Best Unix OS / BSD / Linux distro

Sun - Solaris / OpenSolaris

1 (2.9%)

BSD - FreeBSD

2 (5.7%)

BSD - OpenBSD

2 (5.7%)

BSD - NetBSD

0 (0%)

BSD - Other

0 (0%)

Linux - RedHat-based (ex Fedora, CentOS)

1 (2.9%)

Linux - SUSE / openSUSE

3 (8.6%)

Linux - Ubuntu-based (ex Mint, gOS)

13 (37.1%)

Linux - Debian-based (ex MEPIS, Knoppix)

4 (11.4%)

Linux - Mandriva-based (ex PCLinuxOS)

0 (0%)

Linux - Slackware-based (ex Vector, Zenwalk)

0 (0%)

Linux - Arch-based

0 (0%)

Linux - Gentoo-based (ex Sabayon)

4 (11.4%)

Linux - minimalist (Puppy, DSL, etc)

0 (0%)

Linux - roll your own

0 (0%)

Linux - Other

0 (0%)

Mac OS X

3 (8.6%)

HP-UX

0 (0%)

AIX

0 (0%)

OpenServer

0 (0%)

Minux

0 (0%)

Other

2 (5.7%)

What's a UNIX?

0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 25

[Alex Libman 14]

Let the battle begin.   

[digitalfour]

What's your favorite entertaining podcast about Linux?

[NuroSlam]

What's your favorite entertaining podcast about Linux?

Got three I listen to regularly

gutsy geeks
floss
linux in the ham shack

[BobRobertson]

Ubuntu is Debian based.

Funny that there's no selection for just Debian, Slackware, RedHat. All "based".

[KJM]

Which Unix-like OS / Linux distro do you prefer?

For what use?

Server: BSD - FreeBSD
Desktop: GNU/Linux - Debian
Portable/Backup: GNU/Linux - Puppy
Learning: GNU/Linux - LFS

[Alex Libman 14]

Ubuntu is Debian based.

Yes, it's true that the Ubuntu family had split off from the Debian family, but the two are no longer 100% binary compatible.  The same arguably applies to SUSE and Puppy, which borrowed from Slackware.  Etc.  The purpose of this poll is to group the major UNIX OS's / distro's into categories so that the results are interesting.  Putting Ubuntu and Debian into one mega-option would make it less so.

Funny that there's no selection for just Debian, Slackware, RedHat. All "based".

It seems pretty obvious that the core distro (ex. RedHat Enterprise Linux) is included along with the derived distros mentioned in the example list (ex. Fedora and CentOS), as well as other derived distros not mentioned due to lack of space (ex. Oracle Enterprise Linux, Red Flag, YellowDog, Berry, etc).

For what use?

I agree that different distro's are best suited for different situations, but you can still have a favorite.  If your Honda Odyssey rates as 9/10 in satisfying your family hauling needs and your Porsche 911 GT1 rates 8/10 in satisfying your sports-car needs, I guess the minivan is the winner. 

[Evil Muppet]

I got OpenSUSE on my desk top.  works pretty good for the most part.  Was thinking of putting Ubuntu on my laptop

[Jetfire]

try linux mint

[digitalfour]

try linux mint

I couldn't get it to boot up right on my old laptop.

[BobRobertson]

I'm quite happy with Debian, since I find it difficult to compare the HUGE software repositories with anything else. I'll admit that I'm not a newbie, that I have no worries about using command lines or compiling my own drivers, but there is little need to do that with any release in the last several years.

RedHat has some very nice install/recovery features that are geared toward servers, little surprise there since that is their focus and forte'.

I tried to install OpenSolaris in VirtualBox, just to give it a try since the last time I tried to install Solaris-x86 was in 1995 with no luck what so ever (wouldn't even finish booting). Sure enough, the same thing happened with OpenSolaris. I think it's because I didn't dedicate enough RAM to it in VB, if/when I get a Tower Of Power with more than my present 512MB of RAM I'll try again.

[Sam Gunn (since nobody got Admiral Naismith)]

I used to think it was Redhat, now I think it's Kubuntu.

Vista Ultimate 64 is what I use though.

[Alex Libman 14]

Kubuntu is not the best KDE experience right out of the box; SUSE and PCLinuxOS are probably the best.  And you don't know how fast KDE can be until you learn to roll your own with Gentoo / Sabayon.  Most core KDE developers use Gentoo themselves.  It's a German thing. 

[NuroSlam]

Kubuntu is not the best KDE experience right out of the box; SUSE and PCLinuxOS are probably the best.  And you don't know how fast KDE can be until you learn to roll your own with Gentoo / Sabayon.  Most core KDE developers use Gentoo themselves.  It's a German thing. 

I thought you were done with "linux" so why do you give a rats ass?

[Alex Libman 14]

I'm a walking contradiction. 

[Hideaki769]

I prefer windows over linux cuz my desktop has the latest parts and I constantly upgrade. However linux doesnt have workable and reliable drivers for a while. I'm a huge gamer so thats an issue. I'll talk smack on linux but I'll admit there are other devices I have and other situations I would rather choose linux over windows.