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Thread ID: 71675	2006-08-13 05:05:00	What Linux should I download?	matty3 (5363)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
478145	2006-08-13 08:59:00	Knoppix is soooo cool - and you can run it off a CD (or DVD for some editions). Otherwise Fedora gets my vote right now.	Twelvevolts (5457)
478146	2006-08-13 09:33:00	I'm actually going to try out quite a few and see what one I like best. I think I might go with Mandrake though. ~Matt :-) P.S. Thanks for all your replies - 2 pages!!!	matty3 (5363)
478147	2006-08-13 13:15:00	Matty, there is only one, I repeat only one distribution for you to use, the one that is currently installed . That's the beauty of Linux, many distros to suit a particular level of competency or type of computing and most, if not all, down-loadable for free . My personal fav is Mepis . I agree with Tazz, it's superior to Ubuntu because of superior hardware detection, stability, and good choice of apps . It pretty much works out of the box, unless you have some odd hardware . I would also agree that you should start off with a distro that allows you to run it as a live CD . You'll need enough RAM and reasonably modern/fast CD/DVD to run it at a reasonable clip . It will never run as fast as an installed OS though (well maybe if you have enough RAM to set up a humungous RAM drive) . Please, don't install an old distro from a book . If you're going to experiement, ie . trying multiple distros, anything more than running a live CD, use at the very minimum a seperate hard drive to install to . Oh, and, depending on the distro and what level of competency in it you achieve, Linux is more than capable of being a replacement OS for any other OS, including windows . The naysayers' are only talking from personal experience, which says it all really . :lol:	Murray P (44)
478148	2006-08-14 06:54:00	Matty, there is only one, I repeat only one distribution for you to use, the one that is currently installed. What do you mean? Please, don't install an old distro from a book. If you're going to experiement, ie. trying multiple distros, anything more than running a live CD, use at the very minimum a seperate hard drive to install to. The CD I have is just a Live CD. You can't install it from the disc I don't think. Thanks for your help. ~Matt :-)	matty3 (5363)
478149	2006-08-14 09:52:00	Whichever distro you choose, you need to commit to persevering with it. I'm a Linux user of 4 months now and I'm slowly becoming comfortable enough with it to solve my own (simple) problems. Like Hhel, I use Xandros and the user forum has been extremely helpful in sorting out the more troublesome ones. The most difficult thing, I've found, is installing programs. There's lots of open source (free) stuff out there, but many of them are not easy to install. Unlike Windows, there are several versions of Linux and you have to find the right flavour (e.g., RPM or Debian) for your distro. As well as that, you have to resolve all the other programs the one you're installing needs for it to run. Also, unlike Windows, it's often easier to download the source code (usually a .tar or .tar.gz file) and compile and link it yourself. This can be surprisingly easy if the author has included a script that does all the work. One thing I found really excellent was the way Xandros set up my Internet and LAN (using Samba). It was totally transparent and I've never had to touch it. I turned the machine on and instantly had access to the Internet as well as all the Win XP machines in our LAN. And it's totally reliable (unlike the Win XP equivalent which for reasons unknown goes AWOL from time to time and says it can see anybody else). We've got an old machine that needs a brain transplant (mobo + CPU) because of bad caps and when it comes back from surgery we'll probably just install Xandros on it and not bother about Windows at all.	TideMan (4279)
478150	2006-08-14 10:45:00	Tideman, Unlike you, I have one username here and a different one on Xandros forums. (You remember that I emailed you the other day about someone wanting help with "f2c" My signature here will make the final link (as if you haven't worked it out already). Jim	Hhel (8073)
478151	2006-08-15 05:02:00	Okay, I've downloaded Mandriva and then I put the file onto a cd. I booted up the computer and then it puts up this console thing and I just want to know how do I get to like the main interface - desktop. Thanks for your help. ~Matt :-)	matty3 (5363)
478152	2006-08-15 06:43:00	You downloaded the Mandriva One (www.mandriva.com) version? Never seen this one boot up, but didn't it give you any prompts what to enter to start it? What does the page you end up on actually say?	Jen (38)
478153	2006-08-15 07:13:00	To be brutally honest- none, unless you just want to 'play around with it' and not have it as your main opsys. Also be careful installing Linux, myself at least had Windows stuffed that way. If you 'must' have a go Ubuntu is supposed to be an easy starter, you might be better to try a live CD first so you don't screw anything up. Come on SC, you really want to suggest SUSE. I know you do. :D I you won't, then I will.... SUSE is a nice distro. I use it as a desktop distro but tend to use Mandrake/Fedora as a server distro. My advice is try some live cd's before you commit to installing one. SUSE has a live cd/dvd.	dolby digital (5073)
478154	2006-08-15 08:19:00	I've been using SuSE for about 1 1/2 years now and am now on 10.1 (started with 9.2). I've found it to be simple to install and use, sufficiently flexible for 'power user' needs, secure and quite pretty whether you choose KDE or GNOME (I like both).	TGoddard (7263)
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