Thread: OS for computer Science

Hi im about to start my computer science course and was wondering if it mattered which Operating System i used. I want to get an iMac but from those of you who have already completed a computer science degree, would this cause problems when it comess to installing nessesary software.
I have never used a Mac for a decent amount of time, but from what i saw/heard i was very impressed.

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A linux distro is probably the best for computer science. *NIx OS's force users to understand the OS.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Ubuntu is a good starting linux distro. I dual boot Vista and Ubuntu on this PC but I'm usually using Ubuntu.

As I think Windows XP is best operating sytem.I am using this in my home.Although A linux distro is best OS for computer science.I hope you will enjoy with this operating system.
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siva

http://www.blazeinfotech.com

I recommend you to use Pardus distribution (Linux) , it is very end-user type distro.

Please don't use a Mac for CS. Please.

If you're interested in applications (more towards the IT side), I suggest you take up Windows Vista. Otherwise, I highly, HIGHLY suggest a Linux distro. Debian is the best starting distro to use because it's not too hand-holding (like the *ubuntu series) but not too harsh and hardcore like Slackware.

Originally Posted by ClassyElf

A linux distro is probably the best for computer science. *NIx OS's force users to understand the OS.

http://www.ubuntu.com/

Ubuntu is a good starting linux distro. I dual boot Vista and Ubuntu on this PC but I'm usually using Ubuntu.

I think most universities use Solaris workstations, but since those tend to be expensive it's probably better to put Open Solaris on your computer, or use Nexenta which is suppossedly a Solaris kernel with a Debian userspace.

Originally Posted by siva

As I think Windows XP is best operating sytem.I am using this in my home.Although A linux distro is best OS for computer science.I hope you will enjoy with this operating system.
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siva

http://www.blazeinfotech.com

When you talk about the word "best" I think XP has the best performance out of all OS's from its generation, but it's not open-sourced so it's not the most programmer-liked. Also, it's not preferred in the halls of academia. Instead, most computer science professors prefer UNIX (this excludes Linux). Most young computer programmers, just starting out in C or C++, seem to enjoy Linux however.
It could be that the younger generations don't know of the disadvantages of Linux or it could be more of a cultural thing.

I suggest Nexenta since it's a UNIX OS (it has a Solaris kernel), but with a Debian userspace. There's other Open Solaris distros out there as well, but Debian has a larger community than Open Solaris so you might find more support for Debian on the forums than Open Solaris.