How long have you been running Linux?

[oz]

It's been a while since we last had a "how long have you been running Linux (and other related questions)?" thread, so I guess it's about time for another one:


So, how long have you guys/gals been running Linux, and which distribution did you start out with?

Did you dual boot between Linux and Windows for a while, or did you jump right in with a Linux only machine?

Did you leave Linux and then return to it, or have you been a Linux user from the time you first used it?

Thanks for telling us your Linux history!

[arespi]

Around 1998, We moved a system from Novel 4.1 to SCO openserver (from when they used to be good guys), so we had to buy a terminal emulator software. Inside the box came as a gift a RedHat 5.2 CD, (kernel 2.0.36) and I started to play with it, later on I ordered a set of 5 or 7 Distros CDś , it came with Redhat 6.0 but I was hooked on mandrake 7.0. A very satisfied Mandrake/Mandirva user since then. Never looked back. Since then I have used Redhat, Centos, Debian, Ubuntu, Freesco (free cisco, remember that one?) but always return to mandriva.

I totally use linux at home, and mostly at work, got to dual boot sometimes so corporate AV and AD knows I still exist.

[rokytnji]

Jumped right into Linux back when Mepis 6.5 was released. No previous computer experiance.


AntiX/Puppy
Home user.

[Rob_T]

I have been using Linux Mint KDE for over a month now, I started with a Live USB and I did a full install 3 days later, my dad installed it on his laptop the same day.

Ozar, what about you??

[sgosnell]

Not long, ~3.5 years. I started with Xandros on an Asus eee-pc, which I still have, and went through most of the major distros until I settled on Ubuntu for a couple of years, now using Debian. I abandoned Ubuntu for Linux Mint Debian Edition, but I gradually removed the Mint bits and went to Debian Unstable. I never installed Windows on my eee-pcs, and my only Windows box now is a dual-boot on my wife's laptop, since she needs to use some Windows software, for which we no longer have installation CDs.

[nujinini]

Jumped right into Linux back when Mepis 6.5 was released. No previous computer experiance.


AntiX/Puppy
Home user.

Like this one. And now you are also a mod in AntiX forums. COngrats!

Anyway, seriously used linux April 4, 2009. That's when I joined LF.

Have tried multiboot w/ windows XP. And still am. Tasted the following flavors:

Fedora
Ubuntu
Mepis
AntiX
Suse
PCLinux
Puppy Linux
Debian
CentOS
Scientific Linux
Mint
Mandriva

Currently, my machine has XP, Ubuntu 9.04, Mint 7, Scientific Linux 6 in partitions.

[MikeTbob]

*counting fingers*
Best I can figure.....I have been using Linux off and on since about 1998 or 1999. I stayed with Dual boot for awhile and have been Booting Linux only for about 5 or 6 years. Wow, sounds crazy when I type it out. First distro was Redhat 5.2 Deluxe edition. (There was nothing Deluxe about it) I'm using Gentoo now for about 2 years. Everything else gets installed to a VM.

[oz]

Ozar, what about you??

Have been running Linux for about 11 years now.

Started out with Red Hat, then moved to Mandrake, then started intermittently distro-hopping for a few years. Running Arch and loving it for the last 6 years.

Dual-booted for the first several years but after taking the plunge and removing Windows, I've never looked back!

[kurniaone]

Hello, i'm newbie from indonesia.

I have been with linux since 2007 at the office and no experience at all..

Nice to meet with u all guys,

Thx.

[cousinlucky]

Sometime during the last 6 months of 2005 I put suse 10 on my machine and have been using it and Ubutu 8.04 when I erased windows xp off of my computer. I am still a computer illiterate though, because trying yo understand this stuff just gives me throbbing headaches!!