Definitive: Which Linux Distro? (2011)

[AussieAnon]

Gnome or KDE?

Definately GNOME for me.. I absolutely hate KDE. It feels way to bloated and slow compared to GNOME.

I also just installed openSUSE 12.1 with Gnome 3.2.1 and its bloody amazing.. Love YaST2 and software management in openSUSE, also feels more stable. Think im going to make the switch from Fedora to openSUSE.

Can anyone point out the pro's and con's of openSUSE and Fedora?

[Anatolie]

I used at work openSUSE and Fedora, then I tried ArchLinux two years ago and this linux distro the best for me...

Now I use ArchLinux at home computer too... Hello from ArchLinux ! :)

[n_K]

I'm amazed ANYONE uses that mandriva rubbish being quite honest.

Setup my arch server recently (I guess with arch being bleeding-edge, that's either going to be a very good choice with less security flaws than the current most-deployed versions, or ultra-stupid for instability and whatnot) :(.

[ncc50446]

I'm amazed ANYONE uses that mandriva rubbish being quite honest.

One of those votes was mine...lol At the beginning of the year I was using Mandriva. I have since switched. I want to like Mandriva, as it was the first one I tried, but sadly, they need to get back on the track they use to be on...

[Brandon H Supervisor]

we need a new poll for 2012 now

a lot has changed with some of the distros with them incorporating Gnome 3 in each their own way

[Klethron]

I've been using Ubuntu for the past couple of years at work on my primary machine. I just installed Linux Mint on my secondary machine because I've recently read some great reviews about it. Though I haven't used Mint enough to really form an opinion of it yet it seems good.

[MidnightDevil]

The problem nowdays with picking a linux distro is the pretty much "there is too much - too based on xxxx distro" problem.

Either you go for a Debian distro for the sake of having a rolling release, but in the other hand, can't really have the cutting edge experience or you'll end up having to go for unstable repositories and with a bigger chance of breaking up the system.

Or you go for a ubuntu based release, but isn't really the slickest experience due the eventual bloat you'll experience. In the other hand, perhaps you're better this way since it have all the compilers needed or un-needed. Then you have the source vs deb vs rpm thing (generalizing, without mentioning ports from bsd and gentoo systems).

The basic thing is what you're aiming to do with it. If it's a server, then aim for safety and stability (debian, slack, redhat), if you're using on laptop / desktop and don't have much concerns about it, then you can try ubuntu, mint, suse, etc... if you're willing to learn, arch, slackware, even debian has a slight learning curve, but not as much lately (been easier to use).

Well this post is about nothing and all, it's the problem these days, you have too much to pick from and you'll want to experience "everything", so you don't get stuck in one distro, you end up switching distro to distro after a few days.

The distro I tried and used it for a longer time was slackware. Not easy, but once it works, it works, but the lack of a update system made me gave up. However it was on slack where I learned to compile a kernel.

I have installed Mint, but too easy, almost no leaning curve unless you'll go play with it further. There's almost no middle ground.

Then you have gentoo, where you spend more time compiling and emerging than actually using the software itself.

Well, I don't know, I don't even know if having too much to choose is a good thing or a bad thing for linux to enter mainstream.

Either way, I still use it, because I like being diferent :b

[.Neo]

we need a new poll for 2012 now

a lot has changed with some of the distros with them incorporating Gnome 3 in each their own way

People can change their vote in the current poll if they wish to.

[paxa]

archlinux all the way. been using it in a couple of computers without hassle