What do you use your Ubuntu for!?

[mo_roodi]

I'm sure there have been plenty of posts like this before, but I just wanted a nice discussion about how people are actually using Ubuntu.

I've been using Ubuntu since 8.04(ish) but only recently have I completely nuked my Windows install and gone solely for a Ubuntu setup. I work as a web developer so a lot of my time is devoted to researching and developing sites in ASP.Net, PHP, and Javascript (yes it's real programming). So I love the simplicity of Ubuntu and the speed and power it gives me.

I have to confess I haven't been able to completely get rid of Windows, as I need Visual Studio (yes MonoDevelop's good, but Visual Studio it ain't!). So I keep a virtual machine or two about.

I love my Ubuntu install and I wanted to know what different and interesting ways people use Ubuntu.

[keithclark]

For everything here. No Windows to be found.

We run two retail stores with ubuntu machines. We do POS/Accounting/Inventory control with them.

We also do desktop publishing for all in store printed materials. Signs/menus/notices, things like that.

We have a server that handles all printing from all locations (2 stores and home), email server. I have all of my email accounts forwarded to that machine for archival purposes. It also runs as a mineserver server for my son.

At home we have a dedicated media server delivering all of our movies including our home movie collection.

Another machine holds a whole bunch of drive space and acts as a central backup server.

So, as you can see, pretty much everything is done in Ubuntu, or a flavour thereof depending on the power of the machine.

[haqking]

A coffee coaster ;-)

[Peripheral Visionary]

All my school work, e-mail and web stuff, music and pictures. Windows-free here and my parents love it too!

[Linuxratty]

The usual stuff everyone uses it for. I do art with it (Gimp + Bamboo),watch movies,etc. I have two computers with just Ubuntu on them since I dumped Windows ages ago..

[iamkuriouspurpleoranj]

I'm sure there have been plenty of posts like this before, but I just wanted a nice discussion about how people are actually using Ubuntu.

I've been using Ubuntu since 8.04(ish) but only recently have I completely nuked my Windows install and gone solely for a Ubuntu setup. I work as a web developer so a lot of my time is devoted to researching and developing sites in ASP.Net, PHP, and Javascript (yes it's real programming). So I love the simplicity of Ubuntu and the speed and power it gives me.

I have to confess I haven't been able to completely get rid of Windows, as I need Visual Studio (yes MonoDevelop's good, but Visual Studio it ain't!). So I keep a virtual machine or two about.

I love my Ubuntu install and I wanted to know what different and interesting ways people use Ubuntu.

Just out of interest, why don't you use Eclipse or NetBeans? Is it for the ASP.Net? I'm not a developer, just curious.

[lz1dsb]

Just for everything I need a computing device for :)
I also use it for online banking, no issues under Linux what so ever... Well, to be honest there are some glitches here and there, but I'm quite happy with my Ubuntu installation in general, if it wasn't the ATI and Broadcom hardware... But that's my mistake, I'll never buy any product from these vendors if I'm to use Linux...

[Irihapeti]

I use it for nearly everything I do on a computer: writing documentation, editing of other people's (usually university) assignments, updating a couple of websites that I maintain, syncing my phone - and of course the usual internet surfing, email and listing to music/watching movies. Very occasionally, I make a DVD from video clips.

I do have a Windows installation. These days, it mainly gets used to check how websites look in Internet Explorer.

[KnownSyntax]

I use it for my server since my friends and coworkers don't want to use anything else (probably because of the LTS release that Ubuntu Server has). Besides that, it's really all I use it for. I've tried to use it for the desktop but Windows, ChromeOS, or another distro of Linux are what I'd use mostly.

[djsroknrol]

For everything that I do with my desktop, and Ubuntu never lets me down. From handling my work data to my home entertainment streaming, Ubuntu just works for me. ;)

[darkcrimson]

I've been using Ubuntu since 8.04(ish)...

8.04 was awesome. hehe. I still have the CD-ROM. \\:D/

Ubuntu: General computing, development, all things Internet, home server
Windows 7: Battlefield 3 (located on a tiny 250GB HDD I dual boot with GRUB)
OS X: Development (iOS)

It's rather hard to pry me away from Ubuntu. I just love it.

[sam-c]

I use linux wherever possible from mainframes to phones netbooks and now samsung tablet!!

[Hastings101]

I use Ubuntu 12.04 on my Laptop for web browsing and a little bit of gaming. My desktop computer will always be a Mac but I keep Ubuntu on my laptops, it's become one of my favorite OS with the Unity desktop.

[itrogers]

Semi new user here. Dual booting with Win 7. I use my Lubuntu OS as I would a netbook. Installed a few programs on it to support the majority of the computing I do in the cloud. As a web developer, I can code in the cloud or just using a simple text editor. Also, terminal is obviously great for SSH.

OP, I am assuming you have no need for Photoshop or other Adobe products since you ditched Win (almost entirely)? I want to ditch Windows as well but am weary of certain programs....

[uc50_ic4more]

Been an on and off user since 5.04; alongside other distros like Debian and Arch. I use Ubuntu for all personal tasks: domestic management (I'm a stay-at-home dad these days), communications (email, videoconferencing w/ kids and grandparents, etc.), music and photo management. I have accounts set up for my wife, who is a high school teacher and uses Ubuntu for pretty much everything, and my two daughters, age 3 and 5, who know how to switch users, bring up their browsers and use email, videoconferencing, music, photos and online games.

I also use my machine to administer and troubleshoot ~dozen Ubuntu boxen for friends, family and neighbours.

[Vixxd]

I've literally just downloaded Ubuntu to try using WAMP server on it via a Virtual Machine and do some webdev in a new way, so we'll see how that goes :)

[darkcrimson]

I've literally just downloaded Ubuntu to try using WAMP server on it via a Virtual Machine and do some webdev in a new way, so we'll see how that goes :)

Nice! Have fun with that :D

[Vixxd]

Nice! Have fun with that :D

Thanks, hopefully it'll keep me encouraged to use it as it's a site I want to try and update daily :)

[slooksterpsv]

What do I use Ubuntu for? - A variety of things:

1. Speed - Windows is slow, bulky, and only good for games that I play that aren't available (or have an equivalent to) on Linux.
2. Software - Besides office and virtualization, I use audio mixers, video editors, photo editing (GIMP is my favorite), development tools, web browsing, finance software etc.
3. Price - FREE, it's FREE and if I really need to change something I can compile the code myself.

What specifically do I usually do:

Usually I setup an apache server, install bluefish, Exaile, and the "restricted-extras" right off the bat. Exaile is my favorite audio player and I need good music to listen to whilst I play. I end up surfing the web looking for references and program in python with Eclipse (or as of late I'm trying out Qt Creator). Then I browse the software center looking at different software that I haven't tried. I open my catalog and view my items that I've cataloged (video games) via GCStar. I pop onto the forums to see if I can help others out, and now as of recent when I'm done I open Netflix and watch Netflix on Linux (found a great article of how to get it working and it works great). When I'm all done with that, if I want to play a game I usually play OpenTyrian (I LOVE IT), or games I've purchased from the Humble Indie Bundles.

When I'm in an experimentation mood I play with financing software, play with LibreOffice pivot tables, old-school emulation, burn DVDs, make images, setup LDAP in VMs, test my network for security holes, etc.

In Windows I generally have Chrome and Steam open. I either play games or am surfing the net. I love Linux and soon I'm going to say bye to Windows as it's really falling away from what I use it for. Gaming is about it.

[black veils]

its my main and only a computer. i use it for all sorts of things.

more often for research (usually computer operating systems and applications), daily linux news, email and watching videos.

less often for other reading, taking screenshots, listening to music, creating panel themes, instant messaging, these forums.

i dont connect any devices except for my phone.

[Penfold1971]

Built a machine last summer, installed Ubuntu 12.04, and Folding@home client v 7.1.52. The machine is dedicated solely to Folding@home.
I run the machine headless, and ssh into it from any of our three Macs to check temperatures, do software updates and the occasional system reboot/restart as and when requested after a software update.
I use Folding@home Control on my Intel iMac to monitor the F@h client, so I can pause or stop the client if necessary.

I will say that I was really impressed with Ubuntu when I first saw it up and running. It's faster than anything else I've owned. Power consumption, headless and with the optical drive disconnected, is 110 Watts.

[rg4w]

I make cross-platform apps for a living, and I started with Ubuntu because one of my customers asked me for a Linux version of one of my apps. I was impressed. After using it more and more, these days it's where I spend at least half my time (I still need to work on Win and Mac for testing), and it's definitely the most enjoyable of the three.

[stalkingwolf]

I use it for everything. a few days ago i had to install win 7 on one because i havent found a way to use Rabbitttv on linux yet. It only works on Mac or Windows. so far.

[blackbird34]

Everything.
Every time I go back to Windows for something, I get hit by a pile of updates that require 2 reboots :D (needless to say I don't return very often)

[send2]

I run it for musical applications, I like to mess around with digital art, regular web surfing, email, the usual. Loving the experience with Linux so far :)

[tjeremiah]

mainly surfing the internet, school work. Two recent shockers though. Gaming, usually play TF2 here along with ..... watching Netflix :o. Thought i'd never type such a thing. Overall, Ubuntu is my main OS. I keep Windows 7 around because I paid for it years ago for cheap, for playing big games, and for apps that thought work well in Ubuntu.

[BlindSoothsayer]

I got started with Ubuntu because we use linux systems (specifically Red Hat) for the research I do, so I wanted to get familiar with a similar system. I recently installed lubuntu on the 10 year old HP my dad has been using. He's been referring to it as "Ubunti Lexus." The improvement was so dramatic over XP that my mom thought extra memory had magically apparated onto the computer.

[scouser73]

I use Ubuntu for everyday PC use.

[woxuxow]

For anything what i ever did in windows like exploring the intetrnet , listening to music, watching movies and ...

[JayKay3OOO]

Mainly the web via chromium.

Over the years I've used it to rip my CDs to flac and mp3, backup my dvds, edit video, edit photos, program, office work, fix broken windows installs, watch dvds, home server duties, web design, video chat with friends and family, convert audio files from one type to another, revive old hardware, copy files to hundreds of plug in devices, batch re-name hundreds of files, edit audio, collect my e-mail, help me learn guitar, fix client windows computers remotely, connect to home server via ssh and control remote machines with vnc.

So far there has not been a job I can't adapt this Kubuntu tool to, but sometimes I have to adapt to the tools available and sometimes it's not always Kubuntu, but a different distro of Linux.

[GameX2]

Pretty much everything, even though I work with multimedia programs everyday;
I run a few games with Wine (All those I use the most. Perfect), and programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash Pro, Audition in a Windows XP virtual machine.
The only programs I can't use at all under Ubuntu, even with a VM, are Adobe Premiere, AfterEffect and 3DS Max 2013 (I've installed it in a VM, but it lag a big, and even with OpenGL display, it's glitchy. Hardly usable).

[Katniss Everdeen]

Everything that I use my laptop for, becuase Ubuntu is better then Windows.

[thunderpenguin]

I use Ubuntu for nearly everything. I still keep Windows for gaming and opening Office files that don't work completely in Libreoffice.

[BlinkinCat]

Hi all,

Since Xubuntu is my sole OS, I now use it for all of my computing needs.
A considerable amount of my time is also taken up with the "housekeeping" of the NewDocs Wiki which is slowly growing in acceptance.

Cheers,
BlinkinCat - :P

[Porcini M.]

I use Xubuntu in Virtualbox VM's atop Win7 on both home & work computers. I'm in the VM almost exclusively in fullscreen on my home computer, and use the VM for development at work.

I also use Ubuntu Server for my home server.

[Roasted]

Everything. I know that's vague, but anything I need done I do it with Linux (Kubuntu in particular). I have access to a Win 7, Win 8, and OSX machine since we run a multi OS environment at work, but I hardly use them at home. I have a server running Ubuntu Server 12.04.2 which does many things. It hosts ownCloud for my own personal data storage, it acts as a media server which is hosted on a 3TB mirrored array (from which my OpenELEC powered Rasp-Pi streams from via SMB upstairs in the living room), and also along with Samba it acts as a 24/7 surveillance server (cameras just record 24/7 via smb to a specific share I set up). I also run Motion to take simple jpg snapshots of motion detection so I can find things that moved easier, then reference the better quality video feed at that time for review. It also runs Subsonic for music streaming and Apache for hosting whatever I need. There's countless other things, but like I said, if there's a computer that belongs to me (or even my wife, as that's what she runs on her laptop), chances are it's some sort of variant of *buntu.

[mainmeister]

xbmc, browser (chrome), email (gmail) on the desktop.
arduino and embedded coding on laptop. avr gcc and python scripting. A little javascript when needed.

If I need to write a letter I will use libreoffice.

For DVD authoring I use devede.

[Erik1984]

Mainly: Webbrowsing (Firefox), listening to music (Rhythmbox) and coding (just a hobby).

[Lightning Dragon]

Writing, work, music, movie/video watching, internet surfing, shopping (though I guess that technically doesn't count?), graphic work, gaming though I occasionally switch to Windows for Gameguard games—basically everything, or near enough. I have found myself only using Windows to use PaintSAITool/my tablet (pressure problems) and some rare games. :P

[mo_roodi]

I use Eclipse for little bits of Java, but for the most part I need ASP.Net...

[glln0v]

I use it for everything. Anything computer related, all I have is Ubuntu.

[dillonboardman]

I use it for all of my day-to-day computing needs. I also carry an Ubuntu Live CD with me so that I can use it on public computers without dealing with their usually sluggish Windows setups. Just don't let them see you using the live version, or they might freak out a bit. :)

[John05710]

I use mine mainly for using tor and running a tor relay. I spend many hours at night in "onion land"

[Soul-Sing]

I use it for shopping via amazone.

[mreq]

pretty much everything - no windows here

webdev, school, music, internet...

[Feathers McGraw]

Just want to throw LaTeX into the mixer... seems to compile faster on *buntu than Windows!

[cindy7543]

I use it for web,email,multimedia. Pretty much for all of my daily needs on a computer. However, I will not completely leave my windows machines since I need specific software to do my work on (eg.matlab, COMSOL, Solidworks) and for gaming since I love computer gaming.

[oldsoundguy]

it is the OS on my primary computer and is used for about 98% of my computing .. and ALL of my on line usage. I have a separate box with xp on it that I use for photography and music/video editing and storage ... the Windows box USED to be a print server, but now that I have network printing via the router, no need for that.

[TeamRocket1233c]

Art, web access, music listening, YouTube-ing, virtual machines, and just messing around. Installed the latest Archbang in Virtualbox and started playing with pacman last night. Attached a screenshot of it.

[a rta]

Ubuntu let me access anywhere anytime in my O/S! this is basically what linux is Dfined too! btw distribution ubuntu just is specialized for those who want a good GUI performance

[oldrocker99]

I use Ubuntu for everything I do with a computer. I do dual-boot Windows on my desktop box, strictly for the games that won't run under wine. I, this week, had to reinstall Windows after it hosed itself (grrrr) and reinstalled Steam games; fewer these days, since Steam for Linux came out. I just wish I could convince more people I know of the superiority of GNU/Linux, but when I help a friend who has bought a new computer with Windows 8, I install LibreOffice and GIMP, just to show how good OSS projects can be.

[IWantFroyo]

I use Ubuntu for programming, web surfing, homework, and everything else.

[kenharkey7]

I use my *buntu for everything, linux is my only operating system and I wouldn't have it any other way. As for what I use it for specifically, I am looking for work + starting to learn another language + learning html5 and css3 with javascript and finally I create custom android roms for my phone.

[West201]

I feel my files are safer from hackers. Most of the open source tools I use seem to run better on Ubuntu.

[dejavue]

For everything but gaming (yet, I hope this year will mark the change in this :)).

Especially happy with Ubuntu on my 400€ laptop for university - that I just recently beefed up with an SSD :)

[Warprunner]

Everything... I do alot of Web Dev for Charity sites. Nothing in Windows beats Geany IMHO. I do use Irfranview for graphics but thank God for Wine! So no need to use Windows!!!!

[|{urse]

Everthang.