View Poll Results: Which is really a programmers OS?(best support etc, best enviroment for "learning")

Voters
34. You may not vote on this poll
  • Linux(UNIX BSD etc also) is a programmers OS

    25 73.53%
  • Windows is a programmers OS

    9 26.47%
  • Macintosh is a programmers OS / Other also

    0 0%

Thread: Is Linux Really A Programmers OS?

  1. #1
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    Is Linux Really A Programmers OS?

    I read somewhere Linux was a programmers OS, I can't remember where I read this but it caught my attention. Anyways after reading this I decided hey, maybe I should try using linux more. I already had linux installed on my other partition but I kept using windows cause I was so used to using mIRC, microsoft word, and all those other windows programs I had grown attached to. So instead I reformatted my entire hard drive and went with one clean install of slackware 9. Now ever since I've started using Linux as my sole OS I feel I have learned more about programming and computers in general than ever before, all in like 2 weeks if that. Maybe its the fact that I can type man strtol and read the stuff from my terminal rather than off a website. Or maybe it's the fact that I can actually download sourcecode for all kinds of linux programs off the internet. Whatever it is, I feel there is more support for programming in Linux in the form of good references, tutorials, sourcecode etc and I'm starting to think that Linux really is a programmers OS. Don't get me wrong I love windows but the support just doesn't seem to be there. I know there is msdn etc but there seems to be just so much more information and code examples for making programs in linux. Anyone else think so also or am I just totally mistaken here?

  2. #2
    Registered User Vber's Avatar
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    you have a problem in the poll, bsd is a kind of unix too... not just linux.

  3. #3
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    Thanks Vber I didn't know that I've never used BSD. It won't let me edit my poll though, only moderators can, maybe a moderator can edit it?

  4. #4
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    I think linux is in a way, being that you can edit and recompile the kernel...
    Last edited by RoD; 04-03-2003 at 01:21 PM.

  5. #5
    Registered User Vber's Avatar
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    Why people here say "kernal", it's "kernel", or this is not what you're meaning?

  6. #6
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    it was a typo, i apologize. I'm well aware its kernel hehe

  7. #7
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    Open source OS's are better for people who like to tinker with the OS.

    To learn programming, any of the OS's mentioned would be fine, some just have more tools/choice available.

    BSD is now included with the other *nix's, and it's single vote was added to the combined category.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

  8. #8
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    What about "there's no such thing as a programmers OS"?

  9. #9
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    Open source OS's are better for people who like to tinker with the OS
    Excellent point Adrian.

    Govtcheez good idea maybe that should be added to the poll, add it if you want.

  10. #10
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    There isn't a platform with more development tools available than Windows. Therefore, it is a true programmer's platform. Technologies are coming out for it everyday. Don't kid yourself. Linux is if you want to learn systems programming and do things the really hard way.

  11. #11
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    I don't think there's such a thing as a programmer's OS. You can program on Linux and Windows both just fine. However, there's probably more tools, resources, and example code to go by for Windows since it's more popular.

    Using the OS itself, Linux is a better system to learn internal system structure on than Windows, but it's not the best one in my opinion, at least the modern Linux. Check out v0.10, another early version, or a more simple open-source OS to get a better hands on OS workings.

  12. #12
    I only program for linux if I want to use it on linux. I hate using the X window system, and I just like the Windows platform for development a lot better. However, I do not believe there is a programmers OS, because it would be stupid to be made. Programmers make programs for someone to use. If the OS was just made to program, there would be no user, so the point of programming is destroyed.

  13. #13
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    Yea Silvercord pretty much every application is open source and you can view all the source for the kernel also. There is no rule or law that says that everything you develop must be open source. I guess like hillbillie and adrian said its the fact that I can tinker with the OS and everything is opensource is what appeals to me. I kinda get into that low lvl stuff heh. I really like it! There are also libraries for making windows and stuff you can use in linux, GTK comes to mind as probably the most popular, there is also QT, although I have heard a few negative things about it.

    Oh yea it can be hard to install, I think the biggest factor is hardware compatibility, for example mandrake doesn't work on my machine, it dies when I try to startx. Obviously it is a driver or configuration issue but I got sick of searching the web with lynx to try and find out lol.

    Check this website out, it has tons and tons of info, and all questions are usually answered, all mine have been. www.justlinux.com
    Last edited by SourceCode; 04-03-2003 at 07:27 PM.

  14. #14
    Registered User CompiledMonkey's Avatar
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    I read somewhere that Linus coded Linux just for programming. :dunno:

  15. #15
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    >Is it true that you can view the entire source of the operating system? Is everything that run on linux open source? If so, is there some rule or law that anything you develop on linux must be open source?<

    Yes, it's "open"-source.

    No, and there's no law.

    >If the OS was just made to program, there would be no user, so the point of programming is destroyed.<

    Not necessarily. There are compilers that are capable of generating binaries for systems other than what the compiler runs on. It's called a cross-compiler.

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