How many of you use Linux?

Gasp! I've been found out!

 

/is a bit shy to be replying here, but wants Linux support to not die! :[
This puppy uses linuxthings primarily; but keeps some windowses in virtuo just in case.
It has also used Windows and Apples and other random nouns all kinds of heavies in the past, but switched all to the Linux, now that it doesn't require rewriting configuration files to switch wifi networks! xD (as of years ago, to be sure; it is many the easies to use now, especially since Ubuntu came out! )
It also once tried to install OpenBSD, but....well..at least it didn't end in a shark attack.. ._.

So, that's one more vote I guess! :>

Linux++;​

x>

 

I'm a Windows user myself, and I really do like it. It's been a few years since I've worked with Linux and I'm open to it...but only if I could find a desktop environment I actually like for Linux. Seems most of them are moving towards the same style as OS X which I REALLY hate.

In any case, I still think Linux has a long ways to go before it'll be a good alternative for me. Though if Microsoft keeps heading down the path it looks like they're going, that time could come sooner than I was expecting.

 

I used ubuntu in a programming class, but that's about it. I might switch over eventually, but I haven't had any problems with windows so far. Might change if I have to get win8 eventually though.

 

I have tried various versions over the years such as red hat, suse, and ubuntu, but i always seem to come back to windows due to the incomatibility with moat games, the difficulty of configuring the os(this ccoming from a former master of msdos), and the annoying permissions that require a password to do the simplest tasks.
I suppose if i took a class on how to use terminal commands much f this would be easier, but as it is, you have to be a code monkey to enjoy lnux it seems

May i add hardwar incompatibility and installer troubles on multiple machines that required manual terminal installs (which i was only able to figure out with help fro the internet)

Also like the previous poster, i hate windows 8 with a passion

 

Indeed. Although I have to say that Linux terminal commands are vastly superior to any Windows variant. (DOS, Prompt, etc.)

The biggest issue with Linux (and I know it's getting better everyday) is the lack of full blown support you might get with a Windows/Mac box. Not very many people enjoy building their own compilers, kernals and other sorts of advanced computing. It also sheds light on why there is around less then 3% (maybe more now?) of computers run Linux in the world and I would say two-thirds of that percent are servers running Unix.

I personally have Linux and Windows on the same PC. Different drives, different RAID's. Linux is for learning, Windows is for having fun.

But hey, looks like Windows is stuck in it's dreadful loop again. We'll start at 2000.

Windows 2000 -> Windows ME -> Windows XP -> Windows Vista -> Windows 7 -> Windows 8
Good OS --------> Bad OS -------> Great OS -----> Terrible OS -----> Good OS --->

I guess we can look forward to Windows 9?

 

one of my friends installed linux on a macbook.

 

Actually, what you call a dreadful loop is intended by Microsoft. They call it tic-tac development. Every second version sucks, because it's unfinished. Whoever buys it, becomes a beta-tester. Since the majority of users upgrades every time, it's a good deal ( at least for MS). Especially if you take any competion into account that will not be using this tic-tac approach because their product won't be bought 'anyway'. While MS can simply invest only half the money into a product ( as long the develop 'something' ) their competition needs to deliver a properly working OS.

EDIT: Ontopic: I use a Win7 PC for gaming, but if Steam is really being released on Linux, I'm getting Starbound for my Linux Notebook.

 

The many times I've bothered to struggle with Linux was never worth it. Until it becomes a broadly supported alternative for gaming it simply will not be worth ones time.

 

I love Linux. Like, carnally. As long as I'm concerned, the only thing it lacks is more games. That's a major reason why I'm eagerly waiting for Starbound, because there are precious few good games that run natively on Linux.

I started using Linux because there were no 64bit Windows drivers for my wireless card, so I had to choose between not being able to use the ridiculous amount of RAM I had bought, or not being able to use the Internet. So I chose Linux. Problems solved . First I tried Ubuntu, but it was far too simple and bloated for my taste. Nowadays I use Arch Linux, which allows me (actually demands of me) to configure almost everything to suit my taste, and I love every bit and byte of it.

Someone back there mentioned the console; that must be one of the things I like the most. It has that certain feel of getting under the hood, doing some tinkering and tweaking here and there... Once I adjusted the X server configuration files to readjust my drawing tablet's active area to fit my monitor's 16:9 ratio, and my circles stopped looking like ovals; making things work yourself is one of the most satisfying things there are.

Did I mention that I love it?

 

I have tried several distros over last several years (tried my luck both with Linux VM's and dual booting with Windows), but somehow Windows look and feel is just more appealing to me. Just playing with Linux is interesting, but well, I had always better things to, so had no motivation to ever really leave Windows .

None the less I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Linux Steam to be a success, more users, games and increasing popularity can only help this system!

Personally I consider all this 7>Vista thing a myth and a bit of misconception. It is a popular opinion, but the facts are Windows 7 is essentially a Vista with tweaked UI (and less annoying UAC ). UI do is a major thing, but it is not that Vista was a total crap. I guess it just come out when user PC's was not ready for it in terms of hardware... if it was 7 at that time, it would be considered crap too. And when it comes to Windows 8 - installed it several days ago on my brothers computer and well, it is diffirent. But is it bad? I like it personally and definetly going to upgrade my PC too early next year.

 

Linuxes live in the deepest, darkest caves on worlds in the outer rim.
Some space pirates say that they are planning to take over and that it's just a matter of time ...

 

Linux support will not die. Because if it dies, I can't develop the game anymore. I only run Linux.

 

Well the 2 main issues with Vista were stability (mostly caused by nVidia drivers unfortunately) and a general feeling of sluggishness. I had a pretty damn good gaming machine when Vista was released and the whole OS just felt so sluggish I couldn't stand it so I stuck with XP 64 bit. I've heard it's gotten a lot better since then, but 7 still has a lot of improvements over Vista. Windows 8 actually has a lot of under-the-hood improvements over 7 as well, it's just that tablet UI that a lot of people hate. It can be disabled but it's not a good sign as to the direction Microsoft is heading.

 

I guess to be fair to Vista, the world was just not ready for it.

People don't like change. When we went from Windows XP to Vista it was probably the biggest jump in terms of Microsoft products since 3.11 to Windows 95. Beyond the plagued issues of driver compatibility and stability (again, the world was just not there yet), Vista was an "alright" OS.

I don't have much of an issue with Windows 8. It's essentially Windows 7 with some extra bells and whistles (multi-core boot, etc.) Maybe I should have just face palmed Microsoft or perhaps even Steve Ballmer (sounds like he's getting the axe anyways) for the fact that they wanted to force feed us this MetroUI (which we told Microsoft (alpha tester) years ago was a terrible idea) and still released as is.

As far as I'm concerned, unless we get the next level of DirectX or better yet some OpenCL, I'll be sitting on Windows 7 for a little while longer.

 

Funny how half of the Linux thread is a discussion about why and how some Windowses have sucked in the past

I'll take this chance to admit that I've been trying mostly every Windows so far, and 7 was a big improvement in my opinion. It seems to works nicely, relatively quick for a Windows and very stable. I've yet to try the new Windows 8, but I definitely won't buy it when I can just wait a bit until one of my workmates fubars their new comp and asks me to fix it
Personally, I've been tainted by the Linux and can't go back anymore. It just feels natural for me, it feels like the OS is doing what I tell it to, not like I'm doing what the OS lets me.

 

It's funny, that's how I feel about Windows in comparison to Mac OS (or any Apple product for that matter.)

 

I don't.

 

What a coincidence, just today I was thinking that I should try OS X out just to have a broader view, and I was surprised when I read that it only runs on certain hardware? Not sure if I got that right.
In all honesty, I know next to nothing about Macs, and never used anything running one of Apple's OSs. Never owned an iAnything. I rather feel I'm being left behind in that area but I never ventured far beyond regular computers, anyway: my cellphone even pre-dates Android

EDIT: I just learned Steam for Linux entered open Beta! What a joyous day for Linux gaming! Will gonna be trying it out.

 

OS X has an extremely simplified GUI with very few options, but then has a Unix console underneath. It's not a combination I particularly like but your mileage may vary.

And yeah Steam has been in open beta for Linux for a few weeks now I think? It only officially supports Ubuntu right now and there's a pretty small selection of games available, but it should be expanding soon.