What distro's have you tried? What did/didn't you like?

[b3n0]

Well, I really hope I'm not copying another thread here. It seems like such a good topic to discuss.

Well Ill kick it off.

Ubuntu I started with in 2007 and fell in love straight away. I hav'nt had really anything like it since. Its really this forum that makes ubuntu awesome for me. ;)

Mandriva I tried last year, I felt that it was a little slower than ubuntu, and that kind of annoyed me. Very nice interface though.

Suse was another distro I tried in 2008, I hated it. It was slow, chunky, blown out with all these fx. It was just painful. I found fixing simple things was allot harder in suse, as there wasn't such a big support net work.

These last two I've only installed as virtual machines but I've kept the live disks and may install them on servers. Both open solaris and centos I found to be great, full of tools ready to run a server off.

Well you would have noticed that my comments about the various distros I've tried were quite vague. As I'm not really an advanced user I went with what felt comfortable.

I'd love to hear your views.

[cardinals_fan]

A thread:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=91197

I've tried many distros/operating systems (http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=6390185&postcount=117), but Slackware, SliTaz, CRUX, and NetBSD have all stood out as particularly excellent.

[Tamalin]

Well, I had a great Ubuntu experience,
bad experiences with Knoppix (interface drove me crazy (especially in German)) and PC-BSD (had some annoying bugs),
and I had an okay Mandriva experience. I found the interface a little less attractive than Ubuntu, but that can be remedied.
I also tried Foresight, which was great, but buggy.

[Grant A.]

Quit:

Ubuntu- Mono dependencies
Kubuntu- KDE 4.X
Arch- Bad community
LFS- Bad community, if you ask for help, they essentially throw "RTFM" at you.
OpenSuSE- Got tired of RPM; however, I am considering it once again.
FreeBSD- Couldn't get past the partitioner.
Gentoo- Woo! Scrolling text...
Fedora- Too "alien" to me
OpenSolaris- Not mature enough, and its legal situation is disputed.

In-use:

Windows Vista- More user privileges, better customization.

Xubuntu- Simplicity

[cardinals_fan]

Arch- Bad community
Any way in particular?

OpenSuSE- Got tired of RPM; however, I am considering it once again.

I assume you mean "got tired of zypp" ;)

[KiwiNZ]

The ones I liked

Ubuntu , Kubuntu , Suse , Redhat ,Fedora , Yoper, NovelSLE, PCLinus OS, FreeLinspire,Mepis,Mandriva

The ones I disliked

Xandros ,Slackware , Debian , Gentoo , Turbolinux ,Xubuntu,CentOS,Sun Java desktop,


There is probably a lot more ,tho e are just the ones that immediately come to mind

[Grant A.]

Any way in particular?

I suggested that the "human test" have more than one answer, as the current at the time was "archlinux", and some users kept trying "Arch Linux", "Arch", "Linux", etc. Then I went to their forums to suggest this be fixed, and I got mocked by Mr. Elendig and others. On top of that, tons of RTFMs in the irc room when I ask for just one simple bash command.

So yeah, until they get rid of the 1990's IRC room attitude they seem to radiate, I won't use Arch again.

[amitabhishek]

Liked:
Ubuntu~Mint

Disliked:
Slackware
Knoppix
Suse [SLED]

[C!oud]

Tried way more but these were the ones that stuck out to me

Liked:
NetBSD
Gentoo
Arch
Slackware

Dislike:
OpenSUSE
Debian
Freespire
PCLinuxOS

[cardinals_fan]

I suggested that the "human test" have more than one answer, as the current at the time was "archlinux", and some users kept trying "Arch Linux", "Arch", "Linux", etc. Then I went to their forums to suggest this be fixed, and I got mocked by Mr. Elendig and others. On top of that, tons of RTFMs in the irc room when I ask for just one simple bash command.

So yeah, until they get rid of the 1990's IRC room attitude they seem to radiate, I won't use Arch again.
That would do it.

[MikeTheC]

Tried Red Hat 7 and 8. Loved the interface. Didn't like how apps weren't all stable and working.

When I went back to "Red Hat", it had already been through the transition and had become Fedora Core. I liked FC 1, 2 and 3, but there were still some app functionality and stability issues.

I didn't like all the manual editing and configuration work you had to do at the time (Java, Graphics Card drivers, etc.)

Mandrake; SuSE; still aren't as stable as Debian and Ubuntu, both ship with KDE and I strongly dislike KDE.

Debian - Had it up and running as a server on my PowerMac G3/266. Server ran out of HDD space and I haven't replaced it yet.

Ubuntu - Absolute all-around favorite. I like APT the best, hands down, period. I love Gnome (though I'm not terribly excited about the Ubuntu default theme appearance and colors). All apps work, everything is stable and reliable.

[Rokurosv]

I've tried a lot of em, let's see:


Debian: Loved it and still do, my first distro ever, but I've found home with Arch.
OpenSUSE: Felt really slow and the package management util, don't remember the name, kinda sucked.
Fedora: Liked Plymouth, that's pretty much it.
Slitaz: My favorite lightweight distro, very usable and speedy, obviosly, definitely one of my top 5.
SimplyMepis: Liked it, had some troubles configuring my graphics card but nothing mayor. I liked the defaults apps it had.
Mandriva: Very easy to install and to setup, it recognized pretty much everything on a Toshiba laptop I used.
sidux: Very very nice, my number 2 distro without doubt, rolling release, based on Sid, smxi is awesome.
DesktopBSD: Sucked, big time.
OpenBSD: Liked it but I didn't give it a proper chance.
Mint: Nice for the default codecs, other than that is Ubuntu.
Ubuntu: Easy, beginner friendly(tried it on a little cousin of mine and he had no trouble using it :D), but 8.10 was slow. Also the names are very weird, Jackalope?
Zenwalk: Lightweight, easy to install, but some of the packages were kinda outdated.
Arch: Home, pacman is amazing, rolling release, up to date distro, optimized for i686, simple, light. I don't think I'm ever leaving it. The community isn't that bad and their wiki is great. Plus there's AUR :)

[sujoy]

Of all the various distros that I have tried over the year (never on a VM, install them on a spare HDD), I like these the most,

Arch Linux (I guess this will stay forever)
Slackware (love the control it offers)
Debian (install and forget)
Gentoo (customize to the point of insanity)
Slitaz (an excellent choice of apps)
Zenwalk (lightweight easy to user version of slackware)
Wolvix Hunter (a good liveCD that saved me more than once)


And some of those just made me flee in a couple of minutes, (package managers, driver issues, just some weird looking interface, etc),

Mandriva
Open SUSE
Fedora
PCLinux OS


I still have to try the BSD's :)

[directhex]

Ubuntu- Mono dependencies
OpenSuSE- Got tired of RPM; however, I am considering it once again.

:-s

You've noticed that openSUSE has more Mono apps than Ubuntu by default, right? And that they take up a lot more space?

[ajcham]

(Most distros I have only tried from a live disc - they are listed in italics)

Liked:
Mandrake (my first ever distro)
Ubuntu
Simply Mepis
PCLinuxOS
Fedora

Indifferent:
Mandriva
Knoppix
DSL

Disliked:
SuSE
Sabayon
Lindows
gNewSense

Intend to try:
CCux
Arch
Debian

[mikjp]

Most of the top 10 distros since 2001. I liked them all :-)

[Dragonbite]

Red Hat.. it was basic but then again that was 2002 and I was learning for the first time so EVERYTHING was basic for me! But, as Ubuntu is now, there was a lot of documentation online for it and the friend of mine that introduced me to Linux was using it so it was easier for him to "support" me.
Gentoo.. because it had great documentation and a lot of control. Unfortunately since I was still learning, one dial-up, dual-booting with our one and only computer and the computer was a P3 500Mhz w/128MB of Ram, compiling all that code was tedious! Learned a lot thought.
openSUSE.. pretty good overall and is my 2nd after Ubuntu. Yast eased me in transitioning from Ubuntu but unfortunately it let me configure things I had no idea what I was doing, so I recommend it for people that want to move beyond Ubuntu or if you want to work with more up-to-date Mono versions or KDE (I think openSUSE has the best KDE implementation so far).
CentOS.. It's a pretty stable system if you don't mind not having the latest versions. Since it's is equivalent to Red Hat I suggest its use for Servers, the Red Hat feel about proprietary drivers and codecs means you're on your own so I don't like it as much for desktop work. In our computer club we are split between Ubuntu/Kubuntu and CentOS because of the Virtualization people prefer CentOS since they use it with servers.
Fedora.. I've only just begun using Fedora 10 and except for the shared non-proprietary/non-codec philosophy it actually is working pretty well. It is the first distro that has handled my Microsoft LifeCam in Cheese out of the box (except sound). I'm using Fedora as a bridge of the computer club between *buntu and CentOS.
DSL.. a great distribution for a low-spec machine. I had it on a laptop running at 233Mhz with 64, then 128 MB of Ram and it felt like a usable system. Highly recommend it for low-memory systems.
TinyMe.. on the same low-spec laptop I tried TinyMe which uses Openbox for the window manager and Opera for browsing and email. It looked better but there was a definate performance hit compared to DSL.
OpenSolaris.. well I don't know if that counts as "tried".. I installed it on my laptop for a little while and it worked mostly alright though it seems to have wanted more memory than the 512 I had in it. Running virtualized on my work laptop and with 1 ghz of ram plus the dual-core 2.? GHz chip it ran impressivly smooth. I want to update my system so I can try it again with all of its goodies!
SUSE 9.1.. I mention this one seperately because I managed to get it installed on my 233MHz machine with 128 MB of Ram and it worked. Obviously when it has to access the chip, it bottlenecked but otherwise was surprisingly useful.
Edubuntu (Thin Client Server).. this was a fun run with LTSP and Edubuntu made it so increadibly easy to do. The only problem I started running into was frames per second on some of the games my son was playing. SuperTuxKart was only playable on the actual machine and not via LTSP. While I still consider going into LTSP again, I may skip the Edubuntu add-ons and just install the games/applications they do/are going to use.

[jeyaganesh]

Open Suse9
Ubuntu
Kbuntu
PClinuxOS
Fedora
CentOS 5
Fluxbuntu
Knoppix

Like Ubuntu because of its flexiblity and also for Compiz fusion.:D

(Also using Vista and Mac Tiger)

[Grant A.]

:-s

You've noticed that openSUSE has more Mono apps than Ubuntu by default, right? And that they take up a lot more space?

The KDE version of OpenSuSE doesn't have mono.

[cardinals_fan]

Intend to try:
CCux

Whoa, where'd this come from?! Very interesting.

[ajcham]

Originally Posted by ajcham
Intend to try:
CCux
Whoa, where'd this come from?! Very interesting.

It was mentioned in Linux Format magazine some months back after 0.9.9 was released. I've downloaded the iso, but I only have single layer DVD-Rs and the image is 7.2GB, so I've not tried it yet.

EDIT: Scratch that - I've just went back to the CCux site (http://ccux-linux.de/index.php?lang=en), and they are now distributing a 3.8GB disc image. They must have changed it since I downloaded. Think I might give it a whirl…

[cardinals_fan]

It was mentioned in Linux Format magazine some months back after 0.9.9 was released. I've downloaded the iso, but I only have single layer DVD-Rs and the image is 7.2GB, so I've not tried it yet.

EDIT: Scratch that - I've just went back to the CCux site (http://ccux-linux.de/index.php?lang=en), and they are now distributing a 3.8GB disc image. They must have changed it since I downloaded. Think I might give it a whirl…
That's a bit big for me ;)

[jedimasterk]

Currently using Mint 6. Better themes and codecs installed out of the box.

[ratmandall]

I've tried PCBSD didn't really like the whole KDE thing so bleh, I installed freebsd but couldn't manage to install a desktop enviroment.

Used dsl alot for really low end computer's and or on school computers.
Currently using ubuntu 8.10 and arch in virtualbox.

[Vorian Grey]

I really dislike OpenSuse and Linux Mint. I like sidux and Debian.

[benerivo]

In the order i tried them...

Mandriva - Got my usb winmodem working with this. Nice looking, and very nice configuration centre. A mix of versions available for download, and they like you to register.

PCLinuxOS - A lot like Mandriva, but had better hardware support for me, and includes non-free software. Uses compiz in kde very well. Great for general home desktop use.

Ubuntu - My current OS. Ease of use, plus i feel in complete control. Best forums, and loads of info on web. Lots of stuff added to the startup in 8.10, but very good with gnome.

Puppy and DSL - Liked both, but having decent hardware, i felt i didn't need such lightweight distro's. Puppy probably came with all i would have needed, but i'm not keen on the smaller DE's mainly for aesthetic reasons.

Debian - Simple and stable. FOSS mentality. Installed relatively easily, and taught me quite a bit about linux. With the rolling release, virtually no other maintenance needed, and is perfect for my 2nd pc.

Fedora - Nice looks. FOSS mentality, which may make things difficult if you're new to it. Package manager was slow and difficult for me (kde4 version). Never really gave it a proper chance.

Arch - Taught me lots. Package management is very good, so is the wiki. Left it after some instability. (Chakra live cd worked very well for an alpha, with the desktop effects, sound and wireless working straight away).

OpenSuse - Huge amount of extra configuration on top of KDE4 (best implementation), with control centres, etc. Only used it for a few days, and never really used the terminal to do anything. Package manager was a nightmare to use.

Will try Ccux next...

[Twitch6000]

Mandriva 2009: I tried this distro on my old laptop and well with a bit of tweaking everything ran great. I have to say one thing though, I love the installer on it.

PClinuxOS2008 Gnome Edition: Well this is the second PClinuxOS I tried and since it used gnome I was wondering how different it would be. Well it looked great,ran great, and only problem I had was wireless which was a quick fix. When Version 2009 comes out(official version) I am going to try it for sure.

OpenSuse 11: This is a decent distro,but I dislike how it is so bulky :/. It also seems to hate my wireless card no matter what I try =/.

Linux Mint 6:I find this distro to be Ubuntu done right.
It has great Mint tools,Codecs installed by default,decent themes and a great community. Only thing I would like to see change with this distro is more mint tools and an official 64bit version :D.

Ubuntu 8.10: A decent distro easy to use and just works. However the last three versions have been a bit buggy for me somehow someway..

Distro's I want to try soon:
PClinuxOS2009
Sabayon Linux
Dream Linux 3.5(when it reaches final)

[Sorivenul]

I've tried a lot, and the list keeps growing despite my best efforts to spend less time testing and more time being more productive on what I have.

Liked:
FreeBSD - I use this for almost everyting: most of my development work, a server, desktop work. It is stable, it is secure, it requires very little maintaining after setup, and in general I like the FreeBSD way. Also, the ports system makes me happy.

Ubuntu - When I'm not using FreeBSD, I'm on Ubuntu, doing many of the same things I do on FreeBSD, but also testing. The biggest pull for me regarding Ubuntu is the community, which is far and away the best of any system I've used.

Fedora - I applaud the work they do, and the devotion to incorporation/development of new technologies. While not my favorite system, I believe it has really come into its own in the past year and half.

Disliked:
Igelle (http://www.igelle.org/) - Try it for yourself. I stumbled upon this one by accident, and wished I hadn't.

gOS - For being Ubuntu-based, it sure is a departure, and not in a good way, IMO. I've tested each of their releases, and all have been full of bugs, and have been arguably more "bloated" and slow than anything else I've tested.

Sabayon - I like the idea, but don't like the implementation. While it was nice to have every application I would ever need available on the install media, even on the CD ISOs, it was too much, too gaudy, and ultimately not for me.

[SunnyRabbiera]

Distros I have liked:
Ubuntu: For community, and general ease of use
Linux Mint: For its tools and ease of use
Debian: the ol faithful of linux, for stability and reliability
Mepis Linux: for getting me started

Distros I sort of like:
Mandriva: easy to use, but terrible community
Fedora: Becomming a easy to use distro, but no where near as usable as a debian based system
DesktopBSD: lots of promise, but I dont think I can use it for everyday use just yet.
And yes I put a BSD here

Distros i dislike:
Opensuse
Yoper
Gentoo

[Dragonbite]

The KDE version of OpenSuSE doesn't have mono.
If you have Kerry search, that uses Mono's Beagle back-end and a KDE front-end.

That's the only Mono use in KDE I know of, the rest are GTK/Gnome based (Banshee, Tomboy, F-Spot, Beagle)

[directhex]

If you have Kerry search, that uses Mono's Beagle back-end and a KDE front-end.

That's the only Mono use in KDE I know of, the rest are GTK/Gnome based (Banshee, Tomboy, F-Spot, Beagle)

Decent Qt/KDE bindings for Mono have only VERY recently appeared - Intrepid will have them available if you want them

[Dragonbite]

Decent Qt/KDE bindings for Mono have only VERY recently appeared - Intrepid will have them available if you want them

I just wish there was something better than Monodevelop available in KDE. That would make some decisions a lot easier.

[fistfullofroses]

On the non-GNU side of things I really enjoyed:

OS/2
DOS + Win3.11/DOSHELL
WinNT
Windows 7
NetBSD
Solaris
Minix3

On the GNU side of things:

OpenSolaris
GoboLinux
Slackware
Debian/*buntu*
Mandrake (before Mandriva)
Arch
SuSE (before OpenSUSE)
Gentoo/Sabayon
Draco
OpenDarwin

[directhex]

I just wish there was something better than Monodevelop available in KDE. That would make some decisions a lot easier.

Well, there's a project for you to work on - port Monodevelop to Qyoto. It's fairly modular, so it's "just" the GUI code that needs replacing

[nitehawk777]

@fistfullofroses............

DOS + Win3.11/DOSHELL....

wow,..you brought back some happy memories there,.....

[SomeGuyDude]

Yikes. Um... stuff I used to use:

Windows - Just got tired of paying for a new version of the OS, plus paying for really simple software. Apparently people think that an app that converts audio formats is worth spending $30 on? Please.

Ubuntu - All around best Linux, IMO. Just worked, excellent community, full repos, the works. Plus the fact that I can have it up and running in less than 30 minutes is great.

OpenSUSE - To me the most professional looking distro. Something about the splash screen, I dunno. Excellent KDE3.5 distro. Not big on the RPMs, however.

Fedora - Couldn't quite get it working. Had to do too much tweaking for too many settings.

Xandros - Ew.

Zenwalk - Fun, but just didn't feel right. Great XFCE system, Slackware based.

Sabayon - MOLASSES. I have never used a Linux distro that ran so slowly. Everything took forever to load, I was amazed.

Mandriva - Awesome in general. A little plastic-y looking, but overall snappy and responsive. My installation borked every time I tried to log out. Otherwise I might have kept it.

MEPIS - I don't remember this one, just that I tried it and wasn't impressed.

Mint - Ubuntu with some extras that take 10 minutes to install.

DreamLinux - At the time this one wasn't quite finished, but it showed immense promise. VERY glossy, almost too much. Felt like a toy. Still, super nifty dock and light on the resources.

PCLinuxOS - I felt compelled because for a while PCLOS was dominating DistroWatch. Didn't see the hype.

Now I use...

Arch - Beautiful distro. Build it yourself, put on what you want. My normal pattern with any OS is "install, customize, remove all the extra crap". Arch eliminates that last step. Not a great community, but there's plenty of info around.

[b3n0]

A few mentions for Arch Linux...
Once I get a little more confident I the Linux environment I will give it a go.

Walk before you run...

[Ripfox]

Better question is which ones I have not tried :)

[Dragonbite]

Better question is which ones I have not tried :)

Ok, which ones?

:lolflag:

[Dragonbite]

Well, there's a project for you to work on - port Monodevelop to Qyoto. It's fairly modular, so it's "just" the GUI code that needs replacing

On a similar note, though not exactly the same, there is a project called KBasic (http://www.kbasic.com) which is supposed to work with VB.NET. If they could set it up to work with Mono I think that could be a winner.