Poll: HN desktop Linux users, what distro do you use?

Arch just takes too much configuration and time, and the dual-head is a pain. It also doesn't support fglrx drivers, because the X version they use is too high. It's more of AMD's fault, not Arch's, but it still requires too much work.

In general, I like Arch's minimalism, and it uses very little RAM, but I am sick and tired of wrestling with it. Ubuntu has a completely different vision of what an operating system should be, and it's probably more suitable for general public (but probably not me). It always worked great out of the box, and Unity is not that bad (even through I prefer tiling WMs). I just don't like the technical direction Canonical is heading (MIR, upstart). I wish there was more input from the community in this kind of decisions.

Kudos to Mark Shuttleworth for having such a strong vision of what an OS/computer/smartphone should be like, and going through with making it a reality. It takes a lot of determination to not yield to the critics, and follow your ideals. I just think it would be better if Ubuntu contributed back to Desktop Linux ecosystem, and not re-invented the wheel.

Also, a lot of criticism of Ubuntu is minor details, and short-sighted. Ubuntu is one of the most rapidly changing distros/OSes, so a lot of things are going through major changes. This causes it to often be buggy, unstable and crash-prone, but in the end it improves at a much faster pace than other OSes. I believe once they polish it, and get some OEMs for phone and computers, they have a real chance of competing with Apple/iOS, Android and Windows.