NationStates Jolt Archive

Alrighty so i am going to swich over from windows to linux on one of my computers, the only issue is that i dont know what 'flavor' of linux to get. so i am hoping that you all can help me out :)

http://www.ubuntu.com/

The edgy eft release is fantastic and very stable.

Alrighty so i am going to swich over from windows to linux on one of my computers, the only issue is that i dont know what 'flavor' of linux to get. so i am hoping that you all can help me out :)

(K)ubuntu is the most popular Linux out there and it is easy to install as well as to use. it is however in some respects a bit un-Linux-ish and I dislike its default setting with passion. The question whether ubuntu or kubuntu should be chosen is a matter of taste... you can still reinstall the other GUI later to check it out.

Gentoo is great if you want to see how your Linux internally functions, but too hard for a newbie.

OpenSuSE is sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. Really, if you do not own a Cray, don't use it.

Debian is very Ubuntu-ish seeing that Ubuntu is based on it, but has saner default, a more standard-Linux-ish approach to certain things as well as a horrible installer. If installation was not the isse, I would recommend that.

I have not tried other distros so far.

at the moment iam leaning towards slackware

o...kay, slackware... that's linuxFromScratch only in userfriendly(-ish), right? might be a bit discouraging, I guess since it does no longer have a big community to help you

Just pick which one looks best to you. I'll probably get flamed for saying this but linux flavours are all much the same. But most of all get this book

Running Linux (http://www.amazon.com/Running-Linux-Matthias-Kalle-Dalheimer/dp/0596007604/sr=8-2/qid=1166578197/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-6758773-6294256?ie=UTF8&s=books)

It's hard going but it will help you out of most problems. I have a copy and have never regretted the price tag attached to it. Though it was more expensive here in the UK than it is in the US it seems. [edit] actually second look its only £20 here... I must have remembered the price wrong

gotta go with Ubuntu. ;)

http://www.ubuntu.com/

The edgy eft release is fantastic and very stable.

Got my endorsement for a first time desktop OS

Debian a close second (and a world better performance with sarge)

Alrighty so i am going to swich over from windows to linux on one of my computers, the only issue is that i dont know what 'flavor' of linux to get. so i am hoping that you all can help me out :)

Ubuntu. Get Dapper Drake not Edgy. Noticed a few bugs that slipped through the cracks on Edgy. Kubuntu is the same as Ubuntu but looks different. You should look at both and see which is pretty/more logically laid out.

OpenSUSE is great if you have a laptop. Bit more technical than Ubuntu.

Just pick which one looks best to you. I'll probably get flamed for saying this but linux flavours are all much the same. But most of all get this book

Running Linux (http://www.amazon.com/Running-Linux-Matthias-Kalle-Dalheimer/dp/0596007604/sr=8-2/qid=1166578197/ref=pd_bbs_2/103-6758773-6294256?ie=UTF8&s=books)

It's hard going but it will help you out of most problems. I have a copy and have never regretted the price tag attached to it. Though it was more expensive here in the UK than it is in the US it seems. [edit] actually second look its only £20 here... I must have remembered the price wrong
You are not going to get Flamed ... but they are quite different from a users perspective

Different base packages different program fallibility different archive mantinance

It can make your life frustrating or easy with the ability to add packages and improve performance. Usualy you can get something done in any distro but it is easier or harder depending on that choice

And then there are other Unix derivitives like BSD which has a compleatly different design philosophy

Ubuntu. Get Dapper Drake not Edgy. Noticed a few bugs that slipped through the cracks on Edgy. Kubuntu is the same as Ubuntu but looks different. You should look at both and see which is pretty/more logically laid out.

OpenSUSE is great if you have a laptop. Bit more technical than Ubuntu.
Agreed ... I had some breaks with XGL when I moved up along with a few other application issues

Debian is very Ubuntu-ish seeing that Ubuntu is based on it, but has saner default, a more standard-Linux-ish approach to certain things as well as a horrible installer. If installation was not the isse, I would recommend that.

I have not tried other distros so far.
The installer isn't all that bad, just hideously ugly. The only reason I have the Ubuntu Live CD is because I can use it to fix grub.

(K)ubuntu is the most popular Linux out there and it is easy to install as well as to use. it is however in some respects a bit un-Linux-ish and I dislike its default setting with passion. The question whether ubuntu or kubuntu should be chosen is a matter of taste... you can still reinstall the other GUI later to check it out.

Gentoo is great if you want to see how your Linux internally functions, but too hard for a newbie.

OpenSuSE is sloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. Really, if you do not own a Cray, don't use it.

Debian is very Ubuntu-ish seeing that Ubuntu is based on it, but has saner default, a more standard-Linux-ish approach to certain things as well as a horrible installer. If installation was not the isse, I would recommend that.

I have not tried other distros so far.

Horrible installer? I have done it litteraly hundreds of times and no issues with the installer

Got my endorsement for a first time desktop OS

Debian a close second (and a world better performance with sarge)

I tried Debian. Had troubles getting my Atheros based wifi going. On every other distro, I just extract the madwifi source, make, make install, reboot. Debian didn't swing that way.

Slackware really isn't something to install as the first linux. The "slack" doesn't mean YOU don't have to do much, quite the opposite, it means that the OS is designed to do as little as possible leaving much configuring to you.

I'd go with Xubuntu for first linux installation, mostly because (X/K)Ubuntu has the best and most active community (seriously, no matter what time of the day you ask something on #Ubuntu@Freenet, the answer will come quickly. Also, I really don't like Gnome and I hate Konqueror so that leaves Xubuntu...

After running some buntu for a while you might consider swapping to debian for performance, but really only do that after you know how things work.

I tried Debian. Had troubles getting my Atheros based wifi going. On every other distro, I just extract the madwifi source, make, make install, reboot. Debian didn't swing that way.

Hmmm running it on my compaq v2000 no issues ... ubuntu had issues with the broadcom drivers but debian managed without an issue

But I primarily use it on my desktops

Though one distro I HAVE had good luck with for laptops is slackware suprizingly

At least as far as wireless go's

Agreed ... I had some breaks with XGL when I moved up along with a few other application issues
Edgy's kernel takes two and a half minutes to mount the root fs (I use JFS). Dapper took 55 seconds for the entire boot process. A compiled kernel on Edgy boots in 35 seconds.

That is for both x86 and x86-64.

Fried Tuna;12110547']Slackware really isn't something to install as the first linux. The "slack" doesn't mean YOU don't have to do much, quite the opposite, it means that the OS is designed to do as little as possible leaving much configuring to you.

I'd go with Xubuntu for first linux installation, mostly because (X/K)Ubuntu has the best and most active community (seriously, no matter what time of the day you ask something on #Ubuntu@Freenet, the answer will come quickly. Also, I really don't like Gnome and I hate Konqueror so that leaves Xubuntu...

After running some buntu for a while you might consider swapping to debian for performance, but really only do that after you know how things work.

I am an xfce fan myself

http://geek.upwardthrust.us/pictures/computers/newxfce.jpg

Hmmm running it on my compaq v2000 no issues ... ubuntu had issues with the broadcom drivers but debian managed without an issue

But I primarily use it on my desktops

Though one distro I HAVE had good luck with for laptops is slackware suprizingly

At least as far as wireless go's

I use wireless on my desktop. My mom will not let me run a cable through the house, and we would have to get our Strata Council's permission to run it through the wall *lives in town house* which could take a year or two.

Never tried Slackware. The idea of modding text files when GUI's are available is not apealing *is lazy*.

Horrible installer? I have done it litteraly hundreds of times and no issues with the installer

When I used it, it was very confusing and unintuitional. I kept on bbeing stuck somewhere.

When I used it, it was very confusing and unintuitional. I kept on bbeing stuck somewhere.
With the exception of the partitioning screen, it is no worse than the Windows XP installer.

well if you guys suggest Ubuntu thats what i will go with.

is there any thing else i should know?

well if you guys suggest Ubuntu thats what i will go with.

is there any thing else i should know?

Do you want to keep XP?

When I used it, it was very confusing and unintuitional. I kept on bbeing stuck somewhere.

Lol try a freeBSD installer :-P now that is a bad installer (for a great OS)

Do you want to keep XP?

if i had it i might, the comp that iam going to put Ubuntu on has ether win 98 or win pro...

if i had it i might, the comp that iam going to put Ubuntu on has ether win 98 or win pro...

Dual booting between either of thoes and a linux distro is relitivly easy if you want the choice.

Dual booting between either of thoes and a linux distro is relitivly easy if you want the choice.

Just run the defragger a time or two as you will need to shrink your partition.

Remember to backup.

Dual booting between either of thoes and a linux distro is relitivly easy if you want the choice.

that might be nice...

Just run the defragger a time or two as you will need to shrink your partition.

Remember to backup.

Yeah but from the sounds of it a fresh install is not out of the question (of both) as he was already going to format the machine

that might be nice...

It will be. You will want Windows around for the first time you bjork X (the graphic server).

Yeah but from the sounds of it a fresh install is not out of the question (of both) as he was already going to format the machine

the plan was to wipe windows off the machine once we got ubuntu up and running....unless i should keep windows around?

the plan was to wipe windows off the machine once we got ubuntu up and running....unless i should keep windows around?

Note my previous post.

Ubuntu? What are you guys on, crack?

I use CentOS 4.4 for my desktop and my server.

Note my previous post.

ah just saw it.
well then duel boot it will be

Ubuntu?
Yeh...
What are you guys on, crack?
Not yet...
I use CentOS 4.4 for my desktop and my server.
I'm glad Fedora is giving RPM some tuning. It needs it.[/irrelevance]

I use openSUSE 10.2 on my desktop.

ah just saw it.
well then duel boot it will beDuel boot? You're gonna have the OSes fight it ought amongst themselves ;)

Duel boot? You're gonna have the OSes fight it ought amongst themselves ;)

Linux will win. It doesn't need to reboot to change weapons.

I'm a Fedora fan myself. Been using it for about 3 years now. I installed Core 6 yesterday so I don't know how well it'll behave yet.

Top of the pile hase to be Debian and Slackware. Also, have a look at http://www.blagblagblag.org/ this is a fantastic distro I use on the laptop, good support too.

Which distro you use is really upto the user and what application you have in mind. Try a few and make your own mind up.

I'm a Fedora fan myself. Been using it for about 3 years now. I installed Core 6 yesterday so I don't know how well it'll behave yet.

Top of the pile hase to be Debian and Slackware. Also, have a look at http://www.blagblagblag.org/ this is a fantastic distro I use on the laptop, good support too.

Which distro you use is really upto the user and what application you have in mind. Try a few and make your own mind up.
Fedora 5 was odd. With only the Core and Extra repos, a system update would uninstall my GDM theme. :confused:

(K)ubuntu is the most popular Linux out there and it is easy to install as well as to use.

:fluffle: I knew you'd be all over this thread.

And have you tried using Knoppix first, before installing?

Other then that, I personally use Freespire on my Linux computer.

:fluffle: I knew you'd be all over this thread.

And have you tried using Knoppix first, before installing?

Other then that, I personally use Freespire on my Linux computer.
I tried Freespire. It was OK. I was quite well put together. The kernel was to old for me to have sound. It also lacked documentation (expected).

The oddest part was the community. So quick to suggest that someone by Linspire. Never seen anybody on the Fedora forum suggest a user buy RHEL, or an openSUSE user suggest Novel SLED. But with Freespire, it was a daily thing.

Lol try a freeBSD installer :-P now that is a bad installer (for a great OS)
I did not have that many problems with FreeBSD, at least it was in English from what I remember and not tried to speak German and sometimes was mistranslated.

I did not have that many problems with FreeBSD, at least it was in English from what I remember and not tried to speak German and sometimes was mistranslated.

I have not EITHER but the installer is much worse then Debian's by far.