My Operating Systems

A history and some comments on operating systems I have used. Also see the article Alternative Operating Systems. And no pictures, click on the links to see. But first,

Lightweight Linux distros

I’ve tried nearly many lightweight Linux distros. LXDE, XFCE, and distros based on them like LUbuntu and the defunct WattOS. I remain unimpressed. These systems achieve their end to run faster. But there’s no getting round the slow Linux graphics. People who promote Linux will say that the Linux graphics are properly abstracted, that an open‐source project will need to be structured like this, and that Linux graphics can do things like project across several screens. Detractors will say that the legendary X‐Window system has been a drag on Linux destops from the start. After all, Apple abandoned X‐Windows a long time ago. Either way, Linux graphics are slow, and undermine the ability of the kernel to run on legacy hardware. If you want a comparison, try running any Linux Desktop system on a Pentium II, then try Win98. A shock. And the Pentium II was a staging post in modern personal computing.

As far as I am concerned, lightweight Linux distros are made for professionals to run reduced systems on their modern laptops. For that, I’m sure they do a good job. But no Linux desktop has ever supported old hardware. The only technological possibility I have encountered is to build on the Enlightenment libraries. Perhaps Wayland may offer something, but I have no hope.

Short list of operating systems used

Operating systems used for substantial periods of time,

• Windows 98

• Windows XP

• Hoary Hedgehog

• Maverick Meercat

• CENTOS 6

• Linux Mint

List with comments

Some comments on my recollections of the systems below,

Windows 98

In retrospect Win98 was seriously fast. Operating systems have become progressively slower, and the modern Linux desktop is sludge. Also, driver and software install woes aside, Windows 98 did things. I’d never swap a modern Linux desktop for Windows 98, because of the availability of software and modern support e.g. Bluetooth. But I dream of Win98 ferocity on top of a Debian repository.

Windows XP

Windows XP did what I asked when I clicked on it, and did not do anything else. Then Microsoft started to upgrade my experience and, for me, that experience was years of worse. I remember the introduction of the Genuine Advanatge initiative. After update, my computers siezed up completely. I had no way of freeing them. I had been a supporter, fully‐paid up, from before the release of XP. That month I changed permanently to Linux.

Hoary Hedgehog

I tried Linuxes before this, but I think this was when I started to move seriously towards Linux desktops. Of course, I had to put up with the fact it could not dectect screen sizes correctly (Dell monitors, too). But it seemed like a start, and it was Open Source. It needed a new wireless card to make wireless work.

Maverick Meercat

From a time when Ubuntu/Linux Desktops seemed like they had important things to do every year (like, fix screen‐sizing, wireless, and print‐hardware detection). I could mention all intervening systems, like Dapper Drake, But I seem to remember liking this one. Wikipedia tells me it used the new Unity interface, but I don’t recall that, I thought it delivered through a modest Gnome 2. Dedoimedio seems to confirm this, minus Unity. Only objection I recall was the white‐on‐black theme, with no good alternative.

CENTOS 6

From a Dedoimedio review, and I’m so glad I tried. Yes, the ‘rpm’ repositories are scattered and sometimes unreliable, and ‘yum’ and it’s GUI tools were not for me. And it needed work to get going. But it was rock. A system that did what I asked, when I asked, Also, unlike a Debian, it didn’t have funny ‘help’ twists in it’s configuration

Slackware Gnome

As part of the project to look at alternative operating systems, I tried Slackware with a Gnome 2 desktop. One result was my shock at this system. It was rock, the greatest ‘I click, you do’ system I have used. Yes, not just up there with XP and CENTOS, but perhaps the greatest of them all. On the whole Slackware is a compiling system, so useless to me. I think I used the installation to compose some text documents. But I kept it round for two years

Linux Mint

Linux Mint was originally Ubuntu. It throws in the helpful stuff that strictly‐free systems do not do, such as audio codecs, and video drivers. The distro also adds decent utilities like an outstanding start menu and some consistent theming. Recently, tired of Ubuntu and Gnome innovation, the team have stood off and ploughed along with the MATE and Cinnamon desktops (both of which belong to Mint, really). The distribution MEPIS also succeeded at this, but Linux Mint is the one that survives

Operating system families referenced to features

In general, with system features I would like,

and desktop features I would like,

I wish.