Anyone using Linux as their main work PC?

Tom Dunne · 30-10-2020 4:55pm #1

I've been using a 10 year old PC as my main work PC for the last few weeks, both in work and at home since Level 5. Much to the horror of my IT manager (see my other thread), I've even managed to VPN back into work without issue. As I said in that thread, Zoom, Teams and Office 365 are working fine.

I was just wondering if anyone else is using Linux as a main work PC and what you do with it. I am now convinced for non-specialist apps, Linux may be ready to move from the server to the desktop.

30-10-2020 7:22pm

tphase wrote: »

main work PC has been Unix/Linux for work since 1994 - Solaris, Redhat, Fedora and now Ubuntu - for data acquisition and control. I generally run Debian or a derivitive in new setups (cos mostly it's old hardware and doesn't need to do too much other than be able to communicate over a serial port). I do still have a CentOS machine which I want to kill off and a mid-90's Toshiba Satellite Pro laptop running TinyCore which will probably outlast me

In the early 2000's, I switched to Linux more or less exclusively on my personal machines (ie which I use to work from home). No problem doing real work but unfortunately quite a few years ago, a Microsoft fanboy took over in the IT function of the crew I work for. He's long gone but everything now is MS-centric and Linux is barely supported. Sometimes that's handy (can't read that file, can't connect to that Teams meeting for some reason etc) but mostly stuff works well enough.

I think Linux (or at least some versions of it) has been ready for the desktop for some time. If people who don't know anything different have it presented to them as their OS, they get on with it and figure it out in the same way as they would if they are presented with a version of MS windows they know nothing about. In my experience (well, in the experience of Mrs tphase), switching from an elderly to a modern version of windows (XP to Win10) is probably not much different to switching to Linux or MacOS. It's equally confusing, they only use windows because it's bundled with the machine and I'm still expected to do tech support

Executable files is the deal breaker. The thought of asking my parents to run a command line makes me sweat

Johnboy1951 · 30-10-2020 8:02pm

I have used Linux exclusively since 2004 at home.

I had up to then used Windows, but wanted a change after Win2K (the last one I bought).
I continued to use Win until about 2010 at work.

All my family members also use Linux. Some dual boot Windows (for specific software they choose to use) but apparently rarely use it. Yes I am tech support ...... but it is much less stressful and occurs less often than when I supported Win on their PCs.
I no longer support their Win installs ... only the Linux side.

IMO, Linux has been suited for use as a desktop OS by the majority of users, for many years.
It was also quite suited to a lot of desktop use in business, but to do this required a deliberate decision and preparation by the business ...... mostly deciding on suitable alternate software to the better know Windows software.

As for the BS stuff I read about Linux not being suitable for use by the older generation, it is just that - BS in my experience.

3d4life · 30-10-2020 8:28pm

What variant of Linux or Unix would y'all suggest

Present config is
W7 Pro on HP ProBook,
W10 Pro on some other HP lappy
and a standalone XP ( ! ) desktop HP running standalone stuff but might be nice to be able to transfer / share a few files with the rest rather than transfer via memory stick

Priorities would be Secure, reliable, robust, straightforward

Toyed with unix many eons ago ... presume it has come on a lot

USB support ?
Encryption ?
Security updates ?

rayzercork · 30-10-2020 9:06pm

first found linux in 2010 but been using it daily since 2012, switched distros a few times over the years and currently on xubuntu 20.04. the only windows system i have is an old xp machine which rarely gets used.

Johnboy1951 · 30-10-2020 10:24pm

3d4life wrote: »

What variant of Linux or Unix would y'all suggest

Whichever suits YOU ......... try a few distros and try a few different desktop environments such as KDE, MATE, Xfce etc etc.

Choose your own poison and not someone else's

rom · 30-10-2020 10:33pm

tphase wrote: »

they have no more need of the command line than they would in windows

Very much disagree. Much prefer linux. Have to use windows for work. Asked for a mac but it's mac is US only as they have no process to image them in EMEA.

I find it hard to use a Windows machine as have used mac and linux for 20 years+

Have to google most things on Windows, use cygwin to feel a bit more at home.

Sadly for enterprise you can buy a complete bundle from MS that will include all you need to run 95% of your enterprise. This is not the case with linux. Totally cost of ownership may be higher for complex orgs.

There was a few Cites in Germany that went linux only for gov but moved back.

Compatibility/ease of use /training are all additional costs. A cost to a helpdesk costs prob 20-30 euro each time. There is the salary of the person, the office, the infrastructure etc for the 5-10 min call email.

Johnboy1951 · 30-10-2020 10:36pm

rom wrote: »

Very much disagree. Much prefer linux. Have to use windows for work. Asked for a mac but it's mac is US only as they have no process to image them in EMEA.

I find it hard to use a Windows machine as have used mac and linux for 20 years+

Have to google most things on Windows, use cygwin to feel a bit more at home.

Sadly for enterprise you can buy a complete bundle from MS that will include all you need to run 95% of your enterprise. This is not the case with linux. Totally cost of ownership may be higher for complex orgs.

There was a few Cites in Germany that went linux only for gov but moved back.

Compatibility/ease of use /training are all additional costs. A cost to a helpdesk costs prob 20-30 euro each time. There is the salary of the person, the office, the infrastructure etc for the 5-10 min call email.

You must also be aware of the back story to that return to MS products and that it had nothing at all to do with the costs of using Linux.

31-10-2020 12:39am

tphase wrote: »

they have no more need of the command line than they would in windows

How do you suggest they install or update software?

Tom Dunne · 31-10-2020 11:24am

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

I have used Linux exclusively since 2004 at home.

But there's a substantial difference between using it at home and using it as an OS for work.

I don't even know if it is MS fanboys, I think bit is more ignorance. They simply don't know any difference. Maybe a bit of Apple, but that's it. I take pride in telling people I worked on VAX/VMS for a while and I am mostly met with confused looks (showing my age now).

But I believe now with corporate apps shifting to the cloud, Linux is ready for the desktop.

Tom Dunne · 01-11-2020 9:36am

3d4life wrote: »

What variant of Linux or Unix would y'all suggest

Present config is
W7 Pro on HP ProBook,
W10 Pro on some other HP lappy
and a standalone XP ( ! ) desktop HP running standalone stuff but might be nice to be able to transfer / share a few files with the rest rather than transfer via memory stick

Priorities would be Secure, reliable, robust, straightforward

Toyed with unix many eons ago ... presume it has come on a lot

USB support ?
Encryption ?
Security updates ?

It depends on the system config - for older PCs, try the lighter Linux distributions, such as Lubuntu or Xubuntu. I found AntiX Linux to be surprisingly fast on older PCs, but it's ugly, damn ugly.

USB support is a non-issue any more. Encryption is available on any distribution I have tried in the past 5 years.

In terms of security update, they are an order of magnitude less important on Linux as most exploits target Windows systems. Having said that, security updates are pushed out regularly.

theological · 01-12-2020 9:16am

Yes and no. I'm using Debian Sid on my main laptop which I can use with the Linux Citrix Workspace / Skype HDX driver connect to my work system. It's a desktop streaming environment which streams my Windows work desktop to my Linux PC.

jimgoose · 01-12-2020 11:37am

Yup, RHEL Workstation 7.9.

Goodshape · 01-12-2020 12:49pm

I use Linux Mint on the desktop machine for work. It's my preferred environment by a country mile.

The desktop machine is my own, though. Work supplied a MacBookPro which I also need to access and publish to the Apple App Store, unfortunately. Otherwise all my dev work happens on Linux.

Using Mint's Cinnamon desktop environment at the moment but I'm a bit sick of it. Had a quick look at KDE over the weekend, for the first time in what feels like a decade or so, and it seems pretty nice. I might switch over.

Robert ninja · 01-12-2020 1:56pm

Not working but in year 3 of college that's very heavy on Microsoft ecosystem.

Outside of one module that they provide a remote windows VM for I do everything else on my local desktop (8 years old) and have been able to collab with peers no problem. Teams and Office 365 have native versions plus there's always the web versions. Only been using linux fully for a few years now. Was dualbooting for a while with gaming but W7 got upity about an SSD when I tried to reinstall it (despite it existing on it for years) so I just took it as an opportunity to justify getting rid of it for good and repurposing its SSD.

Stuck using gnome because I'm so used to it but trying to give dwm a try.

opus · 02-12-2020 3:18pm

I've been using Fedora on my work PC since I started my current job, currently at 33. Mind you I've also got a Windows 10 VM for when I need it.

circadian · 09-12-2020 4:10pm

My desktop at work is running Arch, not that I've used it in 9 months. I'd just moved to Arch a few months previous and really enjoyed it. At the minute I'm stuck at home with the company provided mac book air, it's grand but nowhere near as usable as some of the Linux distros.

Before that I was playing with Elementary OS, MX and a few others. I'd be interested in giving Solus a shot.

I'm too busy to even bother with Fedora these days, but my early years in the industry I'd have used it.

oscarBravo · 16-01-2021 5:34pm

My work desktop and laptop are both running Fedora. I've been running Linux on the desktop since at least 2005.

Worztron · 11-10-2022 7:45am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/115941339#Comment_115941339

Lucky you! :-)

Fedora has been getting a lot of praise of late by distro reviewers. V37 is imminent.

PommieBast · 07-11-2022 5:51pm

I'm Slackware 15.0 on all my work and personal system. Not always been able to have Linux on my main desktop/laptop but the main part of most of my jobs has been Linux development.

Worztron · 07-11-2022 6:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119846256#Comment_119846256

I've never taken to Slackware. I tried Salix OS in a VM but didn't keep it for long. Debian is my favorite flavor. :)

PommieBast · 07-11-2022 7:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119846402#Comment_119846402

It is a pretty conservative distro and in many ways it is nearer BSD (e.g. SlackBuilds vs. Ports collection) than the Linux mainstream. I found that away from A-list programs Ubuntu's LTS editions got stale a bit too quickly.

Anyone using Linux as their main work PC?

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