fully in Linux (some indispensable touchpad features, wifi not reliable, fan can't be controlled and system overheats).

If we're talking a full desktop system, a full installation of Ubuntu but using Openbox or Fluxbox as the window manager is what I like best. I say, install it all, and then use it minimal style if that's what you want.

Veteran

Lord Ba'al

Posted
Posted

Mandriva 2009.1 x64

Kde 4.2.4 (upgrading to 4.3 once it's released)

Desktop

I've tried Ubuntu, openSuse and Sabayon before, but thzey all had their share of problems :pinch:

Now here on Mandriva, finally everything's working fine - Ati driver, network/internet, compiz etc. :cool:

So I then decided to give it an extended trial and ended up switching to it full-time :woot:

I don't see a desktop thread here, so I'll put mine right here (click for big).

The gadget is Automatik from SuperKaramba, desktop theme is Vistar 7. Both are from kde-look.org (got them via the "Get new stuff" option in the corresponding theme selectors).

post-276924-1248571889_thumb.jpg

I use Kubuntu Linux Karmic Koala (9.10a2) in conjuction with KDE 4.3RC3 (4.2.98). GNOME is too ugly for me...

Gnomes never had a reputation for being pretty though, so no big surprise :laugh:

Grand Master

tsupersonic

Posted
Posted

Stopped using Linux on my home computer, it is flat out slow (since it's 4 year old hardware). At work, I use it as a server, and sometimes as a desktop for playing around. Using Fedora for the server, and Ubuntu on a test machine. These machines are beasts, Core 2 Extremes, 8GB RAM, RAID 0, overkill for what we need it for, but hey we have the budget :D

  • 1 month later...
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  • 2 weeks later...
Enthusiast

VII7

Posted
Posted

^ I was a bit surprised but the radeon drivers worked perfectly for my old x1300. That's the first time that ever happened. I knew they were working on the radeon drivers but I didn't know they were that far along.

When it comes to Linux as Desktop, or even FreeBSD, "OLD VGA is Good, actually Old VGA is best"... especially when we talk about ATi, since nVidia has a better support. I never had drivers problems with old systems, as for more recent ones, it's such a pain. Even the 64 bit support (still drivers related, not flash or things like that) is not so good, so rather ignore you 4 GB + ram and go with x86, yet most recommend you go with AMD64 if you system is capable...

  • 6 months later...
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Grand Master

Glassed Silver

Posted
Posted

Ubuntu and opensuse (Y)

Nothing beats GNOME imho, after trying it in Ubuntu...

Usually I've used it for recoveries live-usb/cd/dvd trials and to tinker with it...

I've got it installed as second of three OS's on my netbook :)

Glassed Silver:mac

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