[GoLUG] The 2025 edition of the 'Wishing' well or What make a suitable workstation desktop?
Thomas C Kosvic
tckosvic at ix.netcom.com
Sat Jan 4 09:57:08 EST 2025
David,
I added what I think is the complete address set for the group as was
suggested to me.
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.
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.
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.
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.
If you like to tinker, try various window managers. It's easy to switch
between them; just logout and log back in.
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.
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.
On 1/3/25 20:24, David Billsbrough wrote:
>
> Thomas,
>
> 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 *you* leave the Desktop incomplete? This
> 'list' might not include ever last bit of tweaks but at least defined
> by *you* the BIG gapping holes.
>
> 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
>
> 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
>
> the installer itself would not have worked.
>
> Is there even such a tool or package utilities that could tell someone
> system admin a desktop system that information?
>
> 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
>
> back to then R.S. TRS-80 model 1 and 3's were brand new state of art.
>
> regards,
>
> David
>
> --
> David Billsbrough -- Amateur Radio Callsign: KC4ZVW
> Chuluota, Florida * grid square: EL98kp * https://www.kc4zvw.us/
> Atmel * BeagleBone * FreeBSD * Linux * PICmicro * RASPI
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Thomas C Kosvic <tckosvic at ix.netcom.com>
> Sent: Jan 3, 2025 11:33 AM
> To: <kc4zvw at earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: [GoLUG] The 2025 edition of the 'Wishing' well or What
> make a suitable workstation desktop?
>
> 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.
> 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.
> To cover all possible bases, get as high performance gaming computer
> as you can purchase.
> 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.
> tom kosvic
>
>
> On 1/2/25 18:25, David Billsbrough wrote:
>
> 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 *https://www.kc4zvw.us/
> Atmel * BeagleBone * FreeBSD * Linux * PICmicro * RASPI
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
> From: Alex Finkel<alex.finkel at gmail.com>
> Sent: Jan 2, 2025 6:27 PM
> To:<kc4zvw at earthlink.net>
> Cc: GOLUG mail list<golug at golug.org>
> 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
>
> On Jan 2, 2025, at 2:52 PM, David Billsbrough wrote:
>
>
>
> 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
>
>
>
> --
> GoLUG mailing list
> GoLUG at golug.org
> http://golug.org/mailman/listinfo/golug_golug.org
>
>
>
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