Linux Cliche

animesh · #1 04-11-2005, 02:36 AM

ok dis must b the most cliched question ever, but i wanna download linux, i dnt mind buyin it either, wateva, but which is the best one 2 go for rite noe. i heard fedora n ubuntu r nice, but there r so many distributions, it totally confuses me. anybody with any suggestions?? thanx

Zxian · #2 04-11-2005, 03:51 AM

I think that the best idea for you would be to spend some time setting up Linux on a spare computer so that you don't loose any productivity while you're testing/setting up.

I've used Mandrake on my home computer, and I'm currently managing a web server that's running Debian. The nice thing about Debian is that access to programs is unbelivably easy with a program called dselect. This will list all the possible programs that you can install (trust me... there are a lot) and then automatically download and install them for you. Very very handy.

I've also heard good reviews about Ubuntu, but I haven't tried it out myself. I'll probably do that in a month or so when exams are over.

Your best bet is to ask around, try different distros, and see which one works best for you. That's one of the advantages of Linux is that the distros are tailored to many different needs.

animesh · #3 04-11-2005, 11:31 PM

hi thanx for the reply.

ubuntu is based on the debian shell, thts y i was hopin 2 try it out. anyway i am havin the cds shipped out 2 me, will install it n let u'll knw it went.

Cheers

torque2k · #4 04-11-2005, 11:37 PM

Agreed. Take a look at www.distrowatch.com to see the lowdown on every major (and most minor) Linux/BSD release available.

If I were setting up my first Linux install, I'd definitely download a bunch and test on a different system, or at least slap in a different hard drive. Don't fall for the "You can dual-boot Linux with Windows!" line, as many beginners I've talked to have totally messed up their current OS this way. Try Live-CD distributions like Knoppix, Morphix, SLAX, etc. if you don't have (access to) a different hard drive. Only after you've gotten comfortable with how Linux installs should you try a dual-boot system, and then ONLY IF YOU BACKUP YOUR CURRENT DATA/SYSTEM! You've been warned.

Personally, I'm a Gentoo guy, with Fedora Core 2 and SuSE a close second and third (haven't had good luck with Fedora Core 3, dunno why it's having a harder time with same hardware as FC2 working install). If you've got the time and are willing to really get your hands dirty, Gentoo is a GREAT way to learn how Linux works and why it does what it does. I learned more installing Gentoo once than I did running a RedHat 7.2 system for six months!

I also like FreeBSD, but for beginners it's probably not a great way to go. Stick with the biggies (SuSE, Fedora, (K)Ubuntu, Mandriva (Mandrake's new name), Mepis) for the best first-time experience and largest support groups. When you've got your teeth cut, move up to Debian, Slackware, Gentoo and Arch Linux. When you're ready (and willing) after those, try Linux From Scratch. I did my first install this weekend (with subpar results on really old equipment) and was impressed with how much more I learned! Distro packagers now have my humble gratitude; they go through Hell getting a release together!

Bikky · #5 04-30-2005, 11:07 PM

Hi,
I am not able to install SUSE Linux 9.2 in my system. when I am booting with the help of dvd i am getting the startup page and after some steps when it starts probing for usb devices it takes a lot of time and then when YAST initializes it takes more than 10 mintes and then the screen goes scrooling and i cannot see anything on the screen. Please do help me out in installing it.

System Specifications:

866 Mhz
Intel 810e chipset
256 mb ram
hdd 20 gb

Bikky

s7p9a2m4 · #6 05-01-2005, 12:14 AM

I'm not fond of Suse. Had trouble with it too - 9.2. Yast sucks.

Did you check checksums? Did you have a good burn?

Not much else I can suggest as Suse does have pretty good hardware support.

If no joy, try another distro like SimplyMepis.

www.distrowatch.com

ahz · #7 05-13-2005, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zxian

I've used Mandrake on my home computer, and I'm currently managing a web server that's running Debian. The nice thing about Debian is that access to programs is unbelivably easy with a program called dselect. This will list all the possible programs that you can install (trust me... there are a lot) and then automatically download and install them for you. Very very handy.

Debian uses a collection of programs for package management: dpkg, apt, and dselect. apt manages dpkg. It's a great system.

Fedora usually uses yum, which is really slow compared to apt, but someone ported apt to rpm, so you can use apt with Fedora. To use apt with Fedora, you need to download it from http://dag.wieers.com. Then, like you said, it's so easy to manage packages.

To install a web server is something like this:
apt-get install apache

To install all updates for all programs:
apt-get update; apt-get upgrade

I've used Fedora and Mandrake, and I would recommend them for Linux newbies.

harry12 · #8 07-07-2005, 11:06 AM

I tried the above on a new HDD - 120G and had some initial problem with booting the DVD drive since the floppy (file) is exactly 1.44MB and windows didn't like writing the floppy. Had to resort to multiple"continue" as Windows tried to prevent the download. The 3.5" now contains the data for setting up the DVD drive to take the Unbutu 5.04 CD (a CD from a magazine - not that DVD/ISO rubbish).
It all installed just over an hour and has a delightful Office WP - but I couldn't print - there seems to be no instruction on installing printer drivers, although curiously as all the software is loaded (it takes twice as long as Win98SE) at boot time, there is a line that refers to my Lex Z51 - looks like there was a driver there somewhere.
But help from the Unbuntu site is not forthcomming - this site(here) is logical and very helpful - ubuntu is difficult to get into, despite the promise of human happiness - well, no it isn't my friend it makes yer hopping mad. Eventually I had to request a new password and even then the level of help was no better - worse than Windows Help and that's saying something. The problem is that "help" needs to be tailored to the level and situation: - First install, new gear install, new software updates etc and then Beginner, intermediate and advanced. Trying to cover these with one Help file is bound to fail. IMHO.
How to install a printer driver: select printer, look under the drivers and click -done.......NO it isn't - my list showed just two:- an HP (something) and another in the list was also the same HP - so that printer was double covered and there were no others! Seemed very odd to me, as there must be about 100 popular printers at any moment.

What's happened so far:-
I lost my Ubuntu (pc)Password - well what I wrote down wouldn't work - so then what? The whole World isn't interested in my PC - so a low-level of password protection would be OK - as it is I can't use the new HDD - if I try to reformat it under Windows it claims it's only 80G ( is this the wrong FAT-problem?), so Ubuntu are having a really good laugh - provide lots of clean software for punters to load - but don't allow them to print it and screw up the password entry ... er, and the HDD at the same time.

Windows was never this difficult and it would do Linux some good if they considered they need to address the great unwashed computer users - those folk who can change the battery on the TV-remote but can't program the video - there are lots of those folk and selling to them will be very profitable.........I consider myself to be one+ layer above them and I'm getting to the point of sending Bill Gates ten USD as a present and say "thankyou for Windows".
I know some BIOS have a work-arround for passwords, does Ubuntu 5.04?
Why the secret with drivers? Parallel-port and next will be USB -
After that I shall want to set-up the BB internet connection and configure a firewall - Oddly the DVD drive worked OK with CD so I guess it has to be a "generic" drive by LiteOn - earlier I had one of their CD R/W drives - still going.
Are these demands so unreasonable? I just wanted a simple life.......

s7p9a2m4 · #9 07-07-2005, 08:42 PM

I found Ubuntu to be very buggie. I've no idea why it is so popular. SimplyMepis or PCLinuxOS would have been better choices.
There is a learning curve to linux. It takes patience and research. The rewards are worth it.
If your root password does not work you are hooped. You will need to reinstall.
I would go to the Ubuntu forum for answers to your other problems or linuxquestions.org.

Faron · #10 10-12-2005, 10:50 PM

ubuntu, fedora core and mandrake- windows altervatives, home user, old systems, not for programmers.

gentoo,debian,slackware-basic inter. programming, old systems, networking

suse, red hat, white box, slax- basic programming, office, networking, home

These are just unix based systems non-linux:

Soalris, Tru 64- the best- advanded programming, office, networking, home

JanoII · #11 10-23-2005, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by animesh

ok dis must b the most cliched question ever, but i wanna download linux, i dnt mind buyin it either, wateva, but which is the best one 2 go for rite noe. i heard fedora n ubuntu r nice, but there r so many distributions, it totally confuses me. anybody with any suggestions?? thanx

Enjoyed reading the other replies to this thread and here is my experience in 'tinkering' with Linux: As I must use a modem, downloading CDs is far too time consuming. Though I have a newer Dell with Windows XP, I have an older Dell, a Pentium II, with a 20G HD and 512 MB of RAM that I use to play with Linux. Red Hat 7.0 worked for me and RH 9.0 worked even better. Frankly, I liked it! Didn't like RH8 -- couldn't even get the printer to install. I've tried MEPIS -- so-so; didn't like Linspire at all; FC1 installed but kept locking up. I now have FC3. It installed easily to the HD and I had no trouble installing a printer or connecting to the internet. Everything that I've tried to use so far has worked but I'm still playing with it. Firefox is a good browser and Thunderbird is a pleasure to use. (I've found that KPPP is easier to use than Gnome's installer, so I always try to use that.) I'd like to try Ubantu and Slackware. Maybe I should install a second HD so I can play around with other distros. Also, I've enjoyed playing with the command line and using vi. (Wonder if there's a way to connect to the internet using the terminal?) Am I just wierd? Hope this helps. Have fun with Linux.