When did you first hear of Linux, and what distro did you first install?

[debiansu]

When did you first hear of GNU+Linux, and what distro did you first install, and on what hardware? :)

Personally, I was given Suse GNU+Linux 8.1 CDs (proper, pressed CDs) by my kind Uncle, who was the person who introduced me to this wonderful OS world :D

Discuss.

[wojox]

I've heard of Linux being a former Windows Power User. Two years ago this April first I installed Ubuntu 8.10. It had such a good write up on DistroWatch and being number one I figured I would give it a shot.

I've been a distroholic since. Ubuntu, Fedora/CentOS, and Arch. Deb's, Rpm's and tarballs. I figure I have all the bases covered now. :P

[Timmer1240]

I used Ubuntu Karmic for a year first heard about Linux about 5 or 6 years back tryed Knoppix Linspire and all the live cds coming out back then.Right now Im running Linux Mint Debian addition and really liking it so far been a few months with it having a blast I really liked Ubuntu as well but wanted to try this for a while and its working out great.Like you Im sure glad Ive found this wonderful free alternative to Windows.

[blah...]

Back in 2009, while I was reading about the ability of the PS3 to use a different OS. I was fascinated about the idea, and so installed Yellow Dog Linux on it, later Ubuntu. Was pretty slow, so after awhile ditched it and forgot about Linux till a few months later when my old Vista laptop was giving me trouble and I remembered about Ubuntu, and here I am 2 years later, and loving it :D

[steveneddy]

Knoppix back in '03 or '04 - it wasn't long after that time that I "discovered" Ubuntu.

I've been on Ubuntu ever since.

[numinous]

.

[hai2lp]

I prefer to choose Linux Mint instead of Ubuntu , Mint starts with some essential package, which ubuntu don't ,
Flash , audio / video codecs, and some more is installed, so don't bother you to do some apt-get ,

But for server i always use RHEL , which is centos still valuable

[debiansu]

Debian ftw :D

[bfc]

First heard of Linux in 1994 while in University.

First tired Linux in 1996, Redhat 3.0.3 I think, quickly went back to using OS/2.

Switched from OS/2 to Redhat 4.2 in 1997.

Used Linux as my primary OS from 1997 to 2008.

In 2008 took a walk on the Darkside (switched to OSX).

2011, back to Linux.

[NightwishFan]

I was first recommended OpenSUSE back in late 2006 early 2007. I installed Ubuntu Gutsy first though. I went to SUSE soon after but returned to Ubuntu and Debian nearly full time since then. I am a relative nooby but I make up for by using Linux full time. :)

Op glossywhite?

[msandoy]

Well, I first heard of Linux in the late 90's, but my first install was Mandrake 8.2 on an AMD K6-III 450. With a 3dfx voodoo 5 5500 gfx card. Found Ubuntu on release 5.10, and have stuck with Ubuntu since.

[emanuel.landeholm]

My first Linux log in was from a terminal in 1992 or 1993. I bought my first PC in 1998 and I installed Red Hat 5.something on it. Since then I've tried debian, fedora, gentoo (love/hate relationship!) and ubuntu.

[wizard10000]

Yggdrasil, way back in 1994. Got the CD in the back of a Linux book :)

Hardware? AMD 133MHz 486 overclocked to 160MHz. The machine had a VESA bus and ran a little bit better than my friend's brand new and very expensive 75MHz Pentium, which irritated him to no end.

After that? RedHat, then a few Fedora releases, then CentOS, Debian, Ubuntu and finally Kubuntu.

[3Miro]

In 2000 the University that I enrolled in had an entire Linux lap using Red Had (I don't know the number). At that time Red Had was still free as in beer.

In 2001 I installed Mandrake 5.0 as a "friendlier" version of Red Hat.

[Spice Weasel]

SUSE in 2006. I think.

[coffee412]

My Gosh, I think I was back in the middle to late 90s that I tried Debian or slackware to run a 3 line bbs. I was looking for something that would multitask "VirtualNET" BBS software. Didnt quite understand it then and moved over to Redhat 4.01. Used Redhat for a long time. I even have a boxed edition that Redhat put out in the stores - Redhat 6.0. Hey, Maybe it will turn into a collectors item soon!!

Now I dual boot Fedora 13 and Ubuntu as alot of my clients are setup on Ubuntu.

Nothing beats linux as far as Im concerned. All my computers run it.

1. Mythtv box in den for my shows running fedora.
2. Fileserver/webserver (raid5) in basement running fedora.
3. Surfing box (mine) running Fedora.
4. Surfing box (hers) running Ubuntu.
5. Laptop for travel running Ubuntu.

:D:D:D:D:D:D

Linux Rocks!@

[amauk]

Used to subscribe to a computing magazine, and in 1998 or so they included Corel Linux on their cover disk

Loaded it, liked it, used it

[Wild_Duck66]

When Amiga Format ceased publication I was sent Linux Format with a free CD on the front. So I purchased a PC to try it out and found a Mandrake 6.5 boxset. After that I was buying the Mandrake Power Packs and the Suse Professional boxes in between.

[ratcat]

Red Hat 7 box set, about 1998 or so. With a Pentium 2, 350, runs good to this day. A question for today. Ubuntu 10.10 writing on now , will Unity auto - update or will I have a choice?

[petah56]

I first heard of linux when I was only five years old (2000) from my uncle who is a programmer.
our first home PC became my tinker toy when I was around seven. Then when I was ten I started using the 1st version of kubuntu (as recommended by my uncle, as I was only ten)

[Sean Moran]

When did you first hear of Linux, and what distro did you first install, and on what hardware? :)

Personally, I was given Suse Linux 8.1 CDs (proper, pressed CDs) by my kind Uncle, who was the person who introduced me to this wonderful OS world :D

Discuss.
Not long after getting online, back in around August 1998. First I tried to download Slackware, but I wasn't up to it. Then I bought a magazine for $15 with the CDs for RedHat 6.1. That was the beginning. Nothing much changed until I managed a successful download of Ubuntu on a Saturday morning in April 2009. If I remember, that Saturday as either the 3rd or the 5th of April. I'd have to check the calendar to be precise after all this time. ***

Redhat 6.1 was my first successful Linux dizzy, and Mandrake 10 was a nice offline desktop, but Ubuntu was what let me make the move to Linux on my online desktop. Better late than never. Thanks Ubuntu.

*** 4th of April was the particular Saturday in 2009 apparently.

[aG93IGRvIGkgdWJ1bnR1Pw==]

1996, the company I was working for at the time got new servers and switched from AIX to Red Hat. My first install was a few years later, when I first got my own PC, and it was Debian GNU/Linux.

[malspa]

I first heard of Linux in late 2004.

The first install I tried was Linspire, in a dual-boot set-up with Windows XP, but I quickly switched that to a Mepis/XP dual-boot.

[throese]

July 17th, 2010. My friend Sam suggested I DL Ubuntu and try it side-by-side with Windows for a bit or try Wubi. Wubi gave me probs so I dual-booted with Win 7, but now I'm using Ubuntu 10.04 LTS with NO problems at all, aside from trying to fix Skype, but otherwise I love it and my setup. Only use Windows at school and through Oracle Virtualbox for web development purposes.

I love Linux and it's whole idea/theme of FOSS and FLOSS. =)

[aG93IGRvIGkgdWJ1bnR1Pw==]

Aye, flossing is good for you.

(This message brought to you by the department of redundancy department)

[asifnaz]

I read about about Linux in 2000 in my college text book . Never thought about it until 2010 when I requested an Ubuntu CD and I really wondered they actually sent me .

It was 10.04 when I dual boot it with XP I absolutely hated it and said to myself what a waste of time .

But slowly as I started understanding philosophy behind it I started liking it . Now I have suggested Ubuntu to many of my F&F .

I use 10.10 on my main PC and Debian 6 on my old laptop