Maximum PC

Thought it would be neat for alt-os users to share their stories with one another. Help promote their alt-os of choice... So feel free to answer these questions!

General Questions:
What OS do you run?

Why do you run it?

When did you start using it?

App Questions:
Which browser?

Email client?

Audio and video players?

Office progs (editors, etc.)?

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
FreeBSD 4.10

Why do you run it?
I wanted to setup a unix server to test my websites on. So it's just used to run apache and mysql to do website dev work. It's actually FreeBSD 4.10 installed inside a vmware virtual machine ontop of my windows xp pro system. It's a box with a p3-450@500mhz and 384mb ram btw. Impressive isn't it!

When did you start using it?
I've been fiddling with FreeBSD off and on for 3-4 years but this server has been running since February of 2004.

App Questions:
Which browser?
n/a - Used only as a webserver

Email client?
n/a - Used only as a webserver

Audio and video players?
n/a - Used only as a webserver

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
n/a - Used only as a webserver

What OS do you run?
Linux Mandrake 10.1 Official

Why do you run it?
Linux: Stability, openness, and its completely customizable
Mandrake: I need it to "just work"

When did you start using it?
Linux: Since 1997, using FIPS to split the partition on my parents comp and secretly dual boot Red Hat 4.2
Mandrake: Since 1999, version 6.0

App Questions:
Which browser?
I used to be a diehard Konqueror fan who occasionally dabbled in Mozilla but I am now a Firefox convert.

Email client?
None - gmail web interface

Audio and video players?
Audio - Amarok
Video - Kaffeine (QT XINE front end)

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Kwrite and OO.

GUI
KDE 3.3.0
X.org 6.8.1

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
Gentoo Linux for development / writing
WinXP Pro SP2 for gaming

Why do you run it?
I run Linux because it is fast, stable, reliable, and fun to play with.
I boot into Windows because my PC suX0rs and can't run games under any kind of emulation without turning my games into a slideshow.

When did you start using it?
Gentoo: Sept. 02
Linux: '99 I think?
Windows: with the release of 3.1

App Questions:


Which browser?
Firefox!

Email client?
Web-based, pine

Audio and video players?
mplayer

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
AbiWord for simple text documents, OpenOffice for anything complex, emacs and nano/pico for development.

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
OpenBSD 3.6

Why do you run it?
It's my router/firewall - most secure OS out of the box. Not really suited for dev.

When did you start using it?
Since v2.9 - still have the stickers.

App Questions:
Which browser?
CLI? No X installed

Email client?
See above - no interest to see if mutt is installed

Audio and video players?
It starts beepin', and I'm scared

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
n/a - router/firewall

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
Linux: Ubuntu, Slackware 10 and Debian "Sarge"
Windows: Windows 2000, Windows XP

Why do you run it?
Ubuntu: After trying many different distro's, I found it to be an excellent OS. It's easy to setup/use and isn't overly bloated like some of the 'newbie' distros.
Slackware: This requires a bit more effort to get the way you want it. I like to use it because it sort of forces me to use CLI, thus helping me learn Linux.
Debian: Very stable. Damn good distro.
Windows: Too much software I use requires it.

When did you start using it?
Ubuntu: Belive it or not, when Black_Axis recommended it.
Slackware: I'm not sure, but I've got a thread or two here in the Alt.OS.Abode
Debian: When Colby recommended it
Windows: Been using MS OS's since DOS.

App Questions:
Which browser?
Linux - GUI: Firefox
Linux - CLI: Links2
Windows: Crazybrowser or Firefox

Email client?
Linux: Either Evolution (At work, for Exchange) or Thunderbird (For GMail POP)
Windows: Either Outlook (Exchange) or Thunderbird (GMail)

Audio and video players?
Linux: So far, VLC Client. I'm looking into MPlayer soon
Windows: For music, Winamp 5.06. For video WMP 10

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Linux: OpenOffice.org of course.
Windows: Either MS Office 2003 (work) or OO.o (home)

General Questions:
What OS do you run?

In the office I have both debian and Windows XP. My office network (20 people) has everything from AIX to SuSE to Windows NT, but most desktops are 2000/XP and most servers are 2000/2003. I also have a couple of webservers, also running debian.

At home, I have a debian machine, a dual-boot debian/XP PC, an always-XP machine, an iLamp with OS X and a PowerBook soon to be running debian (OS X is just too slow on it).

Why do you run it?

For a few reasons:
As a server and a desktop, I can update and maintain my linux machines consistently. They are easy to update.

As an internal server, linux is a workhorse, and runs a lot of the development and workgroup tools that we need better than Windows ever could.

As a web server, I know I can trust the platform, and I can firewall it pretty easily if need be. Again, updates are an issue, and low-bandwidth remote access (over SSH in this case).

As a firewall/router, some of the same issues apply. I can trust exactly what I've installed on the box, I have full control over the protocols and methodology, and I can do a lot more with it than an out-of-the-box router.

Why debian? Well, updates are easy to apply, I know how to use and abuse everything, and I have an extensive understanding of the platform. Easier to run what you know, though I have experience with other platforms.

I run Windows XP because, of the Windows family, it's the best they've got and has resolved lots of minor issues that may never be resolved in Windows 2000. It's a lot more "plug and play", which removes some of the frustration in not being able to poke and prod it the way I want.

The majority of my infrastructure in the office is still Windows because it works with everything my users want on their desktops and everything they need to use. I don't have the time to deal with workarounds, emulated software, and other issues that would come up with switching to all linux on the desktop. On the servers, Windows just plays best with Windows, and I don't have a lot of time to deal with doing it any other way... just yet

I have a couple of Macs because I really appreciate the platform, especially OS X.

When did you start using it?

I started using Linux sometime around 1997 or so, around the same time I really started using Windows. Before that it was only casual occasional use of Windows on library PCs and in a couple of classes, and a ton of Mac exposure (where I did all of my homework and played some games).

App Questions:
Which browser?

Mozilla everywhere.

Email client?

Outlook 2003 on Windows, Evolution on Linux.

Audio and video players?

Hmm, I don't do a lot of AV stuff day to day. I do use XMMS, iTunes, and WMP, when the need arises.

Office progs (editors, etc.)?

Office 2003 in Windows, OO.o on Linux, Office X on my Mac.

What OS do you run?

Gentoo Linux 2004.2 using Kernel 2.6.9
Windows XP Professional Edition

bWhy do you run it?

I use Linux because it's fast, stable, reliable and the updates come often not to mention that hardware support is just a kernel upgrade away. I use it for web surfing, web development (PHP, MySQL), as a web server (Apache), and as my SSH box.

I use Windows because of games, Macromedia, and Adobe.

When did you start using it?

Linux since 1998, but off and on. Mostly off, I did fiddle around with Redhat, SuSE, Mandrake a while back. I fell in love with Gentoo as soon as a friend of mine introduced me to it.

App Questions:
Which browser?

Mozilla Firefox 1.0

Email client?

Web Mail. I like the Yahoo Mail interface as well as GMail's so I just use that, plus with 2GB and 1GB of space, respectively, I won't download until my inbox is around 10% full. Otherwise, I use Thunderbird from Mozilla.

Audio and video players?[b]

iTunes (my favorite). XMMS and WMP just suck, plain out suck.

[b]Office progs (editors, etc.)?

Office 2K3 and OO.o, it depends on the environment I'm in. If I get desperate, I'll use nano.

General Questions:
What OS do you run?

Mandrake 10.0 Oficial

Why do you run it?

For Fun

When did you start using it?

Today. (December 21st 2004)

App Questions:

Which browser?
Currently I am using Konqueror but I really want Firefox but I have no idea how to install it on linux!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!

Email client?
What? Erm.....I use gmail...

Audio and video players?
I dont know....

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
I dont know....I want office though.

General Questions:
Linux: lindows,Debian (sarge) ,peanut, damn small, Mepis,knoppix At the moment
Winblows: 3.1, 98se, 2K pro and XP pro

Why do you run it?
linux : Its a challenge and a lot more fun for the brain., and no worry about viruses and spyware at least not yet
Winblows : Because I have iinvested a lot in software that runs only on winblows.

When did you start using it?
Started playing with Linux in 2003 Winblows in 91

App Questions:
Which browser?
Linux: FireFox. Winblows FireFox


Email client? Linux : Thunderbird Winblows : Thunderbird

Audio and video players?
Linux : Mplayer,Xzine,,RealPlayer
Winblows RealPlayer and MediaPlayer

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Liniux: OO
Winbows OO and Office 2003


southern

What OS do you run?
RH Linux 9
Windows XP SP2 for gaming and stuff

Why do you run it?
Manifold reasons:
-1: To compile applications for Linux
-2: To have a stable operating environment
-3: To have a great server system
-4: To have greater access control over my important files

When did you start using it?
When I was 12. (Different version, but still RedHat)

App Questions:
Which browser?
Firefox

Email client?
-Windows: Thunderbird
-Linux: Ximian Evolution

Audio and video players?
-Windows: WMP 10
-Linux: Xmms

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
OpenOffice

What OS?

Gentoo (both server and desktop machines) and, maybe once a month, Windows XP SP2.

Why do you run it?

Because portage owns you. Portage is the best package manager out there. You set your build options at install, but you can change them at any time. You can update your system at will. All software and kernels are compiled and optimized for YOUR machine, not for the masses. You can be as aggressive as you want to be. You can be as modest as you want to be. The development cycle is current. The Gentoo community is the most helpful out there. The documentation is first rate. It isn't a noob distro, but with the instructions, I as a noob was able to get things going seamlessly. Did I mention, portage owns you?

I started distro-hopping about 18 months ago. I tried red-hat, mandrake, debian, knoppix, MEPIS, FreeBSD, SuSE, Libranet, and others. Something was lacking in all of these. Debian was the best first distro for me, but configuration was kind of a bear, and the community was very elitist. BSD...I don't wanna talk about that one, it was quite traumatic. The other "plug n play" distros worked ok ('cept for red hat, never could get that thang installed properly) but did entirely too much hand holding and auto-configging, so much so that it was like running a windows environment again. What's the point of having an open-source OS if you don't know what's under the hood? I finally discovered Gentoo about six months ago, and haven't turned back since. I run a low-traffic web server at home, and open source is definitely the way to go, there. I find it easier than IIS in MS products, and it suits my needs. Gaming? I play Enemy-Territory and UT 2004 just fine with my hardware and linux. Starcraft works great under Wine. Haven't messed with Cedega, cuz I don't buy new games, really. If i have to have something, I can always dual-boot.

GUI: KDE, Enlightenment

Browser: Firefox, unless it gets bitchy, then Konqueror or Links.

Email: T-bird, dabble with Evolution

Audio: XMMS, Streamtuner. Video: Xine or Mplayer.

Office: OO.o all the way, baby. nano for config file editing.

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
Slackware Linux 10.0 w/ 2.6.8.1 Kernel

Why do you run it?
Mainly to develop things and play NWN. And since that's mainly what I do with my computer, um yeah.

When did you start using it?
Slackware since Slackware 3.1, Linux itself since 2.something.

App Questions:

GUI:
Kde 3.2.3
Kde 3.3.2
Kde 3.3.4 Beta
Gnome (whatever came with slackware -- I don't use it often).

Which browser?
Firefox/Epiphany

Email client?
I don't.

Audio and video players?
Noatun/amaroK/XMMS/Xine

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Kate for programming, OO.o for homework, vi for fast editing.

What OS do you run?
At work - Mandrake 9.1 for my workstation cuz it works and has worked and will keep working. Gentoo for a web server cus it is ULTRA STABLE. Win 2k and 2k3 servers cuz I'm forced to.

At home - Fedora Core 3 (workstation) cuz I wanted to try it and it seems to work well. I like the 2.6.x kernel. Gentoo (server) for same reason as at work. It runs a music server and is my portal into my home net - NEVER EVER CRASHES.

Why do you run it? I got really sick of windows a few years ago and had been playing around with linux for a while. Two years ago I decided to take the plunge and use linux exclusively. I no longer even have dual boot systems, linux boot only, but I do have VMware running on my workstations for when I am forced to use windows, which is rarely.

Also -- No one ever calls me and says "Hey Tom, my Linux Box is freezing up. Can you fix it?" However, I get LOTS of calls like "Hey Tom, my Windows computer keeps crashing after it boots, can you fix it?" Of course I always tell the "yes" and hand them a Knoppix CD to use until I can get to them!

When did you start using it? I started exploring linux as a server OS in 1996 when I was considering starting an ISP. Have used it to one degreee or another ever since.

App Questions:
Which browser? FIREFOX BABY!

Email client? THUNDERBIRD

Audio and video players? XMMS and XINE

Office progs (editors, etc.)? VI mostly until I need something pretty and then I use OpenOffice.org and sometime (gulp!) MS Office on VMWare.

[quote="ATI4EVER!"]General Questions:
[
Which browser?
Currently I am using Konqueror but I really want Firefox but I have no idea how to install it on linux!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!

Download the tarball.
cd /usr/local (change dir to where you want it installed)
su (switch to superuser)
tar -zxvf /path/to/firefox*.tar.gz (untar firefox)
ln -s /usr/local/firefox/firefox /usr/bin/firefox (link the executable to a dir in your path)
exit (exit superuser mode)
firefox (run firefox)

What OS do you run?
(previously) LFS, Gentoo, Debian, SuSE 10... (2.6.x-rcx-mmx on gentoo)

Arch Linux (primary, all machines but one), Fedora (1 machine)

Why do you run it?
I don't want to pay for yet another windows licence.
For fun, and to prevent malware leeching my system resources away.
Also to learn programming and a better system overall

When did you start using it?
About 2000. I started using it as a primary OS on my main machine in 2007.

App Questions:
Which browser?
Firefox (latest trunk)

Email client?
Thunderbird (stable)
Kmail

Audio and video players?
XMMS
Amarok
Kaffiene

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
KOffice
OpenOffice 2.0
Kate
vim

Other:
python
kdevelop3

General Questions:

What OS do you run?

Knoppix v3. I keep seeing Debian in random places, so i think its kinda based off that

Why do you run it?

Windo'hs is teh suck
and when Microsoft releases [shudder] Trusted Computing [/shudder], ill be set with my nice little Knoppix and ill be able to teach it to everyone i know

When did you start using it?

Timestamp on my Knoppix CD Burn is Tuesday, January 11, 2005 7:18 PM
Tested Knoppix Live CD: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 7:25 PM
Deleted Windo'hs and installed Knoppix: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 8:30 PM

App Questions:

Which browser?

I'm a Firefox baby First and probably last browser i'll use

Email client?

Tried Thunderbird, didnt understand how to set it up, Gave up and used www.yahoo.com

Audio and video players?

Standard Knoppix package- XMMS, Xine, XMP (Xine Media Player)

Office progs (editors, etc.)?

Again, Standard Knoppix Package- KWrite, KEdit, K3b, OpenOffice.org 1.1 ^_^

Still Can't Configure wine tho...

General Questions:
What OS do you run?
On my main workstation, I use W2K. On another workstation, I use W2K AS. On another workstation, I use IRIX.

On my laptop, I use W2K and gentoo.

Why do you run it?
Workstation 1 (W2K): Primarily because I use Lighwave 3D, Maya and 3D Studio Max--of which 95% of which I use Lightwave 3D.

Workstation 2 (W2K AS): I require a W2K variant on this machine as it's an sgi/Intel workstation and does not run XP plus *NIX doesn't support some of the hardware features of the sgi.

Workstation 3 (IRIX): Well considering that it's running a MIPS processor, I'm rather limited to what I can use on the machine. Sure, I could use a linux/bsd variant, but then I wouldn't get any OpenGL accelerated options out of those. Besides, IRIX is a very capable OS in its own right.

Laptop (W2K/gentoo): I require Windows in this environment as I don't like any of the options for mapping software I use when I'm on the road in *NIX. Plus, I can always reboot into gentoo for my *NIX fix.

When did you start using it?
sgi machines: I started using these about 3 years ago when it became more cost-effective to do so.

App Questions:
Which browser?
Generally, I use firefox but sometimes I will open up Netscape in *NIX. In Windows, I use Opera primarily.

Email client?
I don't use e-mail in *NIX but that's me. I'm locked into that whole portability problem on my Windows clients. I want all of my e-mail in one repository which happens to be Windows.

Audio and video players?
IRIX: xmms and mediaplayer or mediarecorder. You can't beat the video capabilities of the O2 most days other than writing in a codec that isn't supported on IRIX which then is just a file transfer away from a machine that can do the codec better.

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
nedit for an editor on IRIX and nano for gentoo.

The rest is general use stuff and I use whatever is default most times. I'll open up vi or a variant more often than not.

I have to say that gentoo's portage is what linux truly needs--ACROSS THE BOARD. It's very similar to the IRIX Software Manager. I like the IRIX Software Manager simply because it doesn't even allow you to install software if you don't have the dependencies correct.

What OS do you run?
Main: XP Home
Laptop: Ubuntu 5.04

Why do you run it?
Main: Because I game. Otherwise I would be 100% Linux-native by now.
Laptop: Ubuntu 5.04 is so far the best distro I have encountered for compatibility and ease of use. I tried Mandrake, Fedora Core 4, MEPIS, LiveCDs of SUSE, Linspire, DSL and a bunch of others I'm probably forgetting on both machines. Mandrake was my primary choice for a while, but when it came time for something new I wanted something a little less bloated. I tried the single-CD Ubuntu LiveCD and loved it. Plus, apt rocks!

When did you start using it?
Main: Couple years ago. I switch between 2000 Pro and XP whenever I feel like it, but I find XP better for gaming.
Laptop: I'm still kinda in the middle of the "distro fever" stage but I installed the last Beta of 5.04 as soon as it was available to get a feel for it and moved to the final immediately. Tried a few other distros since then and even went back to 2000 Pro for a bit but I'm back to Ubuntu now.

App Questions:
Which browser?
Main: Firefox, Firefox and Firefox.
Laptop: Firefox, Firefox and Firefox.

Email client?
Both: Gmail webmail.

Audio and video players?
Main: Winamp 5
Laptop: Mplayer when I need it - media is the main rig's job.

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Both: OpenOffice.org

What OS do you run?
Debian Sarge with kernel 2.6.8-2-k7 (dual boot with WinXP Home)

Why do you run it?
I am running Linux because of curiosity and the fact that I have been using a lot of open-source programs for Windows and figured I could make the jump without too much trouble. The thing that really pushed me over the edge into Linux was I spent the better part of a week trying to clean a virus off of a co-worker's WinXP computer and I figured it was time for me to look for something elsee. I chose Debian because I like the package manager and figured that the install couldn't be THAT hard (a week and a half after my first install attempt, I was seriously rethinking that assessment, but now that it is running, I'm glad I chose it) I am running WinXP because that is what I am used to and that is what my wife wants, and I still have some games that I want to play.

When did you start using it?
Debian - Late February 2005
WinXP - shortly after it was released

App Questions:
Which browser?
Both - Firefox

Email client?
Both - Thunderbird

Audio and video players?
Linux - Right now I am using Totem for video. That may change. I haven't worked that much with video, and I only used audio long enough to test the sound (I normally don't listen to CDs or MP3s on my computer).
WinXP - Quicktime, VLC Player

Office progs (editors, etc.)?
Linux - OpenOffice.org. The Gimp
WinXP - OpenOffice.org, Photoshop Elements, FileZilla