Daily use of MX Linux (and Antix if you use it as well)

[Jerry3904]

I use it for all personal and business needs--have for 15 years now. Because some of the professional software I am required to use is Windows-only, I dual boot with Windows 8.1 on my personal laptop.

[Mishimainizu]

I'm a translator and have started using MX Linux for work about one month ago, being dissatisfied of the way Windows 10 manages RAM and updates and its functional degradation over time.

Unfortunately, 98% of the translation industry uses Windows or Mac, the main reasons being Office (no Linux alternative is 100% compatible with Windows Office for complex layouts) and the lack of a decent OCR software and a Quicken-level accounting application for Linux. Therefore, I am obliged to keep Windows 10 around for these needs in particular. (I don't intend to use a VM software nor dual boot with Windows. Maybe I should investigate further about Wine or Crossover.)

[KBD]

Web browsing, email, writing, genealogy, and as a web server.

[rs55]

I'm a translator and have started using MX Linux for work about one month ago, being dissatisfied of the way Windows 10 manages RAM and updates and its functional degradation over time.

Unfortunately, 98% of the translation industry uses Windows or Mac, the main reasons being Office (no Linux alternative is 100% compatible with Windows Office for complex layouts) and the lack of a decent OCR software and a Quicken-level accounting application for Linux. Therefore, I am obliged to keep Windows 10 around for these needs in particular. (I don't intend to use a VM software nor dual boot with Windows. Maybe I should investigate further about Wine or Crossover.)

Here is what I do. If there are a couple of apps that only work in windows, I set up dual boot. I use MX Linux 90% of the time. In windows , I actually completely disable internet access. Now windows is secure! No need to bother with antiviruses, updates etc!
Then in the 10% of the time I have to use windows, it takes 10 seconds to boot into it, use the app and store the output on a partition accessible in MX Linux ( easy to do).
The other 90% of the time I am on MX Linux with web access and everything else.

[ChrisUK]

The responses are as I expected.

So any OEMs out there that want a suitable OS for their equipment, that is suitable for a wide variety of everyday tasks, could do a lot worse than sponsor/partner MX Linux

[rs55]

Used windows/DOS for decades going back to DOS and ending with Win7.
Now I exclusively use MX Linux. I keep Win7 on a couple of my machines just in case I need it.
But I make sure all internet access is disabled on any windows machine. No internet. No telemetry, No viruses, No problems.

I have an extensive collection of (mostly technical) books pdf - use qpdfview
I have 120 GB of music - use DeadBeef
Lots of photos : DigiKam
I like having an computer algebra system : WX Maxima is wonderful
I like to have RStudio and Anaconda/spyder(Python) for programming or simply doing quick simulations of things
Keep encrypted docs in Veracrypt containers
use keepassxc for quick access to a variety of private data - account numbers passwords etc
Chrome / Firefox browsers
qterminal - for my terminal
spacefm - filemanager
luckybackup - for backing up data, timeshift for system backups
Use MX snapshot and live-usb-maker frequently - to snapshot my main system and replicate it to my other 5 or so laptops. Fabulous!!

[masinick]

I have used Linux distributions at some point in time to do all of the things you have mentioned, and also for testing, documentation, and helping others.

Today I use Linux distributions primarily for reading Webmail, browsing the Internet and occasionally maintenance. Either MX or antiX can handle all of my needs.

When I have time I occasionally test other distributions and test versions of MX and antiX.

I often wonder what people use Linux for - years ago, it wasn't really up to the task of regular Desktop/Laptop use. Many native programs were buggy or just not up to the task. Nowadays, apart from a few specialised programs, Linux can do all that Windows and IOS can. But what do most here actually use it, and in particular, MX/Antix for?

I'll go first This is average weekly usage:

• Internet and Email... that's pretty much a given I guess. Can include everything from browsing to shopping to banking.
• Importing Pictures from Cameras.
• Editing, and when needed, printing Pictures.
• General housekeeping (system backup and general file backup/sync)
• Programming, not something I do much anymore due to difficulty typing (there's loads of ways to get started programming with Linux, Python is a good place to start, IMO).
• Scanning/Printing etc. Linux supports all of my scanners and printers, and most printing is done wirelessly over the network.
• Letter writing, shopping lists, keeping track of rent and other finances (Libre Office handles all that)
• Running Virtual Machines (Virtualbox). I've not found viable alternatives to iTunes and Samsung Kies, so I run them in Windows VMs - the VMs don't have network/internet access.
• Video encoding/editing. Some of the TV episodes I get need re-encoding before they are watchable on standalone players - wildlife videos I make need editing (for my own use, nothing fancy).
• Burning various video to DVD.
• Editing playlists for mp3 player.

I'm pretty sure that I've forgotten a few things, but you get the idea. So, how many of you actually "use" MX/Antix? And for what?

[seaken64]

I use both MX and antiX regularly. But I admit to not using Linux as my daily driver. My daily driver is still Windows. (I actually like Windows, which in Linux territory can be unpopular. But I sense that most folks on this forum will not hold it against me).

I use MX on a few older machines that could no longer be used with Windows (usually the XP and Vista generations) and I use these mostly as terminals to the internet and to my LAN. I browse using Chrome or Chromiuum, or Firefox or SeaMonkey. I access my office computers using Remmina or NoMachine, and log in to Google Drive. I download Linux iso files, mostly MX and antiX, or Debian. And I use MX Live USB Maker. I use Thunar and SMB to share files with my Windows machines. And I use Kodi to watch some TV programming or a recording from the LAN.

I use antiX for learning Linux. I use the Live features and the Base and Core versions on various old machines. On one machine (a Pentium III laptop) it is the main OS and I use it for internet radio in my office.

Seaken64

[namida12]

Moved to Mepis when I built a desktop system that would not keep vista running for more than a week. Believe that was about March/April 2007.

I still have a windows XP system on the work bench without internet access. I occasionally still clean malware infected windows systems for a few friends that I have not been able to ween off MS lock in syndrome (I now charge them $50-$100) depending on the hours and travel required.

I have alternated and run both AntiX to MX, My lady always runs a version of MX, she hates her office windows computer. In her work one or more scanners or printers disappear from the network every week and company tech spends a good deal of time in her department. The horror stories with clients at her counter when her systems can not find a scanner or printer and she must disappear to the back office or upstairs to find working replacements ruins office productivity. She can scan or print off her MX-system without a failure when she desires, quite different than her work situation.

Currently antix is my daily system, and i am playing with antix b1 on my new AMD 2200G system build. I purchased a new 1080 non touch AMD powered Chromebook to improve the quality of weekly video chats, replacing the Dell 14 with antix 17.4.1 installed. The speaker volume, 768 screen resolution and low resolution cam on the Dell 14 left a lot to be desired several times a week.

I have really stopped playing with photographs or graphic images, Gimp, Inkscape and Scribus were all I required after leaving the MS world, but these programs I use less often since retirement.

JR

[malspa]

Only Linux at home here, no Windows for maybe 10 years.

As for MX and antiX, I like having them available on a flash drive, mainly for testing and/or maintenance. Whenever a "new to me" computer comes my way, first thing I do is try to boot it with the MX flash drive. I'm another former MEPIS user, and I'm always keeping tabs on what's happening with antiX and MX, but I don't have either one installed on a computer right now.