What do you use linux for?


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For occasional programming, out of curiosity for how things can be done on that platform. It doesn't run (at least not natively) most of the software I use every day, so I'm sticking with Windows for the forseeable future.

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At work, all our servers run on linux. usually debian. all our clients (touch screen epos systems) run on debian too.

At home, my desktop runs arch (and only arch, not dual booting). My WD network drive runs some form of linux. My netbook dual boots XP with arch. My main laptop runs only win7.

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My Galaxy S runs android. Love it. Runs fast, with not much problems. I do think the settings are a bit lacking though, even Windows Mobile 6.x afforded way more customization for settings. But all in all, great phone coupled with my favourite phone OS for now.

On and off, tried Ubuntu on my main PC. With my older PC, with a Asus P5B-e plus mobo, somehow Ubuntu doesn't have ethernet drivers for it and hence, no internet. Searching for solutions online demands some terminal work, sudo-ing everywhere and messing around with weird files in gedit. Plugging in a wireless adaptor works, fortunately, but there is no obvious way to use that internet connection to download drivers for the ethernet connection. With my funky wireless router which is slow wirelessly but decent for ethernet connections, Ubuntu without ethernet is unusable.

Ubuntu has ethernet drivers for my current PC. Tried out Ubuntu 10.10 on it. Installed pretty fine, grub loader changed YET AGAIN and requires mucking with files all over the place to change the bootloader. Worse yet, I can't seem to put Windows 7 as the default OS and Ubuntu 2nd, with a nice 3 second timer anymore. Previous grub simply required reordering the commands in a SINGLE file (menu.lst) and changing an aptly-named command to change the default OS. Definitely a step backwards in my opinion, now it can only be customized by diehard pros. After successful installation, there is a graphics glitch that keep appearing at the top edge of the monitor, towards the left side. The glitch kept showing weird boxy shapes with funky colours which distract immensely. It appears on and off, and even in Live CD mode. Installing nVidia graphics driver did not help the problem at all, nor does rebooting. Tried Kubuntu and Pinguy flavours of 10.10 and all of them had the same graphics glitch.

Finally, even with Linux installed, I've no idea what to do with it. Default Ubuntu looks UGLY (to me). Putting the taskbar on top while having the close buttons at the top of windows ensures that one cannot close maximized windows easily by just swinging the mouse to the top corner, and needing to aim to that tiny button just to close windows that are open. After customizing it by reading all sorts of weird advice from the internet, I then stare at the final product and wonder what I can really do with it. Everything that I can do here, I can do on Windows, and Windows has my games and many tiny programs that I use on a daily basis i.e. MAL updater, cam studio etc. And coupled with the hopelessly complicated grub bootloader now, I am forced to format the Ubuntu partition and fix my Windows bootloader back.

All in all, I find it fun to load Ubuntu once in a while to see how it has progressed, and certainly, it has progressed much. But personally, it is still far inferior to Windows in terms of ease of use, troubleshooting, and availability of programs. It appears more to be a hobbyist OS to tinker around with, and to learn how alternative OSes run. Will still continue trying it and playing around with it, but for the forseeable future, I don't find much use for Linux on my desktop.

tl;dr - Linux is great for Android OS, not so good for a desktop OS.

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At the moment Linux is powering the following things for me:

  • Acer Aspire Revo - Used as a HD media player, running an XBMC Live install.
  • Asus WL-520GU Router - Running the tomato firmware.
  • HTC Desire - Android 2.2 phone.
  • VPS - Runs a minimal Ubuntu install and is used for hosting a UT 2004 server.

I don't ever see myself replacing Windows with a Linux distro, I have given many distros a try over the years and its just not for me. However I think Linux is great for devices that are dedicated to performing a specific task. (Y)

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Let's face it people, Linux IS a viable solution for the desktop, and history has already shown it's the superior choice (overall) for internet and data servers. With recent developments in the kernel, scalability is now open-ended which was one of the biggest arguments (excuses) IT professionals had for not choosing it. Now, there's no excuse for a corporation to lose hours or days from security and stability issues they WILL experience with Window$. Go Linux, and corps absolutely will see a lower TCO and a higher ROI, period.

Actually, the place I work at, we found Windows Server 2008 to be a much better option for us then Linux Servers. We haven't had any lose hours or days from security and stability issues. It's not that we completly ditched linux, we have a RHEL server in a cubcle next to mine.

Also, NeoGraven, you lose crediblity when you put $ instead of an s. Makes you look like a troll. kthnxbai

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  • 2 weeks later...

Alpha/Beta/RC Testing new versions of Open Source Linux Ubuntu!

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Actually, the place I work at, we found Windows Server 2008 to be a much better option for us then Linux Servers. We haven't had any lose hours or days from security and stability issues. It's not that we completly ditched linux, we have a RHEL server in a cubcle next to mine.

I guess it all depends on what your needs are. If Windows satisfies all your needs, then by all means use it. At my workplace, we modify and use Linux in ways that would be impossible with Windows without source access to the entire OS. For us, source access is a requirement. Also, Windows probably won't run on our hardware and the licences would be prohibitively expensive.

Also, NeoGraven, you lose crediblity when you put $ instead of an s. Makes you look like a troll. kthnxbai

As much of a Linux fanboy as I am, I'm gonna agree here.

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I use linux for everything, except for gaming

Same, my windows box is basically a games console or a Steambox. I tried switching to a games console but PC's allow for mods and since I'm an RPG fan, modding is a big bonus. My other computer is a little netbook with Linux on it that follows me around the house which I'm far too reliant on :/

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I'm trying to completely replace Windows with Linux , only Office 2010 , Photoshop CS5 and Yahoo messenger are holding me back...i know there are alternative , but just not that good yet , who knows maybe they will be better after awhile ;)

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I am a freelance network engineer, and I use linux constantly. Just about every network I currently design revolves around linux and/or freeBSD, but mostly linux. Everything from DHCP, routing, traffic shaping, firewall, etc, all done on linux boxes.

Sometimes, depending on what they need from their network, I even use linux boxes for the Windows Active Directory Domain Controllers and file servers.. or also in cases where they don't have money available for new Windows Server 2008R2 boxes to handle all of the Windows based services.

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I use it as my one and only desktop, I have done so since 2004. You name a distro, I've tried it, used it, underneath they're all the same.

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I fix computers for people and I've been installing a dual boot copy of mint on lots of machines lately. It's mainly just for a failsafe so if something goes wrong with windows they might be able to use linux until getting the windows install redone.

I also use linux on a router.

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I have a linux (ubuntu) pc that sits next to my main one, generally just use it as extended desktop (yay for synergy) and as a minecraft server. Also for apps that just work better on linux (IRC clients etc)

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For me, mostly server usage. The typical LAMP stack, along with Rails, Tomcat, Samba, etc etc. Well some are Linux, Arch specifically, a couple are BSD, most of which don't even have monitors or keyboards, just a SSH connection as needed. I do have one desktop running it as well, also Arch with KDE, but it doesn't get used much. Used to like Ubuntu back in the 7.04/7.10 generation, not so much after that.. partly don't like where they're going, but mostly just my love for how Arch does things.

On the desktop end of things, sorry, not a purist, I just like getting things done fast with Windows 7.. I like where KDE is going, but I rely too much on Windows software to roll the dice with Wine compatibility.. and to be honest, I just like 7 the desktop better. Not bashing KDE/Gnome/etc, but it's just not for me.

One of these days I'll have to get me one of those new fangled Android gizmos.

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