DDG Tech Notes

If you work as a System Administrator - or really any of the IT-type support roles - you may be similar to me. Specifically, I’m torn between two extremes. On the one hand, I have an innate (or perhaps adopted through hard knocks) desire to control absolutely every aspect of my machine. On the other hand, after spending 8 (or 12, or 24 or more) hours straight supporting computer systems, I often want my desktop or laptop to “just work.” Adding to this latter pressure is the very real and practical concern: as a Sysadmin, my computer is a tool to do my job. I want to spend my time doing work and earning duckets, not fixing my own tools.

So, that leads me to a natural tendancy to install the same operating system on my desktop and/or laptop that I use for work. That’s Linux. Now my natural, control everything by hand inclination would lead me directly to SlackWare Linux. Honestly, I do love Slackware. Nothing will get my propeller spinning for hours on end like getting a Slackware install tuned to my exact specifications. But that’s the problem, isn’t it?? That breaks our second requirement. While Slackware may end up being the slickest, most streamlined and efficient Linux distribution after you go through all of the work, it really doesn’t usually just work out of the box. I’m not slighting Slackware here by any stretch of the imagination. But it’s about like driving a race-ready, high-end exotic car to the grocery store 10 blocks away on a 100 degree day. Sure, I can reach nearly 200mph in the exotic - but I’ll never need that to grab a gallon of milk. And I’ll probably want some air conditioning and a window that roles down to make the trip comfortable.

Personally, I’ve found Ubuntu to be the best balance between the two extremes of any Linux distro I’ve used. Ubuntu packaging (ahem - Debian packaging, actually) is a breeze for about 90% of all of the software I need on a machine that I’ll use for work. However, if I need something out of the main stream, or I need to compile something new from source, I can do that too.

Basically, I feel that Ubuntu “just works,” up until the point that I decide that I want to spend the time hacking something together. In those circumstances, Ubuntu doesn’t stand in my way. That’s why this Sysadmin chooses Ubuntu for his laptop, and desktop, and even his Daughter’s laptop.