Operating System poll

[Uh-Nu-Buh]

Just a plug: for developers, the popular Linux variants rock. Fedora Core, for example, comes with everything you need to learn all you could want to learn about MySQL, PERL, Python, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, Apache, etc. ad nauseum. Most of the tutorials out there are centered on Linux, or include Linux. Additionally, they pretty much work out of the box for most desktop applications. And it is all free, and runs well on older equipment.

Caveat #1, I love the MacOS. I just dislike the attitude it often engenders in users, or the attitude of the general person it attracts: hoplessness in the face of adversity. Hep me, hep me, I cain't hep mesef! Contrast this to the attitude linux engenders/attracts: roll up your sleaves, sweat a bit, learn a lot, and get it done. I have a friend who is 19 who just got a mac. He's been a pc/windows guy for years, but loves his mac. One of the things he hates is that he can't even add memory to it, for fear of violating the warranty. He still has his old pc at home for puttering/learning/expanding his consciousness with. He doesn't mess with the mac, just uses it for the 120 (or whatever number it is) things it comes preconfigured to do.

Caveat #2, WinXP is the best platform for gaming right now. I hate it, but I admit it. It has the most game titles, the best graphics performance, the most support for advanced drivers.... Blech. I live with it.

[B0rsuk]

HoneyBadger:

You can try Ubuntu install disc. (Or livecd from another distro). Ubuntu install disc is curious in fact that it runs the system first, using RAM only, and then gives you an option to install it to hdd.

Uh-Nu-Buh said:
Caveat #1, I love the MacOS. I just dislike the attitude it often engenders in users, or the attitude of the general person it attracts: hoplessness in the face of adversity. Hep me, hep me, I cain't hep mesef! Contrast this to the attitude linux engenders/attracts: roll up your sleaves, sweat a bit, learn a lot, and get it done.

Unfortunately, this is no longer true for users of Ubuntu linux. Just take a look at their forums. They have problems with 'linux relying too much on commandline', demand graphical tools for everything, distrust, despise and fear the commandline, pirate games, and ideals of FOSS are least of their concerns. They demand a system that 'just works'. Next version of Ubuntu will use closed, binary drivers for hardware. Most ubuntu users won't notice, and ones that notice mostly don't care.
Nevermind little details like inability to use Search function on forums.
Now they went as far as discouraging from using commandline(read the first post from the sticky thread):
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=286599

It should be called Ubuntu Windows, really. I'm going back to Debian as soon as Etch is out. I don't have *too* much against Ubuntu itself, but I can't stand the community, which has worst parts from windows and mac people (arrogance...).

If you want an easy introduction to Linux, try Ubuntu. You'll be surrounded by people who tell you what to click to make something run. If you consider yourself experienced linux user, use another distribution. Debian users, for example, tend to not only give you hints how to get somethin working, but also explain how it works. They make you learn and help you learning. Ubuntu is for people who don't like to learn.

To keep it from being 100% rant:
I really love how package management is done in civilised linux distributions. Ubuntu got it right, mostly because it's the same as in Debian. Once you try apt-get (or any graphical frontend like synaptic or adept) you'll hate the windows way of installing programs.

[Dedas]

If I would recommend one distribution it would be Fedora. I've been using that since FC2 and it runs like clockwork (running FC6 now).

[Gandalf Parker]

I use Debian and have been thrilled. My servers have run for years without problems (and not a whole lot of knowledge on my part)

[Archonsod]

Windows XP at home and Solaris at work.

Wish Doms 3 would run under Solaris like Doms 2, though productivity would likely plummet.