Which Distro?

[Seph64]

Slackware comes on one CD ISO...

[Hayl]

Gentoo = 1 cd

[bluesky]

Thanks for the fast responses. :cool:

Yoper is relatively new; Slackware I used it before and is quite good but will take a little time to configure. Gentoo will fit best my purpose. It can be fast if I use stage3 and it is ready, I am also familiar with it but didn't think about it. Thanks again.

[cgchris98]

I use RH on a server at work. I want to setup a development server at home. This is not going to be a desktop machine.

which distro should I use. The development work will be for apache, qmail, mySQL, etc. Mostly website stuff via PHP.

Thanks for any advice

[filp]

RH is a capable server so stick with what you know.

Seeya,
Filp

[Charred_Phoenix]

It's really a matter of opinion, and a lot of distros have a server package e.g. Redhat Server. Since it's going to be acting as a server, security should be fairly important, as such I reccomend SuSE, it has it's problems, but in the security department it has the best i've seen.

[QuillOmega0]

Get its Linux Mandrake (http://linuxmandrake.com) easy to install.

[mdwatts]

LNO forum search results for 'server distro' (http://linuxnewbie.org/forum/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=348726&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending) of which I am sure you will find suggestions that will answer your question.

[LinuxLuke]

update: it's an AMD 133 486, still with 16 megs of RAM for the time being.

I was looking at Vector Linux, and it looked interesting... maybe I'll give it a shot.

-Luke

[glh630]

Kid: I'm a 59 year old Hoosier Hillbillie who has been on the Windoze Machines for 2 decades. I am definatively a Newbie to linux (been using it for 9 Hr.s , now ) and if you really want to find out how easiy this is -- all you have to do is go to www. Linuxcentral.com and try a little distro called Demo-Linux. You can also find it at www.demolinux.com. Down load the ISO. image and burn to CD-- set your bios to boot from CD-- when all the smoke clears on setup , use 800vesa , then stroke the demo penguin's tummy with the cursor and let default stay --- hit go and start to have fun. In One (1) hour I had my email up and running and was on the web. OH OK -- so It's not a fancy GUI ,but It is very windows familiar that it won,t scare u away but still let you play. But it is a great way to try out a linux system and if you screw it up --- REBOOT! It is all memory resident (uses about 4 meg) and it is LINUX. Play with it , dissect it and have fun:D :D :D

[nonz]

I've had a fully functional gentoo system up for a few weeks now and it is quite a breather from mandrake, which is what I came from. It felt very rewarding doing everything by hand instead of all the automated gui'ness of other distros. I have found a falt though. I'M TIRED OF COMPILING STUFF. How can the extra performance ever make up for the days lost compiling stuff. I can't be productive if I have to compile the latest whatever that takes like 10 hours. I don't want the rpm dependency conflict hell that is associated with mandrake. Is there a distro that is similar to gentoo but you don't have to compile everything? Maybe debian? I haven't tried that.

[Hayl]

go for debian if you want similar but prepackaged binaries. or you could try arch linux.

[GeekGuy]

Hey! Somebody beat me to a Debian plug ;)

45 minutes from when wget first fired up off the floppies to a fully functional system :D

Total of 2 hours from start to X and KDE :)

[sharth]

yay for debian plugs! :) if you do choose debian, don't expect recent software though. Expect stable software.

[Fryguy8]

Compiling from source would suck if you had a slow computer I guess.

Debian is a very popular alternative to rpms, and will be a great middleman between source code and rpms.

[cs25x]

knoppix : debian, only you dont go blind
peanut : good, complete, maybe it will do
vector: impressively fast, lacking some things.
slackware :

You can install knoppix to your hd, there
is a script buried some place like
/usr/bin or /usr/sbin

It will detect and configure justabout anything you have, except for Via 8233 sound, and it has KDE and gnome and 4 or so other desktops. takes about 2.5 G when you copy the stuff to your HD.

Peanut has good help and lots of packages almost all preconfgured. Very easy to install.
KDE got dropped because 3.0 was doa, and 3.1 ? Sometimes you will find a problem with a package.

Vector gives the choice of X 3 for old hardware or X 4 for later stuff. Peanut uses the same install, but you should see how fast vector boots !! 200 and a bit MB to download.

slackware is more difficult to install than the others, and things like mc are primitive. but it is stable and secure.

linux.org
is a good place to go distro shopping.

yoper
is top on distrowatch.planetmirror.com

[t123b456]

Knoppix is the quickest way to get debian running.

Get the Knoppix iso, burn it, start up Knoppix, open a shell, "sudo su", then type "knx-hdinstall", and sit back while debian installs in all it's glory.

Only other important setup step is switching _users_ from German to english, just posted a follow the icons method here ... http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86362

After you are running as root issue the following commands;
"apt-get -u update" then "apt-get -u upgrade" gets you all the latest stuff.

tb :cool:

[sharth]

Originally posted by Fryguy8
Debian is a very popular alternative to rpms, and will be a great middleman between source code and rpms. comliing from source does suck on a slow computer.

[Raoul_Duke]

I personally don't mind the 'wait' for gentoo packages to compile.......i always find it's worth it as i have a low spec machine that needs all the help it can get :)

[machtenx]

hello, i just tried using redhat linux 8.0 with my brand new nforce 2 board, and it was a nightmare- none of the onboard hardware worked, and overall teh system was relatively slow compared to even my older laptop i have running rh 8.0 very nicely. i'm really in love with linux now, having been on windows for years, its so much nicer. i'd really appreciate it iif someone could help me find something that would be more compatible with my board. thanks very much -matt

[Tiomera]

Yoper detected mine right after install, so did Knoppix. I am not sure they are good distros, but they have that ability!

[Raoul_Duke]

Check the nvidia site for linux drivers... and then search this forum for help installing them :)

[machtenx]

Originally posted by Raoul_Duke
Check the nvidia site for linux drivers... and then search this forum for help installing them :)

yeah, installed the nvidia drivers but redhat doesnt seem to performwell with the board even with the drivers. was looking more for a diff distro

[Lost Penguin]

There are some pre-compiled packages for Gentoo (1 hour from format to KDE)

Look at the 1.4-rc2 install, http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/gentoo-x86-install.xml#doc_chap15

This should help you a lot

you need the larger iso files/cd
(about 600+ mb download)

[sarah31]

i wil take this opprtunity to pimp arch linux. it is i686 optimized, binary and lightweight. takes about 40 minutes to install and another few hours to configure.

[Casper2601]

I used EvilEntity for a few weeks, wicked distro (especially if you like Enlightenment WM). I had problems getting my ADSL setup (could probably use Roaring Penguin to resolve that problem)
Main problem with EvilEntity is that not many people use it, So it is very hard to find support for it (lol do a search on my past posts and look at all replies). And the Initial install is very sensitive on partitioning). Make sure you have a /swap and /root.


On a positive note, EvilE should have an updated version anyday now. check out www.undeadlinux.com




regards,

casper

[Timothy L. Miller]

Depends on the computer...only took mine 25-30 minutes to install it. :) A bit longer to configure it, but that's my fault.

[dehuszar]

You might want to check out nforcerhq.com. They've got a good linux forum and it was through that page that I was able to get Mandrake 9 to install on my Nforce1 machine. I think I've heard success stories on the NF2 boards, but as I don't own one, I didn't pay special attention.

Hope that helps,

Samuel deHuszar Allen

[jgmcbride]

You can also give Lycoris a try. It is a "no brainer" install too.

It is excellent for someone just coming from a Windoze environment and just wants to try the Linux experience.

Try it to gain some experience. After you feel somewhat comfortable with it then try some of the other distros mentioned.

It will be MUCH easier for you if you have a spare box to experiment with. It might be worth the investment just to do this. However, having said that, should you go this route then you run the risk of entering an even greater time sink. You will then want to investigate networking, firewalls, ipchains, sendmail etc.
That opens up a different can of worms.

[Hayl]

Originally posted by sarah31
i wil take this opprtunity to pimp arch linux. it is i686 optimized, binary and lightweight. takes about 40 minutes to install and another few hours to configure.

hey - i pimped arch too :)

[linux12414]

Go with Slackware. No dependencies, has pkg installer, but it's up to you to use it, if you wish.

Install takes about an hour, and you have a choice of many pre-compiled kernels.

[sharth]

Originally posted by linux12414
Go with Slackware. No dependencies No Dependencies?? Do they statically link everything?

[linux12414]

Originally posted by sharth
No Dependencies?? Do they statically link everything?

No they don't actually. The package installer will just install, and not come up with any dependencies.

Actually, it's a bit of a nightmare when you're missing libraries, etc. It's almost like going on a scaverger hunt to find 'em.

Call me crazy, but I still love this distro...maybe because you actually have to THINK when you do anything with it. ;)

[Nu-Bee]

Originally posted by GeekGuy
Hey! Somebody beat me to a Debian plug ;)

45 minutes from when wget first fired up off the floppies to a fully functional system :D

Total of 2 hours from start to X and KDE :)

How about 24 hrs. start to finish?

Oh, did I mention that it was on my P120/32M Ram box? :)

[GeekGuy]

Originally posted by Nu-Bee
How about 24 hrs. start to finish?

Oh, did I mention that it was on my P120/32M Ram box? :)

:(
*looks at P-I, 75MHz in corner*
:eek:
Ummm, thanks for the warning.
;)

[sharth]

Originally posted by Nu-Bee
How about 24 hrs. start to finish?

Oh, did I mention that it was on my P120/32M Ram box? :) how about 72 hours on a 555mghz machine from start to give up on the 2 day X compile.

I will eventually get around to starting over with a stage3 tarball and simply downloading X binaries.

[cs25x]

Sharth:
slackware and derivitives like vector have one big advantage. You can test a package, not like it, and remove it, without going thru dependency hell.
The slackware pkgtool checks for things like other apps using the same lib, and if that is the case, the lib is left in place. The penalty for this functionality is that sometimes you have to go get a lib before x??!x?! will run. When a package is installed, an entry is made in /var/log/packages. When a package is removed, what do you think? /var/log/removed_packages ? right on.
The old tarball.tgz or tarball.tar.gz is a very good package idea.
The problem I have with debian is outlined above, It hates me when I want to test a package without committing it to the must have department. In fact standard debian is so unfriendly, I have never finished a complete installation, life is too short, there are places to go and people to see.
Slackware will install from cold in less than one hour, Vector takes less than that, but you get less than slackware gives you, after all a 200M iso has to leave something out.

[sharth]

That's what i thought dependency hell was. Having to go search for library files to install them. I was just confused because the only way your previous post sounded like slackware worked was by statically linking every file. Every system works imo, just some are better than others. But still, each has their strong points.

In Debian, if I want to test a program that I can apt-get, then I apt-get the file, and in the confirmation screen, i write down all the files that are being apt-getted, so that if I don't like it, I can easily get rid of it. That's just how i do it.

[linuxmetal]

i would start off by using redhat linux distro.once you learn redhat linux distro move to slackare.....i personallty love slackware the best....its BSD init where redhat is sys V init...which is different....when ppl talk bout linux they are referring the kernel.......linux is not *nix....even thouh it most nix packages were ported to linux......


once again try slackware your love it.......im running

slackware beta 9 (current on my test system ) and slackware 8.1 on my server system

i cant wait til 9.0 gets released alot of good updates

:)

[BigFatJoe]

I say all beginners start out with LFS! Think of it as sort of an initiation process...you must pass the Test. :D

When you think about, compiling your own LFS would bring a lot needed respect for what you actually have working, as well as remove a lot of early questions. Can someone smell the manpages? And for all those whinners...just think: it could always be worse. It's not like we're making you guys hack your own kernels...no, that comes a couple weeks after the installation. :p

Ok, well that's enough trolling for one night.... have a good one, guys and gals!

[madcompnerd]

Personally, I think this entire thread is what is great about Linux:
SELECTION, COMPETITION
Unlike Windows there are multiple different companies competing to make the best version, and competition really does breed intuitive ideas and great engineering. M$ breeds rushed releases and a new bug fix every week. PS if you want Windows XP to run good for a long time, turn off Windows automatic update utility and never install bug fixes. Most of us have no need for security fixes since we only download with http, and have at least one firewall blocking the dangerous ports. Besides, backing up data really is the best security system ;).

Personally I'm a Linux newbie, I think I've been running RH8.0 for about two months. While I've reinstalled quite a few times, I think 3 or 4; all of them have been because I screwed something up and had no idea how to fix it. It is very stable, although I locked it up for the first time today.
RH8.0 is very easy to install, and there is A LOT of help for it. Red Hat is a very common distro, at least around here. It's a good version to learn on, just enough of a pain in the butt while not being totally impossible due to all the online help. Although it would be nice if you didn't get so many German sists when you typed Linux in google.

[janet loves bill]

Originally posted by linux12414
Go with Slackware. No dependencies, has pkg installer, but it's up to you to use it, if you wish.

Install takes about an hour, and you have a choice of many pre-compiled kernels.

Ya, go with Slackware or even Caldera workstation, Debian and Gentoo are Garbage Heaps!!:mad: :mad: :p

[wolfhalen]

the best linux disto by far is the one that works for you, and you feel totally comfortable in, and wouldn't change a thing. for me it's slackware.

I have heard rants and raves about gentoo, but I got pissed and gave up on the install. I only want to get under the hood when I feel like it, and I like to have the option.

with my latest slackware install I took that option and compiled gnome and kde from source, and they are very quick.

just try a few distros and see which one you go back to, kinda like women. lol

for me I always end up in bed with slackware after sleeping around with a few others... :D

[bs_texas]

Where can I get an ISO of 'Wich Linux' ?













;)
(this has probably already been done, but I wasn't going to read thru all 400 million posts in this thread.)

[sixshooterz]

Ok, I know the distro question is probably the longest standing question. Mine is a little more specific, I'll list my needs and maybe someone out of the blue can help me. I want to install a linux distro on my mom's computer. She's not very computer literate, she uses it strictly for e-mail and chat. I want a distrobution that is designed specifically for her needs.

I want Linux for the stability and performance.

Thanks

PS--She uses Yahoo for mail and AIM for chatting, not that it makes a difference. I'm basically asking for a minimal distro with a web browser and Gaim.

I'm not very Linux literate and Id rather not try to compile my own.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by sixshooterz
Ok, I know the distro question is probably the longest standing question. Mine is a little more specific, I'll list my needs and maybe someone out of the blue can help me. I want to install a linux distro on my mom's computer. She's not very computer literate, she uses it strictly for e-mail and chat. I want a distrobution that is designed specifically for her needs.

I want Linux for the stability and performance.

Thanks

PS--She uses Yahoo for mail and AIM for chatting, not that it makes a difference. I'm basically asking for a minimal distro with a web browser and Gaim.

I'm not very Linux literate and Id rather not try to compile my own.


I would recommended Mandrake Redhat or SUSE all of these distro's are easy to install, I myself have never really used SUSE, but mandrake 9.0 & RH are easier to install then windows IMHO & all of these distro's come with mail & chat clients Evolution works just like outlook express but it is much better IMHO:cool: & there are multiple chat clients for Linux, but I would just stick with AIM go to the AOL website to get the software. also check out http://www.distrowatch.com/top.php?1 for info about various Linux distro's. make sure you check out the hardware compatibility list & make sure most of your hardware is supported by the distro's you want to install, these will be on the distro's web sites
post back if you have more questions:cool:

[z0mbix]

I agree with those three as all are very easy to use. I've thought about doing this for my mother but never got around to it. Maybe oneday...

[mrBen]

Another one that is maybe worth a try is to run the OEOne Homebase (http://www.oeone.com/products/desktop.html) - this is a desktop distro based on Mozilla, but designed for use within an Internet device, which means it is very simple and task-oriented.

<edit>Ought to say that it runs on top of RedHat 7.x or Mandrake 8.2/9.0, so you'd need that too, but it is still a very attractive interface for the beginner IMHO </edit>

[sixshooterz]

Thank you for all you're opinions. I will try them all on VirtualPC to see which one is easiest to set up and most functional for what she needs. ciao

[linuxgeek]

Use SuSE. It's a great distro. You'll have to do an ftp install unless you wanna actually pay for it.... You just need the boot.iso and the ip and directory of a mirror ftp server, and it installs completely off the internet. It took me about 2 hours across my cable internet access. Which is equivalent to downloading actual distro cd's.

[ShadowII]

i know it is difficult but try Slackware
it is linux for server but just try it
u can find it on http://slackware.org

[fortisimo]

which linux distro is good for a 65mb ram system?

[linosceptic2]

I'm tempted to say no linux at all. I've been trying to install it for about 3 years on and off and have derived little joy in the process. You're probably too young to remember DOS, but some of the distros I've tried are inferior even to that. Dispensing with Windows might be very unwise indeed, if you think linux is going to be better you're likely to be disappointed

[Old DOS Guy]

Best advice I can give is to find someone who is now running linux. That person can guide you through config and install pitfalls to get you to a working gui and a fully functioning system. My experience is that linux users are by and large very helpful and willing to share their experiences and screw ups. Once you know your way around(learning curve is really not that steep)you can try out a couple of different distros untill you find the one that works best for you. For me, Mandrake linux is unbeatable, but everyone has their favorite. Welcome to the club and good luck!

[witceo]

Well in my opinion asking which version is best for you is like asking which version of Windows to use, it really depends on you and what you plan to do with it. I've used several and keep coming back to Mandrake for its ease of use. I'm not saying Mandrake is the best, it just works for me at the moment. I'm also trying FreeBSD as soon as I get a little more familiar with what really happens in install. I've tried RedHat and wasn't impressed, its ok it just didn't do what I needed it to do, be simple...

So, to answer your question, in my opinion, try a few different versions and stay with the one you like the best. That's really the beauty of Linux, your not tied to anything....

But again, this is just my opinion...

[madcompnerd]

Woh hold on, you're saying Linux is inferior to DOS? You just said a networking operating system that supports most of modern hardware is inferior to a horribly watered down version of Unix that can't support more than 2GB partitions?!
Please, for the sake of all that is intelligent enough to walk, tell me you were being sarcastic?

[linosceptic2]

Well here's a couple of experiences I've had with linux:

SUSE linux was unable to format floppies (loud scraping noises which persisted even when the system was shut down)

The distro I'm using at the moment, REDHAT 7.1 sometimes doesn't recognise my printer

I never had these problems using DOS.

All right in theory Linux may have many more features than DOS, but in my experience the system is so unreliable as to be virtually useless

By the way I've just discovered I've got a copy of DOS version 7 (from Novell not Mic******). I'm just wondering whether it's worth giving a go.



Originally posted by madcompnerd
Woh hold on, you're saying Linux is inferior to DOS? You just said a networking operating system that supports most of modern hardware is inferior to a horribly watered down version of Unix that can't support more than 2GB partitions?!
Please, for the sake of all that is intelligent enough to walk, tell me you were being sarcastic?

[Proudest Monkey]

Vector Linux is the best imho

[CPUFX.com]

XP Pro is my favorite,

Just kidding....considering I could outfit a whole office with a very stable free OS that keeps the damn eployees from changing or messing everything up My vote is on Mandrake 9.0 kernel.

Bye bye $500-$1000 mutli user keys

[BigFatJoe]

Originally posted by CPUFX.com
My vote is on Mandrake 9.0 kernel.


I guess that reorganization did them well. They seem to be coming out with their own kernels now... what's next? XFree87?

[madcompnerd]

I dunno, something about an OS that has no GUI and no option of using a gui as a daily use OS bothers me. Since almost all modern applications depend on some sort of API to run, especially ones written for M$ products; DOS isn't gonna do you much good.
But it is great to do system recoveries of little screw ups in FAT32 Windows systems. Since you can fit most of the useful functions on one disk.
And as for Novell *shudders violently*.

[beniro]

"Other!!!"

Arch Linux is my fave. :)

www.archlinux.org

[BFK4ever]

JAMD Linux 0.0.4

Picture Redhat 8.0 F A S T E R (i686 CPU required), more desktop oriented, Synaptic w/ apt4rpm preinstalled, plus it kicks ***!

All the perk's of Redhat 8.0 with speed, and developed for desktop use! I HIGHLY recommend it, it's also fairly easy to learn :O). (Or really easy for you relativly smart linux users:)

[CPUFX.com]

RedHat 8.0

Much smoother....and the installer is very user friendly

[madcompnerd]

I've only run RedHat 8.0 and RedHat 5.1(don't ask). Just a warning, don't use RedHat 8.0 if you have a newer VIA chipset, your sound won't work. But 8.1 supports it. I'm not sure if this error happens on all the other distros, but I do know it is a kernel problem.

[CPUFX.com]

I am running RedHat 8.0 on an older via chipset Abit Kt7 raid board (raid not set up). However the RedHat Interface for installation does allow for setting up a raid system including creating partitions, Mandrake did not seem to offer this configuration. The sound works for only certain applications. CDs do not have sound yet, maybe I need the patch cable from CD to sound card. Windows never seems to need this.

My recommendation is to use the installation type that allows you to select components to install. "sndconfig" was not installed by default the first time when I did the default desktop installation. The second time around I chose the full install of all RPMs and programs. I think the full install will just make life easier for NEWBIES like myself. On another note I would only use Linux for a backup machine @ home. Keep the WINXP rig running for games and the rest of the family. The Redhat and Mandrake kernels did find the DSL modem connection through the XP pro system I have running without a hitch I must add.

For me using linux and water cooling my PC is sort of those that want to "get off the grid" and not pay untility companies all that dough to keep the light on in their house.

If anyone has a fix for the CD sound I would appreciate it.

[justinmaurer]

UltimateHHH if you are still reading posts on this...hehe...
In my opinion, it really doesn't matter what Linux distribution that you start out with. The only thing I recommend, for whatever distribution you pick, is to STICK with it. Learn that distro the best and don't worry about the others. Once you have that distribution learned inside and out the others will come fairly easy.

[whoda]

I'll give my two cents:

I'm a newbie and I've tried a few distros redhat being on of them and for me mandrake was the easiest for me to use. It was easy for me to make a move to mandrake from windows, compared to the other distros. I think some people just get used to one distro and easier to just continue using a distro you have been using and enjoy to use. As everybody has posted it's personal opinon...no correct answer

[Gerald Cox]

I think that Mandrake 9.0 is the best distro for a newbie migrating from the Windows environment. MDK9.0 installs easily, probes your hardware and sets up all that I have had experience with, including a CD-RW. It even automatically selected the CD burning programs, for the burner, in the install. It will set up your printer during the installation process and if you are networked, it will search for network printers(RedHat did not set up my printer automatically). The only hardware that I had that was not setup in the install, was an ISA soundcard and the installation program told me what program to run after reboot to set it up, then it worked fine.

I have read articles that state that MDK9.0 is easier to install than Windows XP, altough I have no personal experience installing XP.

A lot of the configurations that used to be handled from the terminal, (for use beyond the basic desktop applications), can now be handled from the GUI in Mandrake 9.0.

I've tried RedHat 7.2 & 8.0, Lycoris Desktop/LX, Elx, Lindows 3.0, etc., and Mandrake 9.0 is the most user-friendly for those new to Linux. You can find links to ISO images for most popular distros at http://www.linuxiso.org.

[madcompnerd]

XP is really easy to install, it asks you almost nothing and gives you basically no choice. But once you've installed it and get to registering it, then it becomes a pain in the arse.

[BigFatJoe]

Originally posted by madcompnerd
XP is really easy to install, it asks you almost nothing and gives you basically no choice. But once you've installed it and get to registering it, then it becomes a pain in the arse.


What's really annoying is that part of the EULA selling your soul to MS. I was always mildly irritated over that one. And then it goes and freezes when I try to create a user...jeez. i didn't know creating users was that daunting a task for computer resources. show how much I know!
:D

*I can't actually afford XP, so you can take this rant for what it's not worth*

[slapNUT]

Over 100000 views of this thread! :cool:

Which Linux? I'm using 2.4.20 with a patch for QNX that has write support which works, and an alsa-0.9.0rc6 patch.

[Mr.Slack]

One word baby. SlackWare

[pairustwo]

How 'bout recommending a distro for someone who is a newbe to Unix / Linux but wants to learn them as a marketable job skill? What would I be most likely to run into working for someone like Amazon or Google who have enterprise level Unix / Linux environments? I don't mean I want to become a sys admin but learning the basics the DIY way... by installing and playing around.

I'm guessing that I would want to focus on command line distributions rather than GUI self installing distributions. Or do most distributions go both ways?

Thanks.
pairustwo

[raggie30]

fastest distro for a old pc with gui dont laugh but its a p 166 32 megs a ram. i dont caRE what gui it is but kde will be to slow im sure

[raggie30]

lol dang pc used to be so so so so so so slow first pc i used was a athlon 1200 i thought it was slow this one i built is ok though

[Hayl]

i wouldn't bother running X on that system. especially with only 32 MB RAM.

[2damncommon]

I have seen people post that they can run X on 32MB. I only have non-X apps on my Pentium with 32MB.
Suggestions I have seen are Ice/Blackbox as window manager, use the 3.x rather than 4.x xfree86, besides generally watching running services and programs.
Vector Linux is supposed to run on 32MB just fine.

[Cip]

Originally posted by pairustwo
How 'bout recommending a distro for someone who is a newbe to Unix / Linux but wants to learn them as a marketable job skill? What would I be most likely to run into working for someone like Amazon or Google who have enterprise level Unix / Linux environments? I don't mean I want to become a sys admin but learning the basics the DIY way... by installing and playing around.

I'm guessing that I would want to focus on command line distributions rather than GUI self installing distributions. Or do most distributions go both ways?

Thanks.
pairustwo

Every recent distro will have a GUI and a CLI. Also they will also have an "expert" text based install. I would recommend Mandrake 9.0. Out of every distro I have tried it has been the most painless to install and run.

-Get used to the file/folder structure which can be confusing to a newcomer

-Get used to manipulating files at the CLI

-Get used to installing new software both as RPM'a ns alo recompling from source.

-Get used to the different configuration files and how you can edit them

-Learn as many CLI commands as you can

-If you really want to know how Linux works try something like Linux From Scratch

This should give you a decent amount of experience in Linux but I'm not sure it will make you more employable.

[komaseth]

You think there would be a NHF on this subject by now (I mean a through one)

[madcompnerd]

I would say learn RedHat, I'm a newbie myself but I asked people which was best and they said RedHat was predicted as the 'winner' of the Linux battle.
I suppose in reality the best distro is the one that doesn't go out of business, and being realistic the way US business works not many will survive. But there is no way to be sure which will last right now. I would say RedHat is good though, it's fairly difficult to make it work, and if you want marketable skills you want the hardest, not the easiest.
Do not use Mandrake, it's the most user freindly from what I've been hearing.

[Rickdog]

I just installed Libranet and I have to say I'm pretty impressed. The installation was easy enough for a first time user and the options and flexibility are eye opening. Once I got a video card that x liked, it was all downhill. Debian does not like my generic ATI Rage 128 but took nicely to the old 8MB rage pro.

It will have a little steeper learning curve than the fully automated distros, but probably worth it to get into linux with a Debian/apt base. I like the variety of window managers, themes, and software not found in the MDK/RH gnome/kde oriented distros. Have not been able to get the generic wheel mouse to work with the wheel, but no biggy.

[Zoist]

This is probably done before but I want to see what distro people are using these days.

[mrBen]

Today I'm using Slackware. By the end of tomorrow it'll probably be Debian.

[Zoist]

Why? I would have thought if you're happy using what you have got, then why change?

[Rickdog]

MDK 9.0, RH 8.0, and just tonight, Libranet 2.0?.

[z0mbix]

Debian Sid @ home
RedHat 8.0 @ work

[mrBen]

Originally posted by Zoist
Why? I would have thought if you're happy using what you have got, then why change?

I'm not happy with what I've got, which is why I am changing.

Slackware has been very good to me in the past, and I originally started using it because I like to compile stuff from source, and Slackware seemed to be a nice bare distro to install.

BUT

I realised it was time to upgrade, and I looked at all the programs I would have to recompile if I upgraded to Slack 8.1

I had always liked the idea of Debian, especially apt-get (and most particularly apt-get dist-upgrade), and that is what finally persuaded me to move.

[Zoist]

I also have always liked the idea of apt-get, and maybe one day I will try out Debian.

[mdwatts]

I must say SCO Linux is now my favorite especially after upgrading to KDE3.1.

Nice eye candy and rock solid.

[MightyKC]

Was using Mandrake 8.0 for a year+ on a highly Part-time basis. Made some progress, started to understand a few things. About 6 weeks ago I picked up the Red Hat 8 Bible with the personel edition included. The book is highly comprehensive. 1000 pages+ I got a copy for under 40 bucks. I just got my home network set up this week which is a job I have been scared to tackle for a while. If a person is brand new to this I recommend this book. BY the time you get through it you will have a complete running system and all the basics down

[quietguy47]

Your ahead of me slapnut, I'm only using 2.4.19:D

[kaiser79]

Slackware!

I'm a newbie. I just downloaded Slackware last week or so and I love it. The major problem I see with RH and Mandrake and all the highly automated distros with their gui-based config tools is that they dramatically reduce the learning curve. If you want to use Linux, you NEED to know how it works and how to configure it. Jumping into X and running a few little auto-config apps will teach you nothing and you will have no idea what config files are being altered and how.

Linux requires patience and getting cozy with the command line. I do most of my configuring via the command line. Use LINKS (text-based browser- 500x better than lynx) to search here and other useful places like google groups. Then use Pico (cuz its so user friendly) to edit your config files. Its really not that difficult. Use ALT-F1/F2/F3 etc to switch screens so you can edit, search, etc all at the same time.

The payoff is that you will have complete understanding and control of your system. You won't need to come back here every time something breaks and spend a week trying to explain so someone else can help you fix it. ;)

[Icarus]

Originally posted by Zoist
I also have always liked the idea of apt-get, and maybe one day I will try out Debian. Then it might be a good time for you to discover
apt-get for Red Hat 8.0 (http://www.justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=68318&highlight=aptget) ;)

[LinuxHarley]

Only used two distro's... attempt at another.

Completely Windows oriented until a couple of months ago... I purchased SuSE 8.0 Personal. Well I couldnt get it to boot up to save my life. I couldnt get the install graphic or text to come up so I could get it running so it sat in the box for a month.

Then out of the blue a SuSE rep emailed me(apparently off the registration) and let me know about the new things SuSE was offering. I told him of my problems and he asked for my address. A few days later I had SuSE 8.1 Pro in my mailbox.

Loaded 8.1 and the file manager that went with KDE took FOREVER. Also had problems with 3d accelleration. Nvidia drivers were loaded... but it Yast2 wouldnt accept that it was. So all the games that came with KDE that required 3d Accelleration gave me an error saying it wasn't enabled.

Went and picked up RH 8.0. Loaded easier, 3d accelleration needed no enabling, just the drivers put in. File manager (nautilus) worked like a charm. No 10 minutes to open up Home folder, complete ease. Still using RH 8.0 but was warned in the store that it didnt come with Multimedia support (or something doing with licenses) and havent run into a problem yet. Its completely friendly, dual boot loads without a problem. Its great. I enjoy this distro alot. I have even loaded fluxbox, gkrellm, mutiple themes for multiple apps, winex, and as of last night... everquest! This distro gave me the freedom to expand my "play" time with the OS so that I could actually learn something. With the SuSE, I wasn't able to do that. Not nocking SuSE at all, just wasnt very kind to me. I am sure people have better experience with it. Just as a windows newb, the SuSE was frustrating to me.

my 2 cents =P

[bwkaz]

Well, seeing as you forgot about LFS, I thought I'd add it for you. ;)

The one drawback is, like you said, every time you upgrade you have to compile a LOT of stuff. Which is why I tend to upgrade small bits at a time rather than the whole distro. Of course, there are disadvantages to that too...

[mrussel1]

I've been using RedHat 8.0 for a couple of weeks... This weekend, I am going Gentoo, because I'm using and older box and want to squeeeeeze all the performance I can out of it!

Once I get a good grip on Linux, I'll probably put a Linux partition on my "nice" XP computer... :cool:

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by mrussel1
I'll probably put a Linux partition over my "nice" XP computer... :cool:

:D

[mdwatts]

Originally posted by mrussel1
I'll probably put a Linux partition on my "nice" XP computer... :cool:

I'll probably put a Linux partition over my "nice" XP computer...

:D

[tankinan]

Redhat 7.2. It's been too good to me for me to upgrade just yet, but i'm considering debian or slack.

[mrussel1]

Originally posted by mdwatts
I'll probably put a Linux partition over my "nice" XP computer...

:D

It's tempting! If my sound apps like Reaktor and Acid work well in Wine, then I won't really need XP...

[Hayl]

Gentoo workstation

Debian (Woody) Server

(see sig)

[teeitup]

I keep coming back to Debian. (it seems to be the best blend of hardcore and ease of use I have found yet)

Red Hat Advanced Server at work. (Replacing SUN Servers with it, it's all about the money)

[JamminJoeyB]

I'm one of those "other disto" users. Evil Entity. I would describe this as the bad boy or rebel distro. Have had this running nonstop for a month. Stable and fast. Pretty much my only hang ups for a distro.

[DerekKraan]

Debian. It's a lot quicker than Mandrake, and apt-get is really nice. I just need to get my sound working, and I'll be set.

[quietguy47]

Tried mandrake(7.2, 8.1, 8.2). Tried Redhat(7.3). Tried Slackware(8.1). Still using Slackware.:D

[raab]

Slackware 8.1 here...I learned a lot more using it than I did with Mandrake, and pkgtool and its friends take care of software installation :)

[scrub]

Fairly new to Linux and have tried a few but always come back to RedHat most likely because of the familiarity thing. RH 7.3 with the full update before installing anysoftware. Nice and fresh and only a couple of days old. Still, I can't get my cdrw drive working properly yet :(

[RedRumJack]

My current Distro of choice is Gentoo...

[chatins]

Redhat 8.0 "psyche." Tried the 8.1 beta "phoebe", but was unstable as advertised. Nice picture show, by some of the programmers at redhat, while you are installing!

[nigeledge]

I've got an old box:
Intel PII
512MB RAM

All I want to run is the following:
Resin
Apache
MySQL
Sendmail
SMB

Don't want any graphical user interface, tools, games, etc. etc. Just the above mentioned apps (and required libs of course). Basically, I want to cut down on all the crap I don't use in linux (which is about 90% of it).

What distro would you recommend for speed, efficiency, etc. based on my requirements?

Many thanks in advance for your advice.

[linux12414]

Originally posted by nigeledge
I've got an old box:
Intel PII
512MB RAM

All I want to run is the following:
Resin
Apache
MySQL
Sendmail
SMB

Don't want any graphical user interface, tools, games, etc. etc. Just the above mentioned apps (and required libs of course). Basically, I want to cut down on all the crap I don't use in linux (which is about 90% of it).

What distro would you recommend for speed, efficiency, etc. based on my requirements?

Many thanks in advance for your advice.

Slackware--do a base install and then just add what you need.

[bosox79]

I am running JAMD linux 0.0.4 at the moment. I love how apt-get is integrated with it & the fact that I can upgrade almost everything via an apt-get distro upgrade. JAMED 0.0.4 is based on RH 8.0 The other thing I love is the fact that KDE is the default window manager. JAMED is also less bloated then RH 8.0. it is a great distro IMHO for both newbies & gurus alike check out http://www.boycottmicrosoft.net/jamd/

for more info:cool:

[KarrottoP]

Definately either Slack or Debian...I am personally a fan of debian but Slack would be the same Idea, just don't install anything you don't need to.

[bosox79]

Originally posted by nigeledge
I've got an old box:
Intel PII
512MB RAM

All I want to run is the following:
Resin
Apache
MySQL
Sendmail
SMB

Don't want any graphical user interface, tools, games, etc. etc. Just the above mentioned apps (and required libs of course). Basically, I want to cut down on all the crap I don't use in linux (which is about 90% of it).

What distro would you recommend for speed, efficiency, etc. based on my requirements?

Many thanks in advance for your advice.

I would agree with the previous posters suggestions. if this box is going to be connected to the net you may also want to try a gentoo install. the only drawback with gentoo on a box like then one you want to use is it could take a while to compile the apps you want to use:)

just my .02

[bigrigdriver]

Before I invested money/time/effort/sweat/tears/agravation/etc on a Linux distro, I did research on various BBS's. I looked for the distros that folks were having the most trouble with, and the distros that folks were having the least trouble with. I chose OpenLinux. In the past 2 years, I've seen ONE (count them, one) post from OpenLinux users other than myself. I posted several (not a prob with the distro; my prob with command line, install, or config issues). I've learned a lot in the last 2 years. Taking a Linux (RedHat based) course this semester is helping me a bunch. But, for trouble free performance, do a search on this BBS. Name your favorite distro, then name others. Count the posts. The fewer posts; the better the distro.:cool:

I appeal to MdWatts (our resident OpenLinux guru) to back me up on this one .

[Zoist]

What got me into the idea of a M$ replacement was a Caldera & Applixware Office advertisement in a mag.
That was years ago though.
I actually haven't looked at Openlinux before. How different is it to Red Hat or Mandrake?

Cheers.

[Artimus]

I'm looking for more distro's to try. I have still not settled with one that I like. Any suggestions? They have to be free in one way or another.

I've used:
Mandrake
Slackware
LFS
Gentoo
Debian
FreeBSD(Technically not linux, but oh well)

[Modorf]

There is always RedHat.

Nathan

[tankinan]

Redhat is a step down from most of those, but it's still a solid choice.

[Modorf]

Take a look at DistroWatch.org they have a listing of a lot of linux distrobutions.

Just a thought
Nathan.

[DarkJedi9]

Check this thread (http://justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=507893#post507893) out. It's about Gentoo, which is my recommendation, especially for those looking to try something different. (It is sort of like Debian, only a lot better).

[darkskyze]

i am using Redhate 8.0 this is day 3 and I really like it. It does have a lot of extra features that I may never use but for the most part it's met my needs, I haven't had any compatibility issues other than trying to find a wireless PCMCIA ethernet card that will work with it without having to compile my own drivers....but that's adifferent story.

[randabis]

He already said he tried gentoo

[kam]

Originally posted by DarkJedi9
Check this thread (http://justlinux.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=507893#post507893) out. It's about Gentoo, which is my recommendation, especially for those looking to try something different. (It is sort of like Debian, only a lot better). My only complaint about Gentoo is I don't like to wait for the compiling, and there is no noticeable speed difference.

[Timothy L. Miller]

Try out Arch linux. It's precompiled binaries, 686, so speed isn't lacking. It's got pacman, which is a portage/apt type sytem for autmatically downloading and installing software. And it's fairly simple to install, the only difficult part is setting up the system after the install.

[z0mbix]

Try making your own distro. Not LFS, but write your own package manager, init scripts, add teh packages you want. I started thsi once but never found the time to finish it. I will do this one day!

[nextbillgates]

Try OpenBSD or x86 Solaris.

[techniq]

I've just recently switched to Suse 8.1. I've ran most all of them (debain unstable (not sure the number st the time), red hat 7.3, mandrake 9.0, slackware (8.0 i think).

So far Suse has been the best for me. For an RPM system, its the best IMO. I enjoyed Debian alot, but for a desktop system, I don't think its best for. As a server, I think its unbeatable. I recommend Suse if you are looking for a nice Desktop distro, and Debian for a Server distro.

Mandrake 9.0 was great also, but I think I give Suse a slight edge.

[hop-frog]

SuSE rules!

I've used Mandrake, Slackware, Conectiva, Lycoris, Red Hat, and FreeBSD.

[z0mbix]

Crux (http://crux.nu/)

[CPUFX.com]

You may need to try several versions of Linux based on your machine configuration. I have burned and installed CDs for Mandrake, Redhat, and several lesser known distributions. Some work great on one system and will not boot on another.

After all I think most people getting into linux @ the user level are attemping to understand some basic programming and @ the same time break the chains from microsoft. Redhat has some neat programs and more preinstalled screen savers. Mandrake is my favorite with an easier install all around and preset configs that agree with my systems at this time.

[obli]

I'm looking for a linux distro to put on my really old laptop (16 mb ram, 500 mb hd, no cd-rom, 386 cpu arch).
Is there and linux distro small enough to fit on a (few) floppy disk(s), a gui would be nice too, but not rquired ;)

[mdwatts]

These JL forum search results for 'smaill linux floppy distro' (http://justlinux.com/forum/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=395227&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending) should give you all sorts of suggestions including links to some sites.

[elektronisch]

Maybe not the best for you but slackware is the best distro =) ..or linux from source whatever prefered. hehe.

Suggest you run redhat till you get it down pretty well compiling from source =) ..its what linux was made for =P

~elektronisch

[jaxbeachbum]

Let me start by saying I am a Linux newbie 'user' but a long time fan. I'll explain more...I've been in the position of developing MS software for some time now, and it has given me a whole hate of everthing MS. I hate the kernel, I hate the API, I hate the IDE and don't even get me started about .net.

That said, I have always wanted to try something else for my personal use. It started with Redhat 3.something in 1997. This was just aweful. Days and days of trying to get the thing to install with my hardware.

I quit.

Fast forward: 2001 or so. Redhat 7.something. The reviews raved, the press said MS had competition. I bought it (actual CDs, from CompUSA). I installed it. It was MUCH better. It actually installed (same hardware as before) but after days of trying to get a LinkSys card to work

I gave up.

At this point I should point out that I really only want 5 things from my PC:
1) Internet
2) Quicken
3) Palm
4) VPN to business network
5) Programming tools.

I've heard about #5 in Linux....but until this point it is all still a dream....

Fast forward 2003: Mandrake 9.0 The reviews raved, the press said MS had better worry. I installed it. HOLY CRAP, it worked. Out of the box, network, DSL, internet, the whole thing. I almost couldn't believe it.

I could not be having more fun with my new OS. Sucess at last!! My Palm even works with it (sorta). Internet/IM and Palm....thats 2/5 of my battle. VPN into work is the other...we will see if Cisco plays or not....Development tools are everywhere....so I think I'm good there....even my fav HTML editor, HTML Kit, works in WINE (thats only a start, I want native). The only outsider is Quicken....and, ya know, I never *really* liked it....it just worked.

But, that is the real point I want to make here (hopefully you are still reading) I wanted more software for my new great OS....

This is where the Linux folks are missing the point. The Linux community has to decide if it *really* wants to be main stream or if it wants to be just the 'geek os'. The big distos almost have it firgured out. You have GOT TO MAKE IT SIMPLE. Period. And makefiles, rpms, debians, gzs and every other god aweful thing out there IS NOT EASY. All that stuff is big fun for the geeks out there....but until you make it idiot proof it will stay in the computer room with the geeks.

I read through this thread and saw all kinds of posts about how this .x.x.x.x. build worked after compiling this x.x.x mod with it, and this distro worked on this hardware after downloading this and compiling that and this and this. I've to news for you...this SUCKS. And what is up with all the Gxxxx and Kxxxx and Xxxxx names....is there something wrong with giving software a name a HUMAN would understand?

I really really really want Linux to be my only desktop. But until I don't have to compile a (insert whatever here) then Windows is just better, because it just works. Maybe it is insecure (i have a firewall for that, installed in one click), and maybe it isn't cool...but if freaking works! Out of the box, it works. Download new programs, click, they work. I don't have to compile, I don't have to open a terminal session....it just works.

I feel that Linux is on the edge...it just needs to decide which way it wants to go....because if it is going for the consumer/enterprise it has some serious work to do. If it is going for the computer room, it is already home.

*steps off soap box*

btw - if anyone wants to help me figure out how the hell to get Mandrake to see my digital camera....please leave a note at the door.

[sean_foulkes]

... Linux is on the edge...it just needs to decide which way it wants to go....because if it is going for the consumer/enterprise it has some serious work to do...

Finally, someone who

a)Argues objectively; being a windows user and a linux enthusiast. JAXBEACHBUM, you are obviously mature enough to post things other than "L1NuX RulZ! M1Cr0Sh*T SuX!"

b)Can see the big picture; one that indeed has two and only two ways it could be painted.

I have messed with linux since about 1998, and I've got to say; It's amazing to see the progress compared to windows. All MS has really done since Win98/WinNT is combine the two and give it an updated filesystem, calling it Windows XP. Ever since Storm Linux 2000(honk if you remember it) was released on the cd of Linux Magazine a few years a go, Linux has been becoming easier to install, and easier to use. I am no expert by any means on the subject, but I have a few observations before the 15yr old haXoRz and 42yr old "live in my mom's basement" programmers/geeks will let linux become a true competitor to MS Windows.

1. 3 CDs to download???
Since nobody important makes software for linux, the Distribution Companies are stuck with including EVERY BIT OF DAMN SOFTWARE that developement communities pump out. Windows only takes up six-hundred megabytes on 1 cd, while some distros -cough- Suse -cough- Have 7 CDs worth of sofware, much of it being redundant. Why do you need AbiWord, KOffice, StarOffice and OpenOffice.org at the same time? I realize part of this is being able to choose what software you like, but being mainstream means less up-front options. Microsoft doesn't tell you about the software it installs(which is both good and bad), and those who have installed Windows know it's way simpler that linux installs are.

2. Download? Compile?! Add WHAT to my etc fstab???
When Linux enthusiasts try to convince people that windows is NOT the answer, they forget to mention that, yes, you do need some programming skills to do anything in Linux. Programming skills doesn't mean you can write a perl script w/ a blindfold on; i'm talking about editing config files and the like. RPM's started to address the problem of installing software in Linux, but those frickin' dependencies ruin the whole idea. Why doesn't a specific rpm include it's dependencies? Even with my 26.4K Dial-up, I would much rather download WineX(normally 5MB) as a 30MB file that get it downloaded only to figure out it needs gcc3, mesalib x.x.x., and seven other things. Linux companies could also address this on the other end by including the latest libraries and software/tools for thier distribution.

3. UnitedLinux? The wave of the future!
This project can be viewed as a step closer to closed-source code, but It's the only way(i think) Linux can be truly mainstream. Get one package format, one installer for programs, one standard for linux, and your chances of being noticed grow immensely. Windows is the standard right now: Everything pretty much works on every computer/windows version. 3-5 Versions of linux PERIOD. That would be much easier, but if they used basically the same standards, then we would all get along nicely. No arguments about Debian vs. Redhat or 'Gentoo takes a millenium to install' or '36hrs to get my nVidia drivers working'.

4. Souce code is nice, but...
...not everyone wants loads of source code infesting their hard drive. Not everyone that uses linux is a programmer. I am not a programmer. The grandmother whose son installed linux for to get e-mail for her does not want to program. So why does every program include source code in it? I know GPL required the code to be freely available, but does hundreds of megabytes of it have to reside on a Linux box that serves no other purpose than Office, e-mail, and gaming purposes? Isn't a structured set of souce code called a CVS tree? if so, then I have seen so many CVS trees getting Quake II and Wine installed it makes me sick. One in Perl, one in Python, C, C++, the list goes on and on. If you want to develop the program, download theseparate CVS download for the program. Or if you need to compile it for a different architecture, doanload the source! Wouldn't that be a great idea?


I'll cool down now. I regularly mess with linux, but still Boot back to Windows for my REAL work, such as, well, anything I realy want to do with a computer. Sure, i COULD figure out how to do it in linux; I mean, it would satisfy my curiosity for computers, but when I need to install an mp3 player to listen to a song, I don't want to get dependencies resolved or wait 30+min. to compile it. Linux has a LONG way to go, so It better get working before the release of Windows 2008 Professional: Cerebral Broadcast Multimedia Edition.

[CPUFX.com]

After using Mandrake 9.0, Linux seems real close to being a real threat for Micro Soft. If only the right investors could see the potential. So much money or venture capitol is wasted on more hair brained schemes such as in the last 5 years of .com startups.

[abowlsbey]

I'm preparing to format my dual boot 2000/Mandrake box. Which distro has the most secure default install?

[mrBen]

SELinux, developed by the NSA. ;)

[sanderso]

Originally posted by CPUFX.com
...... So much money or venture capitol is wasted on more hair brained schemes such as in the last 5 years of .com startups.
That's just confirmation as to the power of the monopolistic position M$ holds. There's smart money and not so smart money....VC is smart money. The fact they went into .com speaks volumes that they didn't perceive the OS platform as a significant element of risk. The risks were in other aspects of the business model...but not the platform. Any smart money considering a Lx platform would ask the 'stability' and 'ease of use' questions FIRST...instead of LAST as with M$.

We're speaking, of course, about the end user....for backbone products (ftp, web servers, etc.), it's seems a much different story...but i didn't see many .com startups focusing on backoffice products. Maybe i wasn't watching.

Unfortunately for Lx, the end-user world isn't made up of tech savy people....if it were, M$ would be the outsider. But, it is what it is.

The HW vendor (aka driver writer) community is key. At the high rate at which improved HW becomes available, the inability to get a working driver "out of the box" severely complicates the "ease of use" with Lx for the non-tech savy user. Working/tested drivers for new HW is key to the end user's success with Lx.

Here's the user's choice: a new working video card with 1) M$ drivers on a cd in the box....or 2) hours and hours of net time and 'coding' to get that new card working under Lx. What choice would the typical end user make...an end user whose "instant gratification factor" is very high. Hmmm. And uncle bill doesn't even send thank-yous on his way to the bank.

Don't get me wrong...i'm a newbie and am trying to earn my Lx stripes. But I think the vast majority of M$ users out there aren't as committed to change as are a bunch of the fine folks who hang around here.

Just my $.02

[newbee-steve]

Just a quick note keep you eyes open, here comes Mac in the back door I have a brother working as a programer for them and has the new OS X10.2 witch is 100% Unix base system, you can just about do everything on that as you can on linux...Drag and Drop files and burn them change you kernels,do compililing,bunzips,tar you name it....TOTAL CONTROL OVER THE SYSTEM..... HERE IS THE KICKER THAY HAVE IT RUNNING ON A COSTOM P4/400 1.8 PROCESSOR WITH 512 ram its come sooner then later although they are working out the bugs ... He says thay are hoping 2004 for market place. I say *****GO MAC***** lets see if it happens I will make that Jump in a min.....Bye Bye MS...

[sean_foulkes]

I am totally aware of that. Other people should be to, so i'll post a new thread in /dev/random about that old chestnut.

[oceanorange]

yes you guys are right about one thing, windows does work, but I'm interested in something new, microsoft is getting old for me and I needed some fresh air, so I chose to mess with all these new things with linux, yeah it's time consuming and yeah they have so many confusing features that most people would run away, but one thing is for sure, sooner or later linux will become mainstream and distributers will get it working just right. to me it's becoming a new era, computers are running just about everything, as more people get involved, Linux will progress. Patience leads to knowledge, knowledge is POWER!!!

[kaiser79]

noob steve i PRAY TO GOD you aren't fooling with my emotions! you will be sorry if you are!! ;) I would be on Mac OS X right now, but I just can't invest that much dough in a machine that I cant play CS or NS on lol.

OS X has become a love-hate thing for me. Apple knows how to kick-start technology. For the underdog, they are 500x as innovative as MS. At the same time, Linux that isn't 100% open source is tainted. And that's sad. Because I'm a pinko and stuff like that matters to me. But- hopefully, we will strike the balance where Linux and Apple are able to benefit mutually and put MS to real shame in the marketplace.

The whole thing about making Linux simpler... I predict Mandrake will become the real M$ replacement for mainstream users. That is Mandrake's mission and they are doing it right. RedHat is doing the same for the corporate crowd. As for the rest- we keep them for the advanced users. What is wrong with that? All a mainstream newbie needs to know is - 'I will get Mandrake cuz I'm not a geek'

The software is still really the kicker. Unless something revolutionary happens that ushers in a new era for open source, Linux will never be mainstream. Typical story: I'm a designer. I need Photoshop, Illustrator, Quark, Fireworks, etc etc. I need color management tools, real font management tools, etc etc. Linux has a strong base for design with CUPS and all the PS and PDF support, but the tools arent there. And don't dare say GiMP and LaTeX, because they don't come close to the functionality needed.

But judging from the strides made so far, I think it will come in another 2 years. :rolleyes:

So I'm still suck in MS most of the day. When I get me some dough I'm gonna buy a real bad-*** machine (well not so bad *** that there are no Linux drivers) and drop VMWare and WineX on it. But for now thats as far as I can run :/

Maybe a programmer can answer this: If Adobe codes Photoshop for Mac OS X -- which is essentially FreeBSD, how hard is it for them to build a Linux rpm? Someone throw some grant money or something at it!? Can't someone just leak all the source and put it on gnutella or something!? come on ppl!

Funny.. Linux makes me want to be a programmer. Just so I can stick it to the man! :D

[kaiser79]

I have one more comment on the OS X on intel subject:

:P If Apple does it, it won't necessarily mean bye-bye M$. They could still require proprietary hardware (via BIOS, ROMS, etc). Which means you would still have to buy your hardware (at inflated prices) from Apple.

Unless of course you enjoy hardware hacking :cool:

Bottom line is Apple depends on the profits from hardware. Not to mention the brand they've built on well designed enclosures.

[Artimus]

I believe they're about equal. Un-secure. Half the distro's I see come with telnet, ssh, the r* series(such as rlogin, even more insecure than telnet). There are some good docs out there on securing your box. Anyway, why are you worried about a default install? Its one of the best things about linux, you can change things.

[sean_foulkes]

Apple would release the x86 version as a shrink-wrapped shelf product. They are losing profits because of their high-priced macs, and they want to delve into the software market.

They only reason I won't buy a mac is that they're so damned expensive. Dual 1.2Ghz is under $1000US for a 2 AMD AthlonMP system, but it's like what, more than twice that for the Mac system. I love mac OSx and stuff like iTunes, iMovie, iwhatever, but until they [hopefully] release an Intel version of their OS, I'm stayin' where I am. I have plenty of free OS's to play with until then.

An open question/statement:

PPC programs for Mac OSX wouldn't be compatible with any x86 OSX, would they? If you downloaded source code and compiled with your systems compiler, would they work?

[ZAmodeo]

To beat out M$, Linux needs to be EASY! I'm a newbie and I have the most annoying time with the darned command line! I love the principle of Linux, but I'd use WinXp a lot less if I could run games on it like AOE2. I wish that all (ok, well many) Linux programmers would join forces, make it possible to run Windows programs on it, make it easier to use, without all the command line stuff, and present it to the public. M$ would go down almost immediately. It's so hard to compare to the reliability of Linux, and also to the simplicity of Windows. I've used Windows for so long that it's second nature to me, but I think it'd take much longer for me to get to the same point in Linux. UnitedLinux sounds like a great idea. Part of Win's success is due to it being so common. If all Linuxes did use a common file type like RPMs for installation, it might be able to compare to the EXEs. Windows is used in most places, and so are EXEs. I've also not bought new versions of Win beacause they cost 100 freaking dollars!!! I have RedHat8, MDK9, and SuSE 8.1 (liveeval, not bad though!) and I've payed nothing for them! For windows it'd cost $300 for all those AND probably near $1000 or more if you compared the software costs. Make it common, make it easy, make it stable, make it cheap, make M$ fall!

[Zoist]

Keep em' coming. Vote, don't look!

[z0mbix]

Originally posted by Zoist
Keep em' coming. Vote, don't look!

Well, I've just installed LFS on my main box, but decided to use the BSD style init system that I wrote a few months back and I'm happy to say that they work great. I'd written them and never tested them and expected them to be completely broken, but apart from a couple of silly syntax errors they work great. My box boots in about 8 secs even after starting Apache2, bftpd, samba, sshd. I compiled XFree86 and Fluxbox and left gtk2 compiling last night. It's coming along very well. I decided to only start 2 Virtual Consoles as I don't ever use more than that.

[garethrussell]

I've only really "cut my teeth" on Mandrake 8.1, 8.2 and 9.0.

I'm looking into trying others atm, redhat, suse, slackware etc. I still havent found my particular flavour of linux yet. Gonna take some time before i do.

[NamelessParanoi]

Okay, I'm fairly new to Linux, I run a dual boot machine, and I have to say I like the OS (Mandrake 9.0 user), however, as people have been saying dependencies really suck.
A lot of the trouble I found switching over was to do with dependencies in installing (and not being able to install stuff if you aren't a root user - something I find intensly annoying - I should be allowed to live life dangerously and be a root user all the time if I want (newbie - don't flame if I'm talking out my a**e, just educate ;))).
Prime example - downloading and installing ogle. Now I've done it - it's all fine and dandy and works great. Needed about seven libraries or something riduculous like that, but hey, that's what linux is all about right? Simplicity and efficiency - minimal downloads - you get only what you need. Wrong!
There should be such a thing as an EZ tarball - package all tar balls for libraries and program in one tar ball, extract to the /usr/local/src directory, run a script that for each library in order:
extracts, compiles, deletes extracted folder, deletes individual library tarball. You wind up with the one installer tarball and an installed program - because it already knows where everything is, you shouldn't even need to worry about prefixes
It wouldn't be so bad if everybody filled in the installation scripts to tell you what might go wrong but everyone seems to use pre-formatted INSTALL files. Okle - didn't tell me I need to give it about three different prefixes just because I'd installed ogle in /usr/local rather than /usr

Okay, I'm all done (don't get me started on the switch over of attempting to understand where files are installed to or kept in the file system though :) )

Yours,
A grizzled newbie :p

[garethrussell]

http://www.mandrakeuser.org/docs/basics/index.html#fad

Thats a simplified explanation of the filesystem and hierarchy.

[demura]

i agree linux could be made easier, but only for certain markets. Mandrake and Red Hat are great for the newbie and casual user, but i'm on Vector 3.2 (slackware-based; slack is still better :-P) and I like being able to configure my system by hand. Thats what we need! We need better configuration programs that actually work! I think RH and MDK will do this in time to come. Although I think that so much software on 3 or 4 cds is too much. These distros should come with just one word processor and like one email client. One more thing i'd like to pinch in, one thing that will detur windows users to linux is a lack of winmodem support. I'm fortunate to have a conexant 56k modem which i can get drivers for, but for several of my friends they have no name modems and want to use linux badly. Not everyone has $$ to go and by a external modem and a distro! Well thats what I gots to say


- peace

[sidgirl]

Debian is by far the best linux distro.....:D

[Darknight]

Guess I am a Linux-Guru-Wannabe, but,

From a simple perspective I have found Caldera's Openserver the easiest to install. For someone new, its great.

We also run Mandrake and FreeBSD servers, with Webmin on all for common control environment.

Caveats:
Caldera defaults to GUI even on server config:
Although easier for new users,
wastes resources.

Webmin cant do all yet, but definitely a good start. (Does require some command line chmods and chowns here and there . . .)

[micxz]

what a topic.

I like SuSE 8 :)

[deth]

what is the best linux distro for gaming/gamers? i wanan switch oveer becuase windows is the most bull**** ever and im getting really pissed off.

i also need support for fat32 partitions
thanks;]

[z0mbix]

The best distro for gaming can be found here (http://www.distrowatch.com)

[Hayl]

Originally posted by z0mbix
The best distro for gaming can be found here (http://www.distrowatch.com)

<laughs>

:D

they are all just as good for gaming - because they are all the same - except for packaging systems mainly.

if you want to game in Linux then go to www.transgaming.com and purchase a subsciption to WineX

[hop-frog]

It seems like more and more questions posted here are by newbies using a Debian incarnate or one of the little-known experimental distros not geared towards newbies.

They choose those distros so for a challange and so that they can get the full "linux experience." At the same time they come here for help?!!

It just seems silly to me and gets on my nerves at the same time.

Unless a newbie has a really old computer Mandrake, Red Hat, or SuSE are among the first distros they should try.

[rid3r]

you don't learn, if you don't try.

[LinuxLuke]

If you just want an alternative to windows that can game, and you have no Linux experience I'd go with Mandrake 9.0 haven't used it myself, but I hear it sets everything up nicely... but if you want games you will likely need to subscribe to WINEX, to be able to run most windows games, unless you like First Person Shooters, and don't mind reliving the classics, there are tons of FPS games on Linux

[ralph wiggum]

but if you want to be a mechanic, you dont do an engine swap as your first attempt.

you start with something easy, like oil changes (IE redhat) and work your way up

[sharth]

I just find it odd how people will wait a day for an answer when searching google or reading the man page will solve the problem in under a minute.

On stupid questions, lately i just have gotten in a sarcastic habit :) I either say search JL or search google. Or man pages. man pages are good too :)

:edit: But on the actual point, I see no problem with people jumping in the deep end. I did :)

[sharth]

the only ones that might stand out is mandrake gaming edition, since it has the sims pre-installed I belive.

[nextbillgates]

It depends. Mandrake Gaming Edition already has a pre-packaged "retail" WineX, and comes with a WineX version of The Sims. A source-based distro like Gentoo, on the other hand, could give higher performance.

Compared to Windows, they both lose out. Linux simply doesn't have the software selection to compete with Windows as a gaming platform, unless you're into small, quick arcade-style games or emulation.

[craiggiles]

Linux newbies come in all shapes and sizes, some like myself went for a more newbie friendly distro.
I went for SuSE and it didnt work on my pc even though my system req were up to scratch, so I then used Mandrake and it work perfectly but i still needed (and still need:)) help.

I think the people that go for the harder linux distro's are more competant users of windows who are getting sick and tired of the Crap M$ are dishing out and there the ones who jump in feet first with distro's like slackware and the likes.

So every newbie choses what they think would be the best distro for them, like when I chose Mandrake someone else chose slack or even ark:)

[evil_roy]

Debian suits newbies just fine you moron.

How the hell could you make it easier? Put it in a wrapper and say"Eat this..it is sweet"?

You have achieved SFA by installing debian or any other popular linux...except to declare that it is so much easier than windows. If you like ease and power then its off to OSX for you. Right now I'm back in the i386 world and debian makes Win2k look like a minefield.

[Hayl]

<laughs>

Debian is not a guru-only distro. it is one of the easiest distros to maintain. it is very easy for a newbie to use.

how hard can it be to :

apt-get install foo

or

dpkg-reconfigure foo

or

use Aptitude

PS: it's their choice what they want to use. if you don't like it then don't answer the posts.

[hop-frog]

Did anyone even read my post?

Originally posted by hop-frog
newbies using a Debian incarnate or one of the little-known experimental distros not geared towards newbies.

I did not say Debian. I'm talking about all of those hundreds of stupid pet-project debian based distros that keep popping up all over the internet.

[FossiL]

Interesting subject... Here's my comments from a real newbie's point-of-view:

I started off with Linux a few months ago, first attempt was Slackware 8.1... I'd read somewhere that Slackware was more 'back-to-basic' than some other Linuxdistros - since i wanted to learn hardcoreLinux i went down the Slackware path. Getting it up and running wasn't that hard, just had a few probs with my soundcard and usb-modem...

Some friends of mine use RedHat 8.0 at work, so i decided to switch distro for a try-out. It proved to be a better choice for me, the rpm-installations and user-friendly approach suits me better - it feels like the perfect stepstone from Windows... Even though Slackware may not be the toughest distro, i'm still a newb and some things just wont clear up...

No complaints to Slackware, (i'd rather call myself a slacker - for 'coolness' ;-P ) - but RedHat just suits me better right now until im more secure on what Linux's all about...

[Nu-Bee]

Originally posted by hop-frog
It seems like more and more questions posted here are by newbies using a Debian incarnate or one of the little-known experimental distros not geared towards newbies.

They choose those distros so for a challange and so that they can get the full "linux experience." At the same time they come here for help?!!

It just seems silly to me and gets on my nerves at the same time.

Unless a newbie has a really old computer Mandrake, Red Hat, or SuSE are among the first distros they should try.

You are absolutely correct.

Those people who suggest distros like Debian, Yoper, etc...are nuts.

I suspect that they secretly enjoy watching other newbies struggle & flail like they did.

Instead of using their knowledge to help other newbies in their admittedly -TOUGH- migration to Linux, they choose rather to glory in watching the poor newbie drowning in this.

Their pitiful excuses are nothing but "coverup".

People aren't needed to learn linux at warpspeed...quit making it "necessary" that they learn at -YOUR- speed.

...just because it give you enjoyment to watch them flounder around.

Mandrake is...hands down...the easiest distro to learn on.

...but Red Hat, SuSe, and a couple others are OK too.

Suggesting distros like Debian, Gentoo, Slackware, etc. is nothing but a personal enjoyment of watching people struggle.

...it's BS.

[sharth]

I personally don't see it that way at all. Just don't expect windows, and understand that linux has only been around for about 11 years, and you will have no problems. I personally tried red hat when i started out, really didn't like it, and then went back to debian. Personal preferance? perhaps. I'm just glad that I never dealt with rpm hell. (when will those distros install apt4rpm per default)

[machete]

ARGH!
There are too many things I've read in this thread to reply to them all. Easy/Hard seems to be the overall theme with differing views on definitions of easy/hard.

Does it really matter if the learning process is easy/hard?
As long as the student learns...
Does it really matter if it's .deb .rpm .tgz or .pkg?
As long as it works...

Now I'm supposed to brag about how long/short I've been using Linux. Of course the next step is how many/few I've been with...

just use it

[Frith]

The first *nix I learned anything on was FreeBSD. The versions of Mandrake and RedHat that were available when I first got into Linux blew goats, and the RPM system literally had me pulling my hair out. I even yanked out a few pubes in my frustration.

After Mandy and RedHat I tried Slackware which just plain sucked. For some reason, X just did not want to work...I gave up on it after 3 hours. After that was FreeBSD, and I loved it. Well, until I got tired of the ports system and migrated to the apt one. :D

Nowadays I just use Debian and OpenBSD...because I'm one 31337 h4x0r mofo. Yeah. And I don't think I ever learned a darn thing from those stupid "beginner" distros that are available.

Take that, RedHat. And fsck you for inventing RPMs...

[2ndsign]

when your learn more about linux get

evil entity 0.2.5 it rocks!!:cool:

[jegs2]

Originally posted by micxz
what a topic.

I like SuSE 8 :)
I installed SuSE 8.1 on my machine. For 32 bucks it was hard to beat.

[demura]

$32 eh? guess what. slackware is better and cheaper! FREE!

[newbee-steve]

I will say this SuSE 8.1 is a vary good OS.... thay all have there ups and down. SuSE and Mandrake I think gives you more for you $ and very easy to configure and load programs....My self I just want a OS that runs with as little set as pos....

And thay are all free if you want to download them.. I will help support the OS's other wise they are here today and gone tomorrow....

[jegs2]

Originally posted by demura
$32 eh? guess what. slackware is better and cheaper! FREE!
Sorry, but I had no use for time-consuming downloads. My time is more valuable to me than my money. The CDs made it easy for me.

[chatins]

Remember stormix rainware debian release. It was perfect for newbies. I think it will be a classic some day since storm's ship sank a few years ago.

[2ndsign]

i use evil entity (slackware based) love it.:D

i have a lucent lt winmodem.used a source tarball to configure worked like a charm.

when i was a linuxnoob i used mandrake 9

found an rpm for my modem thats the best distro in my opinion for a newbie to try linux!in mandrake you can start doing things the easy way at first then work up to the hard stuff later if you want!:)

the next distro for newbies is redhat 8.0
i like the gnome and kde gui better then mandrake.you mandrake was first based on redhat so they are similar.things are slightly more cumbersome at times.i used a source tarball to configure my modem in that it worked fine!

but later i wanted to learn more things the hard stuff started using slack.i like to do things the hard way(if you call it that!!)

never tried suse but i would like to.

ive tried open caldera 3.11 nice but i thoght it was a little chessy.:eek:

and the the chessiest of all time lycoris!;)

there are curently over 96 distro they are working on at a time

go here (http://www.distrowatch.com) to see them.

its very hard to say what the best disrto
of linux is but read all the documentation you can about linux.as your skill increase so will your taste maybe not everyones different.you may find youve downloaded a disrto you dont understand but maybe six months later you try it your having a ball because your skills have increased.

im trying yoper next!its interesting to see a disrto that can run rpms and debian packages.

happy hunting!!

a word about winmodems.winmodems are software based modems.you see in the old days modems were hardware based.you would install your os and your modem would simply be detected.
but m$ pushed the idea for software modems so people would have a hardtime installing modem driver to deter them from switching to other oses!:mad:
you see if you have a winmodem you need a linux software to run it and most distro dont include them because they are propiety software (trademarked)
so you must hunt for the software.a good starting point is here (http://www.linmodems.org)
i think this is probably the number one reason people stop trying linux.you can avoid this altogether by buying a 56k serial modem.

anyone having problems getting their winmodems to work can pm me.

good luck to everyone!i love you guys for trying linux!!:)

[speaks_1337]

Well that time of year has come where i am curious to try another distribution of linux and fiddle around with it, so i am wondering which one should i try...slackware, debian, freeBSD or Gentoo?? what do u guys think?

[N0RKX]

If you've got broadband and a fast rig you might give Gentoo a shot.

[Icarus]

Gentoo is very nice if you have the system, bandwidth and patiance for it. I hear the biggest complaint is that when using emerge (portage) that it takes a while to install because it compiles everything from scratch. This makes it faster in the long run, but building it is a very long process.

Debian is the lazy persons Linux, lazy as in it works like Gentoo but it uses pre-compiled packages making installing much quicker. It is a very nice distro also.

Slackware I hear many good things about, but it takes a little knowledge of how Linux works. Good for the expert or someone that want's to learn a lot.

[speaks_1337]

what about FreeBSD?? anybody try that??

right now i am thinking about slackware...because i definatly want to learn as much about linux as i can, and i have been using it since the redhat 6.0 days. lol.

but i am definatly tempted by gentoo, i have taken a gander at their install FAQ, it looks pretty nifty. Right now i am definatly debating between slackware and gentoo...tough call.

[threadhead]

i can only recommend slackware.
after my suse 8.1 install i stepped pretty fast over to slackware 8.1 and i am still using it!
slackware would be a really good choice. ;)

cu

[Hayl]

any of those 3 are good (gentoo, debian, slack - in no particular order).

probably the 3 best distros - imho (no stinky rpms).

[bandwidth_pig]

Originally posted by speaks_1337
what about FreeBSD?? anybody try that??

right now i am thinking about slackware...because i definatly want to learn as much about linux as i can, and i have been using it since the redhat 6.0 days. lol.

but i am definatly tempted by gentoo, i have taken a gander at their install FAQ, it looks pretty nifty. Right now i am definatly debating between slackware and gentoo...tough call.

Actually, I was just going to suggest FreeBSD. Slackware is great though. And this is just my opinion but I have ran:

1. RedHat
2. Mandrake
3. Slackware
4. Debian
5. FreeBSD
6. Solaris
7. Now toying with HP-UX

With that said, I myself felt Slackware gave the most insight into Source Code as everything I would use was only available as Source Code (no rpm...apt...etc...it's all "natural" you might say). If your interested in that, Slack is a great choice.

But if your interested in Unix as a whole, why not branch out and give FreeBSD a whirl? From a package management perspective, I was almost as happy with FreeBSD as I am Debian. Almost....real close. Not quite though :)

[Zoist]

Out of Debian and Slackware which makes a better server distro?
Or should I just go FreeBSD?

I don't want to start another which distro is better thread though. I want opinions of what people would really use if starting out serving etc..

[X_console]

Those are three very good choices. Either one will probably work out great for you. Usually a I recommend Slack to friends, but that's only because (a) they want a Linux system, and (b) I have more experience with Slack over Debian so it's easier to assist them with questions regarding Slack.

[Okie]

i would say Debian because of apt-get makes it easier to keep updated, but now since Slackware has swaret to make keeping Slackware easy to update i will say the choice is up to you...

[X_console]

Just for your information: FreeBSD isn't a Linux distribution. It's an awesome operating system though. :)

[speaks_1337]

Originally posted by X_console
Just for your information: FreeBSD isn't a Linux distribution. It's an awesome operating system though. :)

it is based on unix tho right?? i mean will i have to relearn all the console commands and stuff?

[Zoist]

No. The good thing about FreeBSD is you can run a lot of Linux software on it.

[otbibb]

I have been running Slackware for about a year and a half, and love it. Along the way, I've tried Mandrake, Debian, Gentoo, LFS, Vector, Peanut, and FreeBSD.

You can't go wrong with Slackware, Debian, or Gentoo, it seems to me. All three of these have their zealots. In toying with FreeBSD, I came to realize how much Slackware has stayed true to the original Unix design of Linux. In fact, BSD felt like Slackware to me, with a few wrinkles. You get better disk management (tuning), for example, but you lose some of the hardware compatibility. As someone else said, you can run Linux apps on FreeBSD, which may be a point in its favor.

But, why not get the feel and stability of BSD in a true Linux distro: Slackware!

BB

[Zoist]

I have mainly been a Red Hat user, but have installed a very early version of Slackware v3 when I started using computers years ago.
What should I be warned about before using Slack? I have been wanting to check it out but it seems a bit scary without having the rpm stuff and easy to install type of system that RH offers.
Is it a simple process to install and set up X and KDE?

[otbibb]

Originally posted by Zoist
I have mainly been a Red Hat user, but have installed a very early version of Slackware v3 when I started using computers years ago.
What should I be warned about before using Slack? I have been wanting to check it out but it seems a bit scary without having the rpm stuff and easy to install type of system that RH offers.
Is it a simple process to install and set up X and KDE?

If you've been using Linux since Slackware 3, then you'll have not trouble. I'd say grab the Slackware-current tree and follow the instructions to make your own ISO and give it a shot. It's not that hard, and just involves learning a bit of mkisofs syntax. It's better than 8.1 because a bunch of new stuff has been added, and a 9.0 release is a few months away.

As far as things to be wary of, I don't think you'll find it that much more difficult than RH. Until you get the hang of compiling your own packages (the difficulty of which varies greatly by program), there are pre-compiled "slack-packs" available for many popular apps at www.linuxpackages.net.

The thing that's different from using RPMs is that there isn't any dependency checking. I actually GREATLY prefer this to RPM. You install the package, and read up on the dependencies needed (in the documentation), and install those packages as well, if you need to. If you miss something, when you run the app, it will say "libgnomeole2.so.0 missing" or something along those lines. So, you just go in and install libgnomeole2. Sometimes packages look for older versions of libraries, and you can just symlink to the newer one. The bottom line is that the package doesn't care WHEN the deps were installed, just that they are there when the app is run. It's not too difficult, and actually gives a greater amount of knowledge and control over what's happening in your system.

The setup for X, sound, etc. will be more or less difficult depending on the support for your hardware. If you have it working in another distro, Slackware will have no trouble with it. I'd say be sure to have your old config files available to reference. Slackware does have hotplug support built in, which will take care of many devices. This last time it got my sound card up and running with no intervention from me. (intel integrated audio).

hth
BB

[otbibb]

Originally posted by Zoist
and KDE?

Oh, I forgot. I don't use KDE, but I hear that there are Slackware packages for the newest KDE on the KDE site. I've seen several reports of success getting those packages running.

If you're trying Slackware, though, you might give Dropline Gnome a try. Myself, I use Fluxbox and Openbox, with a few Gnome tools thrown in.

screenshot (http://alpha.furman.edu/academics/dept/rel/foreignstudy/screenshot.jpg)

BB

[Zoist]

Great thanks a lot for your help!

I installed and looked at Linux over the years but it wasn't until RH 6.2 when I started to take big interest in LInux. At the moment I have kicked Windoze out the door because I can do everything on Linux as I can in Windoze except games which I don't really give a rats a$$ about too much anyway.
It's amazing how far Linux has come. It's really turned into a easy to use DESKTOP O/S with powerful features. I know what O/S I will be teaching my future children :D

Thanks for the link too it's great.

[speaks_1337]

Originally posted by otbibb
Oh, I forgot. I don't use KDE, but I hear that there are Slackware packages for the newest KDE on the KDE site. I've seen several reports of success getting those packages running.

If you're trying Slackware, though, you might give Dropline Gnome a try. Myself, I use Fluxbox and Openbox, with a few Gnome tools thrown in.

screenshot (http://alpha.furman.edu/academics/dept/rel/foreignstudy/screenshot.jpg)

BB

how did u get the little stats thingy running in the sidebar?? does that automatically come with slackware?

oh ya, and in the trouble that i am having with configuring slackware, when running the xf86config...where is the mouse device mounted if i have a USB microsoft intellimouse...i tried /dev/mouse but that doesn;'t work...

and with the monitors vertical sync rate and stuff like that what is the standard range cause i can't seem to get X to start, i keep puting in the vertical or whatever it is called at 50-70, there are other options like 50-90 and stuff like that...any ideas?? btw, i am borrowing the monitor from a friend, and my friend got it from a local college so there is no chance of me finding a manual with that needed info

once i get out of school, i will post exactly what the error is....

[fretbrner]

Hey, I am looking for a newer distro tht I can install on an old Dell 200mhz, 2gb, 64 meg laptop. It didnt like Rh8 tht much and it didnt leave much room on the HDD. All I really need is the gui and basic things. For mp3's, photo, and internet. I will be installing open office.

[JSeibert]

Check out various distrobutions and find out which support your hardware the best. You shouldn't have TOO much trouble finding a good distro for that particular setup. Also, if 2GBs is all you have, you might want to try setting up a Linux From Scratch and install only the software that you need. Check out lighter browsers such as Phoenix.

[fretbrner]

Mr seibert, do you belong to Lilug by any chance??? I have been thinking of going to there meetings for a while

[blasted]

Now then. I currently use Mandrake v9.0. If you're new to linux as i was then i reccommend this distro because it's a doddle to install, the desktop is similar to Windoze (if you pick KDE) and it'll give you everything you need.
All the distros have very little to choose between them and Mandrake is the easiest to install.
If you're not convinced then i am also told that SUSE is also very good although i haven't used it myself.
Good luck! and understand that things will be different from now on. (but better!)

[StaticDischarge]

I am a newbie and I am using SuSe 8.1 pro. The installation was smooth as hell. Plus getting the nVidia drivers is very simple using the YaSt2 online update! Although I have no basis for comparison as of yet.

I am thinking of trying Slackware once I get the feel of things. I would like to buy the distro, because I like having the manuals handy. The only problem is BestBuy is the only place in the area and they suck donkey dick. (they have about 100 copys of windows:mad: and 2 copys of SuSe pro and 3 of RedHat pro) Does anyone know a good place to order online?

[2ndsign]

download the iso!the 4 cds that come with

slackware the first is the installation.

the 2nd is a live cd you can use without installing to your hard drive.

the 3rd and forth are source code.

if you just download the iso it the same thing essentially without the bloat.

and slacks a more expensive distro then most.

over forty bucks after shipping and handling!:confused:

of course the more advanced you become in linux the more need you have for buying the 4 cds!:)

[A.J.Gibson]

I know you all probably get this question all the time, but I need to know which distro to go for.

I'm using an Athlon XP. I had RedHat 8.0 on it but the way KDE was destroyed soured me on it. I couldn't find anything in either GUI, the menu couldn't be easily altered, things kept disappearing from my desktop, and the screen saver was broke. But I did like APT - it made updating easy, save for the fact that you couldn't update from the RPM's on my own hard drive with it!!

Now I'm using RedHat 7.3. Overall, I like it, but I'm finding support for it at APT servers is non-existent now. I look for Mozilla and I find 1.01. KDE is still at 3.0.3. It's like the day ReHat 8.0 came out they stopped updating for 7.3.

So now I'm thinking about a new distro. What I need:
-easy to use on a regular basis, I don't really have the time to go through reams of books and forums every day, I have my degree in Comp Sci but I'm still a Linux newbie
-a distro that doesn't castrate KDE
-a distro that avoids RPM hell, but that has new software available (KDE 3.1!!)
-a distro that come compiled for something faster than a 386 (no time for recompiles, otherwise I'd be using Gentoo)
-something well supported
-something that looks nice

With that said, I've been looking at Mandrake, Lindows and Xandros. Any suggestions?

[JamminJoeyB]

I'll might get beat about the head and shoulders with a windows for dummies book, but here goes.

Try Evil Entity from www.undeadlinux.com. Or slackware.

I ran Slack for about a week just to see what was needed to get it configured in case a friend actually installs the 8.1 cd I gave him.

Now I am back on EvilE. I like this distro even though its a developers release. I haven't had any major problems.

BTW Slack does come with kde, just not sure what version. I ran the enlightenment wm.

I will probably never go back to kde or gnome.

[bandwidth_pig]

Originally posted by A.J.Gibson
I know you all probably get this question all the time, but I need to know which distro to go for.

I'm using an Athlon XP. I had RedHat 8.0 on it but the way KDE was destroyed soured me on it. I couldn't find anything in either GUI, the menu couldn't be easily altered, things kept disappearing from my desktop, and the screen saver was broke. But I did like APT - it made updating easy, save for the fact that you couldn't update from the RPM's on my own hard drive with it!!

Now I'm using RedHat 7.3. Overall, I like it, but I'm finding support for it at APT servers is non-existent now. I look for Mozilla and I find 1.01. KDE is still at 3.0.3. It's like the day ReHat 8.0 came out they stopped updating for 7.3.

So now I'm thinking about a new distro. What I need:
-easy to use on a regular basis, I don't really have the time to go through reams of books and forums every day, I have my degree in Comp Sci but I'm still a Linux newbie
-a distro that doesn't castrate KDE
-a distro that avoids RPM hell, but that has new software available (KDE 3.1!!)
-a distro that come compiled for something faster than a 386 (no time for recompiles, otherwise I'd be using Gentoo)
-something well supported
-something that looks nice

With that said, I've been looking at Mandrake, Lindows and Xandros. Any suggestions?

Sounds like Mandrake is your best bet. I have heard Lindows is not all it is cracked up to be. Never heard of Xandros. I'm sure Mandrake has KDE. Not sure about 3.1. Maybe? Drakesters?

[MANOWAR]

a good distro for starters and advanced users is SUSE 8.1 Pro.
It's very easy to use and it's great if you're just migrating from windows (you even get shortcuts to the windows partitions in your desktop)

[JohnT]

Help me pick my distro!!

It's said in some circles that picking anything can be unsanitary and lead to infection, so can I poke it with a stick instead?

[sirotz]

I like xandros. It is perfect for a noob. Self configured everything at startup. A lot more than I can say for Mandrake and Red Hat. I couldn't even get the hardware browser to open in red hat. I love xandros!

[leakeypc]

Ok Iam a year Old Linux Newbie ,
Installed Mandrak9.0 as 3rd OS in tri boot Had major Boot problems just now getting around to trying again. Install was Easy and I could do or figure out alot of stuff and Just Play with it BUT .. when I read the Doc's and the Library articals and the replys to my Posts I'am sure it is all very good info however ,
most of it asumes that I know where and how to get to /ect/yada yada and su / Yada by now it turned to greek on me ..
Kinda like taking a person that finally learned win98 and telling them * just reboot to Dos /go to your C drive open your editor and find your Boot.ini look for *_* .
Me I wussed out when I got PC /Win 95 (1996)I knew zilch, I bought windows for dummies Kewl because It assumed that I knew Nothing and I could follow the instructions gave the book to another pc newbie because I was way past that .. I found out that Yikkes I need to know some more dos commands so I hit the Super Highway www.Ineedto learn Basic DOS or somthing Ok I doing fairly good ..Now If I could Just learn some Basic Linux Commands I could prolly Kikk some Major M.S. Butt :) (the little 4 colored flag flying one )
I truley appreciate everyones time & advice even if I cant follow it or it dont help Iam in the ring learning, Just a frindly reminder it never hurts to remember where you came from it may help you help us all better

[dadeo11]

I have a Dell Dimension 4500 2.4GHz P4 running XP. I am new to Linux and want to set-up a dual-boot box using Partition Magic but am experiencing a couple of problems.

On my 40GB HD Windows resides in a 30GB partition and I have a 10GB Linux part. with 250MB swap partition. I can't seem to find a distro that likes my video card (Geforce4 MX 420). It isn't listed in any of the hardware compatability databases that I can find. I've tried Mandrake 9 and it installed smoothly but at the end I had no video. I did have audio and KDE sounded like it loaded. I've had Suse demo running with video and also Knoppix (very functional, fun learning tool):) :) :)

I'm leaning toward Red Hat, Suse or Lycoris as they seem to support more newer hardware and newbies. I have been looking everywhere for solid, definative information about my vid. card's compatability with various distros but no luck. All advice will be greatly appreciated.

D

[retoon]

I just checked the list of resident vid card drivers in red hat 8, and generic gforce4 drivers are installed, those should work for you, then after getting your display up and running, go to nvidias site and install their drivers. Did mandrake install graphically? If so, then it does support your video card, other wise it would install graphically. When installing, don't rely on the probed video card settings, select the generic gforce4 drivers if available.

[Zoist]

I am gonna check out Slackware and Gentoo tomorrow. But I am still a bit rusty with Linux :D

[mrBen]

From the ones you listed:

Mandrake cuts up KDE the least, but still uses RPMs

Lindows does cut up KDE, but is still quite pretty, doesn't use RPMs, but is still 'frowned upon' within the community for some of it's corporate shenanigans

Xandros cuts up KDE, uses KDE2 to look like Win98, but looks like a really good distro, IMHO.


You could also look at Lycoris or SuSE. Debian would solve dependancy hell, and you can get a backport of KDE3.1 for it - I have it on my laptop.

[endoalpha]

Mandrake uses urpmi for cutting the rpm dependencies. It works as well as apt-get, as long as you use mandrake specific RPMs. (just as you would have to use Debian specific .debs)

[daman2k]

well im a total newbie but i got red hat 8 its not bad overall but im havin major network setup probs so im going for mandrake now

[Raoul_Duke]

My first install of Gentoo taught me more about linux than months of using redhat.

But that's me...............some people will pick up a harder distro and do fine, others won't.

Just help those that are prepared to help themselves as well :)

[arioch]

It seems to me the original poster is missing the point completely when it comes to Debian offspring distro's. Those distributors are in the habit of charging money for their flavours because they KNOW, that a "corrected" debian distro is by far the easiest one to maintain and run, and therefore worth paying for! I would f.ex NEVER recommend Mandrake, Suse, or Redhat over Libranet (which by the way can be obtained for free). If i had to suggest one of the three above it would have to be Mandrake (URPMI). Xandros is another example of a distributor who discovered the ease-of-use potential of Debian, And as far as i know Gentoo will also be offering a "traditional" install version of their upcoming 1.4 release. That has the potential of being very newbie friendly. I never recommend RPM based distro's simply because i think that format is downright embarrasing for the vendors, and it should be corrected or annihilated.

[speaks_1337]

never ever use/look/talk/confer with lindows it is the worst ever, horrible horrible.....just say NO

well with that said, i run redhat think its pretty good, but right now my favorite distro is slackware, i have it running on my other computer and it is very fast, efficient and well done. GO SLACK.

Mandrake is pretty good but it seems too cluttered. doesn't really mutilate kde either, if u want something that doesn't mutilate KDE, u could always install redhat without KDE and then just add it manually from their website, but u would have to use the old 3.0 ;) because i don;t think there is an RPM for 3.1 out yet for redhat....but i am not sure i haven't really checked it all lately.

[andysimmons]

Mandrake broke KDE. It doesn't look bad, but if you plan to install any 3rd party KDE apps (e.g. Liquid) don't count on it. Your best bet is to pick a good distro, then just install KDE 3.1 yourself. It's not hard, especially if you use the rpms. I personally like SuSE 8.1, it's easy to use like Mandrake, but it sticks to the standard directory structure so all of the KDE apps work fine.

[plattypus1]

My $.02 (in case you care):
I'm a newbie myself. Been using linux since early January now, running RH 8.0 and lovin' it. I only boot into windows for gaming anymore. I, personally, have never used a UNIX or UNIX-like system before in my life, so RH is a really great starter distro for me. However, I'm sure there are people out there who think that they'd rather build their own setup in slack, and dive on in. What's wrong with that? It's not my way of learning, but if it's theirs, more power to 'em, right?

By the way, I'd like to thank the LNO/JL community for helping me out when I felt more like tossing my computer out the window than playing with it. I'm actually gettin' pretty good now... and there's a free partition on my HD for slack when I feel brave enough. *funeral dirge plays* But thanks for helping.

[Dj_Extazy]

hm... again general review about distro's ?? :P
if you really want to get out of the rpm hell, then go for the slack or debian/gentoo distro
i understood that you don't or can't put gentoo... ok
slackware.... it's very good, but i think it has some disavantages comparing it to debian
let me exaplain :o :
1) debian has apt-get, which allows you to re-update your distro without any big SP's or something
for example, is Debian 3.r2 would appear right now, you don't have to download the whole distro again.... you simply use apt-get... c00l, huh?
2) debian supports .deb (it's original default-package manager), sources (all distros support this) & even rpm (which isn't very used, but it's supported... just in case you need something real bad :) )
3) Debian 3.0r1 has KDE 3.1 i think (right now i'm using Debian 3.0r0 so please excuse me... :rolleyes: ), if not, KDE 3.0.1 surely has, GNOME, all the software you want on the all 7-CD;s !! ;) )
4) it's totally free!! it's the only distribution (from the ones well-known) that's completly free!! even slackware isn't free because it "hides" the 3 CD-s from downloading.... oh, sorry, i forgot gentoo... well, debian & gentoo are the only ones... :)
------------------------------------------------------
as disvantages, the installation is a bit hard... but futher the distro is quite easy
so i advice you to try debian... i liked & like it very much!!

[JohnT]

-a distro that come compiled for something faster than a 386 (no time for recompiles, otherwise I'd be using Gentoo)


H-m-m, I recompiled my BSD kernel this morning ,configured my sound module and it took all of 35 minutes.What a waste of time!!!
:D

[newbee-steve]

My self I have had Redhat8.0 mandrake9.0 and SuSE 8.1 and all I will say is I wanted everything pos. Kde3.1 / Gnome / Blackbox ect. and run with no problems for I was droping MS at once, so I ran them all on P3 units and end up with SuSE 8.1 they are right on top of the updates and most win modems are on the cd's right out of the box.. load and go no real set at all now its on 9 systems networked - it to is rpms... I love the YaST.... like anything you need to find the OS that fits your needs me plug and go thats what I want - easy up grades.. full systemsss

Have A good one !!!!!

[vbp6us]

Originally posted by MANOWAR
a good distro for starters and advanced users is SUSE 8.1 Pro.
It's very easy to use and it's great if you're just migrating from windows (you even get shortcuts to the windows partitions in your desktop)

Hey..now thats a real suggestion. ;) Its true..im using it and im a NEWBIE. Plus its full of applications so no downloading required. Mandrake does do this too but i hear about problems and their packages.

[Okie]

I have Redhat-8 and after fiddling with it for a week i wiped it off and put Redhat-7.1 back on, KDE has not made a decent release since KDE-2.1.1 (too much eye candy)

if you ask me i hope the lighter window managers like ICEwm & WindowMaker fill the void between a full featured Desktop Evviroment and a bare bones WM, it is light and customizable in the menu,toolbar, desktop background, and theme-able, if you want something ligher yet still looks good try Blackbox or Fluxbox or XFCE...

even with Slackware-8.1 i did not like KDE-3.0.x and pulled the KDE-2.1.1 packages off of a Slackware-8.0 CDrom and they worked like a charm in Slackware-8.1

[hop-frog]

SuSE is extremely easy to install, it looks the nicest IMO, and it comes with so much software you will never have to download anything ever again. Yes it is RPM-based, but if you use YaST to install it will take care of all of the dependancies for you. All you have to do it put in the disk that it asks for.

[Okie]

another good distro just released a new one just today, Peanut Linux # 9.5 i downloaded it in about a hour and it took about all of 8 to 10 minutes to install, KDE-3.1 is the default desktop, but you can add others, Waimea, golem and a few others, i tryed to get it to take ICEwm but it would not go due to some sort if conflict, and WindowMaker would not go unless i find a lib somewhere...

but overall it seems to be a good & stable distro, the ISO is about 347 megs...

[En-DA-Linux]

I used Red Hat when I was getting into the Linux first time. Now I've changed my choice to mandrake cos I heard that it is user-friendly. And it is! (but i feel like wanna try out somethin' else.) Any suggestions?

[2ndsign]

Evil Entity 0.2.5

www.undeadlinux.com

its my favorite OS


and ohh by the ways its free!;)

[SpaceCadet]

hello, i just downloaded suse 8 live evaluation iso. but is it the best live version ?

[finalfiler]

Originally posted by jaxbeachbum
Fast forward 2003: Mandrake 9.0 The reviews raved, the press said MS had better worry. I installed it. HOLY CRAP, it worked. Out of the box, network, DSL, internet, the whole thing. I almost couldn't believe it.
.

I screwed and fart arsed around with all sorts of distros with various degrees of success. If it worked at all, there was always something that didnt.

I bought an "offical" MDK 9 distro, the one with the really easy to read and informative "Installation & Users Guide", ran the install on a nondescript but recent box and bingo- everything I selected to install worked.

Regarding the camera, http://mandrakeforum.com/article.php?sid=1293&lang=en got me started

[Dr. Shim]

I was wondering if any of you peguin-savvy people out there can point to a Linux distro that doesn't cost too much, and is easy to develope in. I really don't mind using tarballs instead of automated packages (like RPMs), and reading a manual here or there to get stuff done. I'll probably want to install Apache/MySQL/PHP myself, since I find the flexiblity of doing it myself conveniant.
I've looked at SuSe, but it's geared towards desktop-users, and I really don't want any of the fancy desktops, media-players, ect. Mandrake and Redhat use RPMs, and I've come to really hate RPMs because of dependency issues. I haven't looked much at Debian, but it uses DEBs, which I herd are a lot like...RPMs.

What do you guys suggest?

[z0mbix]

Debian is IMHO a great developer's distro as apt sorts out all the package management issues almost without any use interaction, leaving you able to spend more time coding. Gentoo is similar but build everything from source so takes longer. Debian can work with source packages too via apt so you really get the best of both worlds.

[Dr. Shim]

What development tools does it (Debian) come with?

[Artimus]

Almost every distro now a days has tools to develope with. Compilers, Libraries are all there. My recommendation is that you don't try Red Hat or Mandrake. They usually have a highly patched C compiler(called gcc).

Slackware is generally pretty generic, so you might want to look into that.

I assume Debian would work. In Debian though, you have to install pretty much any program you want to use. It comes with next to nothing installed by default.

Both are text based installs. This is not as hard as they make it. The Slackware install for example has some pretty good documentation. It also has the compilers and pretty much everything else on the CD, so if you have a modem connection, you don't have to worry about downloading EVERYTHING.

[Fryguy8]

Well after having used linux for around a year, and having done LFS for the past 4 months or so, the experience is starting to wear off.

I'm at the point now where I need/want to update to glibc3, X 4.3 etc, and it's basically going to force me to recompile my whole system from scratch.

So I'm thinking that it might be time to "step down" to something that is a touch more automated. I want a system where I can compile things from scratch (for optimizations), but is relatively easy to maintain/upgrade.

Debian is out just because they are obssessed with .debs and doing everything The Debian Way (TM), which involves compiling NOTHING from source code. That is NOT my style (Debian was my first distro and I grew out of it).

Naturally rpm-based distrobutions are out for a similar reason.

Unless I'm overseeing something, that leaves Gentoo. Which MIGHT be perfect for me, however I have a couple of questions.

Is Gentoo BLEEDING edge? Like, does it already have X 4.3 available for use? And how easy is it to use it's emerge system of installation for upgrading? Like is it possible to do a full system upgrade to a new version of glibc etc?

[sharth]

as far as i see, gentoo is exactly what you want.

Xfree 4.2.1r2 seems to be the current status.

[Hayl]

it has X 4.3 available - i am running it.

i believe that you can do a full upgrade to a new glibc if you wanted to. try asking on #gentoo for details on how to do it.

[Sastraxi]

And, you can actually get "bleeding-edge" versions of packages by using ACCEPT_KEYWORDS="~x86", to get 'masked' packages (if I'm not mistaken). Plus, you can download the latest tarball, get it from CVS, etc, etc, whatever, and make your own eBuilds (and submit them). The gentoo folk really encourage user submissions :)

[Fryguy8]

So how hard is the gentoo package system to use. My first distro was debian, so I'm familiiar with apt. Is it similar in use at all?

[Sastraxi]

Very similar! Remember this?# apt-get install mplayerWell, doing this:# emerge mplayerIs the same thing ;) You can also search for keywords:# emerge xine
... no masked/unmasked ebuilds for "xine"...
# emerge -s xine
...
...
media-apps/xine-ui
...
...
# emerge xine-ui

[Fryguy8]

Is there anything noticeably bad or wrong with gentoo? Keep in mind I'm coming from LFS for the past 4 months, doing EVERYTHING from scratch.


::can't wait to get a system with optimizations where a lot of the 'quirk' stuff actually works, like truetype fonts in mozilla etc::

[horde]

even a 15 year old should be able to spell the word 'which' (see thread title).