The first rule of choosing a desktop Linux distribution: User, know thyself

IT World ^ | 22 August 2013 | Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols

[ShadowAce]

[JRandomFreeper]

Gnome, with a lot of KDE applications/utilities. Fedora for server systems, SUSE for the personal laptop. 'The nice thing about standards is that there are so many to chose from' ;)

/johnny

[Bobalu]

I recommend Zorin for first time users that are accustomed to Windows.

http://zorin-os.com/

[ShadowAce]

I don't like Gnome, I can tolerate KDE. I prefer XFCE.

I run Fedora XFCE right now on my laptop. I integrate pretty seamlessly into my work's Windows network. The only time I need my desktop Windows machine is when I have to use The one application that runs on Lotus Notes.

E-mail, Vmware, browsing, IM (tool we use to communicate between departments), everything--all runs fine on Fedora.

Heck I even run a game on Steam, and several on Wine.

[JRandomFreeper]

A lot of the Fedora boxes I build don't even have an X windows desktop. Or monitor, or keyboard or mouse. ;) Just command line, usually via SSH.

I do like being able to tailor the distro to the requirement, and leave out lots of overhead.

/johnny

[KarlInOhio]

Thanks. I recently had an XP desktop crash that I had been using as a file server (now have a drive attached to a router for a lot less power consumption) so I was looking for something to do with the hardware other than use it for an end table or printer stand. Time to install Linux.

[whodathunkit]

Right now I am using XP but will migrate to linux when my windows only hardware is replaced by linux compatible components. I no longer purchase anything requiring any version of microsoft software to operate.

I am set up for dual booting (choosing windows or linux operating system at startup, a good temporary solution) and find that linux is much more stable than windows.

[wally_bert]

Lotus Notes is evil-ware.

[ßuddaßudd]

ßookmark /

[ShadowAce]

You got that right. There's been rumors around here that they are re-writing the software to get away from LN.

It hasn't happened yet.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Anyone, and I mean anyone, can use it.

I could not be more in disagreement with that statement. I could give the author five examples from friends and family that would blow up that statement.

[ShadowAce]

If they can't use a GUI in Linux, then they can't use Windows. Once they are put in front of a GUI, the underlying OS is pretty much irrelevant.

The GUI may be a little different--things in places not normally found in Windows, etc. but the underlying methods and functionality is pretty much the same.

[Texas Fossil]

Thanks again.

[wally_bert]

This crowd I am with is stuck with it. All new people who are used to outlook complain a lot. Outlook with the problems it can have is worlds behind notes. It is the only software around here that I will not guarantee in any way.

A new version of notes might as well be the newest Edsel.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

You and I speak from a position of experience. You and I know the differences. But as an example, my father-in-law is a very intelligent man. However, I get emails from him frequently on things like...'how do I save a file attached to an email?'....'How do I attach a file to an email?'...

Switching him to a Linux desktop from a Windows desktop would throw him into a tailspin. My wife's best friend is the same way. I call them "rock breakers".

People like this disprove the author's claim that 'anyone' can do it. I would agree with "almost anyone can do it." But that's not what he wrote.

[ShadowAce]

LOL! OK. But to be fair, if he is constantly asking you questions like that, the answers are only different in regards to where the buttons are located.

[Durus]

If I could play the latest games on linux I wouldn't have a Windows machine. That is the primary reason I have a desktop. It is also one of the things I really don't understand about linux developers. Some would argue, but PC hardware development and OS development was driven by hardcore gamers that needed the absolute best performance, just like motor vehicles technology was/is forced to keep pace with racers and enthusiasts. Why hasn't linux stolen this market from MS?

It is very frustrating that microsoft became the default gamer OS. Until this is resolved Microsoft will stay right where it is at the head of the pack with very little competition for it's market share. What they will do next is release directX 12 or some other BS forcing gamers to buy Win8.

Somehow we need a new gamer OS and I think the market is ripe for it.

[2 Kool 2 Be 4-Gotten]

Fedora for me. One point the article leaves out is that in choosing a distro you’re also choosing a support community. Maybe analogous to the idea that you don’t just marry someone you marry their family :) I happen to like the Fedora community as well as the distro.

The article also leaves out Arch Linux - when I’m researching issues I find their posts to be quite insightul and they seem to be even more old school than Fedora.

There is certainly the idea that “my grandma uses it” and in some cases I’m sure it’s true but it’s really not a realistic way to look at it for most people. IMHO you *will* need to get under the hood and fiddle - which is half the fun, for me anyway.

[rarestia]

I’ve converted from Fedora to Ubuntu for server. I used to be a die hard Fedora fan for server, but Ubuntu is just SO MUCH EASIER TO MANAGE! Fedora’s development timelines are so compressed that the latest version is obsolete in a quarter or even a month.

I was a Gnome fanboy for a while, but once I went to KDE, I was converted.

And, FWIW, Cinnamon can be installed on any Linux distro with little issue. It’s just a shell. Say what you want about Mint, I prefer a little more robust back-end.