Do you still distro-hop on a regular basis?

[wolfen69]

I used to all the time, but I guess I'm just getting lazy in my old age. Fedora and Ubuntu run so well for me that I really don't have a need to try anything else. But I do like to fire up vbox once in a while and try something different if I'm bored. You?
http://www.muylinux.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Linux-supercomputer.jpg
Linux Super Computer

[johnnybgoode83]

Nah, Ubuntu does everything I need it to so I don't see a need to try anything else

[ubupirate]

Not anymore I don't.

[Phrea]

No.

[fontis]

I used to distro-hop quite a bit back before Ubuntu. After Ubuntu those hops became gradually less, and since 9.04 I was just using Ubuntu. But now with 11.04, Unity and Gnome3. I found myself quite facepalmed.

I mean, right now I use Kubuntu on the odd occasion I boot into Linux, but I'm so used to the way Gnome 2 was, so it's still a bit of a change to adapt to it.

[viperdvman]

Lemme take a page from former US President Bill Clinton's book for a second. "Well that depends on your definitionof distro hopping"

1) By distro hopping, do you mean running multiple distros on the same comp and switching between them depending on your mood?
2) By distro hopping, do you mean using one distro, then switching to another one six months later?
3) By distro hopping, do you mean running your primary distro and experimenting with other distros on the side?

Well, I can answer all those questions:

1) No. Ubuntu 11.04 is my Linux distro that I dual-boot alongside Windows. And I run Ubuntu far more than I run Windows.
2) No. I've been using Ubuntu all year, and I don't see myself making a permanent move anywhere else, at least not until October 2012 when 11.04's service ends. But I don't mind running Unity in the least bit, so even then I could stick it out with Ubuntu for a good while. But who knows what the future will hold.
3) Yes. Ubuntu is my primary distro, but I do experiment with other distros as well. I even have a 3rd OS partition set aside on my desktop for running full installs of whatever distro I want to play around with. But that space is soon going to be filled with Ubuntu 11.10's stable release. I've played around with Linux Mint, Fedora, Mandriva, Fuduntu, Bodhi Linux, openSUSE, and a few other distros... most of them on LiveUSB. Only Linux Mint and Fedora have been installed on my desktop.

Whichever way you meant by distro hopping, I've answered them all. :)

[collisionystm]

I don't really hop distros. I hop window managers.

Like you, I prefer Fedora and Ubuntu.

I really love Fedora but I love how much development happens in Ubuntu. I keep looking for the perfect window manager for me, but have yet to find it. I hate xfce and lxde. KDE grabs my attention but there are little quirks about it that bother me. Unity isn't my thing just yet. I dont mind how it looks, I just dont like how the dock functions. I wish it was exactly like docky. You should be able to click on the icon to minimize and maximize your window. And the global menu bar should not 'auto-hide'.

[ilovelinux33467]

I used to but not now. Fedora does everything I want it to.

[sffvba[e0rt]

I have been able to stay on Ubuntu 11.04 for the last 3 weeks without installing something else... and luckily for me Oneiric is close :)


404

[el_koraco]

Not since I installed CrunchBang. But i didn't hop so much for fun, but due to not being satisfied with stuff.

[collisionystm]

Not since I installed CrunchBang. But i didn't hop so much for fun, but due to not being satisfied with stuff.

do you run openbox or xfce4

[el_koraco]

do you run openbox or xfce4

Scrtowm. You might be satisfied with Openbox if you're looking for a DE replacement, it's very personalizable.

[KiwiNZ]

I install new versions of Distros in my Sandpit(test arena) on a regular basis

[3Miro]

I was first Ubuntu only user, then I started changing the distros a lot, then I settled on using Gentoo on my desktops and Ubuntu or Debian on my laptops (depending on the hardware).

I still have several installations of other distros, but I only use them to see what's new, I don't use them as main systems.

[Old_Grey_Wolf]

I use several distros for various reasons; however, I don't really distro-hop.

I do try out new releases of those distros or other distros when I here about them, and I use Virtualbox or VMware for that.
We use a lot of GNU/Linux where I work; therefore, it helps to know something about the distros in use or contemplated for future use.
When I here about an open source application that someone at work is using or thinking about using, I will install it in a VM on my home computer network in order to learn about it.

This knowledge is one of the reasons I have a good paying job; therefore, the time spent in my home computer room playing around with distros and open source applications is time well spent.

[collisionystm]

Scrtowm. You might be satisfied with Openbox if you're looking for a DE replacement, it's very personalizable.

I downloaded the Crunchbang Live cd. It seems pretty cool. Very fast. I had no idea that ATI Catalyst installed so easily in Linux? This is a new laptop.

[Bluesan]

Sure do. One or two a week, depending on how much free time I have. Honestly, there's not much difference distro to distro, but, it's still fun.

Edit:

That's at home. My office computer has had just three since 2006. Dapper, Hardy, an now Lucid.

[kvvv]

I used to distrohop. But, then I realized GNU/Linux is GNU/Linux no matter which distro you used. Some distros make life easier for specific cases, so am sticking with Ubuntu or Linux Mint for desktop, might switch to Debian or Arch if I get tired of upgrading, but I doubt it.

[el_koraco]

I downloaded the Crunchbang Live cd. It seems pretty cool. Very fast. I had no idea that ATI Catalyst installed so easily in Linux? This is a new laptop.

The installer from the website is awesome. Uninstall is sudo amdconfig --uninstall or running the script amd-uninstall.sh in /usr/share/ati. It doesn't build like akmod, just so you know, you gotta remove it if you want to boot a new kernel or if there are X upgrades. Ask everything on the #! forums, I got the same nick there :D

You can run openbox on Fedora, though, but #! has great defaults.

[malspa]

1) [/B]By distro hopping, do you mean running multiple distros on the same comp and switching between them depending on your mood? [B]

I do this, but I don't consider it distro-hopping. I generally keep the same distros for years, but I use them all regularly. I don't generally install new distros, and once installed, I usually keep 'em. I've been running Mepis and Ubuntu straight through from 2006, for example.

[ninjaaron]

I recently switched from Ubuntu to Arch on my main laptop, but that's all I've really ever done in terms of 'hopping.' I try out all kinds of other distros on partitions, mostly for fun, and then I get delete them when I no longer find them interesting.

I am about to test-drive Fuduntu and Bodhi Linux on my netvertible, to see if they are worth the hype. I have higher hopes for Fuduntu than Bodhi, as I'm perfectly capable of hacking out a good touch interface without enlightenment. If Fuduntu really gives a dramatic improvement in battery life, I will probably stick with it on that machine.

[cgroza]

I settled for Arch and Ubuntu. Maybe I will try Gentoo or a Debian minimal install one day.

[krapp]

I dual-boot Debian and Windows on one machine, Ubuntu on the other. I don't see myself ever leaving the Debian universe as far as FLOSS goes. Windows is useful from time to time for TurboTax and other proprietary nonsense.

[Rasa1111]

Nah,
Im very happy with Ubuntu.
No need or want for anything else.
Ubuntu runs great for me and I just can't see hopping around distros and finding anything better.
Ive checked out other distros,
but none of them feel quite as nice, and good as Ubuntu. <3

[LowSky]

Moved to Arch full time recently. I got tired of hopping every 6 months I needed to a new Ubuntu version. Now I just roll along for the most part... well until Gnome 3.2 showed up..lol

[krapp]

I recently switched from Ubuntu to Arch on my main laptop, but that's all I've really ever done in terms of 'hopping.' I try out all kinds of other distros on partitions, mostly for fun, and then I get delete them when I no longer find them interesting.

I am about to test-drive Fuduntu and Bodhi Linux on my netvertible, to see if they are worth the hype. I have higher hopes for Fuduntu than Bodhi, as I'm perfectly capable of hacking out a good touch interface without enlightenment. If Fuduntu really gives a dramatic improvement in battery life, I will probably stick with it on that machine.

How are two ultra-derivative distros more power efficient than the mainstream distros?

[collisionystm]

The installer from the website is awesome. Uninstall is sudo amdconfig --uninstall or running the script amd-uninstall.sh in /usr/share/ati. It doesn't build like akmod, just so you know, you gotta remove it if you want to boot a new kernel or if there are X upgrades. Ask everything on the #! forums, I got the same nick there :D

You can run openbox on Fedora, though, but #! has great defaults.

I ended up installing it. I love it.

I had an Intel laptop before, and it was compatible with everything. This stupid computer has amd and ATI graphics. Its an absolute nightmare. But, in the end, I was able to load catalyst, compile my BCM4313 driver and load it into the liquorix kernel. Seems good so far. Only 200 mb of ram in use. Nice.

[wolfen69]

I've been running Mepis and Ubuntu straight through from 2006, for example.

Does that mean you've had the same hardware since 06?

[BBQdave]

Does that mean you've had the same hardware since 06?

I do.:)

And I hopped around and finally landed on Debian6. I'm so happy I wish I could marry it!

[Metallion]

Used to hop around all the time until I tried installing Arch. That just kind of stayed.

[wolfen69]

I do.:)

And I hopped around and finally landed on Debian6. I'm so happy I wish I could marry it!

I hope you and your bride are happy. :popcorn:

[vehemoth]

I used to until I worked out a bit what each distro was best at. Now I just do it whenever I get a new computer or find a good reason to switch such as how often it updates or how stable it is. However I do enjoy reinstalling my OS every so often as a sort of spring cleaning, to try out setting it up in a new way and to learn my way around the installer such as for advanced options.

[malspa]

Does that mean you've had the same hardware since 06?

Nope, but when I've switched computers, I've gone with the same distros that I was using before.

I know I'm a bit strange, but I've been running Mepis, Ubuntu, Debian, Mint, and PCLOS. Last year, I dropped Mint and added Fedora. This year, I added SalineOS, added Scientific, then dropped Scientific.

So that's pretty much the extent of my distro hopping, although I started out with Linspire and Xandros on pre-installed machines, and used Kubuntu for a long time on an old notebook.

Don't have much negative stuff to say about any of those distros -- I've rather enjoyed each one. But I like having a different look on different days, and I like following several different projects over the long term. I don't think I'll ever cut back to just one distro, and I'm glad that I don't have to.

[wolfen69]

I do enjoy reinstalling my OS every so often as a sort of spring cleaning

I'm the same way. Every 6 months I reinstall ubuntu and fedora. I like the latest and greatest. I remenber when I installed XP every 6-8 weeks weeks. oops, I'm not bashing.

[NikoC]

Last week I switched from Ubuntu 10.10 to Kubuntu 11.04, but I'm staying in the family and have been for a couple of years now...

[Pynalysis]

Ubuntu. Occasionally will boot up a live USB of other GNU/Linux distributions that pop up on http://distrowatch.com/.

[binary00mind]

Mainly I stay with Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Slackware. in that order.
But I'm addicted of trying other Distros.

What can I say, it is in my blood.

[el_koraco]

I had an Intel laptop before, and it was compatible with everything. This stupid computer has amd and ATI graphics. Its an absolute nightmare. But, in the end, I was able to load catalyst, compile my BCM4313 driver and load it into the liquorix kernel. Seems good so far. Only 200 mb of ram in use. Nice.

Well then, come to the forums and introduce yourself!

[HappinessNow]

No, not since December 2010. Chrome OS is all I need.

[sanderd17]

I used to distrohop. Changing distros each month.

But now, I realise I'm using Arch for over 5 months. So I guess the distro hopping stopped.

Arch just gives me new software fast enough, so I can occupy myself with trying the new software instead of trying a new distro.

[pr3zident]

Ubuntu, Lubuntu, Kubuntu - but Ubuntu does everything i need

[BrokenKingpin]

I don't as much as I used to. I tried over 20 distros over my summer break once (many years ago).

For the last 4 years I have mainly stuck to Ubuntu because it just worked. Now I am starting to try out other distros again. I have tried PCLinuxOS, openSUSE, Kubuntu, and Debain recently.

After all that I ended up landing on Xubuntu, which I will probably stay on for a while. I will probably try Kubuntu again once 11.10 is out, but

Once Kubuntu 11.04 is out I will probably give that a try again, but I doubt I will stay on it for long and then go back to Xubuntu.

[ninjaaron]

How are two ultra-derivative distros more power efficient than the mainstream distros?

Fuduntu is designed to use less battery. It does this by managing power consumption with the Jupiter applet, which is an original piece of software by the creator of Fuduntu, though it is also available for Fedora and (usually) Ubuntu via PPA. It has other stuff though. It also writes /tmp and some of the other directories that are accessed very frequently to the RAM instead of the harddisk, which means the disk has to spin a lot less.

Bodhi is just Ubuntu with the enlightenment interface, which is actually designed for touch. Being that I'm using a touch screen device, I'm interested to see of the interface is useful for me.

In short, because mainstream distros are designed for the mainstream. These distros are designed for mobility. It's not that complicated.

[FuturePilot]

Nope.

[Dyzphagia]

Occasionally. How I ended up moving to Crunchbang

[krapp]

Fuduntu is designed to use less battery. It does this by managing power consumption with the Jupiter applet, which is an original piece of software by the creator of Fuduntu, though it is also available for Fedora and (usually) Ubuntu via PPA. It has other stuff though. It also writes /tmp and some of the other directories that are accessed very frequently to the RAM instead of the harddisk, which means the disk has to spin a lot less.

Bodhi is just Ubuntu with the enlightenment interface, which is actually designed for touch. Being that I'm using a touch screen device, I'm interested to see of the interface is useful for me.

In short, because mainstream distros are designed for the mainstream. These distros are designed for mobility. It's not that complicated.

How is this different from Debian's laptop-mode-tools?

[lucas.comeau]

I have been able to stay on Ubuntu 11.04 for the last 3 weeks without installing something else... and luckily for me Oneiric is close :)


404

Ahhhhhhhhh yehhhhhhhh!

As for Distros, Only 3, but just cuz ive been installing them one every computer i can get my hands on for different application... then finding out that Ubuntu is just the best one out there for most pc ;)

[fuduntu]

How is this different from Debian's laptop-mode-tools?

laptop-mode-tools only flags the laptop mode kernel parameter and a few other little things that are important, but don't fully optimize a system for battery.

I retune the kernel depending on if you are plugged in or not, and I also send all of your hardware into a power saving mode if supported when you unplug.

I do some other stuff too, but that's one HUGE difference.

[krapp]

Good to know.

[TiBaal89]

I have a nice desktop running 11.04 and a MacBook that I don't mess with much because I use them heavily and they contain 100's of gigs of my stuff.

On the side I've got a 2007-ish desktop, a 2005-ish laptop, and a 2003-ish laptop that I constantly screw around with. It's good fun and pretty valuable learning. Lately I've been playing with DSL and related projects on the oldest laptop (only 256M RAM is interesting). The older desktop I use as a sandbox to mess with things before doing things to a web server I rent.

[Linuxratty]

No.

Hardly ever.

[trivialpackets]

Since I began using my distribution as a tool and not a toy, the distrohopping has really stopped. Every once in a while I'll try a new distribution on a virtualbox, or to write a blog post on how to set up a rails development environment on a particular distribution, but I'm pretty much only using ubuntu as a linux distribution these days.

[dniMretsaM]

I don't really hop distros. I hop window managers.

Like you, I prefer Fedora and Ubuntu.

I really love Fedora but I love how much development happens in Ubuntu. I keep looking for the perfect window manager for me, but have yet to find it. I hate xfce and lxde. KDE grabs my attention but there are little quirks about it that bother me. Unity isn't my thing just yet. I dont mind how it looks, I just dont like how the dock functions. I wish it was exactly like docky. You should be able to click on the icon to minimize and maximize your window. And the global menu bar should not 'auto-hide'.

Do you mean you hop desktop environments? LXDE, Xfce, KDE, Unity, etc. are not window managers. A window manager would be Kwin, Fluxbox, Metacity, etc. Anyway, the only "hop" I made was from Ubuntu to Kubuntu. But I don't really consider that distro hopping. I would probably be trying out/messing with other distros/OS's (Fedora, OpenSUSE, GNU/Hurd, LinuxMint, etc.) but I have hard drive restrictions (only 40GiB). Also, my computer is very slow so trying a bunch of distros via LiveCD or VM is very impractical. When I get a new computer though, I plan to use some different distros. Kubuntu will probably remain my main OS though.

[scratman]

Last time I had anything other than Ubuntu 10.10 was back in April when I installed 11.04. Ditched that soon after and have no plans to move for some time. May download an *.iso of Mint 12 to see how that fares, failing that, might just risk Ubuntu 12.04 to see what I think, but doubt I'll ever be using Unity as my default DE. If I don't like Gnome 3, frankly I may still be running along with 10.10 in 2013!