How Do You Use Linux?

[rdrake]

Out of curiosity, how do you, the students, use Linux? I myself just use it for various things... like chatting, web browsing, and of course coding!

So, what applications do you use mostly on Linux? In particular, what utilities do you find helpful for programming? What languages do you use most? What do you like about the distro you are using, what do you hate? Is there anything you would change? How would you change those things?

While we're on the subject, how's your command line fu as well?

Discuss!

[haskell]

I use two Linux distributions, [K]Ubuntu and Slackware.

code:

Ubuntu distributions are nice and user friendly.  Slackware is the original distribution I've used since I started with Linux.

I use them for coding a general use(I lean more towards Slackware for both).

The applications I use most of Linux are:

code:

- Qemu(When I'm forced to use Windows, I use this opensources virtualization software so I can use Linux still :p)  - [X]Emacs for all my coding/games/<enter other task here> needs.

The languages I use most are:

code:

- Python - Common Lisp - C++ - Haskell

For programming, my editor of choice is [X]Emacs. It allows me to implement any language of my choice, plus I don't have to change editors to mess with many things at once. It also has a few features that has me hooked(Emacs shell as one example).

Anyways, I would most like to change the fact that I have to buy network hardware to bypass these damn windrivers so I can have a connection. I also don't like the fact that I spent quite a while using Linuxant's Conexant Dial-up modem driver[Free edition], meaning 14.4 kbps connection due to this(plus I had to use dial-up). We should band together and start the OSDM(Open Sourced Driver Movement), where we make drivers for soft-hardware.

P.S.: [X]Emacs needs a human-control-mode(HCM).

[Hikaru79]

I use mostly Gentoo and [K]Ubuntu, though I experiment with a lot of distributions. Those are the ones I find myself going back to time and again, though.

I use Linux mostly for more serious things, like coding. I spend most of my time in Java (NetBeans), Scheme (Dr. Scheme), Python (Komodo), and I'm preparing my C skills for the summer (vim for now). Also, I've been doing lots of SQL work lately, and so I have mysql-server-5.1 running, with the good ol' classic "MySQL GUI Tools".

The "leisure" computing mostly happens on OSX for me

EDIT:

Quote:

While we're on the subject, how's your command line fu as well?

Oh, and my bash skills are pretty decent too. I learn bash on a per-need basis.

[Amailer]

I use Archlinux - um mostly to play with Beryl (jk) but mostly when im building websites- I design them though on windows :/ Mac is too slow and Im not used to GIMP.

[BenLi]

a question, what's the difference between ubuntu and kubuntu. I currently have ubuntu 6.10

[rdrake]

BenLi @ Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:25 pm wrote:

a question, what's the difference between ubuntu and kubuntu. I currently have ubuntu 6.10

Ubuntu uses Gnome, Kubuntu uses KDE.

[Clayton]

so the people that use Kubuntu are communists?

[md]

Freakman @ Wednesday 2007-02-07 5:58 pm wrote:

so the people that use Kubuntu are communists?

Yup, along with chemistry teachers apparently.

I use Gentoo, and occasionally FreeBSD (technically not linux). My workstation, laptop, and server all run Gentoo; and they all run quite well.

The workstation I use for storage (1.2TB) and so it ends up doing a lot of downloading and media streaming. I also use it for most of my computing needs at home so web browsing, IM (gaim ftw!), etc. The laptop does whatever I need when I am not at home; lacking the HD space I tend not to download with it, but I do still listen to my music (streamed from the workstation). The server serves up web pages and hosts a subversion repository, as well as a PostgreSQL database.

Applications I use most are Firefox, Gaim, X-Chat, mpd, tvtime, mplayer, gkrellm, and gedit. Usually all at the same time. My DE of choice is Xfce4 although I absolutely hate it's text editor. Gedit has so far proven to be the best text editor I can find although the gnome dependencies suck. For writing code (C/C++, Pascal) I use gedit/Terminal or Dr.Scheme for Scheme.

I think if there is one thing I'd change about Gentoo it'd be the wireless config stuff. Wireless is a mess to get working, it seems the "Gentoo way" is a kludge.

Oh, and my command line skills are pretty good; though I rarely write bash scripts.

[Mazer]

rdrake @ Wed Feb 07, 2007 11:26 am wrote:

Out of curiosity, how do you [...] use Linux?

Like a fucking scalpel.

Ok, seriously, I use it in just about the same way that others would use Windows. It's just my operating system. It's there because without it I have (or had, when I bought it) a $700 box-o'-useless. It just so happens that while it's on, I do things like:
- program (now and then, anyways)
- model (Blender, Wings)
- paint (GIMP)
- talk on various IM protocols (Gaim)
- talk on IRC (XChat)
- read webcomics, news, troll forums (Swiftfox)
- watch movies (Totem, Mplayer)
- listen to music (Rhythmbox)
- erm, schoolwork, I think (OOo)
- play games (OA)

[Clayton]

rdrake @ Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:44 pm wrote:

BenLi @ Wed Feb 07, 2007 5:25 pm wrote:

a question, what's the difference between ubuntu and kubuntu. I currently have ubuntu 6.10

Ubuntu uses Gnome, Kubuntu uses KDE.

Kubuntu can use Gnome, albeit you have to download and install it.

[Mazer]

Yes, but the point of downloading Kubuntu is skipping straight to KDE and not getting Gnome libraries installed.

[apomb]

I use Ubuntu (with gnome) currently to do most things the rest of the world does in Windows.

Some of these things include, but arent limited to:

watch videos/DVDs (totem)
browse the internet (firefox)
listen to music (AmaroK)
program (Gedit/terminal)
chat with friends (gaim/Xchat)
edit photographs (GIMP)
download things (Bittorrent)
FTP files to my webserver(Gftp)
general word processing/ schoolwork (OpenOffice)
Homework (VMware Player)