What Linux? Mandrake or Redhat?

[Battousai001]

Im thinking of trying out Linux again.. But Im thinking what Linux distribution to try out, Mandrake or Redhat? I have tried Linux before a year ago (Mandrake 9.0) but I just used it for a couple of weeks and switched back to Windows.. Now I would like to try out dual OS (Win XP and Linux) and Im thinking what to try out Mandrake or Redhat?

 

[drag]

Well Redhat is a company now, not a OS. The numbered releases of Redhat are no more, they've been replaced by a free OS Fedora, and Redhat Enterprise/Workstation editions that are commercial OSes.

Fedora is cool, I like it. It uses yum by default (and apt-get by optional install) which makes it a peice of cake to install software over the internet and keep up to date. But use what you want. I like Fedora, but Mandrake is suppose to be the most user friendly for new users.

 

[groovin]

there really needs to be a "Which Linux Distro Should I try?" sticky since this question gets asked so much.

 

[drag]

There was for a while. But it got unsticked

 

[uOpt]

Redhat's free Linux is now Fedora Core 2.

If you compare Fedora Core and Mandrake, then FC is much more agressive to push new versions of everything in, play with the kernel if they think it is the right thing, and change quite a bit of software''s default settings to be easier or new users.

Mandrake ships more stuff in what is the original developer's intention and is far less aggressive with new version, much less incompatible changes.

FC2 works very well for me, although I will install a standard kernel and I change all the defaults in applications to what I want anyway.

Another huge advatage of Mandrake is that they ship with a utility to resize NTFS so that you can install on a harddrive full of NTFS.

As good as FC2 works for me, as many problems a friend had who's preferences are different. I want newest everything, I change every default setting anyway and I want to get involved, which is possible with FC. My friend just wants a working notebook without any fiddling, and the startup scripts failed pretty badly for him.

 

[KoolDrew]

Debian

 

[htmlmasterdave]

Suse

 

[KoolDrew]

SuSE may be good if your new to linux but if you can follow directions installing Debian would not be much harder and the OS itself is better IMO.

 

[uOpt]

For me, Suse screwed up the install with their hacked up fdisk and other tools, and is so awkward to configure if you don't use the provided clickibunti tools that I ruled it out for my own use or for recommendations.

In my opinion, to succeed with Linux you have to have a given enthusiasm to learn about and deal with your computer, and then Fedora Core is the right thing to go with. Mandrake might be better if you really want just an office-like "productivity" package and/or if you need to move away a NTFS Windoze installation.

Martin

 

[Infohawk]

Start with the most complex you can so you learn more. 'Cause even if you have mandrake you'll have to solve problems on your own and that requires understanding the underpinning. I say slackware or gentoo.

 

[Nothinman]

Debian.