Minor version numbers notwithstanding, what OS do you use for your own development machine?
Are you forced to use a virtual appliance or server to run any programs that you need?
Do you know of any surveys related to this question?
-1 for vista ... didn't actually downvote you, but you should consider ridding of that Vista and go with Win7 instead
Brian T Hannan
2010-01-15 19:07:06
Yes, we are using Win7 now too. But some of our customers use Vista so we have to test it on Vista too :-(.
Gamecat
2010-01-15 19:41:20
+5
A:
Yes. Ubuntu, XP, Mac OS X... Whatever I have in front of me at the moment :)
warren
2008-11-20 14:33:12
+7
A:
I've been a long time fanatical user of Linux (preferably Slackware) for everything including development. For the past year, I've been using Windows for Symbian C++ development (can't do that on Linux, otherwise I'd have preferred that). I only recently moved to Mac OS X. Now, most of my development will take place on that.
ayaz
2008-11-20 14:34:15
+17
A:
Home = Ubuntu Linux. Work = Windows XP (corporate policy - I'd use Linux if it were possible).
Phill Sacre
2008-11-20 14:35:20
A:
Work: Windows XP, mainly because I can't be bothered to install Linux and then find I need a Windows application down the line (e.g., SAS Viewer) to access third party datasets.
Home: Ubuntu Linux, and I can do work related development here as well as we do Java mainly, and our servers are Debian Linux.
JeeBee
2008-11-20 14:36:18
+9
A:
Vista 64 since I cannot afford a Windows 2008 Server license or MSDN Subscription.
Michael Stum
2008-11-20 14:36:59
You should have a look at the "Microsoft Action Pack Subscription" or the "Microsoft Empower for ISVs", they allow you to get licenses to almost every MS product for about US$350.You can use them internally for your own needs and for development.
Renaud Bompuis
2008-12-14 00:12:40
Thanks. Unfortunately, both are only available to companies, not to individuals.
Michael Stum
2008-12-14 01:31:00
Have a look at technet subscription, can often find discount codes on the web when MS doing a big promo push.
seanb
2008-12-14 02:02:14
+7
A:
Mac OS X has some of the best editors and applications (TextMate, CSSEdit2, Coda, Transmit, Photoshop...) for web development (IMO), so I mostly stick with that until it's time to test in IE and FireFox. For desktop applications I'm a bit biased to Cocoa and Xcode, but I do do .NET development in Windows Vista from time to time on both a virtual machine and a PC.
Marc Charbonneau
2008-11-20 14:43:52
A:
Solaris preferred, but also use XP and Vista. Used to use Linux & BSD, but Solaris has pretty much replaced them on my systems.
Brian Knoblauch
2008-11-20 14:57:23
IIRC, tcsh is the default, but it probably includes bash as well.
Adam Jaskiewicz
2008-11-20 17:18:15
sh is the default shell, but bash is there too (several others as well). CDE is still available, but deprecated. JDS/Gnome is the current official GUI. There's some more cutting edge distros of OpenSolaris that have other GUIs available.
Brian Knoblauch
2008-11-20 18:31:47
Sorry, I meant the GUI. Gnome... interesting. I've switched to OSX in the meantime, but I'm always interested in what's going on in the world.
Yar
2009-05-25 16:47:11
+11
A:
I use OSX for everything that I can. For work, I'm forced to use Vista.
Joey Gibson
2008-11-20 14:59:42
A:
Developing under Vista Ultimate and running a VM with Windows Server 2008 for MOSS 2007 development
MysticSlayer
2008-11-20 15:11:03
A:
I really don't care about the OS. There are too many things I like about both Windows and Linux. If you're developing and your IDE is supported across both OSes, what does it matter?
I personally prefer Windows XP, but since a lot of music and videos don't run on Linux, I feel working on Linux gives fewer distractions ;)
PS. Forgot to add - My IDE is vim!
globetrotter
2008-11-20 15:23:48
A:
I Develop on Vista SP1 x64, but I have a WinXP x86 VM available in case I run into any strage bugs that I can't reproduce on my Vista box. Most of my users are XP, but a few are Vista.
( I have one that XP won't let me open streamed files the same way vista does )
Russ
2008-11-20 16:38:59
+35
A:
Mac OS X. I am not forced to do anything, but I do run Linuxes and Windowses in a "virtual appliance" as you call it.
Mark Stock
2008-11-20 16:46:54
Just trying out SO, not sure what a "best answer" means in a community wiki. Congratulations!
Yar
2008-12-18 14:50:36
Posts like these, that ask for opinions rather than specific answers, normally do not have a "correct answer", since they are quite open-ended.
Andreas Grech
2008-12-25 08:11:55
And so continues the SO trend of asking subject questions, and choosing folks who agree with you. What's the point of picking an answer on these types of things?
TM
2009-01-12 23:48:16
TM and EnderMB, I hadn't noticed your comments because SO doesn't tell me. NO, I do not pick people who agree with me. I marked it best answer because it was showing up in my question list with "have you picked a best answer?" So I did. Since it is the HIGHEST RATED answer and the question is subjective, most popular=best. Give me another idea and I'll use it...
Yar
2009-05-25 11:27:14
A:
Ubuntu 8.04 linux currently. (I've been too lazy to update to the newer 8.10 yet)
Tim
2008-11-20 16:50:37
+2
A:
For development at work : Mandriva Linux 2006 For testing my development (webapp) under IE I use rdesktop to access a Windows server 2003
At home : Win XP on laptop and Vista on a PC... but if I was the only user Vista would be kicked out :p. I've also a Mandriva on the laptop but only use it to remove virus hidden file Avast don't find !
Vinze
2008-11-20 16:57:20
A:
Currently, I use XP SP3 for my development. In the past I have used the following:
Windows 2000 Server
Windows NT 4.0
Unix
Mac OS
Commodore 64
JB King
2008-11-20 17:09:58
Now you can get a Commmodore 64 emulator to run those old programs on Windows, I think.
Yar
2008-11-21 12:52:34
A:
Mostly I run OpenSUSE 11, and then do my Windows development on Win2K8 and VMWare Workstation 6.5
Tom Opgenorth
2008-11-20 17:22:02
A:
I usuallu use Windows Vista and Ubuntu Hardy. Vista for doing .NET and PHP related stuffs and Linux for doing some basic hacking and PHP stuffs.
Prajwal Tuladhar
2008-11-21 11:55:12
A:
I'm trying to make the switch to Ubuntu 8.10 now (I have it installed with most things working on my laptop, and most importantly, Windows XP SP3 using VirtualBox by Sun). However, my main config (same computer, dual boot with Grub) is Windows XP SP3 running Ubuntu 8.04 JEOS as a virtual appliance, thanks to these dudes.
Unless the Linux experience changes my mind, in a year or so I'll buy a Macbook and run OSX with Windows XP in the Parallels VM. Um, I mean if money, computers, and operating systems still exist at that time :)
Yar
2008-11-21 12:50:31
That's how I started. I boot my Windows partition only a few times a year now.
Zach
2008-12-25 09:46:11
Weird... I just don't have time to find apps for Linux. I wiped the Linux partition and have a second Windows there for now... I have one appliance that does not have a driver for Linux.
Yar
2008-12-25 18:40:41
I'm curious about opensolaris, but I don't know if it's got as much suppport as Ubuntu...
Yar
2008-12-26 04:06:27
+1
A:
I don't even own a windows PC - all of them are on debian testing. My machine at work is debain too. I do have qemu+winxp installed for MS Access, but very rarely have to use it (thank god). I honestly couldn't function with a windows PC anymore.
Draemon
2008-12-14 00:03:55
A:
Windows Server 2008 x64 and plain old Windows XP.
For testing, I use VMWare with a few bare-bone Windows XP, Vista and Windows Server 2003 images.
Renaud Bompuis
2008-12-14 00:17:13
+8
A:
I have got Archlinux and use it on the desktop. I run Windows XP in the virtual machine when it's needed (Mostly for study. Sometimes to test software).
Johannes Schaub - litb
2008-12-14 00:33:06
+14
A:
Currently Ubuntu 8.10 (recently upgraded). Before, I had FreeBSD, Debian, and Gentoo.
update: Now, Ubuntu on the desktop, and Gentoo on a Notebook.
Svante
2008-12-14 00:54:57
+3
A:
Alway do it on gentoo.
Eclipse for JAVA, KDevelop for Qt.
VMWARE does it for testing with WinXP.
joki
2008-12-14 01:16:14
OMG! Once a linux FREAK (as I'm knowing now) has suggested to me to use Gentoo. Damn, how this sucks. Maybe it's cool when yer using a top-notch gaming PC (which I don't find cool, just plain stupid, btw), but when I was trying it installing even the simplest of packages (think of something like wget) took ages. I like Linux but I desperately hate Gentoo and consider it somethign for the real freaks/software metal heads, who are dong things just for the sake of doing those things - not to get something done.
ziggystar
2009-12-24 15:51:13
A:
Solaris. Vista 64. Mac OSX. In that order.
I actually like Vista 64. Seems to run better then 32. Odd, really. By the way, I tried Ubuntu. But I'm spoiled with Solaris. ;)
Stephen Cox
2008-12-14 01:17:17
what do you mean you´re spoiled with solaris? As a desktop platform (meaning the UI) is it better than Ubuntu?
Yar
2008-12-16 03:33:18
Yes, IMHO. Check out OpenSolarias at http://opensolaris.org/os/. The one thing I do like about Ubuntu is the driver support.
Stephen Cox
2008-12-31 15:20:41
A:
Ubuntu 8.10 for development, Windows XP for compiling some cross-platform things.
Sydius
2008-12-14 01:18:02
A:
I use a combination of 64-bit Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. For testing alternate environments/OSes, HyperV and Virtual PC have proved very helpful.
Reuben
2008-12-25 06:22:27
A:
I have a MacBook Pro running Mac OS X and a home-built desktop running Ubuntu x64, and that's all I need. I haven't used Windows in a long time.
Can Berk Güder
2008-12-25 07:02:46
A:
XP at work, Vista at home.
I also have a linux box, but I find I don't use it much.
FlySwat
2008-12-25 08:09:59
A:
Work: XP for .NET applications
Home: OSX with a VM (Virtualbox) for Windows testing but I'm certainly not forced to use it. For strictly development I'm fine on OSX or any *nix for that matter.
Zero Cool
2008-12-25 08:30:30
A:
My programming is generally for web applications, so I'm free to use my operating system of choice, which is OS X or Linux. Works fine for PHP, Ruby on Rails, HTML, CSS, Javascript, and MySQL work. I like gvim/MacVim and Coda for editors.
Sarah Vessels
2008-12-25 08:32:50
A:
I have always used Windows Server 2003 for ASP.Net development. After all you are going to deploy your application on the same environment. It helps to detect some issues earlier which you will find at later stage if you some other OS.
Pradeep
2008-12-25 08:34:26
A:
Vista on my main computer, Debian with Matchbox on my netbook. The netbook has been getting quite a bit more use lately.
Stephen Belanger
2008-12-25 08:39:51
A:
I use two laptops : a macbook pro with OSX and an XP one.
I switched all my graphic stuff on OSX and I have installed Vmware Fusion with an XP image for all .Net stuff (also tested Parallel) hoping to keep only the macbook.
I see me often switching back to my "real" Xp box as it is faster.
So at the end I use both laptops side by side and I find that very productive.
Ronnie
2008-12-25 08:57:36
I would rather have two computers than two displays any day. Independent processors are nice!
Yar
2008-12-26 03:54:46
+4
A:
I use GNU/Linux, currently Ubuntu Hardy. I've yet to see a platform that comes close in terms of power and customizability. Where possible, though, I write cross-platform code.
Matthew Flaschen
2008-12-25 09:06:13
@ziggystar: Nobody. Lots of people use C, and lots of people use C++, and lots of people use both at various times, though.
David Thornley
2010-04-08 21:29:16
A:
Preferably Ubuntu, sometimes Windows Vista (cross platform development - so I've got the choice, but have to check whether it runs on both (+OSX))
Ronny
2008-12-25 10:55:28
A:
At home Vista Home Premium plus CentOS 5.2 running inside VirtualBox. At work Xp and CentOS 5.2.
vanja
2008-12-25 11:01:24
+1
A:
I use Vista x64 at home, plus Win2K3 and Win2K8 in VirtualBox VMs. At work I use XP and similar virtual machine images. I work with the MS stack, so I don't really need any *nix OS.
Dario Solera
2008-12-25 11:08:59
A:
I use XP SP3 in a VM for development, XP, Vista, 2003 and 2008 VMs for testing, and Vista for everything else.
Dmitri Nesteruk
2008-12-25 11:13:11
A:
debian etch box, ubuntu 7.10 laptop, windows vista laptop && several other virtual machines with freebsd 7, windows xp and slackware.
hyperboreean
2008-12-25 11:49:54
wow, I can't believe that's cost efficient, but with laptops, anything is possible. I'm totally disillusioned with my Dell D620, and I was always a Dell fan...
Yar
2008-12-26 03:53:58
Cost is OK if you don;t have to pay the full price for the Windows Server license. You can get the 240 days trial license or, better, get cheap MS license through a program like MAPS or EmpowerISV.
Renaud Bompuis
2008-12-31 02:33:24
A:
Leopard on the home iMac, Arch Linux on my laptop (Dell Mini 9).
I never actually find myself booting into Windows on my iMac for anything other than games during spare time, mostly because none of the development I do is specific to that OS.
Yanik Magnan
2008-12-25 15:56:34
+4
A:
At work: Windows XP. At home: Mac OS X with VMWare Fusion running Windows XP.
weiran
2008-12-25 18:48:17
+3
A:
OS X because: - it has the best tools in my opinion (Subethaedit, XCode) - it's Unix but without the tedious meddling of configuration that Linux always needs - it does not close other doors
As a hint to anyone using it: check out "sshfs" via fink or something. Allows one to map an SSH account so its files are visible in the local directory system (means: one can edit them in SEE and compile on alien system using an ssh prompt).
akauppi
2008-12-25 19:12:22
Hmmm... when I have OSX I'll know what you mean, I imagine. On Linux, I can expose a share via SSH with no problem. But that's not your point, huh?
Yar
2008-12-26 03:52:29
+3
A:
Ubuntu Linux at home. Ubuntu Linux at work ;) Sometimes, I have to use OpenSolaris or Solaris at work, which isn't too bad either.
Epitaph
2009-01-12 23:44:27
A:
I currently use XP for development on my local box with Windows Web Server 2008 or Windows Server 2003 or Windows Server 2000 for testing/production boxes. Before XP, I was on Windows 2000 Server and before that Windows NT 4.0 Server.
JB King
2009-01-13 00:06:37
A:
Mac OSX; I use it because I get the power to develop on/for Mac, as well as run virtual Windows and Linux machines as needed.
I can develop anywhere though. My environment of choice is vim + compiler. Vim comes pre-installed on most Linux and Mac boxes, and is available for Windows as well.
Getting tied to an IDE (like MSVC) can be quite limiting if you find yourself in a place where you don't have access to it and need to work.
Adam Hawes
2009-01-13 01:51:20
+1
A:
Mac OS X for Mac OS X developement (Xcode), and Windows for web developement (PHP). I don't really like Linux.
Time Machine
2009-07-25 11:20:02
A:
Gentoo Linux + KDevelop + gcc + i686-pc-mingw32-gcc + Qt4 for all my needs.
OneOfOne
2009-12-24 15:19:36
+7
A:
What operating system do you use for development?
Emacs, of course!
Ryan McGeary
2009-12-24 15:41:16
Visual Studio needs a purchased plugin (Resharper) to have any real power.
Kaleb Brasee
2010-10-29 03:43:01
A:
In the order of frequency: Windows XP SP2, Debian Linux Lenny (now I wish it was Etch :), MacOS X Leopard. Mac is a rental, not mine. Also simulators of various mobile platforms with their respective OSes.
Seva Alekseyev
2009-12-24 15:49:40
A:
Windows 3.1 :)
http://www.buzzfeed.com/emunn/windows-31-the-future-of-computing-19tq
and besides this Mac OSX at home and WinXP at work
Reno
2010-04-01 13:41:30
DOS and Windows before NT are both about the only OSes I ever met that I hated, both for use and for development purposes.
Ira Baxter
2010-10-29 03:40:41
@Reno - you got me. I saw this and just saw red :-{ What's awful is that I hear this kind of answer seriously now and then, or likely wouldn't have bit.
Ira Baxter
2010-10-29 06:47:04
A:
I use OpenBSD(4.6 as of right now) amd64 at home. Arch Linux(almost always up to date) if I'm ever in a bind and need to do a quick script or something where I have nothing but an SSH prompt(it's on my website's VPS). and at work I use Windows Vista 64bit.
Earlz
2010-04-08 21:13:41
+1
A:
Mac OS X For everything ranging from bash to Java passing through iPhone development and CLIPS+Prolog. The main ide is XCode (this is why I listed MacOSX) and next comes Eclipse. I read many writing 'gcc' so I have to write LLVM+clang
rano
2010-08-20 09:15:01
A:
Fedora Linux + Eclipse
For my current work I also need the Android emulator. Perhaps I should get one of the phones.
Thomas Ahle
2010-08-20 11:12:00
A:
Windows 7 on a virtual server. Mostly I travel a lot, and it is easier to use RDP on a real machine than to pull all the crap over sometimes very unreliable connections. The VM also is a prett bare bones dev machine (VIsual Studio, Office - no games or something that I dont need).
My own machine is a Win 7, too, but not used for development anymore. Allows me to isntall games. Just possible because finally with WIndows 7 we got decent multi monitor support.
TomTom
2010-10-28 09:36:01
A:
OSes don't provide a lot of specific value for development; they do provide a lot as an application target.
I'm pretty happy when I have EMACS, a good compiler, and good debugger. You can get these triples on most operating systems, so I'm pretty agnostic.
Ira Baxter
2010-10-29 03:39:10