Take the Linux Tech Survey (Podcast #3)

[RobinC@Amethyst]

Upcoming in Podcast #3, we've picked up the Linux Tech Survey which is on YouTube ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqoEHgITqQw)).

Posted by Waqar M, alias "knowmorecomp", it's a short set of questions to elicit our user stories on how we came to Linux and what we think of it.

Give it a go and perhaps we could use yours in the form of a proper article for the My Story column in the magazine!

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
What was the first Linux distro you used?
How was your first time Linux experience?
Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
What Linux desktop environment do you like?
Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

[ronniet]

Upcoming in Podcast #3, we've picked up the Linux Tech Survey which is on YouTube ((http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqoEHgITqQw)).

Posted by Waqar M, alias "knowmorecomp", it's a short set of questions to elicit our user stories on how we came to Linux and what we think of it.

Give it a go and perhaps we could use yours in the form of a proper article for the My Story column in the magazine!


OK, I'll go first then...

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
Don't know the year, but it was way back when Mandrake and RedHat ruled the roost.
Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
I've used Ubuntu for the best part of four years now.
What was the first Linux distro you used?
I think RedHat was the first one I used.
How was your first time Linux experience?
God awful. It was back when you had to mount a floppy disk before using it then unmounting it before ejecting the disk, otherwise it was goodbye data.
Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
Absolutely. I use Ubuntu 100%. Haven't used Windows since XP.
What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Got to be Ubuntu!
What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
Not used KDE since they released 4.0, but I'd recommend Kubuntu.
What Linux desktop environment do you like?
Gnome
Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
C. Both
what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
It gives me security, first and foremost, but also regular updates, bleeding edge software, and no need to upgrade like certain other OS's.
What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
Most well used are Thunderbird, Firefox and GIMP, followed by Scribus, OpenOffice, Amarok and K3B.
What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
The upgrade facility seems to download far too much (1GB for an upgrade?!) but my main gripe is a lack of codecs on installation. I shouldn't have to explain open-source, or legalities, to people who can't play a DVD! Have a check box on install to accept/decline codecs!
If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
Already there...

[lswest]

I guess I'll take it second then :P

1. When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?

A: I heard of it in...2001? I was around the age of 9 or 10. Roughly around that time, I ran across some application that was also (or only?) available for Linux, and so I figured out what exactly that was (I dislike not knowing stuff, so I often spend time figuring it out).

2. Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?

A: I did try it once or twice about 7-8 years ago, but never really stuck with it. So I guess that means I started using Linux properly about 4-5 years ago, still using it up until today. I probably will continue to use it in the future.

3. What was the first Linux distro you used?

A: Ubuntu on the laptop of a friend of mine, which led to me installing it on my PC, and so forth. I actually "first" used Debian and FreeBSD in a virtual machine. I will happily admit that I had no idea what I was doing during either install procedure and put no real effort in learning it afterwards, so I count Ubuntu on my friend's laptop as my first experience. We were practically sharing his laptop during 9th grade.

4. How was your first time Linux experience?

A: Absolutely horrible. I had this wireless dongle from netgear that was only supported by ndiswrapper, and it was a challenge to get working. But I did learn a lot during that time. I also had issues with my ATI graphics card not being supported, so I was stuck in a CLI screen for a month until the drivers were updated. I did learn a lot during that month though, so I'm grateful for it. It's helped me reach the level of comfortability I have with Linux these days.

5. Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?

A: Most definitely. The only two aspects I'm unsure about would be: games, and banking programs (something like Quicken). Seeing as I never bothered to look for banking applications, I have no idea there. As for games...Wine does work, yes, but it's a pain every time I've used it. I usually recommend dual-booting for any gamer I know. Besides that, Linux is great for the rest of the "normal" uses (my mother actually uses Ubuntu for most daily activities).

6. What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?

A: Ubuntu or Debian. However, I no longer really use Gnome, and stick with openbox instead, meaning my favourite Gnome distro isn't necessarily my all-time favourite.

7. What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?

A: Backtrack. I like it because of the features it offers, not the DE. I actually hate working in a KDE environment, it just...doesn't mesh well with my work ethics.

8. What Linux desktop environment do you like?

A: If you're excluding standalone Window Managers, then I'd have to say Gnome. If you include Window Managers, than OpenBox or AwesomeWM.

9. Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both

A: Linux is for anyone who is willing to learn something new. It might not be easy going at first, but everyone starts from 0, and anyone can learn.

10. what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?

A: My favourite aspect is really the amount of control I have over the system, as well as the stability/security. I also like the repo system Linux has that makes keeping a system up-to-date extremely painless, leaving more time for coding or fixing problems. Also, automating stuff is a breeze in Linux, which is always nice.

11. What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?

A: MPD, Irssi, urxvt, ncmpcpp, vim/gedit, netcfg, and a large number of other programs I use daily. Those listed top the list though.

12. What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?

A: Compositing inside Window Managers such as openbox. I know xcompmgr exists, but it doesn't cut it for more modern systems in some cases, and I'm actually toying with the idea of trying to code a replacement for it, simply because I am tired of static on refreshes on my laptop. I'd also like to see some improvements on drivers and their availability. It's definitely improved in the last few years, and I hope to see it improve a bit more in the next while. Also, I'd love to see more big companies release software/games/drivers for Linux. Oh, and power management could improve a bit on laptops.

13. If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

A: I already use it as a primary OS on two of my 3 computers, the third one is only limited due to the fact that my choice of WM and compositing causes issues, and I haven't yet fixed it. Once I find a solution (or get around to switching to compiz-fusion standalone), ArchLinux will be the primary OS I use on this laptop as well. (I prefer Arch over Ubuntu, on all my machines).

Lucas Westermann (lswest)
Author of FCM's Command & Conquer

[linuxgeekery]

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?

I don't even remember! 2003, I think?

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?

Yes; main desktop OS until I got an Apple laptop. I still use it in virtualization.

What was the first Linux distro you used?

The slackware-based liveCD "Slax", and then Ubuntu 5.10.

How was your first time Linux experience?

It was a bit rough back then, but liveCDs were magical.

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?

Unless you're a heavy media creator or a gamer (and that gap is closing!), yes.

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?

Ubuntu; it just works.

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?

Slax; it's an awesome liveCD that fits a full KDE installation into a few hundred MB and comes with an awesome extension format.

What Linux desktop environment do you like?

Gnome and XFCE

Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both

C

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's don't?

The openness and the ability to just do anything you want with it.

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?

VLC, Firefox, and all of the myriad little but helpful command line utilities whose name I can never remember.

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?

Still, graphics card support and gaming. I can run Steam in Wine, but it's still not quite the real thing. In addition, improvements to GIMP and the like; the one thing Linux is lacking is a consumer-level content creation suite (a la Apple's iLife, etc)

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

No, but that's because my CD drive is broken. :KS

[mrmonday]

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
I'm not entirely sure... 2005, 2006 maybe?
Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
Yes I have, and since I discovered it
What was the first Linux distro you used?
Ubuntu 6.10 Edgy Eft beta, I figured I didn't want to have to upgrade a month after install and I couldn't wait until edgy was out :)
How was your first time Linux experience?
Had to dive in at the command line pretty much straight away to get wireless working, had to mess around with getting proprietary drivers for my video card and editing xorg.conf manually... those were the days ;)
Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
No. An average computing task for most people I know includes gaming, where linux just doesn't cut it.
What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Ubuntu, purely because it's the only one I've really used for gnome.
What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
I don't have one, I've only used Kubuntu for KDE and my experience wasn't too good for it (I installed along side gnome back when they didn't play nicely together, I don't know if the situation has changed since)
What Linux desktop environment do you like?
AwesomeWM. It's not a full desktop environment, just a window manager... but why on earth would you want a desktop environment when you don't use half the apps included with it, which you can't get rid of?
Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
I wouldn't care to classify. It works for some pro's, not all, it works for some noobs, not all... You can't really say.
what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
The GNU toolchain by default, a nice command line to play with, customisability, and a big list of other things I can't be bothered to type up :P
What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
Chrome, Pidgin, Zsh, <Huge list of CLI tools here>.
What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
Wireless support... All these proprietary drivers need reverse engineering and having an open source implementation added to the kernel, I've yet to have wireless work OOTB on any linux distro, I've always needed to hit the command line and set it up manually.
If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
I already do :) Having them fixed would just be a nice bonus

[gordintoronto]

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
More than 10 years ago.

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
Yes, my primary OS for 2.5 years.

What was the first Linux distro you used?
Debian, but just for fooling around.

How was your first time Linux experience?
"That's interesting, but I don't see how it's relevant to me."

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
No. Well, the daily stuff is OK, it's the exceptions that get you. Last year I bought a Brother networked laser printer. To use it in Linux, you need to set the printer to have a static IP address -- which is a piece of cake in the Windows-based Brother setup program. (The printer works great, and the "ink" doesn't dry out if I don't print anything for a couple of months.)

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Linux Mint, everything works out of the box.

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
KDE is by definition not a favorite.

What Linux desktop environment do you like?
Gnome

Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
Both, as long as the noob can handle the forums.

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's don't?
It stays fast, even though I have added and removed dozens of programs. It stays secure. It is not subject to change whose sole purpose is to get revenue from upgrades.

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
Cinelerra! GIMP, Open Office, Skype, Firefox, Evolution, VLC, Audacious, Miro.

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
Much broader support for wireless cards, support for the sensors in my AMD Phenom II processor. An MSN client which does videoconferencing. My wife won't use it until it has QQ. (I consider QQ to be a virus...)

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
Too late, it is definitely my primary OS.

[dagdeniz]

Absolute Noob's answers to the survey:

1. When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
It should be 2000, the year when I first used a computer - MS DOS/Windows course at university.

2. Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
I installed Linux many times but have not really used it for more than two weeks (until now :D, still I can't say I know anything more than "sudo apt-get install")

3. What was the first Linux distro you used?
Not sure... Knoppix... Yes, Knoppix...

4. How was your first time Linux experience?
"Damn! How am I supposed to copy-paste this file?!"

5. Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
Most average users play games, and they play games they've seen elsewhere. So, as long as the emulators work fine, the above sentence is true. (btw, yes, gaming is not a "task". For the "tasks", Linux is efficient)

6. What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
I don't know, but it's not Ubuntu Karmic. That 800x600 res. which I couldn't get rid of with those gigantic icons and those gigantic menus bigger than the screens itself. It was a disaster for me. OpenSuse was good as far as I remember (from the two-days experience without using the console at all)

7. What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
I don't know the others so much but Kubuntu is not bad.

8. What Linux desktop environment do you like?
KDE. The only reason is appearance (my only criterion was appearance because I had to learn everything from scratch whichever I chose).

9. Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
It depends on where you stand. If my sister pays 30 liras (20 $) for an xp installation plus some games and music and tools like office, antivirus, nero, etc., and tells me my computer (xp) is too complicated because it's default browser is firefox instead of iexplorer 5.0, even the easiest linux is definitely for pros (it's not only my sister, they are 90%). However, with 20 commands in your mind, many distros can be easy desktop systems.

10. what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
I'll not say "freedom", it's important, but not the most important element. It's (mostly) non-commercial (free as in free beer:D). It' much more leftist in spirit, everything is accomplished via mutual aid. (I have made some translations for some similar projects before).

11. What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
Ummmm... I think the cross-platform applications (firefox and OOo writer). I need much more time to love linux-specific applications more than the ones I know well.

12. What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
The right click menus maybe? Some more functions (in dolphin/nautilus) would be fine for the desktop user/absolute beginner. Graphic card support, I don't install the drivers because whenever I install them, everything's messed up; I think I'm not the only one who has problems with the drivers. Another issue, not about improvement but about difference, is the package management. As long as you have an internet connection, the package managers offer the applications you need in an easier way than Windows but if a noob does not have an internet connection, a .tar.gz file with some missing dependency is nothing but a nightmare. I have used .deb files one or two times, they worked, but I count myself lucky for those instances. In fact, I love exe :(

13. If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
I'm already trying to switch...

[pdw]

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
About 2000, but I was still a (Windows) gamer back then.
Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
Yes, ever since 2004.
What was the first Linux distro you used?
Slackware
How was your first time Linux experience?
Great! Learnt a lot (not just linux, but OS/Computers/HW in general) and had much fun during. Of course it wasn't without those "to hell with it" moments.
Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
For the average _desktop_ user, yes.
What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Ubuntu. For one: I haven't used anything else with a default DE, two: it just works.
What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
N/A, see above.
What Linux desktop environment do you like?
GNOME
Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
Pros
What are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
CLI goodness, huge selection of applications, customization.
What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
mc, rtorrent, moc
What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
Reworked/modernized X.org, unified audio userspace subsystem amongst major distros, more tested/optimized kernel versions vs new features added/rate of new kernels.
If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
N/A

[gnomeuser]

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?

A friend of mine bought a little booklet with Red Hat 5.2 on it, installed it and told me about this great new powerful system.

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?

Yes, I have used various versions of Linux as well as FreeBSD for 10 years.

What was the first Linux distro you used?

Red Hat 5.2

How was your first time Linux experience?

Not that overwhelming. I used Linux back before pretty GUIs really existed and one of the first tasks I had to perform was a kernel compililation.

I quickly lost interest in anything but xeyes to be honest but then Mandrake (now Mandriva) released their legendary 7.0 version. The first Linux to come with an easy GUI installer and it setup a usable desktop. It was great and I started spending more and more time on Linux. Eventually one day the Windows partition and the Mandrake partition got replaced with one Debian partition.

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?

We cover every area with considerable margin, I do wish DVD playback was better in GStreamer but being a legally iffy area to work in, getting a solution has taken far to long.

I would judge that most people who use computers without specialized requirements. Gamers still have a hard time here but the platform is improving rapidly now as it the market for games on Linux. However your average user should be not only just fine but a compelling and attractive solution, possibly with the exception of users of certain netbanking solutions such as the one my bank uses.

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?

Ubuntu, as a distro it provides the most thought through solution and focuses on some real incremental improvements.

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?

I don't use KDE, haven't since the early 3.x days. I do hear good things about the openSUSE KDE experience and I know the Kubuntu does some really hard work to deliver a good experience for those users.

What Linux desktop environment do you like?

GNOME, though lately I have been thinking a lot about the desktop and have some ungnomy ideas I hope will catch on.

Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both

Linux is for everyone. Literally anyone from Grandma to the embedded device makers for things such as TVs over phone manifacturers. It scales infinitely which is what makes it so great.

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?

Openness, direct access and interaction with developers, the ability to contribute. A community, a family, friends.

Also a series of kickass applications such as Banshee and Tomboy.

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?

Tomboy and Banshee, two of the applications that changed my life.

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?

I would like move applications to be storage agnostic, so that e.g. Banshee could happily live with not knowing where media files are and just deal with handling them. This would allow so many things I crave and that would boost Linux greatly.

Secondly I would like to see the GStreamer DVD capabilities be brought up to scratch. I really want to have an easy way to archieve my DVDs and to be able to play DVDs in the standard shipped tools. GStreamer is a great tool to do this with but the legal problems working in that area makes it hard for companies to invest work in that area so it falls upon us.

I would love a Tomboy plugin to post on my blog (bonus points for a solution that stores the blog information shared with the session preferences and keeps account data in the keyring)

I would love to see us embrace Mono and Moonlight, they are fantastic technologies. Any doubters are free to run off and work on their own thing. However there are real benefits to be had from the technology and the applications they let us produce are really visually stunning and highly capable. I would go so far as to say we should examine a long term switch to a managed kernel such as SharpOS produces. There are real securiy and stability to be added but it is going to be a really long term project.

I would love to see downloads handled as a service. An application should just request a file over dbus and not care about protocols. The service should handle and manage all your downloads in one place. I am rather disappointed nobody has really attempted to attack this problem.

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

I would switch now, having these solved would really just add some nice bonuses that other platforms certainly don't provide.

[D1Knight]

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
It was about 1998.

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
Yes. Since 7/2008.

What was the first Linux distro you used?
Ubuntu 8.04.1 Hardy Heron.

How was your first time Linux experience?
As a noob computer user coming from Windows XP, my windows experience was becoming more and more negative, hence the search for something else. I tried Ubuntu first (I heard the name on some forum in the past.), to see what it was about. AFAIK, a firewall was critical to have working proper. I tried setting up Firestarter (My noob choice at the time.)on Ubuntu 8.04.1 I could not get the Firestarter firewall to lock correctly, it was buggy. Since I was aware that a firewall is important, it was time for me to look for a different Distribution. To Firestarter's credit, I did really like the ability it had to visually monitor in/out connections with IP addresses (I would like to find a tool, now that has this ability).

Then I tried Fedora 9 (I really, really wanted this one to work for me.) Fedora 9 for me was not very new user friendly: lots of breakage, not so much for "out of the box" working tools-touchpad setup was annoying. Now to be fair, I really like Fedora 9's firewall setup-easy and it worked proper.

The "3rd times a charm" was Mandriva (forgot which number for 2008 ). For me Mandriva at that time everything seemed to work very well, only thing was when enabling a "unofficial" repository, sometimes conflicted with "official" repository. Wow, this getting long-"Wrap it up" I tried Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex, about 2 months after release, pretty much been with Ubuntu since. Whew.:)

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
Now, yes. Although, I hear and read "the gaming issue" comes up a lot. For me the gaming is sufficient. Suggestion, get more manufacturers to make a Linux version of the same game. I for one, would be happier to dish out some bones for a game for Linux Vs. Windows. :)It personally, takes a lot to interest me in a game. I would say on average per year 2 new games (max 4) interest me, in considering making a purchase.

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Ubuntu, of course a close 2nd is Ultimate Edition. Why? Mostly everthing works "out of the box", no jumping through hoops. No Bloat. Easy to add what you like, easy to remove what you don't. Easy to customize. Linux in general: nearly no viruses, no spyware or no other malware. "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery", how many time Disto X is based on Debian or Ubuntu. Another big one: rare breakage.:)

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
Linux Mint, beacuse it is very polished. Also Mandriva, because they implement a lot of what people request, like customizing start menu and more. Kubuntu is really good, needs work though: fine tune to not be a resource hog. The current beta of Kubuntu 10.04, even though it's a beta, there are too many zombies.:)

What Linux desktop environment do you like?
GNOME is 1st. KDE is a close 2nd, then Enlightenment, then LXDE or OpenBox, last Xfce.

Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
Both. Caveat: some patience and willing to learn a different OS.

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
Community, Openness, good help, much choice and better security.

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
VLC, Chromium Browser, gedit,terminal/Guake, Gnote, Rythmbox, exaile,Xiphos, Gtkhash,Gimp, Mirage, Gthumb, Thunderbird, Pidgin, Sunbird, OpenOffice,K3B, Esperanza, MiniTube, Arista, OggConvert, BleachBit, Htop and I could go on.:)

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
As mentioned before (more so for others) retail games also available on Linux OS. OpenOffice: keep improving to go past MS Office. A photoshop killer proggie. More themes in repositories. SongBird secure for Ubuntu? More Ogg and Flac files available on the new music store 7Digital (so far so good). A good tool to visually monitor internet connections: who with IP addresses.

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
For me, I already am. For others, I am sure this would help to win over, other people that are looking for a new OS.:)

Thanks to everyone, for allowing me to share MHO and thoughts.:)

[Whitby]

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY
When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?

Back in 1997, I guy I worked with had Red Hat on a mountain of floppies. Never actually got it going, but was interested that it existed. I'd used Unix for a number of years at work.

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?

At home, full time since May 2007.

What was the first Linux distro you used?

PClinuxOS 2007.

How was your first time Linux experience?

Actually very good. I set PCLOS up as dual-boot with Windows on my laptop, then after about a month, realised I'd used Linux for everything, and Windows hadn't been started in that time.

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?

It does for me. Mind you, I'm not a gamer, and never have been.

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?

Ubuntu. It seems to be a very easy to use implementation.

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?

Still PCLinuxOS - it just seems to be more efficient and use less resources than other KDE implementations.

What Linux desktop environment do you like?

Probably Gnome. I'm still trying to get used to KDE4. For a lightweight implementation, I've also used Xfce and quite like it too.

Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both

c. Both. With modern Linux distributions, you can be as geeky as you want, or not if you don't want.

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?

Well, it doesn't give me viruses, spyware, updates that continually require reboots, etc. It doesn't take ages to start up and shut down, doesn't need endless maintenance for scanning, defragging, etc. I just get to use the computer.

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?

Totem, VLC, Firefox, Chromium, Audacity, K3B, Amarok, etc.

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?

My biggest disappointment has been the level of regression introduced with some new releases. I know that testing and fixing bugs is boring compared to introducing cool new features, but it is annoying to find that the flashy new version is broken in some fairly obvious ways. I would like to see the underlying stability have more priority. It's hard to encourage someone to use something, and then have to explain to them that 'xyz' feature is broken, but hopefully it'll be fixed again soon.

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

I already do, and that's not likely to change.

__________________

[Jeff Anthony]

When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux

1996-1997

Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?

Yes, about 1.5 years

What was the first Linux distro you used?

Suse

How was your first time Linux experience?

Lost

Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?

Absolutely

What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?

Ubuntu, because it just works!

What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?

Only tried kubuntu, not long enough to have an impression

What Linux desktop environment do you like?



Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both

c. both

what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?

Peace of mind

What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?

The Gimp, VirtualBox, Compiz

What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?

Reverse VNC for accessing windows machines behind firewall/router
Better gaming (Everquest) compatibility
Easier to create custom LiveCD

If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?

Already is but it's run in a seamless virtual on Windows so I can run crossloop and the silverlight facebook client

[Ichido]

1. When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
1990?
2. Do you or have you ever used Linux?
Yes
If yes, for how long?
15 years now.
3. What was the first Linux distro you used?
Linspire
4. How was your first time Linux experience?
Very Good.
5. Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
Yes.
6. What's your favorite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Ubuntu. Dell sells Laptops with it Installed, It works Great and it doesn't Look like Window$.
7. What's your favorite KDE Linux distro and why?
Puppy. It's Small & Fast.
8. What Linux desktop environment do you like?
Gnome.
9. Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
C.Both.
10. what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's don't?
Free Software (but I do Donate) Freedom from Malware, No defraging, Multi-O.S. on same machine and it's just Cool!
11. What is/are some of your favorite Linux application(s)?
The ones I use daily are; Bible Times, Gimp, QCad, OpenOffice, Firefox & Inkscape.
12. What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
'Native' (built in) W.I.N.E. support, Commercials on TV promoting Ubuntu that would be paid for by Donations!
13. If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
I'm an "Ubuntu for Life User"!

[BlackRetina]

THE LINUX TECH SURVEY

1. When was the first time you actually heard of this thing called Linux?
I believe I first heard of Linux in 2008 through its association with PS3 as a secondary OS.

2. Do you or have you ever used Linux? If yes, for how long?
I've used Linux since late 2009/early 2010. I would've been 16.

3. What was the first Linux distro you used?
Ubuntu 9.10

4. How was your first time Linux experience?
I didn't really savour my first Linux experience. I had recently bought a new computer and Windows 7, so I thought I'd update my family's computer operating system from XP. I just knew that Linux was free and could run on PS3s. I at first got lost in the distro world but eventually settled on Ubuntu, a seemingly mainstream Linux Distribution. I installed Ubuntu 9.10 through Wubi and never got much further in testing it than finding out where the applications are accessed and seeing that it connected to the Web through Firefox.

5. Do you agree that Linux can efficiently do all the daily computing tasks that an average user would do?
If the drivers are available for the hardware used, then I believe GNU+Linux should satisfy the average users daily computing tasks.

6. What's your favourite Gnome Linux distro and why?
Ubuntu Lucid Lynx - it's the most current supported Ubuntu Distro and I have not yet tried anything but *buntu distros.

7. What's your favourite KDE Linux distro and why?
Kubuntu Lucid Lynx wins by default, being the only KDE Linux Distro I've so far tried.

8. What Linux desktop environment do you like?
I prefer Gnome over KDE at the moment, but I try to shift the focus of my computing to the command line as much as possible and so Gnome's design philosophy works much more for me. I have yet to try anything other than Gnome and KDE.

9. Linux is for a. Pros b. Noobs c. Both
While I believe it's debatable that Linux favours Pros over Noobs, it's certainly an OS for everyone. C. Both.

10. what are some of the things that Linux gives you that other OS's dont?
Great Community. Great Documentation. Great Software Licenses. Great Software.

11. What is/are some of your favourite Linux application(s)?
I enjoy Rhythmbox's extensibility and default functionality. Transmission's great for its simplicity. Disk Usage Analzyer is pretty nifty too, and gives me plenty of reason to run the X Window System.

12. What are some of the things you would like to see improved in Linux?
Sorry for the intense unoriginality, but I'd like to see better hardware drivers for Linux in the future.

13. If those things are fixed, would you switch to Linux (assuming you don't use Linux as your primary OS)?
GNU+Linux is my primary OS at the moment. I almost never boot into any other Operating System. I'm very happy using GNU+Linux as my Operating System of choice and I believe it is very far ahead of the competition (although I have yet to try BSD). I use the word 'competition' here loosely.