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Counterpoint: I’ve been a Linux sysadmin and developer for close to 10 years at this point and I’ve never used Linux as a desktop. I’ve only used MacBooks. Th

Counterpoint: I’ve been a Linux sysadmin and developer for close to 10 years at this point and I’ve never used Linux as a desktop. I’ve only used MacBooks. The skills you need to run Linux on the laptop aren’t particularly close to what you’d need to run Linux as a server, IMO, particularly Linux as a VM.

Jnr 7y ago
I remember I used Ubuntu Desktop in 2008 for a year or two. But Ubuntu is point and click and anyone can use it. I did not learn much about Linux using it. I felt that I really started understanding how things work when I switched to something requiring more reading - Archlinux. To get a running desktop it not only required doing all kinds of things I did not understand back then, it also provided great Wiki to get there. I still sometimes end up in that Wiki to quickly get up to speed about some tools or concepts. And the fact that it is rolling release distro and was always running the latest upstream software version meant that frequently at least the UI part broke down, and that forced me to learn even more things. :) That was only the beginning but now it feels like it opened many possibilities and career paths for me. It probably was a bit frustrating at the beginning but it is worth it.
- deadbunny 7y ago
  Exactly the same experience can be had by installing Ubuntu server as your base and going from there.
  - Jnr 7y ago
    Ubuntu server is the same distro as Ubuntu Desktop, just with some differences in preinstalled packages. On Ubuntu Server it will still automatically install bootloader, configure initram, full disk encryption, etc. And after installing desktop environment packages it will configure, enable and start all of the services automatically. While it is easier and the result looks the same, you are less involved in the process and thus potentially learn and understand less. Just try setting up Gentoo or Archlinux and then tell me that it was the same experience as Ubuntu Server. ;)
jpxw 7y ago
OS X exposes you to a decent amount of Unix stuff anyway. It’s quite a good compromise imo.

Jnr 7y ago

I remember I used Ubuntu Desktop in 2008 for a year or two. But Ubuntu is point and click and anyone can use it. I did not learn much about Linux using it. I felt that I really started understanding how things work when I switched to something requiring more reading - Archlinux. To get a running desktop it not only required doing all kinds of things I did not understand back then, it also provided great Wiki to get there. I still sometimes end up in that Wiki to quickly get up to speed about some tools or concepts. And the fact that it is rolling release distro and was always running the latest upstream software version meant that frequently at least the UI part broke down, and that forced me to learn even more things. :) That was only the beginning but now it feels like it opened many possibilities and career paths for me. It probably was a bit frustrating at the beginning but it is worth it.

deadbunny 7y ago
Exactly the same experience can be had by installing Ubuntu server as your base and going from there.
- Jnr 7y ago
  Ubuntu server is the same distro as Ubuntu Desktop, just with some differences in preinstalled packages. On Ubuntu Server it will still automatically install bootloader, configure initram, full disk encryption, etc. And after installing desktop environment packages it will configure, enable and start all of the services automatically. While it is easier and the result looks the same, you are less involved in the process and thus potentially learn and understand less. Just try setting up Gentoo or Archlinux and then tell me that it was the same experience as Ubuntu Server. ;)

jpxw 7y ago

OS X exposes you to a decent amount of Unix stuff anyway. It’s quite a good compromise imo.