Who here uses a Linux based OS?

[billpine]

Thought I'd try my hand at Mint and it just seems SO much complicated than Windows - I suspect Linux is the way and Windows found its place for users who have no idea!

Anyone else using something similar, how do you manage with the difference, how long did it take to become good at navigating around the OS, installing programs line commands ETC....

I'm half tempted to say **** it and crawl back under my XP shelter

Now where's that tub of Aspirin

[cookie42]

Using Linux really isn't that hard. I've used it off and on for the past few years, but really no heavy use, and it isn't that hard to learn.
Basically you have to learn how to use the terminal a little, for sudo or gksudo, which basically give you root (admin) privileges needed for some stuff. Installing most applications is pretty much "sudo apt-get install programname" in terminal. Start off with Debian or Ubuntu, I recommend Debian, and you should be fine. It's pretty damn user friendly, you'd be surprised.

[bitsbubba]

Using Linux really isn't that hard. I've used it off and on for the past few years, but really no heavy use, and it isn't that hard to learn.
Basically you have to learn how to use the terminal a little, for sudo or gksudo, which basically give you root (admin) privileges needed for some stuff. Installing most applications is pretty much "sudo apt-get install programname" in terminal. Start off with Debian or Ubuntu, I recommend Debian, and you should be fine. It's pretty damn user friendly, you'd be surprised.

^^^^ this almost makes me want to start using Linux ^^^^

[magimog]

Thought I'd try my hand at Mint and it just seems SO much complicated than Windows - I suspect Linux is the way and Windows found its place for users who have no idea!

Anyone else using something similar, how do you manage with the difference, how long did it take to become good at navigating around the OS, installing programs line commands ETC....

I'm half tempted to say **** it and crawl back under my XP shelter

Now where's that tub of Aspirin

If you don't want to learn, you never will. Believe it or not, the people who aren't computer saavy find Windows difficult to use because they never take the time to learn it's intricacies. Now how silly does that sound to you?

Linux Mint is one of the most user-friendly distros out there. Ubuntu 11.04 just came out, and while it is a little different, it offers enough eye candy not to scare anyone away.

Running terminal is cake. "sudo" is the same as "Running with admin privileges" in Windows. "apt-get" is a command line install program. It has near every program you will ever need. "Synaptic" is a GUI version of apt-get. You should try that.

Otherwise, there are very few differences in the UI, like button placement, configuration and such. But if you think you have Windows down, Linux Mint is easy. You'll enjoy the ZERO viruses Linux offers!

[master737373]

First thing. Unix-based, not linux-based. Also, I use a unix-based OS alot. my mac and ubuntu. It's awesome. Very light (ubuntu). Terminal really isn't even that hard to learn. I learned a good bit of it in like 3 days. Don't have to worry about viruses. I'd say its the best choice as an OS for anyone wanting to learn how to code

[ps3br]

started with ubuntu10.04 without any experience with linux(okay i have tried mandrake know as mandriva now (many)years ago with no success)
after as couples months and lots of information collected(google man and you'll be able to get your problem solved) i've got comfortable enough to stop using windows.Did the upgrade to 10.10 and now I've just finished a clean installation of 11.04.
i'll not lie saying that i dont have windows here(using dual boot) but is rare used.Only when the wife wants to use my desktop.

Ubuntu gui interface is easy to use and along with synaptic you can use software center to search and install new softwares.

For free(just a friendly reminder)

[Bootlegninja]

I've messed with a bunch of distro's of Linux off and on for years now. I'm still a fairly novice user of it, but I like Ubuntu the best. I've messed with Fedora, Slackware, Damn Small Linux, and a few others but nothing tops Ubuntu. Granted, that my main OS is still windows, I find that Linux has some advantages that windows doesn't offer.

[amp2006]

yea me too i have installed Ubuntu As a second OS .

it was so much fun .

[SP193]

Thought I'd try my hand at Mint and it just seems SO much complicated than Windows - I suspect Linux is the way and Windows found its place for users who have no idea!

Anyone else using something similar, how do you manage with the difference, how long did it take to become good at navigating around the OS, installing programs line commands ETC....

I'm half tempted to say **** it and crawl back under my XP shelter

Now where's that tub of Aspirin

I have to agree with you on your views.
Being a Windows user ever since I started using computers, I have (and still) find Linux a little weak when it comes to user friendly-ness.

OK, so here comes my rant. I don't intend it to be viewed as bashing of Linux, but as a view from a (once pure) Windows user:

I know that it's partly because of my hardware having poor support.... but having to edit configuration files manually to set something up seems a little tough (If you can find them, and find out the syntax for the commands).

I remember that MS-DOS and Windows 3x was like that too - and I was grateful that Windows had gotten a better GUI.

I would want Linux as my primary OS on my PC, but the problems it brings (mainly program and game incompatibility) really does act as a strong deterrent.

Wireless support was another pain too.
In Windows, all I needed to do was to hit the Wireless button on my notebook computer and Windows will automatically connect to my preferred networks.
In Linux, I needed to manually install more software and tweak some more settings... and now I still haven't gotten it to work as well as on Windows yet. :/
The Wireless adaptor isn't enabled on startup, and I don't see any option in any control panel of Wicd to achieve that (So that probably means more configuration file editing....).

Performance seems a little worse on Linux than on Windows too.
Sure, most people here won't care about that (Nor be able to see the difference)... but I care since I can even see how much more resource-intensive Windows XP is compared to Windows 98.

Locale support was another though thing too.
Other than being unable to set the code page for each program, I still can't get my Japanese IME working on Linux.
I know that I have to manually edit one file to set LC_CTYPE to the correct codepage, but I have not found out which file it is yet.

Lastly, somehow the Flash plugin on Linux has been rather unstable.
Here on PSX-scene, I can see it slowing down my laptop and the flash plugin crashes.

And before anyone says anything, I have been working with Fedora and Debian installations since 2005 (So yea, I have been working with Linux for about 6 years.. and still weak at it).

As for learning how to get things done: Google is your friend.
The system manual (The "man" command) is another great resource - provided that you know what to look for.

So I guess that Linux is really meant for (even partial) developers... and not for just anyone.

That's my 2 cents.
I still think that Linux makes a great development environment though.
Windows can't really do that (E.g. where's "make" in Windows? ).

[dukhia]

Linux Mint 10 and installed Ubuntu 11 yesterday