Linux Distributions

RustyNail · Post by **RustyNail** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:04 pm

I want to switch to Linux. (Finally got tired of windows

)
What Distribution would people recommend and why?

hybrid · Post by **hybrid** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:15 pm

I favor OpenSuse, because it's a pretty stable distribution with strong commercial backing and a large development crew. We used RedHat in the late 90s in our lab, but latest with their unglory gcc 2.96 approach we changed all machines to Suse and are pretty happy ever since. And using additional repositories you can also get bleeding-edge developments and all that multimedia stuff.

RustyNail · Post by **RustyNail** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:35 pm

I'll look at that... Right now I was comparing Fedora and Ubuntu...

gfxstyler · Post by **gfxstyler** » Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:39 pm

i vote for ubuntu - the best (or easiest) distro ever (in my opinion).
i really like it.

#2 is gentoo. but thats too advanced/hard for someone who never used linux before.

see you!

stodge · Post by **stodge** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 1:58 am

Ubuntu/Kubuntu are good, though it does take time to install all the development packages. You have to download them all from the internet.

I'm using PCLinuxOS, which is ok - it's very fast, though it doesn't have as many packages available and the update site is quite slow unless you pay extra.

zenaku · Post by **zenaku** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 2:54 am

I've used slackware, redhat, suse, debian, gentoo, xandros, and kubuntu as my desktop OS.

Kubuntu is my favorite. Why? Running linux as your desktop means doing at least some system administration. Simply put, you have to deal with less crap using kubuntu than you do with the other distros.

Slackware? I haven't used it in years but when I did it had no real package management. Upgrading your system meant reinstalling everything, and that really sucks from a users point of view. It's been a really long time though so I'm not really giving the current slackware enough credit. It was cool back then, but the other distros just became so much better while it lagged behind. Patrick Volkerding was slacking

.

Redhat is good if you want a job as an admin someday. I prefer the debian way of things myself so I tend to like the debian based distributions. I've only used redhat before there was a 'fedora'.

Gentoo will definately teach you how operating systems work and how the distributions build their own stuff. Everyone that uses linux should install gentoo at least once, IMO, but it probably shouldn't be your first install. With gentoo you are pretty much building your own personalized distribution from scratch, bootstrapping and all if you go that route.

For me, Suse falls into the same category as Redhat. It's good, its commercial, but it's not debian based. You get YaST, which is good, but it's no apt

Apt is the debian front-end to the dpkg management system. The dpkg management system is a very powerful package management system, but for a long time suffered from a poor user interface, dselect. Apt consists of a suite of utilities for dealing with .deb files which dpkg understands.

Here is an example:

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get install firefox

Now I have firefox installed. It's on the menu. It's updated, woot.

Code: Select all

sudo apt-get upgrade

Now I've just upgraded all the software on my machine. None of the other distros make it that easy and even if they do, apt did it first successfully. Debian just works. The only problem with it is that the software is really outdated. Debian stable is old stuff. Most people run testing if they run debian.

Xandros is debian based, but it's commercial. It's kind of like kubuntu with some marketing spam and all the non-free binary modules that you are going to want anyway. (mp3, nvidia, codecs) I think they are too expensive, however. They have added value to debian for sure, but not $89 worth.

That's why kubuntu is the best. It's free. It's debian based, but it has up to date packages. It has also been repackaged somewhat to make some packages work better. It's what I build IrrLua on when testing the linux side. All my hardware worked without any setup. I have SATA DVD burner, usb, 2 network cards, sb audigy. My 6800gt worked, but was not accelerated until I installed the binary nvidia drivers. You have to point your apt sources to get those.

When running linux, that's what I want. I just want to run it I don't want to administrate it like you have to with the other distros. apt is all you have to deal with.

RustyNail · Post by **RustyNail** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:20 am

Not OpenSUSE - to much to download for me' poor ol' Modem...

Not Fedora Core - it has had no votes...

PClinuxOs - don't know

Ubuntu/Kubuntu - 3 votes

Gentoo - really like their philosophy

So...now we come to the big crossroads...
(And I am not completely new to Linux...

)

jam · Post by **jam** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:33 am

With Ubuntu you can request a free CD so you don't have to download that distro, saving you time. The other distro's may have the same option.

afecelis · Post by **afecelis** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:56 am

I'd go with OpenSuse or Kubuntu. Although Gentoo is great, you'll have to compile everything from scratch and up. From your kernel to every package you choose to install. You'll have a working system in 3 days! And Gentoo is very sensitive to system updates. I say go for a binary distro. Suse is great. If you can't download the 6 cds or the DVD try purchasing them on the net, they're relly cheap from sub-distributors, like here:
http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.cgi/ ... linux/suse

or check the link I posted to get free Ubuntu cds:
http://irrlicht.sourceforge.net/phpBB2/ ... hp?t=14827
Edited: ouch! Jam was faster with Ubuntu. But the link will help!

jam · Post by **jam** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:13 am

While looking for the Ubuntu link, that afecelis found first, I found this Free Linux Disks. Not sure if it's any good, but it might be worth a look.

JPulham · Post by **JPulham** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 8:46 am

I recommend Debian or PCLinuxOS.
PCLinuxOS is what I use, its new (ish

)and mostly KDE based but it was ALOT easier to install than other distros I tried (although Ive only really tried Debian Ditros) no need to use 'Discover' or anything, and theres a nVidia, ATI and Standard drivers version.

hybrid · Post by **hybrid** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 9:23 am

I think all larger distros nowadays support all package managers. With Suse and Fedora you also have apt interfaces etc. But Suse also has 'yast2 -i firefox' which is quite similar from syntax and just as slow as apt. Online upgrades can be done automatically, but calling 'you' (for yast2 online update) will be almost as fast as the apt upgrade, although you might have to click 3 or 4 times on the 'next' button. But since Suse is using rpm diffs instead of complete installs it became much faster to upgrade to the latest packages.
I never dare to try Kubuntu because I worked with Debian and Debian sucks! It's way too far behind the current program versions. I know that Kubuntu makes a better shape there, but I'm now also used to the Suse structure of files etc. And having a complete and distribution-specific graphical Admin tool is also quite useful for those not knowing config files of all those Linux tools. It can be quite demanding to configure your mail server such that you can use it for your own provider, but not acting as a spam proxy

RustyNail · Post by **RustyNail** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 3:13 pm

okay!
OpenSUSE - 5 (But still a bit big, possible but going to take a while)

Ubuntu - 6 (Torrenting right now)

PClinuxOS - 3

With Ubuntu you can request a free CD so you don't have to download that distro, saving you time. The other distro's may have the same option.

jam - My conncetion is not that slow! I can still download it all faster than 10 weeks! By then I would have downloaded all of the suggested distros and tested at least half of them!

hybrid · Post by **hybrid** » Fri Aug 11, 2006 4:12 pm

It's enough to download Suse's first CD, the rest can be downloaded on demand. And there should be torrents available, too.

juliusctw · Post by **juliusctw** » Tue Aug 15, 2006 5:53 am

I use archlinux, works great once you got it working, but might be tough to get there