imagen

Trying Debian and finally Ubuntu for desktop

09.Dec.2016 — Julio

After trying these OS's for desktop trying BSD in 2015

I work with a Intel NUC D54250WYK in my job. It had Linux Mint 17, and I was tired of having to update applications I need like Libreoffice, mutt, thunderbird, and so on. Also I prefer now a distribution more update not LTS.

I dismissed the Linux Mint 18 option because I want a main distribution. I have servers working with Debian and Ubuntu so I tried these two.

My premises are:

  • I have to get all configured in less than 3 hours. It's the work desktop !!
  • I have to get all applications that I need to work.
  • my /home is on a separate partition, so no extra work for restoring backups.
  • beautiful fonts please.
  • I work with i3wm. Yes, I'm used to work with keyboard more than mouse.

And this is the list all software I need:

  • from repos:

    sudo apt install
    i3 suckless-tools chromium cups evinve feh filezilla firefox gedit
    gnome-terminal gparted konsole libreoffice mutt openvpn
    pinta putty R recordmydesktop remmina rsync
    synapse thunar vim vlc virtualbox Xfce4-Screenshooter or gnome-screenshot

  • languages Go and R

sudo apt-get install golang r-base

  • soft to download and work

    • resilio sync
    • thunderbird
    • vmplayer
    • haroopad
  • Rstudio and Skype

Debian testing

Debian

I learned GNU/Linux with Debian so I owe it a nice try.
Here are my problems with Debian.

  • you must add in /etc/apt/sources "contrib" because otherwise it is not possible to install some software
  • you must install sudo and configure it ?!
  • no thunderbird ?!
  • problems with language, I need spanish and in certains applications (mutt) the display is wrong
  • Rstudio and skype?

And the main problem. Ugly fonts with an old aspect.

Ubuntu 16.10

Ubuntu

Easy install for all aplications I need. I like the aspect of DE and Unity is not as bad as people say. Anyway I use i3wm.

Yes It's said that Ubuntu is for beginners and not for hackers. Ok, it's not my problem. Ubuntu fits on me.

Problems:

  • nautilus breaks in i3. I spent too much time trying to resolv this problem and I didn't get success. So I discovered "pcmanfm" and now I love it.

Epilog

I had to configure crontab, printers, ssh, more workspaces, routes, samba, mount devices, R, i3/config, resilio and so on but with Ubuntu all was easier.

Sorry but now I have to get my things done in my work.

Tags: setup, linux, i3

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