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Kitka
Posts: 2512
Joined: 1/31/2002
From: Australia
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Please Recommend a Linux distro - 10/8/2004 22:19:02
I have a spare HDD that I would like to use to start learning more about Linux.
Which distro is the best for a Linux newbie who is pretty savvy in tweaking Windows?
SuSE, Mandrake, Linspire or ???
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Kitka
**It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.**
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bobby
Posts: 11394
Joined: 8/15/1969
From: Seattle WA USA
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RE: Please Recommend a Linux distro - 10/11/2004 11:30:41
Kitka...
I live for these questions...  But it's also the hardest to answer... so I'll do my best for you. Remember that there are as many flavors of Linux as there are ice cream, and what you like and what I like may be very different.
Also keep in mind that regardless of how many times you hear that it's just like Windows, it isn't... there will be a lot of adjustment time needed to get used to how Linux does things...
<edit>
Check out www.distrowatch.com for a list of all Linux flavors, links to articles, tutorials, reviews and downloads...
</edit>
First, sign up for a good linux forum. www.madpenguin.org is a great generic one... or the distro you choose will probably have their own. It's good to have a place to ask questions and get help when you need it.
Snoop around before you install. Look into as much about your chosen distro as you can. I prefer to partition my HDD before ever beginning the install so that the installation takes less time.
I set up my HDD with 3 Linux Partitions: Swap (2x the size of your RAM), hda1 and hda2. The installation will know what to do with each one (creating file systems in them, etc.) You just have to tell the install wich one to use for what.
Most installs will do all of this for you, SUSE will even resize an NTFS partition if you already have Windows installed... but I like to do it myself first...
The best distros for beginners, IMO, are SUSE, Mepis, Vector and Libranet.
Here are the advantages of each:
SUSE - good hardware detection, backed by Novell (excellent support). You may have trouble playing music or movies (US DRM issues) unless you install a free download that may or may not be "legal" in the US. It is available free, but I highly recommend the Pro version ($80) for any kind of development work.
You can also buy SUSE at a lot of local stores, which makes it nice.
Mepis Linux - Based on Debian, start off with a live, bootable CD (like Knoppix) and you can decide if you like it, and if it works. Then it's a fairly simple install from a desktop application. Usable right "out of the box" for just about anything you want to do.
Needs at least 128MB RAM, available as a free download.
Vector Linux - based on Slackware it's a great option for older hardware... requires less RAM and processor power. Very simple install, not a lot of bloat. Available as a free download.
Libranet - based on Debian this is a great distro because everything is simplified... even recompiling your kernel can be done from their "Control Center" This is probably the best distro I've found for both beginners and older / slower systems- older versions are free download, latest and greatest is about $60
I've used all of the above, and my personal favorite is Mepis.
I'm currently looking into starting my first install of Gentoo Linux... all compiled from source (an install can take up to 3 days, no joke)
But when you're done, you have a streamlined system that is only what you need... no extra drivers, no bloat of any kind...
I'd stick with a Debian based distro at this point if you can... simply because of apt-get
It makes it so easy to install software... open a command shell and type "apt-get " and then the name of the software... it will download and install the application as well as any other apps that it depends upon.
Other than that, a really good commercial ($$) distro that makes the switch from Win to Lin a little easier is Xandros. They set up the desktop to closely resemble XP/2000 so you don't get the culture shock... (I always like the differences personally)
Have fun!
Let me know how it turns out... I'm available on email if you have any questions or comments...
<edit>
And whatever you decide... you have to play with Quanta Plus. Probably the best html / web editor I've ever used. I'd be curious to hear what you think of it...
</edit>
< Message edited by bobby -- 10/11/2004 11:37:01 >
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Giomanach
Posts: 6090
Joined: 11/19/2003
From: England
Status: offline
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RE: Please Recommend a Linux distro - 10/11/2004 11:32:36
But to start with....I'd get one of the Live Linux distros....
Recommendation ebing Knoppix...get a feel for the interface and then go for the install....
</$0.02>
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