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What's a good distribution of Linux?

S

Skooter

Member
...and why?

I'm going to be installing linux on an extra 2 gig HD I have laying around for learning purposes. My system currently runs Win2k. I've never used linux in my life, however I'm very knowledgeable about Windows/DOS. Thanks
 
Mandrake is good for beginners, but distros like SuSe and Redhat are pretty easy to use as well.

I use SuSe Linux for all of my PC's/servers 🙂
 
BSD!!!!


Oh, wait.


Debian. Once you get used to it, you'll love it. One time I decided to install
Red Hat. As soon as I could get myself off of the floor after falling out of my
chair laughing, I made the partition into my semi-infamous mp3 ftp site at college
(Before Napster, my server was *really* popular. My HD overheated, and the server
couldn't read the "only allow 10 users" line in the conf file. I had 735 sim. users,
and had *saturated* Ole Miss's bandwidth. I almost went to jail. 🙂 )

Um, anyway, Debian is a serious distro. It just *feels* like it all fits together.

EDIT: I hated SuSE too. This was about 3 years ago though.
 
It all depands on your needs.

Every distro has its uses.

Servers : Debian
Easy to use : Red Hat, Mandrake, Caldera
Power User : SuSE
Programmer : Slackware
 
If you just want to use it to learn and not actually use full time, I suggest either slackware or build your own. At first, you will have no idea what you're doing, but after you do a lot of reading and expiermentation, you will know much more than if you had used a "mainstream" distro like red hat or mandrake. The problem with the "mainstream" distros is that they are geared to getting it up and running as soon as possible. They have fancy wizards, aliases, look, feel, and other niches that make it easy for windows users to migrate to linux. But the problem with this is that you don't learn as much and you get familiar with the distro's commands (ie. typing "cd.." in many mainstream distros will move one directory up. but in another system w/o this alias, it will not work). If you learn the actual linux commands and what not, you will be able to use ALL the linux distros. Remember, don't quit because you get stuck on what seems like a limitation of the software. The great thing about open source is that the only limitations of the software is whatever limitations you set yourself. Have fun.
 
It depends on you skills and on what are you willing to do ( and the time that
you are willing to spend ).....


For a simple start just go with a easy install distro like
Mandrake or RedHat, if you are willing to learn some more
just drop down to Slackware, if you want to be a purist
drop even further to Debian, and after that if you want
to go even down make your own, compile and install every
package by yourself ( a good start to this is
LinuxFromScratch!


Questions??
 
Ive installed Mandrake Linux 8.0 in my box. I like it. Installation was a breeze, It recognized all my devices except for my USB DSL modem. Using it is like using Windows. The two CDs I downloaded came with lots of apps to get me started. Installing additional RPMs were easy to install through the GUI. Plenty of online documentation to answer my questions. My only dislike would that there arent a lot of games available to linux, but the list is growing.

I would recommend the OS as a busines solution, but not for the hardcore gamer.

PS. no crashes, uses less resources, and its fast, I'm sold.
 
I really like Mandrake.
I have yet to try out version 8.0 but I am running 7.2.
It was super easy to setup, so its great for a Linux newbie.
 
debian is great

oh yeah let me say why...it's very secure, very fast, a little difficult to install but once you getting going, apt-get is god..🙂
 
Mandrake 8 is absolutely awesome. Here's a story:

We just got a flier in the mail from Microsoft/BSA talking about how they're cracking down on illegal software. I understand their concerns but seriously that just turned me OFF about microsoft. You'd think the BSA alone would be taking steps. But the flier was from Microsoft. On the front page of the flier, it said "There's no such thing as a free lunch." How facetious!

Anyway, we ditched Win2K and put on Mandrake 8.0. Smooth sailings. Had absolutely no problems installing it and using Roaring Penguins PPPoE software.

Anyway, thumbs up to Mandrake 8

-S
 


<< apt-get is god.. >>


ack!! apt-get is the devil!!!

seriously, the number of Debian users who have no idea how to manage a system beyond apt-get is staggering. If they can't get it with apt-get they can't get it period. Add in to this apt-get breaking the system, and it is clear just how evil this simple program is.
</RANT>

Anyway, if you want everything to be easy just stay with windows. I find that so called easy to use distros have just as many problems as it (some even moreso since they try and outdo MS)
 


<< Solaris. >>



Better then Linux I've heard, bu how? My college does auctions, they are in bed with Sun too. Lots of workstations for cheap. Should I bother?
 


<<

<< Solaris. >>



Better then Linux I've heard, bu how? My college does auctions, they are in bed with Sun too. Lots of workstations for cheap. Should I bother? >>



If you can get something decent for a good price let me know, I can have a check in the mail 😉

Main things abotu solaris are that it is one of the most used unixes out there. Solaris jobs can be nice. The main platform for Solaris is Ultra sparc which is infinitely better than x86 for use as a server. Solaris can be a b*tch to work with but it will pay off being one of the best performing operating systems out there.
 
Tell me what some good prices are on common stuff. The auction is on thr 14th, a normal surplus sale a week later (for stuff not bought at auction I bet). I've heard that obscure stuff gets sold at kick ass prices (including Sun stuff since most of the people there are home users looking for new office chairs), and laser printers are said to be nice and cheap too.

PM me about it if interested. My finaces are getting better, if you want something that's cheap enough for me I can make a purchase and ship it to you for the right 'service fee'.
 
Would you guys recommend buying the box set for SuSe Linux? I've been using Redhat Linux 6.2 for awhile and now I want to try out some other distros, the only thing is I couldn't find any FTP site having an ISO available for SuSe.



😀
 
Never buy the box, unless you want to support them. I think of it as charity. There's places that sell burns for cheap, other than that linuxiso.org comes to mind, I haven't checked what they have though.
 


<< Tell me what some good prices are on common stuff. The auction is on thr 14th, a normal surplus sale a week later (for stuff not bought at auction I bet). I've heard that obscure stuff gets sold at kick ass prices (including Sun stuff since most of the people there are home users looking for new office chairs), and laser printers are said to be nice and cheap too.

PM me about it if interested. My finaces are getting better, if you want something that's cheap enough for me I can make a purchase and ship it to you for the right 'service fee'. >>



I wish I could. Ill be out of town for a bit right around then and I kinda want to save my money. But if you are interrested look at ultra sparc 5's and 10's. If you can get them for ~$1000 you are set. NICE hardware.
 


<< Never buy the box, unless you want to support them. I think of it as charity. There's places that sell burns for cheap, other than that linuxiso.org comes to mind, I haven't checked what they have though. >>



I personally like supporting the groups that make the software. I have bought Slackware cds (will probably buy 8.0 if I can scrounge up another machine), OpenBSD cds (last 3 releases and many many more to come 😉), and FreeBSD cds. I have copies of RedHat (5.2 and older ones), older slack, older caldera, older mandrake, older storm, etc etc etc that I got out of books and magazines. I think you should try and find a cheap copy of it and if you like it buy the box set.
 
The ISOs that you can &quot;officially&quot; get for SuSe is the live eval version, not
the installation CD...

SuSe is a good general distribution, and I should get it are really considering
going into Linux, but you only whant to test it get a cheap cd recording from
coolbytes or something like that a check it....

 
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