Since this board is probably fairly representative of computer users in general, I’m curious to know how many Linux users we have here. If you use Linux, let your voice be heard! I’d also be interested to know what your level of technical ability is, what you use it for, and any other interesting details.
So… me first. I’ve been using Red Hat for 3.5 years now, mostly for web surfing, reading email, and C, C++, and Perl programming. I’m a grad student in computer science, and just recently I’ve begun using Linux at school for 3D graphics work. As far as I’m concerned, Linux is the best thing since sliced bread; I can’t remember the last time I used Windows for serious work.
I use Linux as well as Windows and Macs. Linux is the best thing in the computer world since sliced bread, I agree. I’m just a beginner though. RedHat 5.5, installed on my machine with dual boot so I can switch if I feel like. I use it to learn more about Unix and Linux with, surf the web, design web sites some, (GIMP RULES!), and just play with graphics for now. Hopefully soon I’ll be more able to putz around with it, but as it is, I’m in the process of looking for a new job, and I’m hoping I can get one where we will use Linux so I can get some real hands on.
I’m forced to use NT (and occasionally OS/2<shudders>) at work, but I’ve got my Linux box at home running Mandrake 7.0. That’s my programming (and screwing around with GIMP) platform. I’m no Linux guru, but I’m learning. The only thing I run on my Disaster 98 box is a few games. <Must…return…to…Diablo II…shakes head violently to clear it>
I’ve used Linux since before version 1… it’s great mostly because it’s free. Other than that, I must say it’s really annoying. It’s almost impossible to configure correctly, nothing is user-friendly, most new hardware doesn’t work on it, and in general the technology is very old. I have so many problems with my Linux system that I have given up trying to solve most of them. I hate it… but then, when I go to Windows and realize to get the same functionality I’d have to spend plenty money, I love it again.
I’ve been doing Linux programming at work (at least 5 different distributions) for about a year, and I just got a home computer with RedHat about a month ago.
Technically and culturally, it’s amazing, but I just don’t know what will happen with it out in the real world.
Yay, Linux. I’ve been using Linux for four years now, and I’ve been using it exclusively for the last three of those years. Debian, right now. My first distribution was Minilinux, which ran on UMSDOS, then I switched to Slackware, and now I’m using Debian.
I use it to do everything, web browsing, IRCing, e-mail, homework, typesetting, graphics, programming (less now than before), gaming. I probably missed some things, but it does everything I need it to do. It’s pretty weak in the games area but there’s Nethack and glTron and the three Quakes. Oh yeah, it’s also a gateway for my home network.
I like it for its efficiency (after taking the time to learn how to use it), its flexibility and configurability, its open source philosophy, and of course its price. Can’t beat the price. I’m a poor student but I’m not comfortable with pirating software 'cause I program, myself.
At home, I had RedHat 5.something for a while, never used it, and wiped the partition about a month after I installed it. Recently, when I felt the not-for-profit-development urge, and noticed that there still wasn’t an XEmacs or GIMP port for BeOS, I installed Mandrake 7.0. This went way smoother than my 2 evening long install of RedHat (still nothing compares to the 20 minute install of BeOS)
I like it well enough, its good for development, but I’ve got to sit down an do some serious cleanup. I put both KDE and Gnome on to compare them, but now I have to go in and rip out the gnome stuff.
I still use Win95 for web stuff, but I plan to move over to BeOS or Linux for that soon.
I’ve used Linux off and on over the years. Right now I have a Mandrake 7 partition. I don’t do much with it right now, and I really should just nuke the partition cause my hardware barely supports Linux. (OLD Vid card)
I have a P75 with an old version of redhat on it. I can get it online and download and run some programs. Sometime I will upgrade it and learn to use it. I am planning on going into the technology field after college, is it important to learn linux?
Mandrake 6.1 running here (with a just beginning to lose its new car smell 2.2.14 kernel) about 80% of the time - this machine does occasionally boot into Win98.
Also, I have a firewall system (OK - I don’t really need that much security, I just wanted to see that I could) running OpenBSD.
And for those of you into strategy games - I got to help out with Beta-testing Loki’s port of Alpha Centauri. It should be out soon, and it rocks!
I use redhat 6.2 at work, and I’ve got a box at home running it too. I use it for programming, websurfing, and servers of various kinds. I use my windows box mainly for websurfing and playing games.
I have to admit, I’m new to Linux. I’ve been in the Windows world for many years, mainly because that’s the environment my office uses.
Recently, however, they put in a Linux box as a firewall system. Instead of classes they gave me Red Hat 6.2 and a system and said “Here. Take this home and learn it.” So that’s what I’m trying to do.
I’ve got it pretty much installed now. I’ve discovered that the soundcard in the machine is dead, so I need to replace that, and I’ve still to get the internal IOmega Zip drive working, but those are small things. At least I’ve got it functioning with my DSL connection on my home network.
So the basics are in. I’m starting to play around a bit, getting to know the OS. Eventually I need to get a firewall and an Apache web server running, but I figure small steps first.
And if work wants to give me a system to play around with to learn it, who am I to argue?