Help me decide which version of Linux to use (I r teh linux n00b)

[ThaGrandCow]

So I've randomly decided to switch to linux again, and give the latest distros a try. Only thing is I'm not sure which one to use. I'm completely ignorant to Linux and all the stuff associated with it. So which is the most easy distro to install and use? I'll make a choice on a more "powerful" distro later, but at the moment I just want to get up and running and get into the basics of it.
If I'm missing a distribution, post it here and I'll put it up on the list.

EDIT: Please choose the "I don't have a suggestion" choice if you're not sure, I'm trying to get a good opinion

 

[ThaGrandCow]

wow, this thread is dead

 

[MercenaryForHire]

Mandrake = Linux for no0bs

- M4H

 

[GhettoFob]

or Red Hat

 

[GigaCluster]

This is a relatively dumb question... it's like asking ATOT what car you should buy.
The most newbie-friendly as well as mainstream distributions are Mandrake and RedHat. This is a widely publicized fact. Which one you ought to choose is up to you.

P.S. I was in no way trying to be rude; I am merely justifying why the thread is "dead".

 

[T3C]

i to am going to be stating to use linux, i posted this same thread in the OS forum. everyone to me to go with mandrake

 

[Maleficus]

Originally posted by: MercenaryForHire
Mandrake = Linux for no0bs

- M4H

I tried Mandrake for a day or 2, it ate my lunch granted i did 0 reading heh

 

[ThaGrandCow]

Well it seems that I'm looking at mandrake.

Got the first and second cd's 60% done, waiting on the third. Do I need all 3 CD's? or will the first 2 suffice for the moment?

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I'd download all 3.

 

[Reel]

I have been using Red Hat linux for many years and I had a hard drive crash. I decided to reinstall with Debian and found it to be much more effort to use. I eventually said screw it and went back to Red Hat (what I had before the crash). I have a 30 gig hard drive so I was able to install all the packages. I found it to be much easier to use and install. Once I finished the install program, it was useable. Granted, my friend that helps me maintain it and I had to do some tweaking to get around some special situations that I have. I found the latest red hat to be quite easy and I am satisfied with most of the programs it had as defaults. While I cannot compare Red Hat to any other Linux on there besides Debian, I recommend it. Good luck downloading it. I had entitlements to Red Hat so I was able to download directly from them. Until I got the entitlement from my friend, I was trying other methods with not much luck.

 

[dighn]

i started with slackware so that's what i'm gonna suggest

 

[oniq]

Gentoo

 

[BurnItDwn]

Mandrake and Redhat are great starter distros. The installers for both are quite simple, and you generally don't have to do much manual configuration to get things started. Once you have the linux system up and running, both Mandrake and Redhat run quite well. Debian will give you a cleaner and less bloated install, but if you are just starting, or don't want to spend too much time on it then I'd go with Mandrake or Redhat.

Personally I use Mandrake 9.1 on my main linux box, but I've used Mandrake 9.0, and Redhat 5,6,6.1,7,7.1,7.2, and I tried 8. I also toyed with a "doslinux" before redhat.

I've never personally installed Debian, but I have seen other peoples Debian boxes, and they are great.

I don't know too much about SUSE, but I've heard it has many similarities to Redhat.

Slackware (at least in 1998 when i tried to use it) is a bit more complicated, and will require you to know a bit more about your system, and it will be the hardest to install. Once installed, this is probably the most efficient and customizable linux distro out.


IMO go with Mandrake, but they are all viable options ...

PS I think this probably doesn't belong in OT, there is an Operating systems forum ya' know ...

 

[BurnItDwn]

about the cds, the third cd is the international cd, if you plan on just using everything in English, then there is no reason to burn the third cd.

 

[Pepsi90919]

what the hell do you mean you've 'randomly' decided to use linux again?

 

[Linux23]

Mandrake.

 

[jonmullen]

Originally posted by: ReelC00L
I have been using Red Hat linux for many years and I had a hard drive crash. I decided to reinstall with Debian and found it to be much more effort to use. I eventually said screw it and went back to Red Hat (what I had before the crash). I have a 30 gig hard drive so I was able to install all the packages. I found it to be much easier to use and install. Once I finished the install program, it was useable. Granted, my friend that helps me maintain it and I had to do some tweaking to get around some special situations that I have. I found the latest red hat to be quite easy and I am satisfied with most of the programs it had as defaults. While I cannot compare Red Hat to any other Linux on there besides Debian, I recommend it. Good luck downloading it. I had entitlements to Red Hat so I was able to download directly from them. Until I got the entitlement from my friend, I was trying other methods with not much luck.

Well yah debians not great if you just want to say glued to your candy GUI

 

[Platypus]

Depends on what you want to use it for