Operating Systems: What and Why
I use multiple operating systems day in and day out, not only for work, but at home as well. In the past, I used to be a big, big Linux fan, to the point of zealotry. These days, however, I’m finding that I’ve taken on more of a ‘use whatever works’ attitude. That being said, I wanted to run down the operating systems I encounter on an average day.
My Macbook: Mac OS X
OSX is installed on my Macbook, which has become what I call my ‘life’ machine. I store my photos, my music and my important documents on that machine, hence the ‘life’ tag. I use the machine on the couch or bed, depending where I am, to check my email, chat, and if I’m on call I log into my work desktop from it. It’s my go-to machine if I need to do something quickly.
My Work Machine: Arch Linux
I use Arch on my work desktop. I do software / server support, and all of the servers I support are Unix variants. Linux is the perfect fit for everything I need to do at work. Added bonus is that I’m not tied to the Windows domain and I have complete control over my box. I also have an install of Arch on my desktop at home for other purposes, which I’ll get into shortly.
My Home Desktop: Windows 7 / Virtualbox
Over the past few years, I’ve usually used Linux 90% of the time on my desktop, with 10% going to Windows for my gaming needs. I tested Windows 7 when it was in Beta/RC status and was pretty impressed with it. So much so, that I actually bought a retail upgrade copy for the desktop, and now I use it about 95% of the time. I have Virtualbox installed with a number of Linux distributions installed, which I use for development and work purposes. Do I lose geek cred for this move? I don’t think I do, as it’s all about using what works for you. I’d say that 90% of my time is spent in a Unix environment on any given day anyway.





