Ask HN: What are you programming on? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: What are you programming on?

9 pointstalson19 comments

What machine build are you primarily using?

Chrome OS, 4 GB RAM, 16 GB HD, with Linux and Terminal using HTML, CSS, Javascript, and PHP.

For work, I use Windows 10, but at home... in the past, my primary computer had been a Mac OS, but in 2013, I switched to a Chrome OS and never looked back.

I love the fast loading times. I love the dual Linux boot. I love that I don't have to deal with malware or viruses or even if I click suspicious links.. it doesn't do anything. I bought a few versions of them, but my Chromebook is no longer manufactured.. it is one of those that accept T-Mobile SIMM so I can be anywhere and always have Internet.

It is definitely not for everyone, but it is just a part of life for me and my code.

I have tried to migrate to a dual boot Chromebook w/Linux twice. But, I couldn't get past the fact that if the Chromebook crashed, it would hard reset, wipe the Linux partition and you would have to set it up all over again.

It was easy to setup the Chrome side, but re-installing and then reconfiguring Ubuntu for web dev was a big hassle.

How did you get past that problem?

I apologize for my mis-information: i said "dual boot" but I actually installed it with Crouton, which runs Linux on top of Chrome OS. So just when I load up, it is just pressing the ctrl+d that seems the biggest of my worries.

https://www.linux.com/learn/how-easily-install-Ubuntu-Chrome...

I've followed it every time and it has always worked.

I have had several crashes in the past, so it isn't always the most stable, but these crashes usually have happened after some intense usage, most of the time when I've been trying to restore a website or a database via terminal.

I have never attempted the other method, which is the dual-boot with Linux.

Recently Thinkpad X230, i5, 8GB RAM, SSD. Honestly I don't need more for web dev, mostly backend. I have custom build PC in storage with AMD FX8520, 16RAM and some Nvidia GPU that I could use and objectively would be faster but my X230 is good enough.

As for software until December I was using Ubuntu 17.10, since 1st of December I'm on Ubuntu Mate 17.10. I was Windows then Mac user in the past. I always had somekind of linux as dual boot. Finally two years ago I've sold my last non linux machine. Never looked back.

How do you cope with small screen? I reduced my font scaling so I could fit more text and UI.

Short answer is: I don't. In my home office I have external monitor and laptop screen is used just as email/slack screen to keep an eye on notifications. In rare occasions when I am on the go this small screen in enough. It's not 27 inch 5k display but I can get the job done. Main thing that helps me with that is multiple desktops and fast switch between them assigned to one of my Logitech G600 side buttons.

I have a x270 that I just don't use, about to put on ebay because I can't stand the screen size. I thought I could but I just cant :(.

Its a shame too because it was the top of the line one...

A self assembled desktop for full time development / video creation / casual gaming.

It's an i5 3.2ghz, 16gb of RAM machine with an SSD and it runs just as well as it did 3+ years ago when I put it together.

All of the parts are on https://nickjanetakis.com/blog/the-tools-i-use#computer-desk...

Output of lspci:

  00:00.0 Host bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor DRAM Controller (rev 06)
  00:01.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor PCI Express x16 Controller (rev 06)
  00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation 4th Gen Core Processor Integrated Graphics Controller (rev 06)
  00:03.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v3/4th Gen Core Processor HD Audio Controller (rev 06)
  00:14.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB xHCI (rev 05)
  00:16.0 Communication controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family MEI Controller #1 (rev 04)
  00:1a.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #2 (rev 05)
  00:1b.0 Audio device: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset High Definition Audio Controller (rev 05)
  00:1c.0 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #1 (rev d5)
  00:1c.3 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #4 (rev d5)
  00:1c.4 PCI bridge: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family PCI Express Root Port #5 (rev d5)
  00:1d.0 USB controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family USB EHCI #1 (rev 05)
  00:1f.0 ISA bridge: Intel Corporation HM86 Express LPC Controller (rev 05)
  00:1f.2 SATA controller: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family 6-port SATA Controller 1 [AHCI mode] (rev 05)
  00:1f.3 SMBus: Intel Corporation 8 Series/C220 Series Chipset Family SMBus Controller (rev 05)
  01:00.0 VGA compatible controller: NVIDIA Corporation GK107M [GeForce GT 755M] (rev a1)
  08:00.0 Ethernet controller: Qualcomm Atheros QCA8171 Gigabit Ethernet (rev 10)
  09:00.0 Network controller: Intel Corporation Centrino Wireless-N 2230 (rev c4)

For software choices: Funtoo GNU+Linux as OS vim as editor Firefox as primary browser

I use this laptop for work, as well as for personal work on my own projects.

Custom built rig with Windows 10's Long Filename Support enabled (32k characters supported) so I don't have to dual boot.

Keep in mind that I usually only write in higher level languages. If I have a C/C++ project, I'll probably end up installing a dual boot config.

Lenvo t450s laptop running Linux and a home built desktop running Linux as well. The desktop is for work work and the laptop for personal projects. I mostly use tmux / vim so the experience is about the same.

I avoid windows at all cost.

My Home build: I run Win10 for casual things and Ubuntu 17.10 for developing.

https://pcpartpicker.com/b/Rdq48d

screenfetch -n

   OS: Debian 9.3 stretch
   Kernel: x86_64 Linux 4.9.0-4-amd64
   Uptime: 5h 25m
   Packages: 3237
   Shell: bash -init-file rc.txt
   Resolution: 1024x768
   DE: Gnome
   WM: GNOME Shell
   WM Theme: Adwaita
   Adwaita [GTK2]
   , Adwaita [GTK3]
   Icon Theme: Adwaita
   Font: Cantarell 11
   CPU: Intel Core i3 CPU 540 @ 3.059GHz
   GPU: Mesa DRI Intel(R) Ironlake Desktop
   RAM: 1716MiB / 3695MiB

Desktop: Dual-Core E5500, 2GB RAM (upgrading to 8GB soon).

Laptop: ThinkPad T450, i5 broadwell CPU, 8GB RAM, 256 SSD.

I run Arch Linux with i3wm on both computers.

The full stack is

* Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard

* iPhoneX

* Blink

* Mosh

* tmux

* scaleway small baremetal instance

Works like a charm. And at iphone resolution even 8pt are nicely readable.

Thinkpad W520 with 10GB RAM/128GB SSD running Ubuntu 16.04.

MacBook Air for casual things, MacBook Pro 2017 for developing

Apple Macbook Pro 2016 13" with Sierra. Base model.

Dell xps15 (9560) running Windows 10.

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