Need Help Choosing A Linux Distro

kobra500

Feb 9 2008, 02:17 AM

Hi, When I get my new computer soon I wan't to get XP, however, I also want to have Linux since I used it a couple of times and I thought it was good. Trouble is there are so many versions out there that I don't know which one I should pick. Ubuntu i've heard is very good but I wanted to ask the trap17 community first to see which version you think I should get?

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t3jem

Feb 9 2008, 03:06 AM

I actually just installed ubuntu about 30 minutes ago, lol; however, I've been running off the live CD for about 4 hours and I love the OS, I have found almost no flaws in it, there seem to be only a couple glitches that I am sure are just user error right now. The current version seems to support everything someone would need. I plugged in the CD and everything worked on my Dell laptop, including wireless internet without having to think at all. So I suggest ubuntu, but the only other version I have tried is feather linux and that wasn't even for very long.

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rvalkass

Feb 9 2008, 10:54 AM

There are quite a few distributions that are suitable for people who are just starting out in Linux and want something that "just works". I'll give you a quick summary of each of the ones I'd suggest below.

openSuse - http://www.opensuse.org/

Based on the commercial Suse distribution, used by quite a few businesses and servers. You get quite a bit of choice over what to install when you come to set it up (such as the desktop environment and what software you want to install) so it will do exactly what you want. You also get a large repository of software you can download and install in a couple of clicks. There is a large amount of support from the community, and it is very stable due to its links with the Enterprise version of Suse. If you want to try it out first, you can download a Live CD, which lets you see what the OS is like before you download the install CD or DVD and install it.

Ubuntu - http://www.ubuntulinux.org/

Developed by the community and supported by Canonical, Ubuntu is one of the most popular distributions out there. You get a large range of software installed by default, and loads more available through the repositories, where you can download and install new software with a few clicks. The community is very strong and helpful, but documented support and guides are a little patchy. You only get the Gnome window manager with Ubuntu - no choice, unlike openSuse. However, one CD acts as both the Live CD and the install CD, which saves on your download time.

Kubuntu - http://www.kubuntu.org/

Kubuntu is the same as Ubuntu but with a KDE interface rather than Gnome. It has always been claimed that Ubuntu and Kubuntu are treated as equals, unlike the popular opinion that Ubuntu is the "main" version, and everything else is below it. However, recent developments have lead me to believe otherwise, as Ubuntu has steamed ahead of Kubuntu and left it behind. Also, the next version of Kubuntu is not being supported for anything near as long as the next version of Ubuntu. On the other hand, these issues may not matter to you at all.

Fedora - http://fedoraproject.org/

Fedora is regarded as a very stable, very reliable distribution with good hardware support and excellent documentation. However, it is not necessarily the most user friendly to start with. Sometimes I think this is better - you get to know more of the Linux-y words and ways of doing things rather than being mollycoddled throughout the whole experience with something like Ubuntu. Fedora provides separate KDE and Gnome Live CDs to try it out first, then a general install DVD where you can pick exactly what software you want installed (including the window manager) so you have exactly what you need right from the off.

You can also take a short quiz which will come up with distributions that meet your needs. I've found it to be quite reliable and it is very quick to do.

If you've got any other questions then I'll do my best to help you.

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dre

Feb 9 2008, 05:47 PM

Don't forget LinuxMint, I've heard very good things about the hardware support from that distro, and I think I've read somewhere that it's a lot like Ubuntu. I myself use Ubuntu and I love it, it's Debian based and has a huge community supporting it, I would get that if I were you.

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