need some linux advice

[Zargon]

I am going to have to migrate some functions to Linux when I cant keep spinning up vm's because TechNet is going away


I don't need anything fancy, bittorrent(preferably utorrent), ftp, irc, crashplan, and windows file shares

it doesn't need to be a server OS either, I haven't used *nux much in over a decade since I left my unix shop job in 2003


any suggestions?


right now the datastores I will use are attached to a windows VM, I have full backups on an external, but like I said.....I haven't had to make them play together in AGES

 

[lxskllr]

Anything you like. I'd try several in live sessions to see which you get on with. Here's a few I like in no particular order. They're all easy for someone new, and have various "weights" as far as size/features go. You aren't locked into any particular set of packages. You could take a minimal distro, and load it up fat, so don't be alarmed at ones that don't seem to have much. Concentrate on the fit/finish, then add the stuff you're missing.

Ubuntu
Xubuntu
Kubuntu
Mint Cinnamon edition
Crunchbang

All the above are Debian based cause I like Debian. There's also a lot of support resources by sticking close to Debian. There's other distros that are perfectly fine, and I don't necessarily recommend against them, but I'm not familiar enough to recommend them.

 

[Zargon]

I figured Ubuntu was going to get suggested as its like...the entry Linux distro, or atleast was

Im getting a lot of CentOS recommendations from coworkers and friends that are also in networking, as its what they all run for services at work

 

[smakme7757]

It doesn't really matter which one you pick. Ubuntu is just as powerful as CentOS which is a RedHat derivative (Most likely why your co-workers are suggesting it). Debian is nice which is what Ubuntu is based on.

Most people just use what they know. There really isn't any drawbacks to using Ubuntu over CentOS or CentOS over Debian as examples.

Ubuntu has one of the largest communities so finding help is going to be easier. The Ubuntu wiki has guides for almost every major piece of software. It's definately not "noob" software. It's the real deal and has fantastic support for hardware.

Personally i use CentOS, Debian and Ubuntu. Although as Ubuntu has caught up to CentOS with Hyper-V support I've pretty much migrated over to it instead.

 

[Cerb]

I figured Ubuntu was going to get suggested as its like...the entry Linux distro, or atleast was

Im getting a lot of CentOS recommendations from coworkers and friends that are also in networking, as its what they all run for services at work

Don't go CentOS. It's a copy of Red Hat, and while that's a necessary and useful thing for business, it gets to be a PITA. A lot. Ubuntu will give you newer software. CentOS isn't as bad as FreeBSD, but it has that kind of feel to it, HW support wise. Even 6.x is already showing that kind of aging.

Newer software has fixes for old bugs, including hardware drivers. CentOS, because of RS, still has problems with some Realtek GbE chips, FI, despite most distros having fixed them long ago. Some newer drive controllers aren't at all or well supported, either, simply because of the old kernel. And so on.

Even Debian has caught on, and is staying newer than Red Hat, generally. Debian is good, too. These days, it and Ubuntu may as well be siblings, rather than Ubuntu a derivative.

Also note that Ubuntu Server and the desktops are just configurations. You can take Ubuntu Server, and install any and all desktop packages you want. Likewise, you can install and use any server software with the desktop versions. It's all a matter of what gets pre-configured from the installer, and how. Likewise, derived distros can use main Ubuntu packages, for what they don't have their own for.

 

[Zargon]

Mostly going to work with VMs so hardware support isnt a huge issue.....but I'll keep that in mind for the itx box im going to install it on