[vox] Survey: What do YOU use Linux for?

[Marianne Waage]

On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 12:37:44PM -0700, Norm Matloff wrote:
> On Wed, Jul 06, 2005 at 12:17:23PM -0700, Bill Kendrick wrote:
> > There's a demo this Sunday at the Davis Food Co-Op, and I thought it'd be
> > neat to have a list of "things LUGOD members use Linux for" available
> > for when people ask.
> 
> FWIW, I believe that such a list would be counterproductive for those of
> us (this possibly may not include some people reading this message) who
> would like to promote Linux as a general-purpose OS.  Such a list would
> imply (even with a disclaimer to the contrary) that Linux is only useful
> for special-purpose apps.

I think I'd have to disagree. Just from the responses so far, you can
see the widely varying uses people apply Linux to, particularly Bill.
I don't think the list will show special-purpose apps only, but instead 
reflect the broader, daily uses of the Linux enthusiast.

It might be best if it's broken up into categories, so people can see
just more general desktop uses versus more server oriented uses.

For instance, I currently use Linux for:

Laptop (Debian) - Spreadsheets (gnumeric) to manage bills and D&D 
  characters (way to many stats in D&D); E-mail (mutt); Chat (epic);
  Web browsing (Moz) and minor programming

Home server (Debian) - Handles DNS, e-mail, multiple personal web pages
  (Apache and Zope). I write 90% of my personal web pages via ssh to
  this system

Work servers (RedHat Enterprise) - For the Math department: mail
  (postfix); DNS (bind); web (Apache and Zope); application servers
  particularly for Matlab, Mathematica, Maple

The application servers feed a 30 seat lab which gives undergrads 
access to read email (Mozilla, Evolution), write homework (LaTeX,
OpenOffice), and what ever other mischief they might find. TAs use
OpenOffice or Gnumeric for grading. It's also used to teach core
lower division mathematics classes.

Other Linux systems in the department are used for handling mathematical
research, both on single desktop systems or smaller Beowulf clusters.

Our staff run Linux to read email (Thunderbird), web browse (Mozilla),
and access our Windows server via remote desktop, in order to handle
the more irritating campus software and documents, which OpenOffice
doesn't always manage with finesse.

To me, this shows the diversity of users that Linux can accomodate,
even the frustrating ones who can't give up Windows apps. Like me. :)
Linux is still building momentum to make a solid move against software
that handles highly graphical printed publications. Give me Adobe CS2
under Linux and I'd be as happy as a clam.

-yams