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How are Lunix distos different from each other?
- Thread starter insomica
- Start date
This is the Crux...
Linux is a Kernel. This is what schedules memory management and resource allocation. GNU is the software bundle/packages that come with the distro, hence you often see Debian referred to as GNU/Linux.
All packages share a kernel, it is the other sofware bundle, libraries, installers, etc that are different.
Different distros are also targeted at different skill levels. SCO Caldera, Lycoris, SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat, etc, are all very easy to install and have good hardware support. However, if you want to *learn* linux and UNIX, these are not going to teach you much. Everything is automagically configured for you.
If you really want to learn, pick something like Slackware (my personal favourite), Crux, Debian, Evil Entity (my other favourite) or Gentoo. You really have to configure most stuff yourself with these. But be warned, do a lot of reading before attempting to install any of these.
Have a look at these website for some more info:
My opinion is if you want something user friendly and good all-rounder go for SuSE. If you want to genuinely learn UNIX, go for Slackware as it isn't really that hard to install. Debian is also very good, but hard to install for a newbie.
Mandrake is really a pumped-up version of Red Hat and is now bankrupt, so I would't go with Mandrake.
All the best.
Linux is a Kernel. This is what schedules memory management and resource allocation. GNU is the software bundle/packages that come with the distro, hence you often see Debian referred to as GNU/Linux.
All packages share a kernel, it is the other sofware bundle, libraries, installers, etc that are different.
Different distros are also targeted at different skill levels. SCO Caldera, Lycoris, SuSE, Mandrake, Red Hat, etc, are all very easy to install and have good hardware support. However, if you want to *learn* linux and UNIX, these are not going to teach you much. Everything is automagically configured for you.
If you really want to learn, pick something like Slackware (my personal favourite), Crux, Debian, Evil Entity (my other favourite) or Gentoo. You really have to configure most stuff yourself with these. But be warned, do a lot of reading before attempting to install any of these.
Have a look at these website for some more info:
My opinion is if you want something user friendly and good all-rounder go for SuSE. If you want to genuinely learn UNIX, go for Slackware as it isn't really that hard to install. Debian is also very good, but hard to install for a newbie.
Mandrake is really a pumped-up version of Red Hat and is now bankrupt, so I would't go with Mandrake.
All the best.
- Thread starter
- #3
Have you heard anything about KNOPPIX. I read it was based on Debian. It's the linux that boots/runs of a cd.
sleipnir214
Programmer
Do you need or want a CD-ROM booting Linux distribution?
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions: TANSTAAFL!
Want the best answers? Ask the best questions: TANSTAAFL!
- Thread starter
- #5
i don't NEED a cdrom booting linux but it would be nice to learn on that before i try and install it and mess everything up. i can tell if KNOPPIX has the drivers for everything before i install it.
and if i like KNOPPIX i can install it.
and if i like KNOPPIX i can install it.
I run Debian stable here at home and I've got a GeForce4200. Here's the steps to run the card.
1: Get newest 2.4 kernel from
2: Get 2 source packages (one for kernel driver, and other for GLX).
3: Make kernel, install, and configure Lilo/Grub
4: Reboot into new kernel and at commandline, compile the 2 NVIDIA packages.
5: startx # It now works. Perfect.
Please let Tek-Tips members know if their posts were helpful.
1: Get newest 2.4 kernel from
2: Get 2 source packages (one for kernel driver, and other for GLX).
3: Make kernel, install, and configure Lilo/Grub
4: Reboot into new kernel and at commandline, compile the 2 NVIDIA packages.
5: startx # It now works. Perfect.
Please let Tek-Tips members know if their posts were helpful.
- Thread starter
- #9
i tried KNOPPIX on my moms laptop computer (compaq) everything workded fine. it was a slow b/c the cd rom was slow and i only had 64mb of ram in it. but other then that it worked good. thanks for your help. well other then some of the pdfs and a few readmes where in german.
RoryJMcKenna
MIS
I totaly disagree with AP81 (Sorry) Debian is mad easy to install ...plus by far the best package manager I have ever imagined apt-get install (package_name) You do not even have to know how to unpack/install! For a newbie (Me) I have Setup A production Web/Mail/DNS server Imp and all..Transfered all esential files directories etc. swaped IP's and was on my way.
>I totaly disagree with AP81 (Sorry) Debian is mad easy to install ...
Excuse me?! The debian installer is horrible. I went to Debian after using Slack on a desktop/server combo. Took me 3 times to figure out the blasted install procedure. Slack's menu is drop-dead simple.. well it does almost nothing in configuration.
>plus by far the best package manager I have ever imagined apt-get install (package_name) You do not even have to know how to unpack/install!
The only reason why the package system works right is because you dont have suse-bin.deb, redhat-bin.deb, mandrake-bin.deb, or your 1000 INCOMPATIBLE rpm formats. Though the nicest feature is you point apt-get at the servers you want to download to install.. and BAMN! instant package.
>For a newbie (Me) I have Setup A production Web/Mail/DNS server Imp and all..Transfered all esential files directories etc. swaped IP's and was on my way.
Have you...
1: pulled security updates from security.debian.org recently ?
2: patched any extremly recent updates due to root holes?
3: made every server (or tried) use chroot under a crippled user?
4: Do you have your permissions set right?
5: Have you made the wheel group? Do you know what gid=wheel is meant to do?
6: Are you using the NSA security patches for mandatory access control?
7: Are you using the anti-buffer exploit (PaX) compilied against your server binaries? (better yet, compile them against bash)
8: Have you removed all compilers from the server?
Just a few ideas before I go and implement a server on Linux.
Please let Tek-Tips members know if their posts were helpful.
Excuse me?! The debian installer is horrible. I went to Debian after using Slack on a desktop/server combo. Took me 3 times to figure out the blasted install procedure. Slack's menu is drop-dead simple.. well it does almost nothing in configuration.
>plus by far the best package manager I have ever imagined apt-get install (package_name) You do not even have to know how to unpack/install!
The only reason why the package system works right is because you dont have suse-bin.deb, redhat-bin.deb, mandrake-bin.deb, or your 1000 INCOMPATIBLE rpm formats. Though the nicest feature is you point apt-get at the servers you want to download to install.. and BAMN! instant package.
>For a newbie (Me) I have Setup A production Web/Mail/DNS server Imp and all..Transfered all esential files directories etc. swaped IP's and was on my way.
Have you...
1: pulled security updates from security.debian.org recently ?
2: patched any extremly recent updates due to root holes?
3: made every server (or tried) use chroot under a crippled user?
4: Do you have your permissions set right?
5: Have you made the wheel group? Do you know what gid=wheel is meant to do?
6: Are you using the NSA security patches for mandatory access control?
7: Are you using the anti-buffer exploit (PaX) compilied against your server binaries? (better yet, compile them against bash)
8: Have you removed all compilers from the server?
Just a few ideas before I go and implement a server on Linux.
Please let Tek-Tips members know if their posts were helpful.
RoryJMcKenna- Sorry, I left out the gifted. What is easy for you may not be easy for someone else. I set up and configure Debian a number of times a month. The installer is excellent in terms of control, but not suited to a new user (in my opinion).
Debian is probably the most robust distro out there. Everything is thoroughly tried and tested with Debian before release. You end up with a highly stable and excellent distro. However, you are probably the first Newbie I know to say "it is easy". Most newbies I know who have attempted to set it up have ended up giving up and installing something else.
Debian is probably the most robust distro out there. Everything is thoroughly tried and tested with Debian before release. You end up with a highly stable and excellent distro. However, you are probably the first Newbie I know to say "it is easy". Most newbies I know who have attempted to set it up have ended up giving up and installing something else.
- Thread starter
- #13
same here. Buy even a cheap 10$ modem and it will work so long as it isn't a winmodem.
Gary Haran
==========================
Gary Haran
==========================
- Thread starter
- #16
Come on insomica, we're trying to have a decent argument about linux distributions and you keep interrupting 
.
Actually, I don't know anything about winmodems, and really do want to argue about distros for a sec (sorry insomica). I think that one's ability to learn linux on redhat is greatly underestimated by debian and slackware users. As a redhat user, I concede that proably you will eventually need to learn how to use debian or slackware if you want to be a sysadmin. However, that doesn't mean that redhat is not a great place to start. Contrary, to popular belief redhat does not do everything for you. It is not simply a linux replacement of windows. For very beginning computer users, the difference will not be apparent (between windows and redhat), since the redhat/gnome guis do all the simple tasks. However, as soon as you try to do something a bit more complicated, you will have to do learn the same things as debian and slackware users.
For instance, I spent an hour last night trying to figure out how to properly mount a samba drive without being root (ie. by double clicking the nice little disk icon on the kde desktop). This required editing fstab and changing permissions from the command line. Yeah, this isn't the highest pinacle of systems administration, but to say it's just pointing and clicking is not accurate either. It's also relevant to problems one will undoubtedly have as sys admin, and therefore not a waste of time.
What I'm trying to say, is that I really don't think there is anything to be gained by recommending the harder to use distros to unix/linux newbies... even if there eventual goal of the person is to go into systems administration.
-Venkman
. Actually, I don't know anything about winmodems, and really do want to argue about distros for a sec (sorry insomica). I think that one's ability to learn linux on redhat is greatly underestimated by debian and slackware users. As a redhat user, I concede that proably you will eventually need to learn how to use debian or slackware if you want to be a sysadmin. However, that doesn't mean that redhat is not a great place to start. Contrary, to popular belief redhat does not do everything for you. It is not simply a linux replacement of windows. For very beginning computer users, the difference will not be apparent (between windows and redhat), since the redhat/gnome guis do all the simple tasks. However, as soon as you try to do something a bit more complicated, you will have to do learn the same things as debian and slackware users.
For instance, I spent an hour last night trying to figure out how to properly mount a samba drive without being root (ie. by double clicking the nice little disk icon on the kde desktop). This required editing fstab and changing permissions from the command line. Yeah, this isn't the highest pinacle of systems administration, but to say it's just pointing and clicking is not accurate either. It's also relevant to problems one will undoubtedly have as sys admin, and therefore not a waste of time.
What I'm trying to say, is that I really don't think there is anything to be gained by recommending the harder to use distros to unix/linux newbies... even if there eventual goal of the person is to go into systems administration.
-Venkman
- Thread starter
- #18
i don't have a problem with you argueing about linux distros. i just wanted to keep the people up todate on whats going on with me. sence i did start this thread. LOL sorry i keep interrupting... i found modem drivers for knoppix so i will try them in a few minues. wish me luck...
sorry i keep interrupting... i found modem drivers for knoppix so i will try them in a few minues. wish me luck...insomica
Good luck!
venkman and others
Since we're talking about redhat anyway, does anyone else notice that since 8.0 it's been a hog? This is all anecdotal for me and that's why I ask for confirmation. I used to run 7.3 on my box as part of a dual boot (p3-500 64 megs of ram). I got a nice new laptop and then used that exclusively for a about 9 or 10 months.
I decided to rehab the p3-500 and since my win98 install was all messed up and I didn't have the disks, I figured, let's learn some linux this time. So I installed 8.0 and it was horrid. egads. So I went out and bought another 128megs of ram, so I'm just under 200 now. Then I installed Debian which ran really well, but I got frustrated when I couldn't get my sound to work and installed Redhat 9.0 (hey, I'm playing here) and it runs alright now, but I still max out the RAM often and go to disk... especially if I'm using the desktop.
rpm -i ogle....
immediately pops up and tells me what else to install
double clicking the same RPM results in lots of disk spin and the computer darn near freezing.
Is this just me? 7.3 seemed great on that machine, as in really fast. 8.0, 9.0 were just wretched before the RAM upgarde, and even now are mediocre...
eh whatever, I'll probably be on another distro by the end of the week anyway
-Rob
Good luck!
venkman and others
Since we're talking about redhat anyway, does anyone else notice that since 8.0 it's been a hog? This is all anecdotal for me and that's why I ask for confirmation. I used to run 7.3 on my box as part of a dual boot (p3-500 64 megs of ram). I got a nice new laptop and then used that exclusively for a about 9 or 10 months.
I decided to rehab the p3-500 and since my win98 install was all messed up and I didn't have the disks, I figured, let's learn some linux this time. So I installed 8.0 and it was horrid. egads. So I went out and bought another 128megs of ram, so I'm just under 200 now. Then I installed Debian which ran really well, but I got frustrated when I couldn't get my sound to work and installed Redhat 9.0 (hey, I'm playing here) and it runs alright now, but I still max out the RAM often and go to disk... especially if I'm using the desktop.
rpm -i ogle....
immediately pops up and tells me what else to install
double clicking the same RPM results in lots of disk spin and the computer darn near freezing.
Is this just me? 7.3 seemed great on that machine, as in really fast. 8.0, 9.0 were just wretched before the RAM upgarde, and even now are mediocre...
eh whatever, I'll probably be on another distro by the end of the week anyway
-Rob
Venkman- I'm not bagging RH. I still like it and use it. I did however, do most of my learning on Slackware and found that it taught me more than using RH. Red Hat is still an excellent distro. I still have it on my box and use it often. It is my opinion that you will learn a lot more about the internals of the operating system with Slackware.
You will still learn a lot with if you start with RH. You can always try Debain or Slackware when you want a bit more of a challenge.
You will still learn a lot with if you start with RH. You can always try Debain or Slackware when you want a bit more of a challenge.
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