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<font size="5">David, <br>
I added what I think is the complete address set for the group as
was suggested to me.<br>
<br>
Getting to your queries, a 4 tb hard-drive is about $100 these
days and any smaller hard-drive is going to cost nearly the same.
You can put any sized distro on that and have a lifetime of space
for a general user. Setting aside 100 gig for an OS covers most
all of them with plenty of space to spare.<br>
<br>
I use openSUSE and have for nearly 20 years. I've run dozens of
distros, from those for newbies to advanced ones like gentoo where
you compile every module locally, in vms (virtual machine) but I
stick with openSUSE. I have not found anything I wish to do that
I can't do with it. With it and most of the others, you can add
virtually any desktop or window manager and relogin to each of
them as you wish. I am long retired engineer and hack in
scientific programming. I run stuff related to computational
fluid dynamic, astronomy, and whatever else interests me.<br>
<br>
You don't sound like a newbie and it does sound like you do some
programming from your questions/comments. Ubuntu and linux-mint
are known as starter distros but can also be permanent. Arch
linux always gets good reviews as does fedora. Gentoo is more of
a hobby for me and I wouldn't use it for any real work that needed
to get done.<br>
<br>
Put a complete desktop on your new machine. Gnome and kde-plasma
are the stalwarts. I use mate desktop that is lighter than most
and does all I need from it.<br>
If you like to tinker, try various window managers. It's easy to
switch between them; just logout and log back in.<br>
<br>
I think you will find most all text editors on any standard
distro. Same with gcc. With any package manager you can easily
add the gcc compilers fort C, C++, fortran and any others.
Likewise it is easy to add any additional languages as needed.
openSUSE and all the other mainstream distros have both a
command-line (terminal) and graphical (gui) file manager.
openSUSE and others have software install "patterns" that will
install, e.g., programming software selections that will add
compilation stuff.<br>
<br>
Get a 4 tb machine with 32 gig memory and a current cpu unless you
really need a "number cruncher" or "gamer". I don't have camera
or any of the social media things. Try out some distros but give
them each some time. Easy to set up dual boot if you need windows
for a while. Else put windows in a vm.Doesn't sound like you are
on a mission so have some fun.<br>
<br>
<br>
</font><br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/3/25 20:24, David Billsbrough
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
cite="mid:2a0fcede-eaa8-7053-61ae-06b40cd38a2d@earthlink.net">
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<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">Thomas,</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">And after you build such hardware
what O/S ... meaning which distro ... and do you do a full
install (including the kitchen sink) or a minimum install
(just to get it to boot) and then what do you add that if NOT
installed would to <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>you</strong></span>
leave the Desktop incomplete? This 'list' might not include
ever last bit of tweaks but at least defined by <span
style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>you</strong></span>
the BIG gapping holes.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">My example would be ... I had not
yet installed ... Ruby, Lua, or the gcc compiler chain ... the
missing editors ... joe and nano and vim ... math tools</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">like dc and calc and maybe the
'Nasm.' assembler. I think that most common Linux distos will
have already install 'perl' or 'python' environments or</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">the installer itself would not have
worked.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">Is there even such a tool or
package utilities that could tell someone system admin a
desktop system that information?</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">Also ... I have on several
occasions build my own computers even prior the the '486 days
of the Intel-based desktops and been using computers</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">back to then R.S. TRS-80 model 1
and 3's were brand new state of art.</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">regards,</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"
data-signature-line="true">David</p>
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<div
style="color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:garamond, serif;font-size:12pt">
<p>-- <br>
David Billsbrough -- Amateur Radio Callsign: KC4ZVW<br>
Chuluota, Florida * grid square: EL98kp *
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.kc4zvw.us/">https://www.kc4zvw.us/</a><br>
Atmel * BeagleBone * FreeBSD * Linux * PICmicro * RASPI</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px; line-height: 1;"> </p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0px; line-height: 1;"> </p>
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<p>-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Thomas C Kosvic <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:tckosvic@ix.netcom.com"><tckosvic@ix.netcom.com></a><br>
Sent: Jan 3, 2025 11:33 AM<br>
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kc4zvw@earthlink.net"><kc4zvw@earthlink.net></a><br>
Subject: Re: [GoLUG] The 2025 edition of the 'Wishing' well or
What make a suitable workstation desktop?</p>
<p style="margin: 0.1rem 0; line-height: 1.0;"> </p>
David, If you are a "normal" user doing email, finances,
shopping, light writing you can get any computer. In fact you
could do all of this on a phone with a keyboard for writing.<br>
If you do anything that is specialized, e.g., audio prep. video
prep, lotsa media, numerical science (computational fluid
dynamics), cad drawing/3d printing, gaming, etc, you need to
consider the hardware and the software to effectively do what
you want to do. Else you wont be satisfied with what you can
do.<br>
To cover all possible bases, get as high performance gaming
computer as you can purchase.<br>
I assemble my own machines. That is very enjoyable and offers
infinite flexibility. The research to select what you want is as
much fun as the assembly.<br>
tom kosvic<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 1/2/25 18:25, David Billsbrough
wrote:</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:e1c9de5f-92b7-2cb8-a365-f2ecafb9350f@earthlink.net">
<pre class="moz-quote-pre">Hello Alex,
If you would like to mention 'hardware' as part of what makes your computer system your 'dream' machine
then for you the answer can be both.
I am not really a 'game' player so if the hardware is stable and well support by Linux and FreeBSD
and because I am not looking for a video system that is twice+ as expensive as the cost of the CPU
and motherboard combined. My hardware answer might not be similar to others.
regards,
David
--
David Billsbrough -- Amateur Radio Callsign: KC4ZVW
Chuluota, Florida * grid square: EL98kp * <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="https://www.kc4zvw.us/"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://www.kc4zvw.us/</a>
Atmel * BeagleBone * FreeBSD * Linux * PICmicro * RASPI
-----Original Message-----
From: Alex Finkel <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:alex.finkel@gmail.com" moz-do-not-send="true"><alex.finkel@gmail.com></a>
Sent: Jan 2, 2025 6:27 PM
To: <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kc4zvw@earthlink.net"
moz-do-not-send="true"><kc4zvw@earthlink.net></a>
Cc: GOLUG mail list <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:golug@golug.org" moz-do-not-send="true"><golug@golug.org></a>
Subject: Re: [GoLUG] The 2025 edition of the 'Wishing' well or What make a suitable workstation desktop?
Happy New Year, David and everyone!
Is the question of what makes a good open source desktop computer a question about hardware or software or both?
Alex
</pre>
<blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre">On Jan 2, 2025, at 2:52\u202fPM, David Billsbrough wrote:
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre"> </pre>
<blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre">In a certain mail list hosted somewhere else on the planet ... it was mentioned ... what (even if they
are legacy) makes for a good 'open source' desktop computer!
Steve posted a list of programs that he considered made his Linux desktop a usable and well functioning
desktop machine. I am trying to compile a similar list and make sure I have a primary/secondary desktop
distro/repos source/package tree that I can deploy in reasonable short period of time.
Anyone listening have a similar list or project planed ... it's like a 'very' small *disaster* recovery plan.
Huh ... like if any of your old hardware decides to take 'the-final-dirt-nap' in an un-planned matter!
regards,
David
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre"> </pre>
<blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre">--
GoLUG mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="mailto:GoLUG@golug.org" moz-do-not-send="true">GoLUG@golug.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://golug.org/mailman/listinfo/golug_golug.org"
moz-do-not-send="true">http://golug.org/mailman/listinfo/golug_golug.org</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre class="moz-quote-pre"> </pre>
</blockquote>
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