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mcwkm
Grandmaster Poster
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 271
Location: ct
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 Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 11:44 am Post subject: linux distros |
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ok so i noticed there has been a lot more talk of linux distros/desktop enviornments the past few days. so to the point of why i am posting I have spring break coming up starts on march 6th so i have some time to actually mess around with all my computers and play with linux and such.
heres a list of distros i may try/give a deeper look at, if youve tried one of them and recommend against it or for it. also if there is something i didn't mention that you recommend trying mention it.
list:
dreamlinux
zenwalk
freebsd
solaris
sabayon
sorcerer
jacklab
ubuntu mobile edition
probably wont get to most of the list but i have different reasons for the distros. oh and i know freebsd and solaris are not linux but ive been meaning to try them and i may get a chance
if your just starting to use linux try an ubuntu variant, i would say to use one of the official recognized variants. |
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Scar
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Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Posts: 6111
Location: Chuck Norris's nightmares.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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Check out gOS too! it's the easiest linux i've tried (actually worked without a problem  ) www.thinkgos.com
I want to try out Dreamlinux, but the new version 3 should be finalized and released in March, and it's best to way because the Beta's and RC's, can mess with your overall opinion, so thats what i'm doing. It looks nice :d
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Xtreme $niper
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Joined: 29 Mar 2005
Posts: 1379
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Fri Feb 29, 2008 10:52 pm Post subject: |
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You haven't specified if you have tried any other distros prior to the ones in this list, so we don't know if you have any previous experience with linux or not...
I haven't been messing around with linux all that much ever since I got my Mac, but if I remember right, these are the distros I have used:
Mephis - Very simple to use. It prides itself on being user friendly and almost Windows-like in its usage. I would suggest giving this a try if you're new to linux.
Ubuntu - Everybody knows Ubuntu.
SuSe - This one is pretty good. I enjoyed using this distro quite a bit, though if I remember right, it might be a little difficult to find/install packages (might be wrong, or might have changed since then).
Lindows - Meh, avoid it.
I tried a few others as well but they don't stand out in my mind right now.
I would suggest getting a few Live CDs and giving them a try. Most distros nowadays come as a live cd that you can choose to install if you like it (Ubuntu and gOS do that - I know for sure).
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mcwkm
Grandmaster Poster
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 271
Location: ct
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| Posted: Sat Mar 01, 2008 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| sniper did you use opensuse or the enterprise version(not sure what its called). also is mephis strictly geared towards beginners? ive tried quite a few distros but the only ones i have used for long periods of time are ubuntu variants using studio now and xandros on my eee but thats not choice just convienence |
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Xtreme $niper
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| Posted: Sat Mar 15, 2008 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| mcwkm wrote: | | sniper did you use opensuse or the enterprise version(not sure what its called). also is mephis strictly geared towards beginners? ive tried quite a few distros but the only ones i have used for long periods of time are ubuntu variants using studio now and xandros on my eee but thats not choice just convienence |
It's been a while but I'm pretty sure that I used SuSe before openSuSe came around, so it must have been the enterprise version. It came on DVDs and everything.
Also, my mistake was that Mephis is actually called Mepis: http://www.mepis.org/
I don't think it's geared towards just beginners, it's just good at being easy to use and easy to set up. Check out the site. You can always just give it a try and decide if it's right for you or not.
Sorry for the late reply by the way.
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LP-SolidRaven
Dictator of the Dump
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
Posts: 7015
Location: The cheese is made out of moon
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| Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 7:29 am Post subject: |
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If you don't really know where to start I advise going using a tool like this or you could go here as well. But the first link is better as it asks more questions 
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Xtreme $niper
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Location: Canada
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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| SolidRaven wrote: | | If you don't really know where to start I advise going using a tool like this or you could go here as well. But the first link is better as it asks more questions |
That's actually pretty useful, I didn't know that such a tool existed. I just would read about the different distros and people's general opinion about them and make my decision based on that. And I usually install it on a small partition that can easily be formatted on a whim because I tend to not keep linux distros around for extended periods of time.
For my results I got Mandriva, which I have not tried yet. I might try it eventually. I think I got it mainly because I said I would be installing it on a mac.
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ClickFanatic
Est. 2005
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 3857
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:12 pm Post subject: |
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I would recommend giving Gentoo a try. Especially if you like tweaking and fiddling with settings to get a really customised operating system.
I used it on a rather low-end computer and it ran real smooth after I got through the installation and basic setup.
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mcwkm
Grandmaster Poster
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
Posts: 271
Location: ct
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| Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 5:24 pm Post subject: |
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| SolidRaven wrote: | | If you don't really know where to start I advise going using a tool like this or you could go here as well. But the first link is better as it asks more questions |
Great first link. Never saw that before.
Anyway I don't have the time now to try any of these out now, I got distracted last week which was when i was going to try some of these but feel free to keep posting these links and distros. |
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Xtreme $niper
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| Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| ClickFanatic wrote: | | I used it on a rather low-end computer and it ran real smooth after I got through the installation and basic setup. |
A lot of linux distros tend to be pretty good looking even on pretty low end systems. It's definitely something good about linux. I'm not sure how they pull it off, especially with the lack of good support from graphics companies for drivers.
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LP-SolidRaven
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:56 am Post subject: |
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| Xtreme $niper wrote: | | A lot of linux distros tend to be pretty good looking even on pretty low end systems. It's definitely something good about linux. I'm not sure how they pull it off, especially with the lack of good support from graphics companies for drivers. |
They don't waste system resources for useless tasks like the guys at microsoft. On top of that, the X Window System concept has been in active development for over 20 years by now I think. In other words, a lot more mature than the windows GUI. The first versions of X Server had to run on hardware that windows 3.1 wouldn't even boot on... It's a lot more resource friendly in other words. What gives the developers more room to do things (See Beryl, it runs with graphics superior to vista on computers that vista doesn't even want to install on)
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| Quote: |
<bart416> I just realized something
<bart416> we celebrate the fact that this piece of rock made one rotation around a glowing ball of plasma that is kept together due to its own gravity well
<njsg> HAPPY NEW YEAR
<Easter> ^^
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Xtreme $niper
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:08 pm Post subject: |
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| SolidRaven wrote: | | Xtreme $niper wrote: | | A lot of linux distros tend to be pretty good looking even on pretty low end systems. It's definitely something good about linux. I'm not sure how they pull it off, especially with the lack of good support from graphics companies for drivers. |
They don't waste system resources for useless tasks like the guys at microsoft. On top of that, the X Window System concept has been in active development for over 20 years by now I think. In other words, a lot more mature than the windows GUI. The first versions of X Server had to run on hardware that windows 3.1 wouldn't even boot on... It's a lot more resource friendly in other words. What gives the developers more room to do things (See Beryl, it runs with graphics superior to vista on computers that vista doesn't even want to install on) |
With all that development, it's still kind of odd that they haven't bothered to put the time and effort into getting linux to appeal more to the mainstream crowds who don't want to learn how to use terminal. Ubuntu is one of the only ones that have ever gone even remotely mainstream.
Oh well, I suppose in a way it's slightly better this way. You don't get too many of the complete noobs coming in and ruining things all too often. 
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martinz
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Joined: 01 Oct 2007
Posts: 287
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| Posted: Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:09 pm Post subject: |
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| i have only tried knoppix and ubuntu. I use them just to recover files in the event of failed windows system. I have never installed a full linux system on my system, probably, i am worried that i can't get use to it and could not reverse the installation. any recommendations which linux distros should i begin full installation on my system ? |
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LP-SolidRaven
Dictator of the Dump
Joined: 06 Jun 2004
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Location: The cheese is made out of moon
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 2:37 am Post subject: |
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| Xtreme $niper wrote: | | SolidRaven wrote: | | Xtreme $niper wrote: | | A lot of linux distros tend to be pretty good looking even on pretty low end systems. It's definitely something good about linux. I'm not sure how they pull it off, especially with the lack of good support from graphics companies for drivers. |
They don't waste system resources for useless tasks like the guys at microsoft. On top of that, the X Window System concept has been in active development for over 20 years by now I think. In other words, a lot more mature than the windows GUI. The first versions of X Server had to run on hardware that windows 3.1 wouldn't even boot on... It's a lot more resource friendly in other words. What gives the developers more room to do things (See Beryl, it runs with graphics superior to vista on computers that vista doesn't even want to install on) |
With all that development, it's still kind of odd that they haven't bothered to put the time and effort into getting linux to appeal more to the mainstream crowds who don't want to learn how to use terminal. Ubuntu is one of the only ones that have ever gone even remotely mainstream.
Oh well, I suppose in a way it's slightly better this way. You don't get too many of the complete noobs coming in and ruining things all too often. |
Oh, check gnome if you don't want any dangerous options or terminal requirements. Each release a control panel is removed from gnome. There have been discussions about that on the mail lists. Google for "Linus vs Gnome". Fact is that you can run linux without ever touching a terminal if you want. A lot of distro's allow that actually. The only exception to that is the setup and first boot (but the setup is usually a ncurses GUI or a full GUI). And on first boot it's mainly the package manager installing software. So that also requires zero inter action. After that you'll usually be able to do pretty much everything without ever touching a terminal. In fact installing software is a lot easier than on windows. Most package managers automatically download dependencies.
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| Quote: |
<bart416> I just realized something
<bart416> we celebrate the fact that this piece of rock made one rotation around a glowing ball of plasma that is kept together due to its own gravity well
<njsg> HAPPY NEW YEAR
<Easter> ^^
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ClickFanatic
Est. 2005
Joined: 18 Jan 2005
Posts: 3857
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| Posted: Thu Mar 20, 2008 10:14 am Post subject: |
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| Xtreme $niper wrote: | With all that development, it's still kind of odd that they haven't bothered to put the time and effort into getting linux to appeal more to the mainstream crowds who don't want to learn how to use terminal. Ubuntu is one of the only ones that have ever gone even remotely mainstream.
Oh well, I suppose in a way it's slightly better this way. You don't get too many of the complete noobs coming in and ruining things all too often. |
Marketing to the mainstream costs money, and programmers who make software on a voluntary basis usually can not spend their money on large advertising campaigns.
The benefits of Linux generally only appeal to a certain group of people, this is why, I think, it is so popular among the people who have taken the time to use it as their primary operating system.
Linux is out of the 'terminal era', by the way. Ubuntu was one of the first to move away from the Linux stereotypes and now a lot more distributions are following in its footsteps.
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