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Old 04-21-2018, 09:36 PM   #1
Rhiwyth
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Registered: Oct 2015
Distribution: Arch Linux
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Help me choose a distro for programming


Hello,

I am looking for a good linux distribution for programming.

My requirements are:
  • must have very good support for things like IDEs, compilers, version control systems, etc.
  • should have very good support for multimedia stuff like players, codecs, etc.
  • should be a distro that has the latest or near-latest applications
  • the appearance of the OS is optional

The OS will be used as my main desktop pc: it would be mostly used for programming, but once in a while I'd like to see a movie and such.

My current hardware is composed of an Intel CPU i7 4770k, 32GB RAM, NVIDIA 970 GTX GPU, 256GB SSD.

I'm currently using OpenSuse Tumbleweed. I don't have a specific reason for using it; it was recommened by a colleague and I sort of got accustomed to it. It is my first linux os installed on this machine so I don't have much experience with other distros. I would, however, like stay away from Ubuntu if possible but I am open to every other distro.

As for my skill level, assume I'm just above a beginner: I can write scripts, know my way around the terminal (can find applications, read manuals, edit things), can do basic debugging.

What distro would you recommend for me?

Thank you!

Last edited by Rhiwyth; 04-21-2018 at 09:39 PM.
 
Old 04-21-2018, 10:19 PM   #2
frankbell
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Registered: Jan 2006
Location: Virginia, USA
Distribution: Slackware, Ubuntu MATE, Mageia, and whatever VMs I happen to be playing with
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You can use pretty much any major distro, but you may have to install some of the libraries and applications you need from the repos.

For out-of-the-box support for coding and compiling, Slackware is likely your best choice.

Last edited by frankbell; 04-21-2018 at 10:20 PM.
 
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Old 04-21-2018, 10:31 PM   #3
mralk3
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Help me choose a distro for programming

Slackware comes with most compilers and many major programming languages in a stock installation. I recommend Slackware version 14.2. The only downside is that Slackware 14.2 is a bit outdated but you can always run the development branch (Slackware-current) once you become better acquainted.
 
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Old 04-22-2018, 01:50 AM   #4
jamison20000e
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Buster/Sid is my opinions on this Slackware* site...
 
Old 04-22-2018, 02:23 AM   #5
Turbocapitalist
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Registered: Apr 2005
Distribution: Linux Mint, Devuan, OpenBSD
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Pretty much any dekstop distro will do the job. They all have mostly the same packages available. My generic recommendation for an introductory distro would be either Ubuntu or Linux Mint.

If you want to view videos, then VLC is hard to beat. That will be available on most any desktop distro.

As far as programming goes, which languages do you mean to learn or, if no preference, which tasks do you aim to master?

Geany is a good graphical editor to start programming with. It has syntax highlighting and other helpful features. Otherwise there is a choice of vim or emacs or both.

Keep in mind that GNU/Linux itself is a fine IDE if you learn your way around the system. So Netbeans or Eclipse will be overkill for many non-Java related tasks.
 
Old 04-22-2018, 12:33 PM   #6
DavidMcCann
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Registered: Jul 2006
Location: London
Distribution: PCLinuxOS, Salix
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SUSE is pretty good: after all, it is the basis for SUSE Enterprise Linux, which runs so many major companies. I'd suggest that you run a normal version, though. Tumbleweed may occasionally give you an update that breaks things, which can be unnerving for the beginner!

If you want the latest software, then consider PCLinuxOS. That's rolling-release, so you get newer applications than in the stable version of OpenSUSE, but it's aimed at the home user, so they take care not to break things. The desktop is the same (KDE) so there won't be too much change. As has been said, any distro should have a good stock of programming tools and languages in its repository: after all, the developers need them!
 
Old 04-22-2018, 03:23 PM   #7
Rhiwyth
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Distribution: Arch Linux
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Quote:
SUSE is pretty good: after all, it is the basis for SUSE Enterprise Linux, which runs so many major companies. I'd suggest that you run a normal version, though. Tumbleweed may occasionally give you an update that breaks things, which can be unnerving for the beginner!

If you want the latest software, then consider PCLinuxOS. That's rolling-release, so you get newer applications than in the stable version of OpenSUSE, but it's aimed at the home user, so they take care not to break things. The desktop is the same (KDE) so there won't be too much change. As has been said, any distro should have a good stock of programming tools and languages in its repository: after all, the developers need them!
I tried Leap first but I had many problems with the video drivers. And most of the programs in the repo were very old. I moved to Tumbleweed and it fixed these problems.


Quote:
Pretty much any dekstop distro will do the job. They all have mostly the same packages available. My generic recommendation for an introductory distro would be either Ubuntu or Linux Mint.

If you want to view videos, then VLC is hard to beat. That will be available on most any desktop distro.

As far as programming goes, which languages do you mean to learn or, if no preference, which tasks do you aim to master?

Geany is a good graphical editor to start programming with. It has syntax highlighting and other helpful features. Otherwise there is a choice of vim or emacs or both.

Keep in mind that GNU/Linux itself is a fine IDE if you learn your way around the system. So Netbeans or Eclipse will be overkill for many non-Java related tasks.
I'll be using C/C++. Right now I'm using Kate+gcc but it's tedious to use. An IDE is needed to be able to compile the project and debug it, etc.



@jamison20000e, @mralk3, @frankbell
I'd like to use slackware but I'm affraid it's somewhat complicated for a desktop OS. I'll have to install the desktop environment manually and everything else. On any update I think it'll kill the entire os.
 
Old 04-22-2018, 03:35 PM   #8
Turbocapitalist
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhiwyth View Post
Right now I'm using Kate+gcc but it's tedious to use. An IDE is needed to be able to compile the project and debug it, etc.
Make / gmake would be good to learn so you can create and use Makefiles:

https://www.gnu.org/software/make/manual/

Other than that, a compiler compiles.

http://gcc.gnu.org/onlinedocs/gcc-3....oking-G--.html

A debugger debugs.

https://cs.baylor.edu/~donahoo/tools/gdb/tutorial.html

https://www.gnu.org/software/gdb/documentation/

An editor edits.

http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6663/1

Each tools needs to do one thing well. Which specific function do you perceive to be missing from your machine?
 
Old 04-22-2018, 04:05 PM   #9
mralk3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhiwyth View Post
@jamison20000e, @mralk3, @frankbell
I'd like to use slackware but I'm affraid it's somewhat complicated for a desktop OS. I'll have to install the desktop environment manually and everything else. On any update I think it'll kill the entire os.
This couldn't be further from the truth. I suggest you do a little research before jumping to such a conclusion. However, if this is what you assume about Slackware, it probably isn't the distribution for you.
 
Old 04-23-2018, 09:53 PM   #10
jamison20000e
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If your goal is to program, your goal is to learn.

So, why not run more than one desktop and operating system, maybe even a VM or two? Form your own opinions*.

Plus, depending on your program*ming goals many apps need to be tested on different platforms. Like a web page designed and ran in only your browser may not work right in others...

Last edited by jamison20000e; 04-23-2018 at 09:56 PM.
 
  


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