olav said:
I need some help and suggestions here. I'm going to reinstall my desktop system at work, it is currently running Ubuntu 11.04 and is outdated. I'm mainly a Python and Java developer. I need stability, and minimum noise. I've been using Ubuntu since 2004 and been very happy almost all the time (installed Kubuntu on my laptop last year as Unity and Gnome are too noisy for my taste). Currently KDE is my preferred desktop environment. I really like Kubuntu, but it is slightly more buggy than the latest Gnome2 on Ubuntu 11.04.
I really like the FreeBSD ports system. Mostly because I get quick and easy access to new software releases, especially apache, nginx, varnish, uwsgi, python, postgresql and so on. However FreeBSD's Java support is a bit rough and noisy. I prefer to download and install directly from java.oracle.com which works fine for Linux. Jails is also a plus. Is PCBSD a good desktop environment, is it possible to live with openjdk7 as a java developer?
So far I have found a few Linux options like Chakra and Sabayon. How do these two compare to Kubuntu? Or should I just stay with Kubuntu, it works fairly well though
This is just my opinion:
First off, PC-BSD is in my personal opinion, a GREAT Desktop OS; You basically have FreeBSD with a paint job, and some custom tools making the whole thing incredibly easy to use. I rarely EVER do this, but I'd go as far as saying that if PC-BSD stays on course, it WILL become a REAL contender to even Ubuntu.
The first time I used PC-BSD it was a while ago, so I don't remember much, but then PC-BSD 8.X and 9.X came out, and I LOVED it; I'm using 9.0 on my Laptop right now, and it's just SO easy to set up and use. I kind of wish sometimes that FreeBSD would do similar; You have sound and everything else working right out of the box; No editing /etc/rc.conf or anything!
For Linux distros that I personally feel are good for production use, I can name the ones I've used without any issues:
SUSE / OpenSUSE Linux.
Slackware
Debian
.... That's the main ones, but I DO admit that the last time I used Mandriva and Magei Linux, I had a great experience with both.
That's my opinion on it anyway. I mean, when it comes down to it, the main thing with ANY OS out there, is how YOU feel about it. I mean Linux has so many distros now it's hard to even keep up with half of it, and the BSD world, though not as "user friendly" at times, does have rewards you aren't gonna get in most Linux distros.
So basically, to answer your question about this, I'd say just to try stuff out, and when you come to something you like, a lot of people just stop there and don't ever keep going, and I personally would say keep trying anyway. I have a BUNCH of open source OSs here, and even though I LOVE SUSE Linux, I didn't just stop trying, I kept going, and downloading new ones to toy with, and after a while, I had a list of like 3 or 4 Distros that I actually used all the time.
I've been leaning more and more to BSD though, but I still use Linux as well. This machine dual boots Windows 7 and OpenSUSE, and works great, but then my Laptop, has PC-BSD on it, and then I have two Desktops running FreeBSD 9 on them, and then my FTP Server runs Slackware 12.0 on it.
So even though it's time consuming, I'd recommend looking at SUSE, OpenSUSE, (Either one really, though the Enterprise versions of SUSE ARE really sleek) And of course Debian is great, and Mandriva, though bloated at times, DOES have some very redeeming qualities in terms of how it's done. And Slackware of course is the old stand by it seems heh.
So basically, I'd say to try out a bunch, and then, make yourself a list; One that lists all the OSs you personally liked, and list the pros and cons of each one, and then kind of keep looking until you're absolutely Happy with it. That's my opinion on it anyway.
And also; Don't forget that Linux and BSD aren't the only thing around.
