For how long are you a linux user?

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

I started around the end of 2002 to try out gentoo linux. Switched many times my distro (Debian, Fedora, Ubuntu etc.), even had a FreeBSD for a long time on my desktop. But switched back to linux (gentoo), because I started working primarily on a laptop. And FBSD sadly doesn't work very well on that machine. But at my work, I maintain firewalls running OpenBSD.

[darkliquid]

I've been using Linux since 1997, though only as my primary desktop OS since 2000. I've used SUSE for the longest time until I got fed up with distros never quite meeting my needs and switched to maintaining my own custom distro built from the ground up around the LFS (linuxfromscratch) system for about 7 years. After Ubuntu kicked off, I jumped on board that and have been using that and at work Mint.

Never tried BSD on the desktop, though I've helped hack around on FreeBSD kernel code at work.

[Kelytha]

I'm using Linux on a daily base since 2006. Been playing around with it earlier, but that's the year I decided to switch to it as my main choice of operating system. Started out with Ubuntu, then went on to Arch Linux.

[blackout24]

I was testing several distros on and off since 2005. In 2010 switched fulltime to Ubuntu 10.10. because it was the most hassle free distro and had no drawbacks that would make me use Windows again. With Unity I moved to Arch and I'm more than happy. There is nothing other distros offer that would make me think about distro hopping. Pacman, Rolling Release and the minimalistc approach are just to wonderful. I also run a FreeBSD server at home since a few months. If there would not be Linux I'd probably use FreeBSD with XFCE 4.8. Everything is a few versions behind but you get a very solid system.

[mfces|ZloySergant]

Since Slackware 3.5 . As a main "workstation" system - since 8.0
Don't remember years exactly. About 12-14 years.

[no1]

Been using linux for about 4 years. My work computer runs ubuntu and my home computer runs mint. I mostly use it for programming and university work. I would love to have the option to play games on it also cause switching to windows just to play games sucks ( although admittedly means I cant play games when I should be working).

Tried other distros like Arch, Fedora and Slackware but my favourite UI has to be mint atm.

[Tarvitz]

Since 2002, started on RED Hat linux 7.x version. It was wonderful times i studied a lot of new stuff. Than was different types of Linux distros like Debian, Mandrake (nowadays Mandriva), SuSE, Gentoo. However Gentoo was the last disto i never switched for today and still use it since 2004.

Tried Ubuntu, Archlinux separetely but didn't find a lot of fun it it :). (I do not mean that distros bad or some kind, they're awesome, but not for me)

[Pad]

I have been using Linux since I first installed Ubuntu 5.04, so about 7 years. Nowadays I'm a happilly Archlinux user. :D

[shatsky]

About 8 years, 3.5 years as my primary and only system.

[_artem_]

more than 10 years. started with SuSE -> openSUSE -> ArchLinux (OpenBox) -> looked on Ubuntu (never heared about it before, really!!! tried it end of 2009 for couple of weeks) -> ArchLinux (Gnome2 (hated it) -> KDE -> gnome-shell -> KDE (again) -> Awesome -> KDE (again)) -> Gentoo (KDE) :-D
about the avatar... suse was my first time :-D that's why I still love their gecko :)

[Haley [Shdw]]

Using linux since kernel 0.07p2 or so ... don't really remember - but I could never let go of it. Note that I bought a dedicated hard drive for installing Linux on my Dedicated Desktop Gaming machine - so I can play the Linux games under Steam on the same machine I play the windows version.
Best setup to actually compare things I think...

[kwahoo]

Started in May 2001, from Redhat 7.1. I still remember first 3D game I've played on Linux: PrBoom, Doom/Doom2 client. And proprietary driver for my TNT2 was smaller than floppy size;)

[[ZOMBIE] Rockmegax]

I've been using Linux since 2004. My first distro was a Brazilian distro called Kurumin 3.0, but I used 2.12 as a live-cd a month before installing 3.0. It was awesome! My only problem was with my ATI card, but things got better when ATI released official drivers months later. Sometimes I think that the earlier drivers worked better than the ones we have nowadays. Now I feel forced to use the open source drivers, which are quite good.

[Melvis]

been using it since 2002, first dabbling with mandrake 9, move to the *buntus in 2005, before moving to centos so i could use the desktop while studying for my RHCE, since i passed that tho ive gone back to ubuntu again

[Muchi Muchi Pink]

It's a common knowledge, that ATI/AMD is a bad choice for a linux box. I don't know if it's still a pain in the ass, but I totally avoided them since 2006.

[potato]

first started testing with redhat on a pentium 2 around 1998 or 99, also was testing freebsd.

started using linux fulltime around 2002. (clearly games on windows though)