Which distro...if any

[AdieuWindows]

Hello All,

I am a seasoned programmer and computer messer upper but aLinux newbie. Most of my day is spent writing code - these days it tends to be jQuery Mobile and PHP. My favorite tools/apps on Windows are

a. WAMP - to test out my stuff locally
b. Chrome, Safari and Firefox - to test out my development
c. RapidPHP - to edit PHP, CSS, JS and HTML
d. CoreFTP - a freebie FTP client to upload stuff to my servers
e. Paint.NET - to mess about with icons, PNGs etc
f. Fiddler2 - to figure out what is wrong when my scripts misbehave
g. 7Zip - compression

Now I come to the point. I have already made one attempt to shift to Linux. I chose Ubuntu 11.04 to install on a Fujitsu-Siemens NH570 laptop. Regretably my experience was mixed

The install went ok but then when I tried to run Ubuntu I found that each time at startup the screen stayed blank. I found that I had to get the machine in and out of Stand By mode in order to see the Unity desktop.

The next issue was WiFi support. I was delighted to find that Ubuntu detected my WiFi card and network and connected to it. However, there was a persistent issue with the speed of the network and I found myself having to continually reboot the machine.

That apart, I haven't really found a decent alternative for Fiddler2, nor really a code editor that supports code folding, PHP syntax checking, multiple tabs and screen color customization.

I found the Ubuntu forum not terribly responsive with most of my postings drawing a blank.

The final straw was when it offered to update to Ubuntu 11.10 and died in the process. Since that time, two weeks ago, my Fujitsu Laptop is dead. I am seriously contemplating moving back to Windows 7 and paying a few more $s into Bill's bank account.

However, before I do I thought I would give this forum a go. Hopefully I will get some great advice here - on which distro to use, how to fix (not have) wifi issues etc.

Finally, there is one other thing - I use the machine for my own local development. I find that the ownership/access rules in Linux are a bit of a pain. Is there some way I can get all of the installation to belong to one user, say Apache?

I would HUGELY appreciate any help.

[cynwulf]

Now I come to the point. I have already made one attempt to shift to Linux. I chose Ubuntu 11.04 to install on a Fujitsu-Siemens NH570 laptop. Regretably my experience was mixed

The install went ok but then when I tried to run Ubuntu I found that each time at startup the screen stayed blank. I found that I had to get the machine in and out of Stand By mode in order to see the Unity desktop.

You would probably need to install the proprietary Nvidia driver as that's a fairly newish system...

The next issue was WiFi support. I was delighted to find that Ubuntu detected my WiFi card and network and connected to it. However, there was a persistent issue with the speed of the network and I found myself having to continually reboot the machine.

Without knowing which wifi chipset it is, I can't be of much help here. The problem may not be simply the wifi however. You should try a few simple tests such as a ping of a common site (e.g. google.com) and see what the response time is like. Check with a wired connection if possible to see if you have the same issues. IPv6 is another possible problem, it's a good idea to disable it system wide if it's not in use.

That apart, I haven't really found a decent alternative for Fiddler2, nor really a code editor that supports code folding, PHP syntax checking, multiple tabs and screen color customization.

If it's a production machine, you should consider sticking with what works or test everything under virtualisation before switching completely. There is no real sense in going to great lengths finding the right distro, getting hardware working correctly and then not having the programs to do what you need to do... there is always wine, but then if you're going to be running a lot of those programs under wine, you may want to ask yourself why you're switching to a different OS?

I found the Ubuntu forum not terribly responsive with most of my postings drawing a blank.

I'm afraid that's pretty much the norm over there, though without links to some examples, I can't give an accurate response on that. Solutions though: Try a different forum (as you have) or try another distro.

The final straw was when it offered to update to Ubuntu 11.10 and died in the process. Since that time, two weeks ago, my Fujitsu Laptop is dead. I am seriously contemplating moving back to Windows 7 and paying a few more $s into Bill's bank account.

Not enough information there.

The 'buntu upgrades are notoriously unreliable. Personally I don't think a one click, "user friendly" upgrade path exists in any debian based distro. Distribution upgrades have to be performed from the command line, not from inside a running x session using any kind of GUI tool, and are not just a case of running one command, sitting back and relaxing.

Finally, there is one other thing - I use the machine for my own local development. I find that the ownership/access rules in Linux are a bit of a pain. Is there some way I can get all of the installation to belong to one user, say Apache?

I would HUGELY appreciate any help.

If you're finding ownership/access permissions to be a problem, then you're doing something wrong and trying to overcome a perceived problem in the wrong manner. What files/directories do you need access to which are outside your /home/username directory?

[AdieuWindows]

Thanks. WiFi is not an issue - all of my Windows machines work 100% of the time with no problems - good speed, no dropped connections... .

The issue I ran into with ownership is that once I installed Apache the www folder was under /var and I could not edit its contents from an application (Bluefish I think) launched from my home folder.

The machine is purely for my local development needs - production is delivered off a remote server.

I have to admit that I am getting a bit discouraged here. I think I might just end up paying a few $ into Bill's account (£66 actually) and get Windows 7 Pro. At least it works and, in fairness to the man, he will give away most of it to a worthy cause.

[sgosnell]

Gates does not own Microsoft, just a large amount of the stock. Your money won't mostly go to a worthy cause directly, but maybe a little of it indirectly. But that's beside the point.

Linux is not Windows. Do not expect it to behave the way Windows does, or to be able to do things the way you did in Windows. You have years of experience invested in Windows, so it's all easy for you now. You have to invest some time and effort in any new OS. All your problems can be solved, but you have to go about it the right way, and you have to spend the time to learn the new ways. If you're not willing to do that, then probably Windows is what you should keep on using. I can't promise that every software package you need has an exact counterpart in Linux, but most do. I've never used Fiddler or WAMP, so I have no recommendations on that. The other stuff should be no problem at all.

[AdieuWindows]

Fair points. I am going to briefly try another Linux distro and see if it goes better - from what I have read Mint is perhaps the thing to try. The thing that really got to me with Ubuntu was the flaky behavior of the WiFi connection.

If it doesn't work out I think will just shell out the £66. Principles are very nice but I want to have a life, not spend even more hours at my computer

[cynwulf]

Thanks. WiFi is not an issue - all of my Windows machines work 100% of the time with no problems - good speed, no dropped connections... .

In your original post you said there were wifi problems, now you're saying there aren't? Posting that your wifi works under windows is irrelevant as that's a completely different OS.

The issue I ran into with ownership is that once I installed Apache the www folder was under /var and I could not edit its contents from an application (Bluefish I think) launched from my home folder.

There are valid reasons - if you have to ask it shows that you have some serious reading to do.

I have to admit that I am getting a bit discouraged here. I think I might just end up paying a few $ into Bill's account (£66 actually) and get Windows 7 Pro. At least it works and, in fairness to the man, he will give away most of it to a worthy cause.

If you want good advice here, if you want any kind of technical assistance in fact, or any kind of considered, thoughtful response - the "convince me or M$ gets my money" argument is the absolute best way to guarantee that most of the users here, and elsewhere, will simply ignore you and/or treat you as a troll. I see this argument a lot and it mostly comes from those who are actually deliberately trolling - who also coincidentally tend to have never posted before or only have a handful of posts. To me it also leaves the impression that here is someone who's not actually worth advising or helping as they will probably cut and run at the first minor obstacle.

[AdieuWindows]

You are entitled to your opinions (and your interpretations of people's postings) - like the rest of us. If you cared to read the response to which I reacted by saying "wifi is not the issue" you would have understood the context. He suggested that it was my WiFi network that might be at fault and I responded by saying that I am sure it is not - if I mentioned Windows it is because that is where the evidence comes from. OK, I could also have mentioned that WiFi works perfectly on my Android tablet and phone but I didn't think it was necessary.

I guess I will refrain from accusing you of flaming - I am not that edgy, testy or intolerant. Have a great day!

[cynwulf]

You are entitled to your opinions (and your interpretations of people's postings) - like the rest of us. If you cared to read the response to which I reacted by saying "wifi is not the issue" you would have understood the context. He suggested that it was my WiFi network that might be at fault and I responded by saying that I am sure it is not - if I mentioned Windows it is because that is where the evidence comes from. OK, I could also have mentioned that WiFi works perfectly on my Android tablet and phone but I didn't think it was necessary.

I can't see any post above where anyone claimed your wifi network was at fault?