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New To Linux? Want To Try It? Read here!
This thread is here to (hopefully) put some sense to the tons of posts about what Linux flavour to try (and if you should try it). I plan on splitting this into four sections: Considering, Planning, Installing, Playing.
First, a few terms to be defined:
Considering So you're thinking of trying Linux. Good for you! There are a few things you should watch for. The suggestions below primarily exist for a Linux distro that you install (not a LiveCD), but can still apply for LiveCDs too.
Still with me? Good :) Planning Hardware As mentioned above, it's suggested you allocate a separate machine (or at least a separate hard drive) your first time or two (to prevent data loss :)). I won't delve into that much more. I think it speaks for itself. Software Linux has equivalents for most things you are after. The thread titled Linux Software Equivalents lists a few suggestions, but I'll reproduce some of the major equivalences below. Remember though, Linux is about *choice*, and there are alternatives to the ones listed below. It's all up to you :)
What if you just want to run a Windows program? That's where things like Wine and Win4Lin. Wine is not a Windows emulator. It is an implement ion of the API. This means it handles the system calls that Windows programs makes and calls the appropriate Linux calls for it. What's that mean to you? It means you can run your window programs from Linux. See the website for more details. There's also a version of Wine called WineX, which handles DirectX stuff, allowing you to play some of your Windows games in Linux. I can't say much about Win4Lin, as I've never tried it. It is a commercial wine-type program, with even more compatibility with Windows. Leading into my discussion of window managers, I should talk about the underlying components that let a window manager do it's job! XWindows XWindows is the underlying component I was talking about, it sits between the kernel and the GUI, and translates GUI calls to the kernel and vice versa (among other things). A transition recently happened, and there are still a lot of references out there to the older program, so I thought I'd mention the two programs. XFree86 was the reigning standard for quite a while. Recently, though, they changed their licensing structure (you'll see that most Linux advocates support Open Source by nature). The changed licensing structure caused problems, and a new group was formed (the X.Org Foundation). The X.Org Foundation came out with their own version of XWindows, and kept the old license that XFree86 used. Because of this, most of the distros have drifted towards using X.Org instead of XFree86. It looks as if X.Org is THE version to use. Anyways, with that said... on with the window managers! Linux is about choice, remember. You have a choice of window managers too! Window Managers I'll talk a bit about two of the more popular window managers and provide links to a couple others. The two primary window managers are Gnome and KDE. While they both are easy to use and user-friendly (for the most part), they both handle things their own way. Which you use is a matter of personal opinion.
Other window managers include:
Alright, you think you can handle running Linux and using the alternatives. Where to next? Why, you need to pick a distro, of course! Linux Distributions Here I'll list some of the more popular distros and say a bit about them. Before I get to them, I am going to quickly talk about the kernel, that all distros are built off of. Kernel As said above, the kernel is the base of the operating system, the foundation. It is what talks to the hardware, among other things. Recently, the 2.6 kernel came out. This has a lot of improvements from the 2.4 kernel, but can still be buggy. (The 2.5 kernel is just a bunch of test versions, not to be used by beginners :)) For a first timer, you should probably start out with whatever your distro recommends. I am just mentioning the difference so when I mention it below, you know what I'm talking about. LiveCD Versions LiveCDs are great because you can try Linux using one of them without screwing up your system.
The following versions you actually install on your hard drive. Most come with a graphical installation option, making it a lot easier on you when you install.
Google - If you don't know this, you're in trouble :) Distrowatch - This keeps track of the (many, many) distros out there and when new versions are getting released. Which flavor of Linux? - A thread from almost a year ago (they're talking about RedHat 9.. before Fedora!) linux basics? - A thread about Linux basics (a couple months old). Thinking about trying out LINUX... - The thread that caused this to be made (well, the straw that broke the camel's back). mandrake linux 10.0 community - A thread about the latest (test) version of Mandrake [Linux] RedHat vs. SuSE - A thread about RedHat over SuSE Linux Newbie - Another "new to linux" thread :) Mandrake vs Redhat? Which do you prefer? - It goes into other distros as well There are more threads on this board that address the "which flavour to use" issue. Just search the Computing forum for "linux" and you get around 12 pages back :). I will add more later, when I have time. Wow.. all that and we haven't even gotten to installing. Let's move on! Installing This section will be relatively short, as every distro has it's own individual install process. If you can, I'd recommend you just do an "install everything" option (if your distro's install process has one, it probably does). That way you can play with all the stuff on the system. Otherwise you may miss stuff that could be useful to you and never know it :) Most every (good) distro can be downloaded. Check out LinuxISO to download most of the ones mentioned in this post. Use Nero or some other program to read the ISO and burn it to CD(s). Pop in the first CD (which should be bootable) and off you go! Different distros come with different boot loaders. As said before, Grub and Lilo are the primary ones. Grub has a more graphical interface to it (well, from what I've experienced of the two). It's all a matter of choice :). It is *highly* recommended you make a boot disk when prompted. If your system screws up, it can be a great saviour (although some distros do have a "Rescue Mode" on the bootable CD). Alright.. it's all installed.. now what? Playing Another short section. Congrats on getting it installed! Any problems, Be sure to Google (or ask here at TFP :)). So now that it's installed.. what should you try, what are some hints? Here's a few from me (other people will probably post more tips in this thread as well):
The following thread could also be of interest to you: Top Linux Downloads. It has some good software suggestions in it. Finally, I'll finish off with Freshmeat. Freshmeat is a site that keeps track of a lot of opensource programs and projects. If you're looking for something, chances are it's listed there :) Also, IceWalkers is a similar site, with plenty of Linux software available. New Section (as of June 2005) - User-supplied links! There are many good suggestions and links in this thread, but I thought I'd grab the links mentioned and make a list here so you don't have to dig through it. They are (in order that I've found them in the thread):
So that's it. Good luck, enjoy, etc. :) This post is definitely open to suggestions/improvements/criticisms. Let me know if you think something should be changed/added/deleted. Thanks :) |
That's a very extensive post you have there, and it provides on the mark info on a lot of stuff!
This is definately worthy of a sticky! My personal notes: If you want a windows replacement, use:
The first list will neatly set you up with a working desktop environment and a pre-selection of packages that you'll most likely use. Not asking too many questions, and giving decent advice at choke points. On the other hand they do not challenge you to look for better alternatives, try stuff out and generally 'learn' linux. If you want to learn linux, you'll actively need to break the polish of those systems. The second list will ask more of you in terms of technical questions/descisions but in the process it will teach you a lot about how linux and you computer works. The second list will also force you to decide for yourself which programs you want, which is good (as you can have it exactly how you want it) , but also bad (as you will need to know what you want ;) ). Note: while I say that Gentoo and Slackware are better for resource-lean machines, the other distro's are very capable of handling the same tasks. They are however not directed towards those use(r)s, while Gentoo and Slackware are. Edited for formatting |
Man...that comes at just the right time (my new hard drive for installing Linux for the first time onto arrived at my door almost exactly the same time I opened this thread)
That must have taken some work and is very impressive. Thanks, it should be a lot of help. |
Nice. Very, very nice. We've been needing a post like this for a while.
Mods? Sticky? |
finally....
thanks for the comprehensive post! i won't be such a n00b when i finish reading all the stuff you posted, latch. now if only someone could tell me how to network my linux box with my windows machines?..... |
Great post! Lots of great information there.
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Samba is the linux package that'll allow you to share files and printers over the network. However, if you're looking for firewall capabilities you should look at IPtables. For internet connection sharing it'll depend on which computer the actual connection is being shared. If on windows: ICS = Internet Connection Sharing, if on linux: See IPtables for NAT (Network Address Translation). On the latter, I could post a sample config that works for me, but do a search first, then start a new thread, if you're having problems GENERAL TIP: start a new thread discussing specific problems you encounter. This thread is (I assume?) for general advice with regards to the points listed in the original post. |
I have never been so happy about breaking the camel's back. Thank you for that informative and thorough post. I really do hope a mod stickys this as I will want to come back to it (and the sub-threads) again and again in the coming weeks.
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I might have just missed it somewhere in your post, but if you did miss it, Kernel.org is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to use Linux and really customize it.
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that's an excellent post. Thanks a lot for the info and all the sub-threads as well.
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Excellent thread - and now it's stickified ;)
A couple quick additions: Under software equivalents, <a href="http://gaim.sf.net">Gaim</a> is listed as a AIM/MSN/YIM/ICQ/Trillian replacement. I'd like to also add <a href="http://kopete.kde.org">Kopete</a> to that. It, like Gaim, is included with many distros. As an Outlook replacement, <a href="http://www.ximian.com/products/evolution/">Evolution</a> is listed. There is also a PIM program recently released for the first time by KDE called <a href="http://kontact.kde.org/">Kontact</a>. I have heard good things about it, and it is basically just a PIM implementation of already existing and good KDE programs such as <a href="http://kmail.kde.org/">KMail<a>, which is a good stand-alone E-Mail client under KDE for example. Lastly, while Freshmeat is a great open-source software site, <a href="http://www.icewalkers.com/">IceWalkers</a> is also very good. EDIT: Info's added above - thanks for the permission Latch :) |
Wouldn't you know it? Not 12 hours after I post this, out comes Mandrake's annoucement about Mandrake 10's full release. I've updated my post to reflect the new release :)
Thanks for the feedback guys! |
Just a quick question: Any good Linux programs for ripping DVD images to HD?
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Here's another Linux question. I'm not a newbie to Linux, but I'm close enough (taking a Linux class that uses RH9 right now). Anyway, I'm looking to use an old computer as a mail, ftp, and web server. What distro would you guys recommend?
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Any of the above distros wouldn't hurt...
...but if you feel like a challenge, Debian or a late-stage (2 or 3) Gentoo would probably do you. I have no reasoning to back up that they're "better" as a mail,ftp,web server (and I doubt they are better than any other distro.. it's all the same if you know to stop programs that distros may run by default)... there's just a little bit more involved in installing/running them, as it isn't all GUI-based. |
maybe i don't know what to look for in the voluminous resources listed...
but i've got knoppix 3.3 on one machine and fedora core 1 on another. since linux allows complete customization, where do i find information about upgrading the kernel to the 2.6, or general package (?) installations? i figure its got something to do with compiling source code or something.... help a newbie out? |
Depends on what you use.. I suggest trying to do the 2.6 upgrade via Fedora Core's up2date service (it's in the menu there somewhere). It's the quickest (and most painless) way to upgrade.
http://www.redhat.com/support/resour...ernel-upgrade/ There's a quick how-to site for you. I haven't looked at it much, so not sure if it's exactly what you need. If it isn't, google :) For FC1, general packages (in rpm format) can be found at www.freshrpms.net. Otherwise, check out Freshmeat or Icewalkers, find some cool-looking pacakges, download the source, uncompress/configure/make/make install it (the site will usually have some cool "Quick install" instructions) Need more info? just let me know. |
i've tried updating in FC1 (5 times), but i've gotten no result.
it'll start downloading updates and patches (slowly), and then all of a sudden i get a message stating something about wrong GPG keys (?), and asks if i want to download anyway. when i click OK to download, it crashes. and then i have to start all over.... i guess i'll have to play with it more. :-/ |
Hmm, you do need to get a new version of up2date, can't remember if that requirement was with RH9 or FC1 though. You could try to google for the error message you receive. Always a good way to find answers :)
BTW, I updated the new page w/ specs on Fedora Core 2 Test 2 and Knoppix 3.4... |
Hmm, you do need to get a new version of up2date, can't remember if that requirement was with RH9 or FC1 though. You could try to google for the error message you receive. Always a good way to find answers :)
BTW, I updated the orig post w/ specs on Fedora Core 2 Test 3 and Knoppix 3.4... |
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Can I ask you Linux gurus a question? A question that's been bugging me for a long time...
I saw the source for the kernel once, and I noticed that it looked a lot like C (I know a bit of C myself). What I'm wondering is... hmm... how to put this gingerly... what OS is Linux compiled under? Can you just open up the source in Visual Studio.NET and compile away? How about Borland or even Bloodshed? What OS do people usually compile Linux in? Linux? Or is there some compiler that is also its own mini-operating system that people compile Linux with? I'd like to go back to my old programming ways. The problem with my programming experience is that most of my programming was done in Visual Basic and ASP. Because of this, my knowledge on some stuff is pretty limited. Anyways, thanks :thumbsup: |
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I went to see Bill Gates speak and at least three groups of anti-MS folks were outside handing out Linux discs. Each had a FAQ attached and each FAQ talked about how it's not easy to get it installed (lack of drivers, etc.).
Windows ain't perfect, but if I have a crash I can have my HD formated and the software back up and running in about 90 mins. Toss in another hour for installing my favorite programs and I'm off to lunch with pals. I'm VERY curious about Linux, but don't have the time. Someday. |
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Either way, let's try to keep this thread for general lLinux questions pertaining to trying it out and such not, "Linux is cool, but with Windows..." and "I'd like to try it but not now because..." These are just fluff comments really and don't do much more than force people who are seriously thinking about trying Linux and who have questions into having to read more in this thread than they have to. Thanks! :thumbsup: ;) |
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Also, I updated the post to reflect the new versions of Fedora Code (v2) and Suse Linux (v9.1). |
Just saw this on SUSE's website and thought I'd make a note that SUSE has a live evaluation cd available for download here
I'm not able to download it and try it myself, but it might be worth a look. They still don't have ISO images to install to your hard drive that I'm aware of though, unfortunately. |
I just want to suggest that anyone considering using Linux locate their local Linux User Group (LUG). These groups exist in most areas, typically they have a mailing list where you can ask for help, and some form of social gathering/events. Often you can bring your computer along to meetings and someone will help you install and configure Linux on your system (however, you should check before you show up with your computer). It is very useful to have these contacts, especially if you dont have any friends who are experienced Linux users to help you with whatever problems may arise.
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wow thanks.. ive installed linux many times.. just to let it sit there because i cant install any dependencies for any other applications. the only thing i could do w/ my linux box is browse the web or chat on aim
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There are programs out there to help you with those dependecies. apt-rpm and synaptic are a very good combo for Redhat/Fedora systems.
Updates: Added Fallon's link for the free SuSE software. |
Well written and extremely thorough. This sort of "all inclusive" starter guide is needed for so many other pieces of technology.
Great work! |
Thanks ;)
update: added info on Fedora Core 3 test 1 (see Slashdot | Fedora Core 3 Test 1 Released for more info) |
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Well, I have installed Linux (Mandrake 9.2) on an old PC.
The install was easy enough, but I cannot connect to the net from it (it wont run the disc that came with my net connection) but hopefully I can figure it out or find an answer. It all looks pretty good anyway, so hopefully I will pick up enough to get by with it. How hard can it be? |
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Yeah, the disc has an .exe file and Mandrake says it cant run that.
The only other problem is I am finding it hard to get software off the Linux disk, because the Linux disk is a DVD, but it keeps telling me to insert it in my CDROM drive, which cant read it, and it wont look at the DVD drive. But I think maybe I can switch the drives wound or something so then it would look at the right one. |
The CD-ROM/DVD-ROM thing is odd. Must be a Mandrake thing.
There is a newer version of Mandrake out (10.. and 10.1beta was released yesterday). You could give that a try.. it'll have better/new features, more bugfixes (probably like your CD-ROM/DVD-ROM problem), etc. |
mentioned earlier
I believe it was squelch that commented on mandrake (preferred) and SuSE not being free. For windows users, that would like to "try out" linux without modifying their harddrive, do a search on google for "knoppix". Knoppix is a Debian Linux based distro with many customizable features. If you are a user that is wanting to install linux and dualboot your machine, I would recommend Fedora, SuSE, or Mandrake....all which mostly hold your hand through everything you do. They are still quite powerful. More experienced users like to use Debian or Gentoo linux. These last two distros are not recommended for beginners because of the way the installer looks (all text) and they both require the user to have knowledge of many of the packages being installed onto the system.
All of the above mentioned distros have free versions, while also having pay version because of the features they entail. You will find links to the most popular distributions at www.linuxiso.org. You may also want to check out www.distrowatch.com for reviews, comparisons, and downloads of the MANY distros of linux. |
I just installed SuSE 9.0 Pro (I had it lying around) and it was pretty painless. I made sure to install a separate partition for /home in the event I needed to Ghost or reinstall - my data files would be intact.
I installed nVidia nForce drivers but didn't get the audio driver to install. The default audio driver works fine at the moment. This was a "regular" RPM and installed OK (contrary to the initial message in this thread). I haven't installed the ATI Radeon video drivers - that's next. I installed VMWare Workstation 4.5.2 and it went without a hitch. I'm installing Windows XP Pro with SP/2 as I write this. I also installed GLTron for fun but without the 3D acceleration it's unplayable. A few things that helped: 1) If you need to run a script, preface it with ./ such as ./script.pl 2) You will need to install something using root, therefore preface the install command with "sudo" such as "sudo ./install.pl" Enter your root password when prompted 3) If you still can't run the script make sure it's flagged with Execute permission; right click the file, select Properties, and next to User click *Execute. You can do a CHMOD from the terminal as well. 4) Consult readme files and Google for any pecularities I've got more stuff to configure so who knows when I'll get stumped but so far it's been progressing just fine. My previous experiences with Linux weren't as smooth. Enjoy! |
Updated:
-Knoppix/Gnoppix (New Versions) -Mandrake/SuSE Info (added subversion numbers) |
A few handy tips for the command line:
To find out what kind of data Linux thinks is in a particular file use the 'file' command, e.g.: >file format.exe format.exe: MS-DOS executable (EXE) To find out what program will be executed when you type a certain command, try the 'type' builtin bash command: >type sudo sudo is /usr/bin/sudo >file /usr/bin/sudo /usr/bin/sudo: setuid ELF 32-bit LSB executable, Intel 80386, version 1 (SYSV), for GNU/Linux 2.2.5, dynamically linked (uses shared libs), stripped |
Information overload for me; I tried slax, the linux os that works from a small cd and was totally impressed. It was a good toe-dip into the linux lake.
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I'm suprised I haven't seen a link to this site yet:
http://www.tldp.org The Linux Documentation Project. It's always been my first resource when trying to figure out how to do something in linux. The alphabetical HOWTO list is generally the most useful for newbies. |
Great post, Latch! This will come in handy when I upgrade to Linux from Windows later on. :D
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learn to love the command line. learn to navigate the file structure and find information. once you do, you will hate using the mouse.
not sure what a command does or what arguments it can take? check the man pages. not sure what chmod does? type Code:
$ man chmodyou can even Code:
$ man man |
Slackware 10.0 user here in support of the Linux movement
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updated the post with newest versions of fedora, mandrake, suse, and gnoppix.
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Added amaroK for KDE in the software list as an audio player alternative. It's sexcellent :thumbsup:
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I am currently running Fedora Core 2 on one machine and Windows XP on another! This is a handy setup for me as I can use my Windows PC for doing the day to day stuff I do and then I use my Linux PC for running my web server on (using apache). Just learning to do this has made me more determined to eventually move away from MS Windows in the end. I suppose the point I am trying to make is the transition isn't easy at first but it is enjoyable if your prepared to work at it.
Great thread and good info for all of us Linux newbies. Thanks. |
Truly a great post, especially the warning about backups:
"no one ever plans on losing data" Hilarious, or really sad, depenending on your take. Just to continue on my new mission in life, there is a new distro out there based on Debian called Ubuntu and, for a brand new distro, it's friggin' awesome. Easy like Mandrake, but free and with access to all the Debian libraries (8,000+ software and file installers!). Really, this should be included in every Linux roundup from now on because I really think they're here to stay, and may even be the solution for Linux on the desktop for many small enterprise situations. Just a thought... Pierre |
Has anyone installed Mandrake 10.1? I got it installed on my notebook (installation went smoothly). After rebooting all I get is a blue screen with Mandrakelinux 10.1 logo. The mouse cursor is visible and moves freely.
I do not get a logon screen per Mandrake manual. Mandrake tech support requires registration and of course I don't have a CD key. :D Is there a key combo to evoke the logon screen? Thank you for your help in advance. :D :D :D |
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I reinstalled again without Xorg and still didn't work. I think by default network is set to modem, which I didn't specify. I set it up to lan with DHCP but disabled all options. Still didn't fly. My guess is the hardware isn't 100% compatible with Mandrake 10.1. Does anyone know where to get Suse or Redhat? Thanks!!
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SuSE you usually have to pay for.
Consumer redhat is now called Fedora Core... they're up to Fedora Core 3 (which they originally released). Get it at http://fedora.redhat.com. Check out my original post for SuSE links (and other links, like distrowatch). |
What are your thoughts on Ubuntu? I got a bunch of free CDs in the mail.
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Give it a shot. Bendsley will talk it up more than me (as it's Debian-based), but I've heard good things about it.
Let us know how it is, what you think, and what you would precieve to be the difficulty level/experience needed to be comfortable with it (if you wouldn't mind reporting back hehe). I've never used it, and it's relatively new, so I can't really say much either way. |
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Installation went smoothly. I wanted a dual-boot with XP, and was afraid of Ubuntu (Debian) accidently axing my partition table (Debian doesn't have the ebst record for installation. Or configuration. Or, well, anything besides stability and package management). So I made some adjustments with Partition Magic beforehand. I got to a point where Ubuntu said that it was having problems with eth0, since it wasn't plugged in. I plugged it in in the other room, and told it to retry. Then it downloads eight thousand packages. Okay. But guess what one of them was... MADWIFI! That's right, linux did something that I never would have expected it to; linux made an executive decision that made my life a lot easier. Finding that out made my day. After rebooting and everything, I checked out synaptic, the package manager. Easy to use, and contains a whole lot of crap I'd probably never use. But it's waiting for me. Root is disabled by default, making sure nubs like me use sudo instead of haphazardly munging system files. My only complaints are that Ubuntu doesn't detect my laptop's touchpad and doesn't like my soundcard. We'll see what happens when Hoary is released next month. Overall, 9.8/10 -- if you're a linux n00b, this distro is very yes. (I'll probably edit this in a couple months when I know more than three command-line, uh, commands.) |
Debian doesn't have the best record for installation or configuration? How can you say that if you're new to linux and mean it? Debian doesn't have a graphical installer to accompany it, but then, do you really need one? Debian installs what you want and only the basic stuff needed to run well.
Ubuntu is going to go out and grab a lot more packages than stock Debian does because they install a GUI by default, and Debian doesn't Slav: if you have issues, holler at me and we'll go through it. |
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Thanks for the review Slav, I'm keen to try it out.. installing madwifi by default's pretty good.. I use synaptic on a few fc3 boxes, and it's not bad. I've progressed to just using apt-get command line, but synaptic is still a pretty nice package (although rough around the edges). |
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If my post seemed to be a rant/attack against Debian/linux, sorry. It wasn't meant that way at all. And I expect to have fewer problems with this than I did with my ill-fated Mandrake installation; I can access the internet. |
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EDIT: Also, Hoary will use x.org instead of Xfree86 if that makes a difference to you. EDIT2: Hoary preview release 1 is out today. |
* Updated the main post with latest versions of some distro/dev releases, removed references to X.Org and 2.6 being new technology that most distros don't have yet :) *
I actually downloaded the Hoary PR 1 LiveCD the other day, just to have a play and see how it was. It's not bad (for a Debian system :P). I didn't dig into it too deeply, but it booted up/went straight into gnome 2.10 nicely. I like having sudoers set up so you can sudo straight away... that was handy. Will have to play with it more in the future. The only thing I didn't like was the lack of options in the Gnome menu... but since this distro is geared towards the beginner/intermediate.. I can see why the choices are limited. To each there own. |
I played with Ubuntu maybe 2 weeks ago, I really wasn't that impressed with it. Though, it is easy to install and move around in.
I'm not really a fan of Gnome either, I like KDE or E. |
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I think it comes down to choice versus plain functionality. IF you want a K envirnoment, you can have it, but you need to load it seperately then do a lot of tweaking which doesn't seem like lots of fun. However, if you're looking for a distro that works very well "out-of-the-box" then I think Ubuntu has a lot going for it, especially if you're new to linux. It installs quickly, updates easily and quickly (if you have broadband connection :) ) and has all the apps that can get you started right away. All with the added bonus of having the stronger and historically most stable distro anywhere as the basis for the whole thing - Debian. If you know linux and want the power and control of a power user, install Debian. If you're not, and you just want to use GNU/Linux, install Ubuntu. Either way, try open source and free your mind. Peace, Pierre |
I heard (haven't actually investigated) that there's already a Kubuntu distro out there, which is Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome. That's what I love about open source.. people can just fork something and create their own version.
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Peace, Pierre |
currently I have FC3 and it is running smoothly and handle all my hardware easily. the desktop use is perfect for me after adding mp3, ntfs support (take one minute with yum) and the most important is that it run my small home server perfectly...
I already heard that under Fedora the KDE support might not be perfect, but so far I mainly use KDE and I didn't notice any issues, it seams to be much faster than gnome, that' all I can see :rolleyes:. Does anyone of you had some issue with KDE under FC3 which kind of ? performance, bugs ? My server box is quite old duron 1300 Mhz, and my desktop is a pentium 4 2,66 Mhz and both of them run kde perfectly... Regarding ubuntu, it seams to be interresting and a good way to start with linux but comming from FC3 where I got servers running and my desktop working with all I need (and much more) I don't feel the need of switching since I m not sure that ubuntu can bring me anything more. I might give a test to kubuntu when a good release will come, but for servers I think that Fedora my choice for quite sometime at least. and for my desktop use since everything works well with a nice KDE environment I think I will just look around to know about all the new linux distros and keep Fedora. |
I decided to switch from Gentoo to FC3 for my desktop machine (bendsley: I don't wanna hear it). I tried to install via NFS and had major issues (which were my fault, I believe). During that process I had my desktop running Ubuntu hoary livecd for a while... it pissed me off, initially. I knew apt-get, but didn't know there was a 'universe' repository that was disabled by default. Anyways, trying to play a video (once I apt-get'd xine) cause my machine to lock up (after using all it's memory). This could be the livecd, or the preview version, or just ubuntu itself. I'm guessing it's the first reason.. but it still left a bad taste in my mouth.
Finally got FC3 up and running, and am very happy. Got apt-get going (I prefer it over yum), got beagle working, got Gnome 2.10 going, got mythtv going w/ my digital tv card (and the card going itself). Although I had to rebuild a few rpms for udev and beagle to work properly, it was a good experience. |
Updates:
- Mandrake->Mandriva - Updated Mandriva's test ver - Added Ubuntu section |
Updates:
- Suse 9.3 - FC4t2 |
Very well written post, will most certainly remain in my bookmarks.
If I'm allowed to be a nitpicker, though: Quote:
Great post, nonetheless. Well done. |
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Thanks. |
Hello. Fellow Linux user here. :D
Started with Mandrake 9. Moved from there to RH9 >>> Fedora Core 1. Played with Arch/Slackware/Debian/Gentoo. Now my main distro is Ubuntu with KDE ( NOT Kubuntu) installed through apt. Kubuntu is still pretty buggy yet. Since I just joined the community yesterday and only really "skimmed" though this whole thread, I will keep an eye on it and see if I can lend a hand here or there. :) |
FXRS: Good deal. Welcome.
You'll see on here that Latch is a Gentoo user turned FC3 (moron), and I myself am a Debian user. We poke fun at each other because we each think our distro is "better". Though, we all know Gentoo is inferior to Debian. :thumbsup: Oh, by the way, Debian sarge (testing) tree was frozen just recently to become the new stable branch soon. Woody (debian 3.0, stable) has been around for about 3 years. Debian gets a lot of criticism because they don't release enough for they're stable branch. But, what people also don't realize is that the stable branch will never ever break. They can move to the testing branch (sarge) if they're more ambitious or to the unstable branch (sid) if they're want bleeding edge. I just recently installed Debian Sid and Asterisk 1.0.7 and am playing around with it. I'm trying to get it stable enough to roll out among 100 users or so. I'm thinking about adding an asterisk box at my house and make a SIP connection back to the office. For those who don't know what Asterisk (*) is, check it out at the links below. www.digium.com www.asterisk.org www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk |
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More links
Latch, maybe you will consider adding these links to your post.
<a href="http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php">Distribution Chooser</a>; it asks you questions and then chooses an appropriate distro for you. <a href="http://www.livecdlist.com/">LiveCD List</a>; find the right LiveCD for your needs. <a href="http://www.linux-laptop.net/">Linux on Laptops</a>; find out how that laptop you're eyeing handles Linux before you buy it. <a href="http://www.sane-project.org/">The Sane Project</a>; get your scanner working with Linux! |
Updates:
- FC4 is out! (I'm not sure why I'm so excited.. but I am). I updated the Fedora info to reflect this. - Created a new section at the bottom of the post: User-Supplied Links. Included all the relevant links I saw in the posts in this thread. Thanks to everyone who suggested them. |
is it ok to add a few links here, i run Ubuntu Linux on my computer and have had much help from the guys over at
http://www.ubuntuguide.org/ http://www.ubuntuforums.org/ :thumbsup: |
Here's another interesting one. A list of <a href="http://linux_wless.passys.nl/">native Linux wireless drivers</a>. If you haven't bought your card yet and you're too scared to try out <a href="http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/">Ndiswrapper</a>, look here for what chipsets are supported.
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Everytime I've tried using NDIS wrapper with my Dell Laptop with a TrueMobile 1450 a/b/g card, the machine locks up. I've tried this actually on three separate laptops, with the 1350's and 1450. Bummer.
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Some more links:
<a href="http://www.apcupsd.com/">Apcupsd</a> - A great daemon to get your APC UPS working in Linux. The documentation here is pretty thorough, but see if your distro comes with a package for this to make life easier. <a href="http://rtfm.dyndns.info/">RTMF: Redefine the Fine Manual</a> - A few tips and howtos for doing various things in Linux, from installations to formatting floppies; user-maintained. Oh, and here's a couple software "replacements". For Newsbin and other usenet binary downloaders (and just readers for that matter): <a href="http://pan.rebelbase.com/">PAN: A newsreader for GNOME</a> - Don't be fooled by the name, I'm running this thing on KDE just fine. For LaTeX frontends: <a href="http://kile.sourceforge.net/">Kile</a>; <a href="http://www.lyx.org/">LyX</a>; <a href="http://www.texmacs.org/index.php3">TeXmacs</a>. |
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Catcha back on the flipside, keyshawn |
I haven't used PAN enough to run into your bug, and I don't post binaries. Sorry!
Here's some info I found though about posting bins: <a href="http://www.infoanarchy.org/wiki/index.php/Usenet_Tools#Binary_Upload_Tools">Wiki!</a>. Let me know how these work for you. |
Have you tried <a href="http://klibido.sourceforge.net/">KLibido</a> for getting binaries? It requires KDE libraries.
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keyshawn, I've heard that the new CVS of PAN greatly reduces the instability when taking down lots of headers. Maybe you should check it out.
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Unless I missed something I haven't seen this posted here yet. Suse is doing something similar to what RedHat did with Fedora Core. Starting with Suse 10.0 it will be a freely available distro developed out in the open with community support. Currently Release Candidate 1 is available, with the final release scheduled to be out on October 6.
www.opensuse.org |
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to OpenSUSE, just to see how the integrate Gnome w/ Mono.
When the final comes out, I'll update the main post w/ the info about it. |
kk - I'm a very experienced Windows user, and a very unexperienced Linux user. I date back to DOS days, so I'm happy at a command-line, but of course, I don't know any Linux/UNIX commands, so I'm not much use when I get there. I currently do have one machine at home dual-booting XP Pro and FC2 (I think), but I barely use it, something I should probably rectify.
But, to make my point, I have tried several books/online tutorials/walkthroughs etc, and always have one of the same two issues. One type assumes that you have never touched a computer before, insists on walking you through how to right-click etc, the other type seems to assume that you have past UNIX experience, as it leaps right into commands I've never heard of. I guess what I'm after is a "Linux guide for Windows users" - a guide that tells you how to do the things that are second nature to an experienced Windows user e.g. change the resolution. That put me off one of my initial Linux installations. I didn't get the resolution right at installation, and after that, I found myself so frustrated trying to change it that I gave up in disgust. Any thoughts from people who have been in my position? |
Markboy - I'm DIY - I learned everything I know about Linux from fiddling around with it and asking people who know more. I think some of the guys in my first LUG got thoroughly sick of my 'how do I...?' questions, but that's what a LUG is for, among other things.
That said, I'd highly recommend changing the Fedora install for a Mandriva (formerly Mandrake) install with either KDE or Gnome for your front end. It's the easiest to learn coming off of Windows and you'll be able to fiddle around and learn at your own pace. O'Reilly may have a manual out that'll give you what you want, but I wouldn't know which one. |
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Updates:
- Put PAN in as a good alternative to Agent. - Took out some info on Knoppix/Gnoppix that was outdated - Added a link to OpenSuSE, as well as a small bit of info on it - Updated numbers/versions for: Knoppix/Gnoppix/Mandriva/SuSE/Ubuntu |
Woot! Just successfully dist-upgraded my Ubuntu to Breezy, the newest version. I must say, I like it! Ubuntu is making huge inroads into the "it just works" problem, and Breezy is so far the best Linux distro I've ever used.
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One thing I`d like to add for all the linux folks out there. The greatest thing about linux is the community.
Google is GOD if something doesn`t work. Just search for the error message. Most likely, someone has encountered and fixed the problem before. Be sure to join your local LUG (linux user group), as they will come in handy one day. Check their mailing list archives before asking something, though. Some of them might be pretty bitchy, but all around good guys. If you`re having trouble with something, don`t hesitate to ask. The FreeNode IRC network ( irc.freenode.net ) is a great place to start. The people #debian , #ubuntu , #linux , and #linuxhelp along with #mysql and #php can come in handy. That`s it for now. Cheers, Dan |
Woooo
Just updated the post (was waiting for Dapper to come out). Updates: - Almost every distro (except for Gnoppix) had updates. - Added comments about Automatix and EasyUbuntu into the Ubuntu section. GO GET DAPPER. It rocks :) |
Excellent update Latch. I just installed Kubuntu 6.06 and it has been really good so far. Easyubuntu made codec installation easy although I'm still having difficulty with plugins. Other than that Kubuntu may be my new distro of choice now.
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Have you tried just Unbuntu?? I just installed it the other day, havent done to much with it yet. So far I like it :)
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So I've been tinkering all day and I'm officially without a clue. Google searches as well as thread searches have yeilded no results so I seek your assistance....
I've attempted to run Ubuntu and Damn Small Linux from a copy I've burned and one that came with a Linux magazine I got from work. After burning the bootable disc, putting it in the drive, and having it start up to the point that if loads "ntfsread.exe" I'm stuck on a command request in DOS. I'm sure the answer will be one of those forehead smack inducing - right under the nose solutions but I've spent a lot of time searching for an answer and will be happy to trade my frustration for embarassment. Thanks. Forgive me if I wasn't specific enough. I'll be happy to elaborate. |
By DOS I think you mean just a command line.
Nothing (that I know of) should run ntfsread.exe. .exe is a Windows thing, it sounds like you're still in Windows somehow. Is this the DSL CD or the Ubuntu CD? I highly suggest skipping DSL (It's great when you need a .. Damn.. Small.. Linux distro, but it's not good as a normal Desktop OS) and using the Ubuntu CD (I'm guessing/hoping it's Dapper Drake (6.06). Is it?). The Ubuntu CD should be a live CD you boot into, and you can install from there... |
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