Distro discussion

[sally_maria]

Hi, I've been lurking here for a while, so I thought I'd try and start a conversation. I've been using Linux for about a year, but wouldn't consider myself any kind of expert.

I was wondering which distros people use, and if you stick to just one, or if you "distro-hop" or use different ones on different machines. What do you love most about your distro of choice?

Comments

[sally_maria]

I found Mint around the time I decided I wanted to try Linux seriously, and if I ever had to pick only one distro to use that's what I'd go for.

I'm dual-booting it with Windows 7 on my desktop and with Peppermint One on my laptop, at the moment. It has all the great things about Ubuntu, with just those few extras that make it even better for me, like the MinuMenu.

I also have a netbook, on which I've tried various distros, from the XFCE version of Mint, to Ubuntu Netbook Edition, and Peppermint Ice. At the moment I'm using Jolicloud, which has the distinction of being the only one that will hibernate it properly, as well as booting rapidly and having a good selection of software available.

Over the last year I've found installing distros to be a very absorbing displacement activity, so I've tried quite a few variations, though nearly all Ubuntu/Debian based. I've discovered I strongly prefer Gnome to KDE, XFCE is not bad, and the Openbox and LXDE you get with the Peppermints is great for a lightweight desktop, though not nearly as flexible.

Since I got this new computer, I've also been trying VirtualBox, which at least cuts down on the number of times I'm actually changing operating system. :-) I've been trying out the Gnome version of PCLinuxOS, and wondering whether it's worth putting it on the laptop instead of Peppermint One. I quite like the idea of a rolling release, rather than having to re-install every six months, though I know it increases the chances of something breaking.