Going to install Linux, what distro to get?

[RichieZ]

Going to install lunix, what distrbution should I get.

Any tips?

Here's the important part of my setup
BX Mobo
P3 700E@933
256MB PC133
Tekram DC-390U3D U160 controller
IBM 36LZX boot drive (9GB w2k partition, 9GB for lunix)
60GB WD 7200 RPM
Geforce 2 GTS
Intel 10/100 NIC

How do I install it anyways? Any websites that can help me? TIA

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Going to install lunix, what distrbution should I get.

Any tips?

Here's the important part of my setup
440BX Mobo
P3 700E@933
256MB PC133
Tekram DC-390U3D U160 controller
IBM 36LZX boot drive (9GB w2k partition, 9GB for lunix)
60GB WD 7200 RPM

How do I install it anyways? Any websites that can help me? TIA >>



Use slack. I dont know if your hardware is supported but its the best. Checkout slackware.com, redhat.com, linux-mandrake.com, debian.org, suse.com(org?), etc, etc, etc. Check to see ifyour hardware is supported (scsi card, and hopefully you arent cursed with an nVidia video card..), and check out the online docs. Also look at linuxdoc.org. Also take a look at these forums here. You are a golden member which should mean you have been here a while. I am sure you have seen other posts EXACTLY like this one.

 

[RichieZ]

Yea I've seen the other ones, and it seems that Mandrake is the easiest one to use/install. I just downloaded the image and burned it. I'm reading the docs from various website but I'm still shaky on some things

I do I have a Geforce 2 GTS, is that a bad thing for linux?

I've seen some of your other posts, and you even say slackware is hard to install. I'm a linux newbie and I don't kno jack about linux. And the answer you your question is in your signature.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Yea I've seen the other ones, and it seems that Mandrake is the easiest one to use/install. I just downloaded the image and burned it. I'm reading the docs from various website but I'm still shaky on some things

I do I have a Geforce 2 GTS, is that a bad thing for linux? >>



Not if you bought the Mandrake cds In another thread we had a little difficulty getting nVidia's half assed drivers installed. Take a look for the thread. IF you have any questions on the install please ask, someone can answer them since mandrake seems to be the big distro here.

 

[RichieZ]

Damn I didn't buy the CD's, but looking at some lunix site it seems that Nvidia finally has some prebuilt drivers for Mandrake

Here's a quick question, should I pre-parition the install space and the swap (using PM6), or should I just let the install do it?

 

[br0wn]

I have just installed Red Hat 7.1 (downloaded the image file for 2 CDs),
and it detected my Elsa Gladiac GTS perfectly (It has an option for Geforce2
GTS when I was installing it).

 

[Southerner]

Going to install lunix, what distrbution should I get.

RedHat is the easiest to set up and run. I re-installed with Redhat 7.1 last weekend and was really impressed -- it found my video card and monitor and correctly identified them, detected my CD-RW as such and wanted to install itself with the ide-scsi flag for hdb (my drive), made it easy to install to a RAID-1 configuration, etc.

Basically, Redhat lets you get up and running with a minimum of fuss.

Now, as to which is the best? That's a personal decision.

I like FreeBSD (even though it's not Linux) -- it just seems like a cleaner OS, and the ports collection is pretty slick. You can make good arguments for Debian (not dependent on a particular corporation, so will live as long as developers choose to contribute to it), especially with apt-get (allows you to download newer versions of installed programs automagically from a command line, or even upgrade your distribution rather than re-installing). Others prefer Slackware.

In the end, though, it looks like Redhat has their act together enough that they'll be the dominant player for the near future. They've developed a reasonably well-respected certification process, they've brought in some major players (IBM, Oracle, SAP) which has increased the legitimacy of the platform, and they seem to be the target of new applications -- if you're going to promise compatability with one distribution, it'll probably be Redhat.

That's not to say that Redhat is without problems -- I think the reason they've developed redhat.net instead of an apt-like system is because they need to make a profit (and people are probably willing to pay for upgrades), but overall they've been a positive force in the community (witness the growth of Gnome after they endorsed it and paid developers to work on it full-time, and their willingness to release everything under the GPL).

At the end of the day, if a client asks me &quot;which distribution,&quot; I recommend Redhat. YMMV.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< I have just installed Red Hat 7.1 (downloaded the image file for 2 CDs),
and it detected my Elsa Gladiac GTS perfectly (It has an option for Geforce2
GTS when I was installing it). >>



Did you read his post? He is using Mandrake. Mandrake does not include the nVidia BS drivers in the iso's only the retail cds.

 

[AthlonMan]

Try SuSE it's easy like Red Hat. but does not have all the bugs and sercurity issues.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Damn I didn't buy the CD's, but looking at some lunix site it seems that Nvidia finally has some prebuilt drivers for Mandrake

Here's a quick question, should I pre-parition the install space and the swap (using PM6), or should I just let the install do it? >>



That is really up to you. Do you feel confident with partition magic? If so go ahead and use it. Mandrake has a VERY easy partitioner.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Yea I've seen the other ones, and it seems that Mandrake is the easiest one to use/install. I just downloaded the image and burned it. I'm reading the docs from various website but I'm still shaky on some things

I do I have a Geforce 2 GTS, is that a bad thing for linux?

I've seen some of your other posts, and you even say slackware is hard to install. I'm a linux newbie and I don't kno jack about linux. And the answer you your question is in your signature. >>



If you do not want to learn do not use linux. Feel safe and ignorant with windows. It is that simple. Slack is only hard to install if you do not understand the documentation. But that is when it is a good time to ask questions. The only tough part is disk partitioning, and that comes with practice and a little reading

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< Try SuSE it's easy like Red Hat. but does not have all the bugs and sercurity issues. >>



It has its own bugs and security issues. Not to mention it is not as similar to the other distros as it should be.... Removing init levels is just messed up.

 

[RichieZ]

<< If you do not want to learn do not use linux. Feel safe and ignorant with windows. It is that simple. Slack is only hard to install if you do not understand the documentation. But that is when it is a good time to ask questions. The only tough part is disk partitioning, and that comes with practice and a little reading >>



Jeez, of course I want to learn how to use it. BUt I want to use an easier version first so I can get the general feel of linux. And lets think about it, if Linux wants to become truely widespread it has to be easy to install, hell lots of ppl have trouble even installing/runnin w2k.

 

[cranch]

Personally, I'm very happy with running Mandrake on my own computer. For the most part, I would stick with Mandrake or SuSE. I've heard of many people talking about Debian/Slackware being the two distros of choice. If you are all for the easy install to get the feel of it, I would definately go for Mandrake. I got my scroll mouse to work, and am going to try to burn a CD tonight. Lots of apps in the retail box. SuSE 7.2 should be around in a few days. With that you'll have the ability to supposedly Hardware Accelerate your GTS or a Radeon. It also features a new KDE release with a better Konqeuror and the new Samba that is compatible with Win2k. SuSE has a TON of books with it for the most part...not a bad option. Too bad that really was alot of rambling

 

[Bremen]

<< And lets think about it, if Linux wants to become truely widespread it has to be easy to install, hell lots of ppl have trouble even installing/runnin w2k. >>

Easy to install it is. All except for Debian that is... I still have not successfully installed it (mostly since I haven't tried in awhile). Anyway, distros like RH and Mandrake are increasingly removing the user from the OS. They insert their own tools for configuring the system, which frequently will overwrite changes you make yourself, hence you don't learn linux, you just learn their configuration tools.

Also packages made for one system will not universally install on all distros. The distro I've found with the fewest compatibility problems it slackware, mostly since they allow you to set it up yourself (or I should say make it easy to set it up yourself). In response to compat issues many people will point out that distros like Mandrake come with tons of software, well I ask, what if the program you want isn't included? (I started out with RH 6.x, trying to install licq literally gave me migraines)

Anyway viva Slack!

 

[cranch]

You have a valid point about the configurationl. On the other hand, looking at the before &amp; after configuration files is a great way to see what changes in the config files bring about changes in the way things run. for me that seems to be the best way to run.
Example: Samba and SWAT configuration. SWAT provides a help file that tells you what each line in the configuration file does. With this it makes the changed to the file on its own, but you can look for the changes you wanted to make and see which lines made those changes. I haven't tried slackware yet, but I've heard good things. Which version of KDE and Gnome does Slack come with?

 

[n0cmonkey]

<<

<< If you do not want to learn do not use linux. Feel safe and ignorant with windows. It is that simple. Slack is only hard to install if you do not understand the documentation. But that is when it is a good time to ask questions. The only tough part is disk partitioning, and that comes with practice and a little reading >>



Jeez, of course I want to learn how to use it. BUt I want to use an easier version first so I can get the general feel of linux. And lets think about it, if Linux wants to become truely widespread it has to be easy to install, hell lots of ppl have trouble even installing/runnin w2k. >>



It is all what you are more comfortable with. I am more comfortable at the command line for most tasks than using a pretty little gui. I like vi. Yes, everyone has permission to flame me for that Getting deeper into the operating system is what you need to do do really learn.

 

[n0cmonkey]

<< You have a valid point about the configurationl. On the other hand, looking at the before &amp; after configuration files is a great way to see what changes in the config files bring about changes in the way things run. for me that seems to be the best way to run.
Example: Samba and SWAT configuration. SWAT provides a help file that tells you what each line in the configuration file does. With this it makes the changed to the file on its own, but you can look for the changes you wanted to make and see which lines made those changes. I haven't tried slackware yet, but I've heard good things. Which version of KDE and Gnome does Slack come with? >>



Whatever you install. The last slack I used was 7.0 (quite old now) and it was obviously using an old version of each. Slack is a lot like the BSDs, wait for everything to stabilize a bit before using it. Apparently slack 8 tree is in a code freeze now (or will be soon) so look for it then.

edit: BTW, isnt looking at the config file before and after using a gui more work and editting a conf file?