| Forum Home | ||||
| Press F1 | ||||
| Thread ID: 79060 | 2007-05-06 22:11:00 | Linux OS, what's the best for newbie? | jabbapam (10283) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 547819 | 2007-05-06 22:11:00 | Have just been reading about Dell's use of Ubuntu linux on their computers. I am interested in trying linux out. What would be the best for a newbie to Linux? We mainly email with outlook, web browse, use ms word, google earth, dvd shrink, feed reader, adobe photoshop elements. I'm not into programming nor do I understand how to do those things. What is linux like in regards to security and stability? Would I still need zone alarm firewall type program and the typical anti spyware/ anti virus programs? What would be a good Linux magazine to read? |
jabbapam (10283) | ||
| 547820 | 2007-05-06 22:26:00 | There are several posts on this forum on this subject and everyone tends to push their own barrow.I have tried many over the years and find SUSE 10.2 easy peasy but there are many more.I found Ubuntu a wee bit odd for a newbee but a good OS.For a trial a SUSE or KNOPPIX live CD is a good bet.You can trial them without putting anything on yr HDD and see if you are still interested then if you are you can install on yr HDD with out problems. | kjaada (253) | ||
| 547821 | 2007-05-06 23:48:00 | See my PM to you on yr profile | kjaada (253) | ||
| 547822 | 2007-05-06 23:52:00 | How large is a knoppix download - does it actually fit on a single CD, and where's the best place to get it? | Greg (193) | ||
| 547823 | 2007-05-07 00:03:00 | Sent you a PM too Greg | kjaada (253) | ||
| 547824 | 2007-05-07 00:07:00 | What would be the best for a newbie to Linux? That's a really good way to start a drawn out debate! There are a number of different Linux distributions focussed on different needs . Some focus mainly on the server environment, some on the desktop . Some focus on stability while others go for the latest versions of everything . What you choose really depends on what you want to get out of the system . For use on a desktop Ubuntu is quite a good option for new users, though I would recommend also trying Kubuntu (the KDE version) and choosing the desktop you like the best . Suse 10 . 2 is also nice and extremely stable but the package manager is painfully slow . Since they cost only traffic allowance to obtain, it's easy to try a number of distributions until you find what is ideal for your situation . With a Linux system you will not need an extra firewall (all Linux systems come with a firewall which is more than sufficient) and will not need an antivirus . Linux systems have much more sensible default settings than the home editions of Windows (yes, that includes Vista) so a virus is too simple to bypass those protections often enough to gain critical mass and spread . Worms can and have attacked Linux systems but their damage is limited by difficulty of spreading fast enough to survive . Most of the list of applications you have listed do not have Linux versions, so if you switch you must be prepared to try equivalents and be frustrated for a while until you get settled into a new pattern . The power of habit is very strong and you will have to readjust your way of thinking about some things . While I like to promote the use of Linux, everybody should go into that decision with their eyes open . People trying Linux while expecting it to be like Windows are all too common and become very tiring very quickly as they tend to get annoyed when things are different . If you change your system, be prepared to change how you do things with it . |
TGoddard (7263) | ||
| 547825 | 2007-05-07 02:39:00 | Hi Jabbapam. Not the easiest to say what would be best – there is so much choice (confusing – but in a good way). Comes down to personal preference at the end of the day. Reading reviews, googling etc will help you narrow your choice. I started with live CDs so I could try different distros first. http://shots.osdir.com/ is a good place to go to get a feel for how some of the distros look. When I was first looking, I went to http://distrowatch.com/ , checked out their top 10 (most popular), found out which ones had live CDs, then downloaded and tested one by one (personally tried Ubuntu. Kubuntu, OpenSuse – then settled on Mepis). Will try others over time – but Mepis works well in interim, and am very happy to stick with it for now. I’m still very much a newbie – but found that Mepis was an easy switch. They do have good forums & there’s plenty of good advice if you ask a few questions. One nice attraction was auto setup of Nvidia driver + ability to try Beryl (3D manager – cube effects etc) all set-up for you. Re your questions re software – most of the ones I’ve listed come with the live CDs: Email = Kmail (if using kde), or Thunderbird **Evolution is supposed to be very good (have heard better than Outlook) – but haven’t tried yet. Needs to be installed through a packet manager. Browser = Konqueror (if using kde). or Firefox MS Office = Open |
Brooko (8444) | ||
| 547826 | 2007-05-07 04:28:00 | If you wanted a "almost like windows" version of Linux, Xandros was and probably still is the way to go. That was by far the most realistic version of Linux that actually resembled Windows in many respects. They have what they called the "Open Circulation Edition" which was essentially a cut down version of their home edition available for free and is probably still floating on the net. Mind you, this was two years ago and the program was version 3. I've heard that they are doing a version #4 (forums.xandros.com), but have not heard much about it. |
bob_doe_nz (92) | ||
| 547827 | 2007-05-07 06:00:00 | Well fine then, I'll push the barrow for Mepis :p | Myth (110) | ||
| 547828 | 2007-05-07 06:10:00 | PressF1 unofficial FAQ: What distribution will suit me (faqf1.net.nz ll_suit_me) | Jen (38) | ||
| 1 2 3 | |||||