OS for Software Development

[Ryois]

Hello, I need a Linux OS that would be best for software development. I have tried Ubuntu, Parrot, and Kali and I didn't really like the look and feel of each OS. I would need an OS that is 64 bit, free, and supports nvidia gpus the GRUB boot loader can be modified to make it boot. I develop

• Python so Python via apt-get
• Web Development so apache, php, etc via apt-get
• I want to start working in other languages too.

I currently use Windows and Linux on Raspberry Pis and this is not the best way if I need to go somewhere such as school or friends and relatives house.

[mail929]

I personally use Fedora, it has lots of "spins" so you can pick and choose your desktop environment and is bleeding edge so you don't have to worry about out of date packages. I was also surprised by how little I had to do to make it fully work on my computers.

[Ryois]

Just now, mail929 said:

I personally use Fedora, it has lots of "spins" so you can pick and choose your desktop environment and is bleeding edge so you don't have to worry about out of date packages. I was also surprised by how little I had to do to make it fully work on my computers.

I might look into this one.

[Essence_of_Darkness]

11 minutes ago, Ryois said:

Hello, I need a Linux OS that would be best for software development. I have tried Ubuntu, Parrot, and Kali and I didn't really like the look and feel of each OS. I would need an OS that is 64 bit, free, and supports nvidia gpus the GRUB boot loader can be modified to make it boot. I develop

• Python so Python via apt-get
• Web Development so apache, php, etc via apt-get
• I want to start working in other languages too.

I currently use Windows and Linux on Raspberry Pis and this is not the best way if I need to go somewhere such as school or friends and relatives house.

Might want to take a look into CentOS or if you have money Red Hat Enterprise Linux

[mail929]

1 minute ago, Essence_of_Darkness said:

Might want to take a look into CentOS or if you have money Red Hat Enterprise Linux

Fedora, Red Hat, and CentOS are all pretty closely related you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'd personally still go with Fedora as it is the most personal computer oriented distro of the 3.

[Essence_of_Darkness]

Just now, mail929 said:

Fedora, Red Hat, and CentOS are all pretty closely related you wouldn't go wrong with any of them. I'd personally still go with Fedora as it is the most personal computer oriented distro of the 3.

I would personally go with Red Hat but it is his choice ATM.

[Howardtruth]

Deepin is a good choice if you want a really nice looking distro, but I haven't used it for software development. I use it only occasionally on an old laptop for web browsing.

[g el]

Fedora seems like a good option. OpenSuse would also be an option, they have a service called openQA and Open Build Service which seem targeted at package developers to make testing/building easier.

If you didn't like the look and feel of Ubuntu, it might be because of either Unity or GNOME. If it was ubuntu 17.10 that you tried, then try Kubuntu (KDE based ubuntu) or if it was the Unity desktop you did not like (Ubuntu 17.04 or older) then maybe also give GNOME a shot.

Fedora will come with GNOME by default unless you change it or get a different spin. OpenSuse will offer you a choice during installation unless you go with a live CD install. ( I guess the same is true for Fedora)

 

[Ryois]

3 hours ago, g el said:

Fedora seems like a good option. OpenSuse would also be an option, they have a service called openQA and Open Build Service which seem targeted at package developers to make testing/building easier.

If you didn't like the look and feel of Ubuntu, it might be because of either Unity or GNOME. If it was ubuntu 17.10 that you tried, then try Kubuntu (KDE based ubuntu) or if it was the Unity desktop you did not like (Ubuntu 17.04 or older) then maybe also give GNOME a shot.

Fedora will come with GNOME by default unless you change it or get a different spin. OpenSuse will offer you a choice during installation unless you go with a live CD install. ( I guess the same is true for Fedora)

 

I've used both Ubuntu 17.10 and the older 16.XX. Ok thanks!

[Sauron]

I can personally recommend Arch Linux or one of the "plug and play" derivatives, namely Antergos.

 

If the UI is your only problem with Ubuntu, be aware that there are versions with different UIs (like Ubuntu MATE) and that you can install any desktop environment you want on either version.

[vorticalbox]

If you don't like the look of an os then just install a new desktop environment. I use 17.10 at work for node/angular 

[dmaes]

12 hours ago, vorticalbox said:

If you don't like the look of an os then just install a new desktop environment. I use 17.10 at work for node/angular 

When talking about distro's, please use the distroname and not just the version-number. Not everyone thinks 'Ubuntu' when talking about Linux. Hence, some distro's don't even have "version numbers" (rolling release).

But I agree on 'just install a new DE', but when OP asks this kind of questions, I would rather go with 'try different flavors of some distro's in a vm', because installing a new DE, might be a little advanced (certainly if you think apt-get is the only way to install software and distro==look&feel)

[vorticalbox]

29 minutes ago, 101dmrs said:

When talking about distro's, please use the distroname and not just the version-number. Not everyone thinks 'Ubuntu' when talking about Linux. Hence, some distro's don't even have "version numbers" (rolling release).

But I agree on 'just install a new DE', but when OP asks this kind of questions, I would rather go with 'try different flavors of some distro's in a vm', because installing a new DE, might be a little advanced (certainly if you think apt-get is the only way to install software and distro==look&feel)

Yeah my bad. Ubuntu 17.10. 

 

I like the new desktop environment is 17.10 so I just leave it lol.

 

Budgie is pretty nice. 

[Ryois]

53 minutes ago, 101dmrs said:

When talking about distro's, please use the distroname and not just the version-number. Not everyone thinks 'Ubuntu' when talking about Linux. Hence, some distro's don't even have "version numbers" (rolling release).

But I agree on 'just install a new DE', but when OP asks this kind of questions, I would rather go with 'try different flavors of some distro's in a vm', because installing a new DE, might be a little advanced (certainly if you think apt-get is the only way to install software and distro==look&feel)

I will try them in a VM before installing them. Thanks for the idea.

[Dat Guy]

On 1.12.2017 at 10:44 PM, Ryois said:

Hello, I need a Linux OS that would be best for software development.

 

Wait: Do you want an OS that would be best for software development or do you explicitly want a Linux distribution? (That's not quite clear yet.) In the latter case, it does not really matter as all distributions share similar compilers.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

well all ubuntu based distro's support the nvidia graphics.

 

you said you didn't like the feel? 

 

simple:

Windows feel = KDE desktop (Kubuntu)

Mac feel = stock ubuntu with the dock hidden and Docky to put a Mac-like dock at the bottom.

[Dat Guy]

Windows feel = Windows.

Mac feel = macOS.

 

You're welcome.

[Ashley MLP Fangirl]

2 minutes ago, Dat Guy said:

Windows feel = Windows.

Mac feel = macOS.

 

You're welcome.

true, but the OP wanted Linux

[Dat Guy]

The OP said he wants an "OS for Software Development", he has not told us yet why it has to be Linux.

[dmaes]

2 hours ago, Dat Guy said:

The OP said he wants an "OS for Software Development", he has not told us yet why it has to be Linux.

 

On 12/1/2017 at 10:44 PM, Ryois said:

Hello, I need a Linux OS that would be best for software development.

Seems to me like he wants Linux...

2 hours ago, firelighter487 said:

simple:

Windows feel = KDE desktop (Kubuntu)

Mac feel = stock ubuntu with the dock hidden and Docky to put a Mac-like dock at the bottom.

Better:

Windows feel ON LINUX = Chalet OS

Mac feel ON LINUX = Elementary

 

But stop thinking that way, think:

Windows OS = Windows feel

MacOS = Mac feel

Whatever Linux distro you want + whatever DE you want = Whatever feel you want

 

Choosing a Linux distro 101:

Stable (Ubuntu/Debian family, CentOS, ...) or bleeding edge (Arch family, Fedora, ...) ?

Which package manager? Pacman (huge packege base if you include AUR), apt (best known), yum/dnf (don't have much experience whit it)

Noobfriendly? Most have at least an easy variant

Community? Arch wiki rocks and lives from community, Ubuntu community is big, don't know about the others.

You have a distro? Then start looking at DE's (and install them yourself) or flavours of the distro you picked.

 

But please, don't look at Linux like you look at Windows an Mac. Windows and Mac are 'Everything crammed in 1 pakket, and you have only 1 choice'. Linux is a bunch of tools you want/need, all very modular so you can take or leave whatever you want, it's freedom.

[Dat Guy]

Just now, 101dmrs said:

Windows and Mac are 'Everything crammed in 1 pakket, and you have only 1 choice'.

I disagree about Windows here. Windows has always left you a wide variety of choices. The difference is that the choices are not "crammed in" 1 "distribution" - you'll have to make them yourself.

[dmaes]

13 minutes ago, Dat Guy said:

I disagree about Windows here. Windows has always left you a wide variety of choices. The difference is that the choices are not "crammed in" 1 "distribution" - you'll have to make them yourself.

Can you define 'wide variety of choises', because Windows doesn't fit in my definition of 'wide variety of choises'

[Dat Guy]

Windows lets you easily replace the desktop (built-in since Windows 3.x if I'm not mistaken).

Windows lets you choose your package manager if you want to use one (I recommend Chocolatey).

Windows does not make a difference between "good for devs" and "good for gamers".

 

The only thing that Windows does not let you choose is the init system. But it is decent enough.

[dmaes]

1 hour ago, Dat Guy said:

Windows lets you easily replace the desktop (built-in since Windows 3.x if I'm not mistaken).

You're the first one telling me this...

1 hour ago, Dat Guy said:

Windows lets you choose your package manager if you want to use one (I recommend Chocolatey).

Yeah, I remember using it once, I think for QtPass

1 hour ago, Dat Guy said:

Windows does not make a difference between "good for devs" and "good for gamers".

Could be a good thing, could mean a lot of bult to carry around. I like the segregation more, keeps things small in size.

 

But yeah, I get your point. Only thing is, how many people know this? (And what does that say about windows?)

[Dat Guy]

Windows is easy to use when you are new, but you can dig deeper if you wish. That's not necessarily a bad thing about Windows...