Best version of Linux for n00bs?

Capnroy89

Member
Feb 2, 2003
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I want to learn how to use Linux, but I have no idea which version a person who is very new to it should use. What version should I start out with?
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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Slackware, or Debian, or SuSE, or RedHat, or Mandrake, or Gentoo are the ones I would recommend first and foremost.
 

Chaotic42

Lifer
Jun 15, 2001
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If you really want to learn, I'd suggest Debian or Slackware. I don't like RedHat (though the last time I tried it was at version 5.2).

Debian and Slackware are more nuts+bolts from what I've seen and heard.
 

thecombatwombat

Junior Member
Apr 6, 2002
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I say RedHat.

I've been using linux as my only operating system for about a year and a half now, and was weened away from Windows by Redhat 7.0 about two years ago. Now I use Debian, and I totally believe it is the ultimate distro for the power user. Slack is nice (/me strokes slackware mousepad) but really . . . package management is a good thing.

Redhat 8.0 has the smoothest default linux desktop I've seen. It will not prevent you from learning the system like some posts sort of imply, but it will give you some useful handholding along the way. Anyways, my advice for new users always goes like this: get Redhat, do a full install if you can (disk space), it'll raise fewer questions for you later. Then go to http://www.freshrpms.net. Apt is a great thing, and will give you easy access to lots of great apps, particularly multimedia apps missing from redhat, mplayer/xine (movie/dvd playback) and an mp3 enabled build of xmms. You'll have a useable desktop up and running, and then just use it. Make it your primary desktop, tweak it, play with it, if you don't use windows for a month and keep using your computer, you'll be surprised how much you know about linux.
 

magomago

Lifer
Sep 28, 2002
10,973
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Mandrake!

I have no idea why anyone would reccomend you Gentoo or Slackware - they are the "hard core" versions and are definitely NOT friendly to n00bs

I'd say try Mandrake first, and then REdhat
 

majewski9

Platinum Member
Jun 26, 2001
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I am complete Linux newbie too but I have been using mandrake quite frequently and finding it to be very nice and easy.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
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Originally posted by: magomago
Mandrake!

I have no idea why anyone would reccomend you Gentoo or Slackware - they are the "hard core" versions and are definitely NOT friendly to n00bs

I'd say try Mandrake first, and then REdhat

Why do I recommend Slackware, Gentoo, and Debian? Because they force you to learn. Well, Debian and Slack do, I havent used Gentoo. I started with RedHat and got a couple things down, but until I started using Slackware I really didnt learn Linux. That is why I recommend it. Because some of us want to learn something and if given the opportunity will rest on our laurels and be lazy and not force ourselves to learn things. When we are forced into it, it comes easier.
 

oniq

Banned
Feb 17, 2002
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I'd say Gentoo if you are patient and have the processor power (as well as the bandwidth). Being able to emerge programs without having to worry about which libraries are needed to be downloaded is a dream come true. The gentoo community is also great and embrace newbies. Although the install may not be full of pictures and amazing flashing lights, it gets the job done right. And if you don't know what you're doing you can still setup a system with all the documentation on the install process. On the other hand, if you know what you are doing you can start tweaking your system from the ground up to be the fastest it can be.
 

mindwarp

Senior member
Feb 8, 2001
286
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I would recommend redhat 8 for beginners. If you need to download the isos check my homepage under files. I also have gentoo there, but I would not recommend it for the beginner or expert user, as their stability is so lacking that it far outweighs the 10% speed increase you get from recompiling your software.
 

Capnroy89

Member
Feb 2, 2003
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Thanks everyone, I'm going with Redhat 8.0. For now I'm going to do a dual boot because I don't think there is enough support for gaming that I want to do, so I'll dual boot with XP.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
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Originally posted by: Capnroy89
Thanks everyone, I'm going with Redhat 8.0. For now I'm going to do a dual boot because I don't think there is enough support for gaming that I want to do, so I'll dual boot with XP.

Sounds like a good plan, that's what I'm doing right now (I've used others, but I like RedHat because it is easy). Personally I don't buy into the whole "jump right into the cold water" philosophy (sorry n0cmonkey). If you don't gain a basic understanding of the OS first, you are going to do things the wrong way (unless you are very patient). It's better to ease into it. Nothing else is taught by throwing you into the fray right away, why should a new OS be like that?
 

marat

Senior member
Aug 2, 2001
207
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Xandros from http://www.xandros.com. It is very stable (based on Debian - you can install debian packages), easy to install, can run Windows programs (hey - put MS Office CD inside and install it) and works great. I tried a lot of distros, but Xandors is the best by far.
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
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Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: Capnroy89
Thanks everyone, I'm going with Redhat 8.0. For now I'm going to do a dual boot because I don't think there is enough support for gaming that I want to do, so I'll dual boot with XP.

Sounds like a good plan, that's what I'm doing right now (I've used others, but I like RedHat because it is easy). Personally I don't buy into the whole "jump right into the cold water" philosophy (sorry n0cmonkey).

No apologies necessary. Some people learn by doing, others by watching, still others by reading. I prefer doing, although I can usually get by with any of the three.

If you don't gain a basic understanding of the OS first, you are going to do things the wrong way (unless you are very patient). It's better to ease into it. Nothing else is taught by throwing you into the fray right away, why should a new OS be like that?

I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)
 

smp

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2000
5,215
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What do you use computers for?
What do you want out of an OS?
What type of things do you want to learn about?


Some of us want a desktop windows replacement that we can surf the web, play games and do office type slavery on... while others want a geek OS that they can just do everything with, while others are satisfied just running a web/ftp server.
Your needs will help define which distro is right for you.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
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Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

 

smp

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2000
5,215
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Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

bah ... that's for kids! Womb syndrome! It's like not wanting to get out of bed, sometime you need to get rudely awakened to face the day.. but once you're up it's not so hard.
Like at work.. I never learned how to drive a forklift.. I never had lessons! I just got on it, and did it. Everything worked out fine... at least with linux, you can start over.


edit: and to ad to that .. I learned cli on debian .. to this day, i can't set up xfree86 all that smoothly.. I still consider myself a noob though.. with linux, there's always room to learn.
 

Rainsford

Lifer
Apr 25, 2001
17,515
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0
Originally posted by: smp
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

bah ... that's for kids! Womb syndrome! It's like not wanting to get out of bed, sometime you need to get rudely awakened to face the day.. but once you're up it's not so hard.
Like at work.. I never learned how to drive a forklift.. I never had lessons! I just got on it, and did it. Everything worked out fine... at least with linux, you can start over.

Well you certainly learn quickly that way, but somehow it always feels like sheer luck nothing bad happens. I like having the feeling of fully understanding every aspect of something rather than "hey, it works and I didn't start it on fire." But that's probably just me being a wuss :)
 

smp

Diamond Member
Dec 6, 2000
5,215
0
76
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: smp
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

bah ... that's for kids! Womb syndrome! It's like not wanting to get out of bed, sometime you need to get rudely awakened to face the day.. but once you're up it's not so hard.
Like at work.. I never learned how to drive a forklift.. I never had lessons! I just got on it, and did it. Everything worked out fine... at least with linux, you can start over.

Well you certainly learn quickly that way, but somehow it always feels like sheer luck nothing bad happens. I like having the feeling of fully understanding every aspect of something rather than "hey, it works and I didn't start it on fire." But that's probably just me being a wuss :)

yeah.. WUSS

so you're telling me that after some time in the shallow end, and then some time in the deep end.. you understand the innermost workings of the linux kernel?
I bow to you, I am not worthy.
I think that there is always a bit of that "hey, it works, leave it alone" mentality, no matter what level you're at. You trust that the developer that created whatever code you're running, the engineers that designed whatever platform you're running on, did their job well, and that _they_ understood what _they_ were doing. I wish I knew everything too.....
the fundamental question has not been answered, so we're all in the figurative "deep end".

this ends SMP's philosophical and somewhat existential rant.

/dev/null

 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

I spend enough time in the shallow end of the pool. Developers *shudder*

;)
 

n0cmonkey

Elite Member
Jun 10, 2001
42,936
1
0
Originally posted by: smp
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: smp
Originally posted by: Rainsford
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
I dont know about you, but I felt I was thrown into the fire at school in just about every class. And work. Yeesh. ;)

Yeah, I'll agree with you there. And a lot of times I would have liked a little time in the shallow end of the pool first ;)

bah ... that's for kids! Womb syndrome! It's like not wanting to get out of bed, sometime you need to get rudely awakened to face the day.. but once you're up it's not so hard.
Like at work.. I never learned how to drive a forklift.. I never had lessons! I just got on it, and did it. Everything worked out fine... at least with linux, you can start over.

Well you certainly learn quickly that way, but somehow it always feels like sheer luck nothing bad happens. I like having the feeling of fully understanding every aspect of something rather than "hey, it works and I didn't start it on fire." But that's probably just me being a wuss :)

yeah.. WUSS

so you're telling me that after some time in the shallow end, and then some time in the deep end.. you understand the innermost workings of the linux kernel?
I bow to you, I am not worthy.
I think that there is always a bit of that "hey, it works, leave it alone" mentality, no matter what level you're at. You trust that the developer that created whatever code you're running, the engineers that designed whatever platform you're running on, did their job well, and that _they_ understood what _they_ were doing. I wish I knew everything too.....
the fundamental question has not been answered, so we're all in the figurative "deep end".

this ends SMP's philosophical and somewhat existential rant.

/dev/null

I feel the "It works, dont touch it!" syndrome the most when using closed source, proprietary, non-free, or corporate software.
 

septiroth

Member
Jul 2, 2001
94
0
66
i would always say to buy a book, or have a linux-friendly friend and just work with command line stuff for awhile, then go to a full-featured distro
if you just know the gui, that wont get you far when something goes wrong
i have always liked mandrake...