Making the commitment to learn the nuances of Linux operating systems involves the willingness to do your homework, and be responsible for the choices you make.

Specifically, we are dealing with a large selection of special purpose Unix-based operating systems that use a "kernel" originally developed by Linus Torvalds. Some of these systems have been outfitted as an all-purpose replacement for Windows (Ubuntu, for instance), and although they work quite well, a person would be far better off selecting a task-specific Linux O/S, and learning how to use it.

Interestingly, as a user learns more about their requirements, and the possibilities inherent in the open-source software, they tend to customise their operating system to suit their needs. A Linux buff will typically use several versions of the software, depending on the tasks at hand. They will tend to gravitate away from Windows-style releases, toward the more productive special-purpose versions.

Some excellent examples of special-purpose Linux operating systems for musicians are 64 Studio, Musix GNU, and Dynebolic. (steer clear of Ubuntu Studio - it has become, unfortunately, all show and no go)

Currently, I use a heavily modified version of Ubuntu Desktop version 9.04, optimised for my requirements in audio mastering. That is one of the beautiful things about open-source software - you can tweak it to do the job your way.

just looking for clues...
Oren.
http://www.masteringmatters.com