Re: Ubuntu alternative for RPG programmer

message: 1
date: Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:10:12 -0600
from: Aaron Bartell<aaronbartell@xxxxxxxxx>
subject: [LinuxDesktop4i] Ubuntu alternative for RPG programmer

...
Anyways, I am wondering what others are using for Linux desktops that don't
screw you over if you choose to upgrade after a new version has had ample
time to fix any issues. After doing some reading it seems Ubuntu likes to
be more on the bleeding edge and I would rather NOT be bleeding or on the
edge for my business desktop.

I have always had really good experiences with openSUSE. I'm running 11.2 now on my older laptop, and it does what I need very well. I am running 11.1 on a server in my same location. Between the two systems, I've had fine success with the following of your listed applications:

- VirtualBox
- Firefox
- OpenOffice (the Novell edition, which gets some nice features added over the vanilla edition--not trying to start a flame war about Novell, btw!!)
- Pidgin
- tn5250j
- Skype
- Filezilla

I have not had any experience using JungleDisk, SOAPUI, or RPGNextGen on my system, so I cannot speak for them.

I second the notion of using CloneZilla to back a copy of your desktop when you get it rebuilt, regardless of which distro you decide to go with. Back when I fiddled with my X server settings a few years ago, I was known to toast a totally working install and not ever be able to recover it...not even restoring a backup of the xorg.conf file! But, if I'd had a full clone, I could have just reimaged the machine and been back in working order. This is one case where it is much better to have and not need... :)