Giving up on windows, looking for Linux advice

[Briarius]

After this last worm, I'm ready to give up on windows. Anyone who can expect people to pay for software that's so full of security holes and bugs. So, I've done a bit of reading today and wanted DUers opinions on which distribution of Linux are the easiest to install/setup. Also, I've seen screenshots of graphical interfaces, any recomendations there? Thanks so much!

-B

[TrogL]

1. Red Hat is popular

so there's a certain amount of support for it. Installed with everything (which you don't need) it's close to 2 gb. Make sure you include GNOME.

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

2. I recommend...

what I use: Mandrake. Known far and wide for the easiest installer. If you wait for the middle of September, the new 9.2 version(In beta testing now) will be out. Mandrake is chock full of programs for any need, but the bog-standard installation will satisfy most home users.

I cannot recommend it enough.

It's a French distro, too, so it will piss off Freepers. ;-)

[xJlM]

3. I've used Mandrake for a year and a half

The only real problems I have are with RealPlayer, if I try to pause it or sometimes just shutting it down. All my email programs work, but I like Mozilla Mail best.

I bought Red Hat 8.0, but it couldn't find my soundcard, and I was never able to get the mail programs working (except Mozilla Mail). I finally said to hell with this. Mandrake is a little bulky, but it can do most anything you want. I can print pages, pictures, or Adobe pdf files; with Open Office I can print letters or envelopes. It takes a few to learn the console for adding a Flash player or other upgrades, but it's not that hard.

A real good site I found which I found helpful in making the decision to stop funding Bill Gates was http://www.fuckmicrosoft.com/ , but I think they've changed their name to Microsuck. They offer insight into some of the alternatives, which range from cheap to free (if you have a fast internet connection).

[Briarius]

5. cool, looks pretty good

any idea how big a typical install is? I'm going to load it on the laptop first, so size is a little bit of an issue...it's only got 4 gigs total space.

[short bus president]

7. 2 gigs will accomodate

a VERY full-featured Mandrake install.

[Deja Q]

4. I use SuSE myself

Costs less than Red Hat and comes with much more (the Pro version as I haven't used the personal edition), is gaining popularity in America despite Red Hat's longer presense in this country, and doesn't have the stigma of being "the microsoft of linux".

http://www.suse.com/us/private/products/suse_linux/i386/10_reasons.html (a good starter page!)

http://www.suse.com/us/private/products/suse_linux/i386/index.html

[BiggJawn]

6. "The Microsoft of Linux"???

Oh, that's a HOOT!
They come up with this open OS, promote the hell out it, tell us it's the greatest thing since Orgasms, and NO BILL GATES! It catches on, and now one of the more popular versions is referred to as "The Microsoft of Linux"?

Why?

Because they have the audacity to think they can make some money working on and selling this OS?

Well, hell, time to come up with a new "Guerilla" freebie hard-to-learn OS, isn't it?

[mike_c]

8. I have three distros running currently...

SuSE 8.2, RedHat 9.0, and Mandrake 9.1. I haven't done anything yet on the computer with Mandrake (I just set it up and am not really finished configuring it) so I can't really say much about it. I use the other two computers daily, and like both distros just fine. All in all, I'd probably lean more to SuSE, but the last SuSE distro (8.0) I installed on the machine with RedHat on it couldn't configure the parallel port properly (it's a funky motherboard-- NEVER NEVER NEVER buy Compaq Presarios!!!) and no amount of HOWTO reading led to a fix, so I just put RH back on-- problem solved.

Both RedHat and Mandrake have free download versions if you have a broadband connection-- they lack some of the value-added stuff, but virtually all of that is available via the web anyway, and I've never missed any of. SuSE does not offer a free download, although their web site says they'll host network installs (again, useful only if you have broadband, and frankly, I like having the bootable CD in hand, just in case...). If you buy a distro you'll get support, of course.

Lots of people swear by Debian, but I've never installed it, so I can't comment.

Unless there's a particular app that is only available on Windows, you'll probably wonder why it took you so long to migrate away from Microsoft. One of my computers is a dual boot machine, with SuSE 8.2 Linux and WinXP-- I've had that machine for over a year, and have only booted the Windows HD two or three times.

[Briarius]

9. Thanks for all the help!

I'm downloading the Mandrake cd images, I'll let you know how it goes! thanks again!

[bpilgrim]

10. getta mac...

you can't go wrong, best of both worlds... kick A$$ OS with an AWESOME FRONT END.


and they look cool, too ;-)

peace

[zizzer]

14. yes and no...

Yes, get a Mac!

No, OS X is NOT based on Linux. It is based on Free BSD.

Linux is a system 5 copy and Free BSD is a system 4 derivitive...and a much better opperating system to boot (pardin the pun).

Zizzer

[Dob Bole]

11. I used Red Hat 9.0

It's pretty nice, very nice graphically. And it's free. I didn't have it long enough to really give you detailed advice on it other than it has cool screensavers and Mahjonng.

[newyawker99]

13. Congrats Dob Bole!! 400 posts

:toast:

[Nlighten1]

12. www.linuxquestions.org

www.linuxquestions.org