Hari's Corner

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Linux Observation

Filed under: Software and Technology by Hari
Posted on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 19:09 IST (last updated: Thu, Dec 17, 2009 @ 19:11 IST)

I've observed that over the years, I've grown more and more comfortable with Debian that other distributions seem to be as alien as RPM is to DEB (sorry for the techno-pun :-P).

In my view, using Linux effectively for day to day computing is a different skill from being a geek user who tweaks with many distributions and gains satisfaction from experimentation and knowledge of obscure details. If you start using applications for real productivity (I also include software developers here), your desire for tweaking, experimentation and system configuration for its own sake will drop dramatically. 90% of all flame wars over Linux distributions seem to arise from this basic difference in view. One section of the community insists that tweaking the system is a good thing for gaining knowledge while others desire the system to be well configured by default to minimize user intervention allowing them to concentrate on "real" tasks. Of course, there are always those who insist that Linux can never be a tool of productivity, but that's another story.

I too have gradually shifted my focus over the years to applications (including CLI) and desktop productivity. It might also be just another sign that my geekiness has worn off a bit and I no longer view the computer as a plaything.

4 comment(s)

  1. Nah it's perfectly normal. Even for the Gentoo folks, people realise that there are three sort of people: 1) the hackers, who love customising and mucking about and think that's the purpose behind everything, 2) the customisers, which like the degree of control and flexibility but want that stability and things to just work when they need to, and 3) the people who just want things to work (which normally switch to another distro pretty quickly :-P )

    I personally belong in the customiser category and it isn't a bad thing if you do - when you find the little detail that hits your spot and you feel the need to tweak, then you'll go back to it - right now you're reaching a temporary equillibrium.

    Mental analysis over.

    Comment by Dion Moult (visitor) on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 @ 19:30 IST #
  2. Dion, the fact that I can make techno-puns still mean that I retain a bit of geekiness, so no fear. :D

    Actually I also belong to category #2. I think the cat #1 people would be more comfortable only with *BSD (or Slackware) these days. Almost every Linux distro caters to #2 or #3.

    Comment by Hari (blog owner) on Thu, Dec 17, 2009 @ 19:38 IST #
  3. Yeah, I'm somewhat fit into #1, but to some extent I've shifted into #2 and #3. I've finished my major experimenting years ago, now I don't really do anything besides some basic customizations.

    Comment by tuxdev (visitor) on Sun, Dec 20, 2009 @ 09:31 IST #
  4. tuxdev, I think most Linux users, except those who seek a drop-in replacement for Windows start off in the #1 category and then move to #2. Ex-windows users mostly are in #3.

    Comment by Hari (blog owner) on Sun, Dec 20, 2009 @ 16:16 IST #

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