I have been using Linux in many different forms now for the better part of 19 years and have seen it progress from something that was so difficult to setup and use, to something that (if you get the right distribution) can be as easy as Windows to use. I would be interested in connecting with other Linux users or people that are just interested in knowing more about this Operating System. I just have had a bear of a time finding people that are actually interested in it, mostly because it still thought of as a hobbyists operating system, you need to know computers in order to actually use it, and you need to know something about programming in order to get it to run right. All myths that while true in some instances and with some distros might not fit with all of them. I am just rambling now but I would like to meet people that are interested it and explore it with them.

heard about spreadsheets like LibreOffice, Gnumeric that run on Linux. just curious on how it compares with Excel with it's amazing 'chart' capabilities.

to open. i have been running Linux for at least 8 years. my son set it up. and have had close to "0" trouble. but i think my hard ware is letting me down. so since my son is not near by now he thinks i might want to go to Windows. i just posted a new thread about this. what think?

I downloaded the latest Ubuntu release and I was impressed at how easy it was to
setup and use. I would say the LibreOffice Impress is just as good as Windows office if not better. I really liked the G-Parted partition editor.

One thing that I love about using Linux is that I am not forced to learn a new UI, or make major changes to my workflow, at the whim of some marketing department. This applies to desktop environments as well as individual programs.

Sure, everything is constantly evolving, but you generally have the choice to keep doing things 'the old way' as long as you like (and still get modern features otherwise), without having that ripped away from you by a company trying to force you to upgrade - on their terms.

Hey all,

I first started messing with *NIX/Linux somewhere around '93, '94 or so, since that (a 2400-baud dialup account to a text-based shell account) was the only affordable way for me to access the internet at that time... MAN things have changed a bit since then!!

Kinda funny to think about it now - it was me, that dialup account, & a copy of SAMS' Publishing _Teach Yourself UNIX in 24 Hours_ that launched my career - talk about "the right place at the right time"!

I'm currently playing around with Kali on one of my ESXi VMs, as well as trying to set up Nagios monitoring on a Raspberry Pi that's running RedSleeve Linux (I have a deep loathing for anything based on Debian).

Anyone else working on any cool projects??

Heh - Just realized that I contradicted myself in the blurb above, since Kali is built off of a Debian base...

(OK, so that's the "exception to the rule"!!!)

Kali....im guessing you also have a poorly patched WinXp vm as well....lol

I can actually do better than that - I discovered this morning that I still have a WinDoze 2000 install CD!

Hey everyone. I know this topic is old but found it on the top of the 3rd page of this category so thought I would bring it back to life. I mainly use the mac (haven't touched windows since October 2015) and have arch linux running on a VPS. I really want to put a talking version of arch on a loptop I've got sitting round here doing nothing but have always had issues with the crappy linova sound card. Sorry fo the spelling, but whenever I try and play more than 1 sound it hates it and turns everything else down despite the fact I set it to do nothing it doesn't obey the setting. I think there's also a menu of sorts that comes up after restarting the computer when I've tried to install the OS but don't know because I can't read it. I have tried other OS like ubuntu and a bit of slackware and I think debian, but arch is the one I've got on best with. I've had barely any problems with arch compared to the others but I know a lot of people swear by ubuntu or debian which ubuntu is derived from.

I guess my username pretty much speaks for itself LOL.

But yes, Kali Linux. For security testing and audits. I have setup my own lab with VM's to test tools and hacking techniques.

Kali .. I was more into its predecessor - Backtrack - worked better on an older hardware, imho
Right now using Pearl OS 2.0. Built on top of Ubuntu 14.04 LTS .. looks and feels exactly like Mac OSX Lion. As it uses xfce desktop environment, it's fast, stable and highly customizable (as most of the linux distros).
I'm not into Arch as much, coz love when the stuff is steady and just works out of the box, not needs tinkering all the time .. :)

arch user myself.

Dual boot Windows and Linux. Problem solved. Alternatively just use a VM and run as many os' as you like. I run Windows 7, Ubuntu, CentOS and Debian, but I have more ram than I could ever use at one time as well as dual processors and 16 cores.

fedora core 21 on my pc at home and work.

played around with gentoo on PA-RISC for kicks - had it for desktop at work for a couple of years. couldn't get openoffice running, so had to ditch it.

I love LINUX. Great OS. What flavor do you run?

I will suggest Ubuntu/Mint for a new person. Its just like Windows and they both access the same Repository. Love the security.

I am partial for a small size boot such as a Puppy or Tiny. I even boot old Slax. You can always check out the top Distros and Flavors on the site below.

https://distrowatch[dot]com/

Backtrack 5R3 and Kali Linux user here! Hey fellow nerds :)

Here's 2 Cents from a Distant Peanut Gallery:

I have Linux Mint 17.2 at work and at home. I work at the university where MS rules (of course). I would not have that but for a very technically competent friend who showed me that LM would extend the life of my old lappy by several years. (I did not need the latest in bells and whistles anyways.)

But things periodically gone BOING from nearly the get-go. Here are only the latest crimes against sanity:

1. The techies where I work made changes to the network such that I can no longer connect to anything on the Net while in LM. I know: that doesn't make sense since my office PC CAN connect to any URL. The techies, sadly, don’t think my problem is their problem (and are probably the world’s worst forensic network scientists anywho).

2. I had upgraded to LM 18 but gave me such trouble that I was forced to go backwards to 17.2 (NOT xx.3) for the re-install so as to avoid those troubles - that on recommendation of my LM techie friend.

3. I had lots of little issues with LM that added up to a chronic, low-level pain. I never experienced that stability and consistent behavior that Linux-heads claim Linux has over Wimpdows.

4. For anything mission critical, such as a PPt or spreadsheet, I'd need to check the product over in Billy Gate's baby before using it in public, so to say. As good as LibreOffice is, I could not assume compatibility. And it hung and crashed a lot. And I mean A LOT – especially Writer, the app I used most. (By the bye: LibreOffice for Windows is much more stable, in my limited experience. And I use its Calc because the interface is NOT the hellish soup of icons that Excel pushes at you.)

5. IF and when I can afford it (Yeah, I'm a poor boy.), I'll buy a box DESIGNED for Linux. But even then, I'll likely go dual-boot and grumble obscenely every time I boot up.
End of Whine.

Now that I've read several more entries, I shall get myself an armored tank to hide in. I expect some serious blow-back from all you dudes and dudesses who REALLY know Linux. I'm just a poor end-user who needs instructions for opening a Coke bottle. Sorry to whine at you all. The problems I've had are "real" but the reality may be - I admit - more inside than outside my head.

Hu, Humbled.

Yes, I'm a Linux user. Slackware distro is what I use. I've been into linux since about 1993-94 and started with just the 0.96rxxx kernel w/GNU utils. My first distro was SLS.