Which version of Linux should I use????

[David38400]

Hi experienced Linux Users. I am totally fed up with Microsoft and am seriously thinking of changing to Linux. I understand there are different versions available and I am clueless about what does what. Can anybody please let me know which version to download. I really am looking as a home user and need it for music, images, dvd's and home music and accounting. Nothing out of the ordinary. Thanks very much in advance to anybody who may reply.

[bsm2001]

http://distrowatch.com

Look in the right hand column and start browsing.

find one that that has a live cd and try that and get a feel for it. when you find the one that is comfortable for you then give it a shot.

[blackbelt_jones]

They're coming.

I can hear the approaching hoofbeats. Whenever some poor b*****d asks the inevitable "What distro should I use?", question, every cowboy with a justlinux password rides into town to tell him something different. PCLinux users, Debian users, opensuse users and Fedora users, will all be here soon. You'll hear from devotees of Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Fluxbuntu, Edubuntu, Pornbuntu, and Yadayadayuntu. And always, a Slackware guy. Ignore the Slackware guy! The Slackware guy is not your friend.

They'll be here soon. I wonder what's keeping them.

If you have a fast connection, and a half-way decent machine, my advice to you is to relax and spend a good long time fooling around with a nice collection of live CDs. A live CD is an operating system that doesn't have to be installed. It runs from your CD drive and RAM. You boot it, and it runs. Live CDs came on the scene about five years ago, and now they're all over the place.

A live CD can be made to read data from your Windows partition (in other words, you can play music, videos, and access data from your hard drive.) You may need a Linux-formatted partition if you want to write to your hard drive... but that's another story.

Just go to distrowatch like bsm said, and look for live CDs. Hang out in the forums and see what people are using, and these days nearly everything is available in a live version. Just take your time. Try some different desktops environments. (KDE, Gnome, XFCE... don't know what I'm talking about? You will soon enough.)

Of course, my advice is based on the assumption that you're like me five years ago: excited, but perplexed and overwhelmed. Maybe you're different.

Maybe you should just install Slackware. Slackware is awesome. Seriously. Ignore what everyone else tells you.

[loopback48]

... Ignore the Slackware guy! The Slackware guy is not your friend.

Blackbelt, you kill me!

Since you're new to Linux let me suggest a distro that will give you what you want and need. A distro that makes your first steps into Linux enjoyable. One that has all the apps, codecs and such, and works right out of the box. So, with that said, here goes:

1. Ubuntu
2. MintLinux
3. PClinuxOS
4. Mepis

For the time being, stay away from Debian, Fedora, openSUSE and without a doubt, stay away from Slackware.

Once you've become comfortable with anyone of these distros, then you can get geeky if you want. But get an OS up and running first.

[keratam]

hi people. here r my system details.. plz suggest me a distro that would be ideal for these:

celeron 333MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, 4GB hard disk.

which distro would run on this well and give me a way to enjoy music, movies, easy with hardware installations and connect to the internet (all common browsing, downloading, uploading, mailing, chatting, etc)

i've tried to install Ubuntu but it has a problem while installing which no one could ideally solve until now as per the related forums. n may be my sytem requirements are far too less for Ubuntu.

thanks in advance for the advice.

-Keratam, Hyd, India.

[irlandes]

hi people. here r my system details.. plz suggest me a distro that would be ideal for these:

celeron 333MHz processor, 64 MB RAM, 4GB hard disk.

which distro would run on this well and give me a way to enjoy music, movies, easy with hardware installations and connect to the internet (all common browsing, downloading, uploading, mailing, chatting, etc)

i've tried to install Ubuntu but it has a problem while installing which no one could ideally solve until now as per the related forums. n may be my sytem requirements are far too less for Ubuntu.

thanks in advance for the advice.

-Keratam, Hyd, India.

You are asking a lot for an old computer. With Puppy Linux some of the basic stuff will work on there. The part I am not sure about with Puppy is movies and music. Mail and browsing fine.

[!kiX!]

Music will definitely work with some kind of a light music player. Movies should also be possible to get to work, but I've never tried on a Linux box with that old computer. Perhaps with some light window manager like Openbox?

[eyceguy]

my personal suggestion would be Mepis.

Reasons?
1) very nice automatic hardware detection, worked the best on my laptop compared to other linux distros i had tried.
2) LiveCD. Awesome sandbox for a newcomer to linux.
3) KDE. KDE is the desktop manager and while i may get flamed for it I believe that it's the best for someone new to linux, it's layout is familiar to a popular operating system we don't mention here. So for someone new to linux its a nice gentle introduction to linux.

-off topic-
hey blackbelt where can i get a hold of that pornbuntu?

[blackbelt_jones]

-off topic-
hey blackbelt where can i get a hold of that pornbuntu?

You know, "pornbuntu" has been a favorite joke of mine for a while, but a live CD would be a great way to distribute porn. You have a CD or maybe even a DVD, which has a very rudimentary desktop operating system, and a big wad of built-in porn. What makes this a great idea is that nothing is left behind on the hard drive for the kids (or the wife) to find.

[mrrangerman43]

blackbelt_jones

What makes this a great idea is that nothing is left behind on the hard drive for the kids (or the wife) to find.

Or how about NOT having that garbage around at all, then you don't have to worry about the kids or wife finding it?

[JohnT]

Alfred E. Neuman

What me worry?

[acid45]

Is DVD playback available for Linux? ...legally? Without much fuss?

...and what's this about Slackware? =D

Anyway, for the original poster. Live CDs are what I use to try and convince people to try Linux when they get me over to get rid of their latest porn site/P2P installation. I always gave them Ubuntu but not many people wanted it. It detects hardware pretty well but alot of the Distros, or versions, out there are doing this.

A lot of the people I know that just use Linux as a PC as they would Windows seem to use Debian. RedHat also seems to have a lot of support out there.

Like everyone said, burn and try a bunch of Live CDs. Once you've found one that does everything you want, which all of them should, install it. Most live CDs have a little Install to HD program somewhere in the menu, that may be something old and you may have to download specific install discs.

Oh and one more thing. While you getting used to the 'looking for open source alternatives' way that I go about looking for software for Linux, you could install wine and install Windows applications natively in your distribution of choice. Not all applications can be installed, but I find everything I've tried worked fine.

[quip]

Or how about NOT having that garbage around at all, then you don't have to worry about the kids or wife finding it?

Uhhh...because I like looking at nekkid people...or maybe I'm just a perv.

Either way, I think you're just a little too dismissive of a man, his innovative dream, and the will to make it happen...

Go blackbelt_jones!

[xandrosuser]

I worked as an electronics / computer technician for a Science Center for many years before going on disability in 2000. In the mid to late 90’s we started installing Linux first on our server then on exhibits but never on someone’s desktop. And when I was working on computers it was to fix broken windows mostly because they did something that you and me would call stupid. 95 % of windows users don’t know the OS and don’t want too, they just want to use it. I still fix computers on the side for people and nothing has changed.

Which is why I think the Linux community should support a distro like Xandros to bring Linux to the masses that don’t really want to learn the OS but just want to use it. But if you want to learn Linux it’s just under the hood and it’s a good start to get people moving away from MS. Just like a car most people don’t want to get out the tool box and lift the hood.

Today I read a story in the local paper about Wal-Mart selling a Linux ready computer with gOS preinstalled for $199. Now I had to log on and check it out, now I’m not to impressed with gOS but the hardware works with Linux and I can’t build a computer at that price. So I thought new toy put it on the workbench and connect it to the KVM and install multiple Linux OS’s. Plus I thought I should put my money where my mouth is and show there is a market for Linux ready computers so I bought one. What’s next should I get an Eee laptop, I think I’ll pass on that for now, If I can’t take it apart and change things it ante no fun.

What goes around comes around, I got my first Unix based OS in 1986 (Does anyone remember Tandy and OS-9 from Microware) and it had a windowing program called Muti-View. I just sold it on Ebay last year for enough to pay for a copy of XP from Mr. Bill if I wanted. I still remember how much fun it was to edit the 5 ¼ boot disk so it could read a 3 ½ 1.44 MB floppy disk, increased my storage space x 4.

OK bottom line is Xandros is Linux with training wheels and in the 90’s I recommended AOL to people with kids mostly but also for the older generation because it was the Internet with training wheels. I used AOL back then along with VNC on my home network so I could see what the kids where up to. Hey I finally got the last family member off AOL and on broadband. But you have to start somewhere.

Sorry for rambling, the old gray matter ante what it used to be but I think I made my point.

[happybunny]

As I am the only one in the office today and have nothing to do, I'll throw in my 2 cents.

The point crow2icedearth is making is valid. Linux is Linux is Linux is Linux, and Linux is the kernel, which is currently version 2.6.x.x.x.

To your question, you should have asked which "distribution" of Linux should you use.

D E B I A N, redhat, suse, ubuntu, mint, pclinux....all these people took Linux (the kernel) and wrapped product around them, each targeted and suited to different needs.

The other thing to consider when switching, is that your interaction with Linux will greatly depend on which desktop manager you use, ie KDE or GNOME or other.

While most distributions today come with GNOME as the first choice, KDE and the others also offer great user experiences, again based on needs and preferences.

I think blackbelt_jones has a long thread discussing this, too.

For me its really Debian or nothing. It is a tiny install (~200 megs). After the minimal install, I can install only what I want.

However, the Ubuntu people took Debian, wrapped it up with some nice packaging and made the user experience pretty mindless (whether thats good or bad I'll leave to you, but I have converted several people to Linux with it, including my father).

The latest versions of Ubuntu and Fedora both come with the latest hot new product called compiz, which lets you do some crazy 3d stuff to your desktop that rivals Mac OSX and Vista.

My advise:
If you simply needs a functioning desktop to surf, chat, email, music and watch movies, get Ubuntu or Fedora 8 (possibly Suse but i can't stand Suse myself), and it should all work just fine.

If you want to learn how Linux works, and get the most out of your system, go with debian, slackware or gentoo, which give (or force) you to do some learning, exploring and growing.