How many of you dual boot/run Linux on your Thinkpad?

Because virtualization is for wimps.

 

Ever heard about the Debian package management (keywords: apt/dpkg) or the Redhat package management (keywords: yum/rpm)? A pity no such thing is available as standard on Windows.

 

Yes, of course I have. But there is no "uniform" package system across all distros.

Lets keep the Linux versus Windows holy war out of the thread and this forum.

 

Well, i guess that i must have been very negligent with my wording, as you obviously understood me wrong. Please pardon my bad English writing skills!

I never claimed that there was a single uniform package system shared between all Linux distributions. Each Linux distribution usually includes a uniform package management as integral part of its particular system. Any attempt to cover the package management of all different distributions in one single management system would be simply impossible to manage.

No problem, just don't get started with one and all is cool.

 

Install as many times as I want without having to call a vendor and humbly request permission.

Install any of several thousand applications with one command, comforted by the knowledge that the download is from a trusted source and will receive updates automatically for life.

Get all the features of my OS without paying extra upgrade fees for an "Ultimate" edition.

Modify anything from my device drivers to my word processor as I see fit. Bleeding edge feature or feature not officially supported on my hardware? I can enable it. Minor bug that clashes with my workflow? I can apply a patch without waiting for a vendor to get around it.

Run anything in a (nearly) complete sandbox.

Upgrade to a new version of my OS, including every single program, with two commands.

Enjoy superb remote management and operation of my machine. Remote Desktop is a nothing like ssh + X11.

Modify my desktop's UI to suit my workflow, not vice versa.

 

Apparently the masses don't want that. What is linux market share on the desktop?

 

Last I checked, Linux desktop share was ~1% and dropping.

That said, I've been using Linux for 5-7 years on and off. It has many advantages that you just can't readily find in the other OSs. Currently, I run Linux Mint 11 from a fast USB stick with persistence. I can use it virtually anywhere on any computer that supports booting from USB.

Linux does have a steeper learning curve. Even for some simple tasks, one has to be proficient with using command line codes in the terminal. Troubleshooting issues can be a nightmare. More so than on Windows or OSX, IMO.

 

I've been running linux since 1994 but I try to stay out of the holy war aspects of the discussion until someone starts talking trash.

The linux community and vendors tried and failed. Maybe someday they'll succeed in managing 10% market share, but probably not in my lifetime.

 

Talking trash? That's a bit unfair and hostile isn't it? I see many rational posts extolling the virtues of Linux versus other OSs and what's more, they did so stating personal preference reasons.

Additionally, many valid comparisons to Windows 7 were made. What seems to be the issue? What "war" are you referring to?

 

Nope. There is some trash talking going in in previous posts. I think the thread needs to be moved to the linux forum since it really has gravitated (as usual) into a thread that has nothing to do with a ThinkPad.

If it remains here and open, I will post some information in the morning that counters some of the ridiculous information in it.