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Linux - which to learn on & is this O/S really free ?

W

wpshooter

Golden Member
If I wanted to take a spin at looking at using Linux, which version should I start with ?

Also, is there any version of Linux which does not take a very large learning curve ?

Also, is there an internet browser build into this O/S ?

Is this O/S free and can it be used (legally) on unlimited workstations without having to by licenses for each workstation ?

Any other pointers that you might want to give that would prove helpful to someone who has never even seen a machine running Linux.

Thanks.
 
you and I are in the noob boat together. I just download ubuntu linux from ubuntulinux.org. I download both the install cd and live cd. The live cd lets you boot your computer from the cd and run ubuntu off of that just to take a look at things and it won't mess with the OS you currently have installed.
 
1) Ubuntu

2) Yes....see #1, but it's giong to be different if you've used Windows for years and have no Linux/Unix background.

3) Yes...see #1 (Firefox)

4) Yes
 
Have you looked at it yet ? Does it appear to be usable ? Where do it go to download ?

Sorry, I see site in your answer. Have you tried ?
 
Originally posted by: dsa1971
you and I are in the noob boat together. I just download ubuntu linux from ubuntulinux.org. I download both the install cd and live cd. The live cd lets you boot your computer from the cd and run ubuntu off of that just to take a look at things and it won't mess with the OS you currently have installed.
Click to expand...

Excellent idea. I strongly recommend downloading the Unbuntu Live CD and trying it out if you are new to Linux.

Also, Ubuntu Guides is a great place for info.
 
Originally posted by: wpshooter
Have you looked at it yet ? Does it appear to be usable ? Where do it go to download ?
Click to expand...

goto ubuntulinux.org and there is a download link near the bottom righthand part of the screen. I've only looked at it a little and am currently posted this message while running ubuntu from the cd which is very cool because when I'm done I can just take out the cd and reboot back to windows xp. I'll probably install ubuntu on my old emachine this weekend. I really like being able to play around running it off the cd.


 
What does Ubuntu stand for ?

Live version makes no changes to hard drive, is there any possibility of any changes be made to BIOS or anything else that would effect the computer for currently installed windows O/S ?

Thanks.
 
Originally posted by: wpshooter
What does Ubuntu stand for ?

Live version makes no changes to hard drive, is there any possibility of any changes be made to BIOS or anything else that would effect the computer for currently installed windows O/S ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...


I'm a noob but I have not had any issues with the live version messing up my installed windows o/s. I've booted from the live cd a couple times today to play around with ubuntu and when I've finished I have taken the cd out and booted back to windows xp without any issues.
 
Thanks, sounds like it won't hurt to give it a try.

I used an old Unix based operating system at an accounting firm I worked about 20 years ago now, boy does time fly, it was on an old Burroughs B-81 accounting system computer that used a Unix operating system and an accounting program that was written by I think by CCH originally. It was the best combination of O/S and computer application that I have every used including any this fancy graphics based Windows stuff. It was able to do multi-task accounting operations and that was 20 years ago, when windows was probably still in the garage.

 
I have MEPIS on my HP L2000...really nice...learned a lot with only 1 day of full use...Just need to get my wifi going, though...
 
Originally posted by: wpshooter
What does Ubuntu stand for ?

Live version makes no changes to hard drive, is there any possibility of any changes be made to BIOS or anything else that would effect the computer for currently installed windows O/S ?

Thanks.
Click to expand...



Ubuntu" is an ancient African word, meaning "humanity to others". Ubuntu also means "I am what I am because of who we all are". The Ubuntu Linux distribution brings the spirit of Ubuntu to the software world.

from www.ubuntulinux.org
 
If this is your first time using linux, I'd also recommend trying Kubuntu http://www.kubuntu.org/

It's basically Ubuntu with the KDE desktop instead of Gnome. I personally prefer Gnome to KDE but I think that KDE is more windowsish and will probably be easier for someone whos new to linx to get used to. Then again if youre pretty good with computers and can pick up new things pretty quickly then listen to these guys and go with Ubuntu. Gnome's the bombdigity.
 
I'm putting my vote in for ubuntu also. Tried Fedora as I heard it was fairly easy for beginners, but for overall installation Ubuntu wins hands down. Found my networked Windows box right after booting in to the OS where Fedora didn't, and I never could figure out how to get it going.
 
Ubuntu is nice for non linux users to get started. Fedora has some oddities in file structure/utilities and stuff like no NTFS support that really bug me.
 
Ubuntu is a good livecd but for installation I use PCLinuxOS. It is fantastic. I have had no issues with it yet other than installing vmware due to a lomem patch in the kernel. This was easily worked around.
 
I got the Ubuntu AMD64-bit DVD iso. Burned it, installed to a 20GB area on my second disk. Everything was detected, though I had to download a mp3plugin, and "unmute" my audigy 2 analog out port(not the correct name, but it was the function it fixed). After that I was off to the races.

Now I get to try my hand at configuring some gcc options to compile Cedega from CVS.

A couple things with ubuntu(and all debian based distros).

Apt-get is your friend.

Makes everything very easy, if you know the package name you want to install. If you don't try Synaptic. It will list the available packages in a graphical manner. Very easy to navigate or to search through to find what you need.

Alsamixer and alsamixergui for configuring sound cards. I had to use this to get my audigy to output sound via analog.

Gstreamer0.8-mad is the mp3 package I needed to install. So if you want MP3 support, you may have to load that. If you don't see that you will need to edit your "/etc/apt/sources.list" file and uncomment the two universe repositories.

Run "apt-get update" and the new packges from those repositories will get pulled up. Then do a search for the gstreamer packages. You should find the gstreamer*-mad package.

Through synaptic I found the nvidia-settings tool and the driver packages. After I installed both and did a "sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart"

I had full 3D acceleration. You can run "glxgears" to confirm this. I was pulling somewhere around 13000FPS with the default box on my 6800GT.

Cleaner example listing below.

 
A faster way to check for 3d acceleration is to open up a console and type.

if it says direct rendering = yes then you are using hardware 3d acceleration.
 
I would suggest kubuntu as most noob's find the KDE desktop a little easier to learn.
There are a few linux distributions that are charged for, but about 99.9% are free to download. Most linux distro's come with either firefox or konqueror which both work just fine for internet browsing. firefox is actually better than Internet Exploder and is all I use.

good luck and welcome to the linux family.
 
suse is another option, its more windows like. but it keeps you in the dark still on really using linux. ubuntu/kubuntu is the best for the newb as it teaches you to use the cli.
 
I'm putting in another vote for Kubuntu. I like gnome well enough, but KDE's file manager/web browser is much more capable than gnome's. Plus KDE has more nice little apps.
 
I'll recommend pclinuxos. I had run the ubuntu live cd on my main computer but could not install it on my emachine which is where I want linux. I had some strange debootstrap error that I could not get past. Found some references to it on the ubuntu forums but right now I just want to install any distro of linux and get playing around with it. I installed pclinuxos with no problems whatsoever.
 
I tried Ubuntu a few weeks back and although it is very capable, nice to look at and functional.....I like my games and it also doesn't do anything that windows doesn't already do very well....That is my opinion anyway.....Linux just isn't for me personally at this time until there is more gaming support!!
 
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