any advantage to running other than Ubuntu?

[sdowney717]

Really, I was just wondering. I used to tri boot Fedora with Ubuntu and FreeBSD. But Ubuntu just worked the best and that is all I use now. I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.

[fwojciec]

Different distributions are guided by different design philosophies and cater to the needs of different kinds of users. If you want a distribution that auto-configures stuff for you then Ubuntu is as good as anything out there -- as long as it is working correctly on your hardware of course. If you want a more hands on approach and you like tinkering with operating systems other distributions, like Gentoo, Arch or Slackware, might be a better choice.

[z0mbie]

You can try out Kubuntu for KDE4 or try Xubuntu for speed comparison. Other distros you can try is Mint, it's Ubuntu based, but I think they spoon feed you a bit. There is probably nothing that beats a vanilla Ubuntu.

[stinger30au]

if oyu already have ubuntu installed, its running gnome.

if you want to try kde fireup shell and type in

sudo apt-get install kde

this will install the stable elease of kde 3.5 or kubuntu in other words

kde 4 is still in beta and wont be finished for some months yet

if you want to try out xubuntu or the xfce interface then fire up shell and type in

sudo apt-get install xfce

[Therion]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.
I do the occasional test-drive of some other distros but I never really wander too far. I'm no fan of KDE, so it's Gnome-flavored only, and nothing beats Synaptic (in my opinion) for package managment... So yeah, the list gets pretty short pretty quick.

Disto-hopping (or test-driving, really, in my case) satisfies my natural curiosity and tends to confirm (over and over and over again, actually) that, yes, Ubuntu really IS my Distro of Choice.

That being said... There are sooo many distros that just look soooo interesting that it's hard NOT to burn a LiveCD or two and give them a quick spin, just for fun. Case in Point: PCLOS Gnome is kinda piquing my interest at the moment.

[will1911a1]

Trying Arch was an advantage for me as it is a lot more stable on my machine than Ubuntu was.

[cardinals_fan]

SLAX is fast and stable. Check it out.

[jrusso2]

If your really happy with Ubuntu I don't see any reason to change.

If you wanted something thats easier to get up and running quicker, then you could try Mandriva or Linux Mint.

[benny bronx]

I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.

I also have PCLinuxOS on my comp just to have some variety. But one advantage, since I also use my computer for work, is that if something major happens to one distro, I have an immediate fall back until I have time to reinstall. This is solely a hypothetical for me, since it has never happened.

[sdowney717]

yes, i dont see any reason to change what works well. The other distros will have the same software packages.

What about a bootable OS on a flash drive, I always wanted to try that. Which distro would be best for that? I thought it would be neat to plug it into any computer and boot linux.

[digger95]

I started out on Ubuntu and have nothing bad to say about it. The reason I moved to Slackware and stayed there is for educational reasons. As a student I figure if I learn Slackware and learn it well I should be able to sit down at just about any Linux machine and find my way around. The fact that it is the most Unix-like distro was a compelling reason also, again for learning purposes. If I was just looking for a nice-looking functional desktop though and Ubuntu worked well for me then by all means I'd use it.

[cardinals_fan]

What about a bootable OS on a flash drive, I always wanted to try that. Which distro would be best for that? I thought it would be neat to plug it into any computer and boot linux.
I recommend SLAX (http://www.slax.org/). Be aware that not all computers can boot from USB.

[karellen]

yes, i dont see any reason to change what works well. The other distros will have the same software packages.

What about a bootable OS on a flash drive, I always wanted to try that. Which distro would be best for that? I thought it would be neat to plug it into any computer and boot linux.

a matter of personal taste. plus other distros may work better for you particular hardware than Ubuntu. that's the beauty of Linux - plenty of choices

[frenchn00b]

Really, I was just wondering. I used to tri boot Fedora with Ubuntu and FreeBSD. But Ubuntu just worked the best and that is all I use now. I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.

It's loosing time, ubuntu is good for people that come from windows. Once you know few commands, then one install fedora, slackware or Debian, nothing else ;)

[Barrucadu]

I just got bored of Ubuntu holding my hand, I wanted a challange. In conclusion, I am now running Arch and am constantly fiddling with it to make it faster.

[chucky chuckaluck]

ubuntu comes with a lot of stuff i don't need, want or like (compiz, gnome, evolution, etc.). i want only what i want on my machine. ubuntu isn't even close to that. not that it's bad, it just isn't right for me.

[kpkeerthi]

Really, I was just wondering. I used to tri boot Fedora with Ubuntu and FreeBSD. But Ubuntu just worked the best and that is all I use now. I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.
Glad I did it myself. Otherwise, I would have not found home in Archlinux.

[digger95]

Ubuntu is a wonderful gateway distro that's getting many MS-users through the Linux door. It should be applauded for that and I have much respect for it. Many people just stay with Ubuntu which is great. Others find their appetite whetted for more challenging distros. I would not be using Slackware right now if Ubuntu hadn't teased me away from Windows first. For which I am grateful. :)

[cardinals_fan]

ubuntu Comes With A Lot Of Stuff I Don't Need, Want Or Like (compiz, Gnome, Evolution, Etc.). I Want Only What I Want On My Machine. Ubuntu Isn't Even Close To That. Not That It's Bad, It Just Isn't Right For Me.
+1

[justin whitaker]

Really, I was just wondering. I used to tri boot Fedora with Ubuntu and FreeBSD. But Ubuntu just worked the best and that is all I use now. I was wondering if anyone knew of a compelling reason to try something else other than playing around with different os's.

Yes, I think there is. But you need to be thoughtful in what you use.

Strictly speaking, GNOME or KDE on any Linux or BSD offers pretty much the same user experience. The real difference is in how they do package management, what the overall philosophy is, etc.

If you are going to use another Linux, then try to get one of the Slackware variants (takes a different package management skillset) or one of the source distributions (Gentoo, SourceMage, Arch, etc.). All the Debian derived systems are more alike than dissimilar.

[Barrucadu]

one of the source distributions (Gentoo, SourceMage, Arch, etc.).

Arch is not source-based.

[wolfen69]

any advantage to running other than Ubuntu?
yes, because ubuntu doesnt run perfectly on every computer. use the right tool for the right job.

[Cap'n Skyler]

Trying Arch was an advantage for me as it is a lot more stable on my machine than Ubuntu was.

so how was arch then?:guitar: