Desktop Distribution of the Year

linuxlover.chaitanya · 02-09-2011, 06:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

I am. It's too late to learn how to work hard at my age now.

Its never too late to be a Slacker though

DavidMcCann · 02-09-2011, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spoovy

I thought we were voting for the Distro of the year, not our personal favorite distro. I use Slackware but voted for Ubuntu, because I thought that 10.04 was a greater improvement over it's predecessors than Slackware 13.1 was. And Ubuntu is making the biggest waves at the moment in the wider software world and I care about that.
I don't see Slackware converting many Windows users!

Good point! I voted for Salix (the best Slackware derivative) because they've produced a distro that is stable and easy to use, and because of the accessibility of the developers and the speed with which they answer problems.

I've used every distro in the list except Mepis and Slackware. Mepis, because they only offer KDE. Slackware, because I've got better things to do than compile the vital software that seems to be missing (like OpenOffice) and because I can't be bothered with a distro whose installation advice starts by telling me to make a boot floppy. How many of us even have a floppy drive these days?

MrCode · 02-09-2011, 08:00 PM

Quote:

I've used every distro in the list except Mepis and Slackware. Mepis, because they only offer KDE.

Actually, Slackware does provide Xfce as an option, and of course a few standalone WMs.

eveningsky339 · 02-09-2011, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

Slackware, because I've got better things to do than compile the vital software that seems to be missing (like OpenOffice) and because I can't be bothered with a distro whose installation advice starts by telling me to make a boot floppy. How many of us even have a floppy drive these days?

I think my old lappy has one, but it's so full of fossilized dust that I probably couldn't get a floppy halfway in...

I tried MEPIS back in '09 because it was the original "easy Debian," before Ubuntu came to town. It's alright. AntiX is a spin that uses IceWM (my favorite window manager

), and I swear that there is a GNOME version out there somewhere...

silvyus_06 · 02-09-2011, 11:34 PM

lol after so much advertising to lmde i'll download it and give it a try ..

brianL · 02-10-2011, 06:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

because I've got better things to do than compile the vital software that seems to be missing (like OpenOffice)

Me too, that's why I download a ready-made package, and run:

Code:

installpkg openoffice.org-<tab>

or even better:

Code:

installpkg libreoffice-<tab>

Quote:

Originally Posted by DavidMcCann

and because I can't be bothered with a distro whose installation advice starts by telling me to make a boot floppy. How many of us even have a floppy drive these days?

That information is way out of date, but there's more up-to-date information available for those who bother to look for it.

Kenny_Strawn · 02-10-2011, 07:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

Me too, that's why I download a ready-made package, and run:

Code:

installpkg openoffice.org-<tab>

or even better:

Code:

installpkg libreoffice-<tab>

From this, I assume that Slackware packages are sometimes binary compatible with Arch packages? Definitely sounds like it, because it seems like both Slackware and Arch packages are created with makepkg

foodown · 02-10-2011, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kenny_Strawn

From this, I assume that Slackware packages are sometimes binary compatible with Arch packages? Definitely sounds like it, because it seems like both Slackware and Arch packages are created with makepkg

Debian/Ubuntu packages are also sometimes (often) binary compatible on Slackware ... How do you think we're all using Google Chrome right now? Ain't no .t?z files on Google's site.

If a package contains dynamically linked binaries and is built against a compatible version of glibc, the kernel headers, etc., and the needed libraries are available, you can generally cart those binaries all across the Linux world, within the same architecture.

The name similarity with makepkg is coincidental, so far as I know.

Kenny_Strawn · 02-10-2011, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by foodown

Debian/Ubuntu packages are also sometimes (often) binary compatible on Slackware ... How do you think we're all using Google Chrome right now? Ain't no .t?z files on Google's site.

If a package contains dynamically linked binaries and is built against a compatible version of glibc, the kernel headers, etc., and the needed libraries are available, you can generally cart those binaries all across the Linux world, within the same architecture.

The name similarity with makepkg is coincidental, so far as I know.

Well, seeing as though .pkg.tar.gz (as well as .pkg.tar.xz) files are also the main package format found in the Arch repos, it would make sense. And I meant that to be a compliment, not an insult.

DavidMcCann · 02-12-2011, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

That information is way out of date, but there's more up-to-date information available for those who bother to look for it.

You've merely proved my points, Brian!

If I want advice on how to install a distro, I go to their web site. Telling me the site is out of date and I should have searched somewhere else is hardly a commendation for Slackware.

It's nice to know that they do have OpenOffice, and even LibreOffice. It would be nicer still if they told people: like DistroWatch.

I admit that the quality of their repository is very good, as evidenced by Salix. It's just the general air of smugness that gets up my nose.

brianL · 02-12-2011, 05:02 PM

Maybe Patrick Volkerding hasn't had the time to update information on the website. After all, there's just him and the Slackware team, a relatively small number compared to the resources Fedora can call on. A better source of information is Slackware Links.

mryuck · 02-12-2011, 06:18 PM

What made me stick with Slackware is the performance.
Slackware just seems more responsive, even on older hardware.

mnlfdzlpz · 02-12-2011, 08:28 PM

I used kubuntu for several years and I believe it is the best

DavidMcCann · 02-13-2011, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brianL

Maybe Patrick Volkerding hasn't had the time to update information on the website.

No, the mistake is mine

I've never noticed that the software tracking at the site is for the default installations! It does make distros that use a DVD installer (e.g. Debian and Fedora) look much more generous than the others.

devwatchdog · 02-15-2011, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by meetscott

I hate that Ubuntu always wins on this. It's such a steaming pile. Just once, I'd like to see Ubuntu get pasted on these polls. They deserve it. I usually check out Ubuntu to see how they are doing and it's always the same, buggy, buggy, buggy.

The easiest way to repair it is to wipe your disk and put in Slackware. Seriously, Ubuntu gives Linux a bad name. Ubuntu = Linux in some people's mind. Almost any other distribution deserves to win over Ubuntu.

Don't people get tired of a corrupted systems after a famous Ubuntu update? Or when fundamental programs don't work because they pushed a bad update out? In my experience I've seen less problems with Windows XP than Ubuntu.

Since it's so popular, I wish they'd get their act together and start pushing out reliable releases and updates. It would be better for all of us. But even if they did, it still wouldn't fix the fundamental issues of customization I always run into. I guess I hate all desktops that are not server oriented as well. I'd be pleased to see Debian make a come back on these polls just to prove a point.

I would urge everyone to try something else besides Ubuntu. You owe it to your personal happiness.

Huh. I've used Slackware in the past, the first being somewhere around 2000, and for several years after that. I started using Ubuntu in '07.

I've yet to experience the situation described above. I don't recall any of my systems being corrupted by updates when using Ubuntu.

Odd. This is a poll -- doesn't mean feces.