In my early days, I used to shun packaging, and revel in the freedom to configure, compile and install everything by source. At one point, I even did the Linux From Scratch thing, bootstrapping my entire GNU/Linux system from source (I recommend that as a great way to force yourself to really get to know how the OS works).

Of course, this meant installing stuff could potentially take a while (Anyone who’s compiled X—and then discovered a problem and had to recompile from scratch—feels my pain), and these days I don’t have the patience/exuberance necessary to choose this over packaged binaries. But the real headaches come when you have complex software whose interoperation with other software is just broken. It is then that you begin to comprehend why it’s a good idea to let someone else do the whole package-up-a-Linux-distro thing.

I installed Debian on my work computer when I started my job at Barracuda Networks, and then sometime later decided to try Ubuntu, for no particular reason other than that it was getting a good deal of publicity (and was a Debian derivative).

To me, there aren’t a ton of advantages to Ubuntu over Debain (and small wonder, as they tend to let most packages get into Debian first before importing them, themselves, since it adds up to a lot less maintenance work); the main thing is that Ubuntu has a very clear dedication to making the desktop user experience as absolutely painless—enjoyable, even!—as possible, and they’ve clearly made impressive strides in this area. Also, the Ubuntu community is one of the best large FLOSS communities I’ve ever participated in; and something about its style and friendliness began to motivate me to get involved almost as soon as I encountered it.

…I love that you and I both ended up “growing up” to become Linux hackers