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Author Topic: Which distro do you use, and why?  (Read 9370 times)

dee.jay

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Which distro do you use, and why?
« on: October 08, 2018, 02:48:51 PM »

As subject really. I didn't really start getting into Linux until about 2010 when I picked up a QNAP NAS box and installed Debian on it. I now use Debian as my go-to OS for server needs, so any terminal servers I use to get into home runs on Debian, and I have a bunch of VM's running Debian running DSLstats etc, that kind of thing.

Outside of this, I use FreeBSD in the form of a FreeNAS VM and pfSense as a router, but up until now I have predominantly been using Windows on my desktop machine. I say it's for gaming, but I haven't done that much in the last 12 months.

At this point I want to abandon Windows, but what with? I am very comfortable with Arch Linux - I used that on my desktop previously but found that after a while things broke and it got in the way of my productivity. I use Manjaro on a laptop and that seems to work very well, but I keep thinking that Debian may become my new daily driver, so to speak for my desktop needs. I can always dual boot Windows 10 if I need to play games - I have a fairly high end machine with 64GB RAM and GeForce 1080GTX, so I can live with Windows purely for gaming.

I need to get into more network development and scripting type tasks, and I've recently taken some Cisco courses - they used an Ubuntu VM within the labs - and - my employer pretty much is about 90% open source for all the machines in their backend. I need to pick up my linux game!

So, I am curious to know what distributions everyone here is using, as I can see there is a good mix of Windows and *NIX users around the place.

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Weaver

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2018, 03:13:59 PM »

I have Ubuntu in my Raspberry Pi, and I would like to get to know xBSD on some box or other.
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roseway

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2018, 04:15:44 PM »

I started using Linux for all my regular computing use in 2000. I used SuSE for a while when it was a privately owned independent distro, after which I distro hopped for a few years, then settled on Debian. I wanted to progress to BSD, but I was always thwarted by the difficulty of getting my preferred printers to work.

So I've been with Debian for a few years, and I'll probably stay there now.
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burakkucat

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2018, 06:35:11 PM »

RHEL6 is my daily work-horse.

I also use RHEL7 and used to use RHEL5 until it went EOL. Have a R-Pi with its version of Debian.
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broadstairs

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2018, 06:52:41 PM »

I have used many over the years but now settled on openSUSE Tumbleweed for my desktop and laptop, my wife uses openSUSE Leap on her laptop because Tumbleweed is very leading edge and a rolling release.

Stuart
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sevenlayermuddle

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2018, 07:04:03 PM »

My original home server used Fedora, provides NAS, source control, bug logging, media streaming etc.   After it died its successor was CentOS based, after I was scolded on these forums for referring to “fedora” and “server” in same sentence.  Both worked well but caution is needed when updating, as things tend to break easily if a “blanket” update everything policy is adopted.

Desktops around here are the oft-forgotten Unix desendant, known as Apple Mac OS.  Many likers of *Nix would like that too.   Prejudices may need to be overcome, but the reward is a professionally supported commercial OS, utterly gorgeous hardware that is guranteed to be compatible, and still recognisably Unix under the skin.

My home has been microsoft-free for some time now. :)
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parkdale

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #6 on: October 08, 2018, 08:32:06 PM »

Lubuntu for me and any body I can persuade/ween off Windows ;) nice and simple to setup and administer :fingers:
Although I still use Windows for gaming :-[
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dee.jay

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #7 on: October 08, 2018, 08:41:31 PM »

Yes, I have seen all these crazy implementations whereby people have been doing hardware passthrough and all sorts of craziness to put Windows in a VM out of the way.

I mean, I understand all that, but, surely it is easier to just dual boot and boot into Windows when required.

I was going to do this, but have decided against it - dual booting is the way to go. I think I will wipe my nVME and put a fresh install of Windows on that, and then use another disk for Linux. I really think I will just go Debian as I know it just works, is stable, and shouldn't ought to get in the way of my workflow.
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roseway

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #8 on: October 08, 2018, 10:37:30 PM »

One of the points about a virtual machine is that both OSs run simultaneously and you can pass data between them. That's a lot quicker and easier than dual booting.
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  Eric

dee.jay

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #9 on: October 08, 2018, 10:43:08 PM »

Absolutely, but it requires the right hardware and multiple video inputs and USB etc

I've done it on Arch with an i7-2600 and GTX680 but it took a bit of doing.

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roseway

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #10 on: October 09, 2018, 07:35:16 AM »

It's actually very straightforward if you use Virtualbox or the commercial (but free for private use) VMWare Player. No special hardware is required, but you need to have enough memory to support both the host and the guest systems.
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  Eric

dee.jay

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #11 on: October 09, 2018, 08:13:56 AM »

Are you just talking about simply running a Windows VM inside a Linux machine? Yes, that is very easy by itself, I've been using VMWare Workstation since around 2005/2006 and I run ESX 6 on a server.

I mean - passing through the single GPU that is running in the system so the Windows guest can access it and use it for gaming - that's what takes work.

Actually, this has got me thinking now. I have an i7-8700K which apparently can do 4K on HDMI, and my monitor is a 4K one with two inputs. One is DisplayPort that can do 60Hz, and I think I'm limited to 30Hz over HDMI - but that's enough for the desktop in Linux. I could quite likely do passthrough to the GTX1080 for when I want to fire up some games with Windows, and simply use the on-chip GPU for desktop. Might have to give this another go!
« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 08:34:08 AM by dee.jay »
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Chunkers

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #12 on: October 09, 2018, 08:35:14 AM »

I have been a Linux hobbyist for a long time.  My main PC at home dual boots Windows 10 and Ubuntu, I have flirted with Arch Linux and Mint but always go back to Ubuntu because of the user base and support.  On any given day I could be using either Windows or Linux depending on my mood /what I am doing. I know all the cool kids use Arch but the installation process is HORRIBLE, manual disk partitioning etc etc ..... really?

A while back I tried to migrate my gaming to Linux (I mainly play eve-online, CS:GO and FIFA) and I have spent a fair amount of time fiddling with Wine etc with some success but usually it breaks after a while and I have to go back windows while I take the time to sort it out.

I feel like we are on the brink of Linux (especially Ubuntu) being mainstream enough to be primary OS for the normos (i.e. not for geeks like us) but not quite there yet - but then I have felt like this for about 10 years tbh.

I also use Libreelec on the front end devices for our TV server (no I do not do dodgy stuff and watch illegal streams), its brilliant for low power devices for cheap in-room TV streaming.  I also have a junk-build NAS running Xpenology and I mess around with my Raspberry Pi's using different Linux based thingies.

My home-built router also runs pfsense which is FreeBSD based and is awesome, does that count?

Linux is a lot of harmless fun imho, still for geeks though

Chunks

EDIT : For gaming I have not yet tried Proton which apparently is another leap in the direction of gaming under Linux with the full-blown assistance of Valve Software, apparently you need steam (which already works under Linux) and proton is an enhacned adaptation of Wine will enable you to run Windows titles.


« Last Edit: October 09, 2018, 08:40:13 AM by Chunkers »
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dee.jay

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #13 on: October 09, 2018, 09:31:07 AM »

Yes I am very interested in Proton too.

I've seen a shift in recent years with Linux gathering more momentum. It's getting there.

pfSense is awesome, btw. I have fancied trying building an OpenBSD router for fun though with pf...
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broadstairs

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Re: Which distro do you use, and why?
« Reply #14 on: October 09, 2018, 11:08:43 AM »

For some reason I have never been into gaming at all. I do run Windows in Virtualbox just for a photo printer which is as yet not well supported in Linux.

Stuart
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