What is your favourite Linux distrubution?

**TFoS_Fan** · July 11th, 2009, 11:04 AM

Yet another obvious thread / poll title...

**sudilav** · July 11th, 2009, 12:12 PM

I have only ever used fedora, it was the only one that successfully installed onto my computer :P.

**RACKnRAIL** · July 11th, 2009, 12:17 PM

I'm using SimplyMepis. It's been great so far. I hadn't used Linux distro since Mandrake 10. This is a great improvement from Mandrake. It rocks for the average Windows to Linux user, being very easy to work and configure. So far it does everything I do with windows. It might take a bit a googling, but so far so good.

**sudilav** · July 11th, 2009, 12:18 PM

Google chrome OS anyone? i wouldn't trust their OS... especially for bittorrent downloads, they even tried to sue my school cos we spammed their search engine!

**TFoS_Fan** · July 11th, 2009, 12:30 PM

Originally Posted by sudilav

Google chrome OS anyone? i wouldn't trust their OS... especially for bittorrent downloads, they even tried to sue my school cos we spammed their search engine!

Its going to be open source and based around Linux kernel...so if they put any tracking stuff into it...someone should be able to rip it out. I know someone has already done this for Chrome. Iron Chrome I believe its called.

**Tic3** · July 11th, 2009, 02:05 PM

Ubuntu.

I've used Mandrake in the past (version 10) and SUSE.

Mandrake was pretty good, but I like SUSE much better. I even paid the $100 fee for the whole package (paper manuals, installation DVDs, Applications Collection, etc.). I think that was version 8 about 10 years ago.

I downloaded the live CD of OpenSuse earlier this year and have to say SUSE has gone downhill since it became OpenSUSE. I hated it.

I also gave Ubuntu a good test drive earlier this year and was very much impressed.

The only thing keeping me from switching from Windows XP to Ubuntu is that I can't run Windows programs on it. Yes, I know there are emulators like WINE that I can run through, but it's not the same.

I am seriously considering installing it (Ubuntu) on my kids' computer, though. Getting tire of having to fix things because they are careless in their web surfing and gaming habits.

**TFoS_Fan** · July 11th, 2009, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Tic3

Ubuntu.

I've used Mandrake in the past (version 10) and SUSE.

Mandrake was pretty good, but I like SUSE much better. I even paid the $100 fee for the whole package (paper manuals, installation DVDs, Applications Collection, etc.). I think that was version 8 about 10 years ago.

I downloaded the live CD of OpenSuse earlier this year and have to say SUSE has gone downhill since it became OpenSUSE. I hated it.

I also gave Ubuntu a good test drive earlier this year and was very much impressed.

The only thing keeping me from switching from Windows XP to Ubuntu is that I can't run Windows programs on it. Yes, I know there are emulators like WINE that I can run through, but it's not the same.

I am seriously considering installing it (Ubuntu) on my kids' computer, though. Getting tire of having to fix things because they are careless in their web surfing and gaming habits.

Would be curious to know which applications you need that you can't get on Linux (I know I have some)?

**mountain_rage** · July 11th, 2009, 07:04 PM

Originally Posted by Tic3

The only thing keeping me from switching from Windows XP to Ubuntu is that I can't run Windows programs on it. Yes, I know there are emulators like WINE that I can run through, but it's not the same.

WINE isn't an emulator, it uses its own alternative DLL's to run the software. Emulators are much less efficient than what WINE is trying to accomplish.

**TFoS_Fan** · July 12th, 2009, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by mountain_rage

WINE isn't an emulator, it uses its own alternative DLL's to run the software. Emulators are much less efficient than what WINE is trying to accomplish.

Still, his point is valid, Windows applications are rarely as good on WINE as they are on a proper windows install. In many cases they don't work at all, so if you are dependent on a particular Windows application, switching (completely) to Linux is difficult.

**mountain_rage** · July 12th, 2009, 01:40 AM

Originally Posted by TFoS_Fan

Still, his point is valid, Windows applications are rarely as good on WINE as they are on a proper windows install. In many cases they don't work at all, so if you are dependent on a particular Windows application, switching (completely) to Linux is difficult.

True, and that is one of the main hurdles for Linux. Interestingly enough, I don't imagine most people switching to Linux would have an issue switching to alternative software for the most part, but there is always that odd program you want to use I guess. Hopefully Wine can continue to improve, maybe one day we will have a fully exe compatible linux.

**TFoS_Fan** · July 12th, 2009, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by mountain_rage

True, and that is one of the main hurdles for Linux. Interestingly enough, I don't imagine most people switching to Linux would have an issue switching to alternative software for the most part, but there is always that odd program you want to use I guess. Hopefully Wine can continue to improve, maybe one day we will have a fully exe compatible linux.

I am more hopeful that big names such as Google having a Linux based OS and wider adoption of current distros will help persuade more developers to support the Linux platform when they create new applications. I don't think full exe compatibility using Wine (or something similar) will ever be realised.

**Tic3** · July 13th, 2009, 06:18 PM

Originally Posted by mountain_rage

WINE isn't an emulator, it uses its own alternative DLL's to run the software. Emulators are much less efficient than what WINE is trying to accomplish.

Hmm... I thought it was an emulator. Do you (or anyone else) know of any Windows emulators I can use with Ubuntu to run Windows programs?

**TFoS_Fan** · July 14th, 2009, 09:29 AM

Originally Posted by Tic3

Hmm... I thought it was an emulator. Do you (or anyone else) know of any Windows emulators I can use with Ubuntu to run Windows programs?

It will allow you to run Windows applications on Linux, it's just not technically an emulator. WINE can compile windows code, but doesn't emulate the whole Windows OS.

The developers tried to point this out (in a hackers manner) by calling it WINE. This is a recursive anagram for Wine Is Not an Emulator.

The only other way I know to get windows software onto Linux OS are as follows:

- Crossover Office (a non-free extension of WINE)
- Cedaga (only for games)
- Using VirtualBox to install Windows as a virtual machine in Linux and run applications from within this virtual OS.

If your confused by any of these or want to know more, feel free to ask :)

**Feather** · July 14th, 2009, 04:06 PM

I am currently running latest version of OpenSuse on a 16gig pen drive. I didn't want to commit to partitioning and all that so just experimenting with it on pen drive ( which i can reformat with out consequence )

**norm1515** · July 14th, 2009, 07:36 PM

I like debian, and distros based off it like ubuntu. I mainly like them because I'm familiar with them the most. I tried fedora too. It's ok. I tried slackware once, but I didn't like the package management. Has anyone ever tried kate os? If I recall, it's like slackware but with better package management that checks for dependencies.