Installation linux which version is best?

[mikey62]

I want to install linux and have tried redhat 8.0
what other versions are out there? I have heard of debian and suse? what are these versions and are they good?

I noticed also that when installing redhat8.0 on another pc of mine I had trouble starting the install because the monitor was shaky and resolution was jumpy with lines. Is there a configuration I have to adjust Prior to installing linux? ex: changing the resolution lower while in windoze.
thanks

Mikey

 

[thedaver]

If you are just starting out, many new linux'ers like Mandrake. Debian is probably a little too challenging for a first install - but, if you're sharp it can be rewarding.

RedHat install has a text mode that might be useful. Of course, you don't need to install the GUI with RedHat at all, which makes resolution a moot point. ;-)



Surfinbox.com Business Internet Services - National Dialup, DSL, T-1 and more.

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[skiflyer]

I second thedaver exactly.

When I want a pretty box to do websurfing and word processing, and I want it now, without any compiling, and searching for drivers... I use Mandrake.

When I want a server, or a box that I know I'll be adding software to often, I just started using debian... so far I find it more challenging than Mandrake, but more rewarding now that I have it going.

-Rob

 

[mikey62]

thanks. I will try Mandrake!

how much does it cost via a cd.

how did they come up with the name mandrake (curious?)

again thanks!

Mike

 

[owenbrown]

Go with RedHat, it is by far the best.

 

[flugh]

Obviously owenbrown misunderstood the question, thinking you asked "What's the best distro to burn on a new CD-coaster for my coffee table?"

/me fires off a shot in a good-ol' distro flamewar ;-)

Redhat's a find distro, I'd especially recommend it to anyone doing enterprise/corporate stuff. But I'll stick to Mandrake (a distant relative of Redhat) on my desktop at home, and Debian on my fileserver

----
JBR

 

[skiflyer]

The newest Mandrake has 3 price levels... basically beginner desktop... hobbiest/programmer desktop... enterprise.

The prices on CD go from 39 to 69 to 199, and then subscription plans for 300$+ (I don't know what those are)

You can also find someone with a fast connection and get it for free. If you are going to shell out the cash I would strongly suggest ordering in their store, because they just came out with a new version (9.2) and I doubt you'll be finding that on any store shelves.

Dunno if this link has sessions, but it's worth a try

http://www.mandrakestore.com

-Rob

 

[perrymans]

http://www.linuxiso.org

has descriptions for every Linux flavor out there, as well as the mirrors to download them. Just make sure the file size downloaded is the same as what is listed. I have gotten files that were too small before.

Red Hat - Easy to use and highly developed. Bloated and will bring an older computer to it's knees (also depends on packages you choose). Intended for corporate use. Uses RPM's for installs.

Mandrake - The "other" easy to use distro. More for home use than corporate. Uses RPM's for installs.

Debian - Most support and packages available. Also one of the most Unix like. Uses apt-get to install files and handle dependencies.

Slackware - The other most Unix like, and also the most stable platform. Uses pkgtool for install, but mostly you'll be compiling from .tgz files yourself adn handling your own dependencies, which can get old quick. But you will learn a lot more a lot faster.

Gentoo - Newer on the scene and highly touted by users. Eses Emerge (similar to Debian's apt-get) to install and handle dependencies. Also has the hardest installation of all time! No GUI whatsoever. I had a laptop displaying the installation instructions next to me and it still didn't work for me. The good part is performance, which is probably the best of any distro. Gentoo is optimized for YOUR system (PII, PIII, PIV, Athlon, or whatever) and compiled when you install (the reason it takes so long to install).

College Linux - Haven't tried yet, but it is based on the solid Slackware distro, adn is meant for ease of use for College students new to Linux.

Other people have other opinions on the 200+ other distros. For learning, Knoppix is extremely popular because it is a LiveCD. So you load the CD on boot and it runs a full Linux install at runtime, but doesn't actually install anything. This is great for rescueing Windows and also for learning Linux on a PC you may not own (or want to tamper with).

Personally, I use Slackware at home, but I am only running a PII350! So RH and Mandrake are out for me.

Sean.

 

[Faroon]

Every Linux OS out there is free. One should not have to pay for the cd. What you pay for, is the official support of the OS.

There are basically 3 levels of Linux (that I know of). Mandrake for beginner, Redhat for the intermediate, and Debian/Slackware for the advanced. Mandrake is comparable to Windows in term of ease of use, and Debian is purely Unix. One can gradually progress from Mandrake to Debian for a more enjoyable learning experience. But of course, once you got to Debian, you'll realize that all Linux and BSD distros out there are just the same. Sure the commands and the paths differ between every distro, but who gives a rat's ass whether 'bash' is in /usr/bin or in /usr/local/bin. And who else gives a rat's ass if on Redhat you have to use "/usr/bin/updatedb" while on OpenBSD it's "/etc/libexec/locate.updatedb". If you can use one distro, you can use all others.

 

[skiflyer]

Two quick comments to extend Faroon's post...

You're not just paying for support, you're also paying for development of the particular distro.... and you're paying for media... some people don't have the ability to download multiple CD's.

And the other thing, about Debian being for advanced users, in some ways it is, and out of the box it is certainlly harder to get working than say Mandrake... but installing software for it is so much easier, that on a working box, I actually consider it easier than Redhat... (not familar enough with Mandrake to comment).

-Rob

 

[mikey62]

Thanks all and I appreciate everyones help and ideas. Linux has been very rewarding as far a learning goes. I am choosing mandrake9.2 which is wildly popular at the moment. I had to order on line because it is not in stores. 39$ the product as I see is made in france? is this true?

thanks mikey

 

[perrymans]

Faroon, Lycoris and Lindows are not free are they? Or are they considered free because the source code is available somewhere?

If you know where these are available, please let me know. I'd love to check out the "refined" side of Linux.

Thanks. Sean.

 

[xutopia]

"made in France"?

<P>Yes it is true but only to a certain extent. I worked in Paris for a while and had the chance to meet one of their American developers (big sentimental guy that told me about the dog he lost a few years back, a real interesting fellow).

<P>Remember though that a Linux distribution is done by many people around the world and often by a very multicultural crew. Mandrake is not different from other Open Source projects.

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
********************************

 

[skiflyer]

You can get Lycoris from here...

http://www.linuxiso.org/

As far as I'm aware, Lindows is skirting the GPL right now saying they won't release their source until the enter a final stage... we'll see what happens with that as time progresses.

-Rob

 

[xutopia]

I recommend people stay away from Lindows. It is Linux stripped down of many important things with many added Windows problems.

Gary

http://www.xutopia.com

Haran
********************************

 

[skiflyer]

Including, from what I've been reading, running with root/near root privelleges basically all the time.

I'm guessing this is why they're not putting out their code yet, they don't want to get laughed at for poor security practices... linux with security through obscurity... what a concept.

-Rob

 

[perrymans]

They probably need it with their Click -n Run service (or whatever). I have an older build of Lycoris, and it actually helped me wuite a bit, especially in XFree86Config. Because it did a good job autoconfiguring, I was able to reference Lycoris' files to get the same features to work in Slackware. Most articles state that not only is Lycoris the most Windows like in looks, but also in behavior (crashing). I just think it is exciting to see two distro's getting closer to the mainstream desktop needs.

I have the need to play (and I'm done playing with Gentoo!), and I already have most other things on my laptop. I suppose I could try mandrake since people say it is easy.

I have a wife who thinks Windows is complicated to learn, and Slackware dependencies are getting on my nerves (hence why I tried Gentoo to no avail).

Sean.

 

[Faroon]

Need to play, yes, same here. But I can't afford to play at home, I only have 1 computer. I play at work, and that's the reason why I'm so behind. It's not so often that I get a chance to install Gnome2 on OBSD, or fluxbox on RedHat 9 (fluxbox kicks ass by the way, and it's so small). I had to go around asking for people's old computers so that I have something to play with. Oh the inhumanity...

Sean, you don't like dependencies? Try Debian. &quot;apt-get install&quot; will do everything for you, and i do mean everything. It checks for dependancies, go out and fetch the latest versions, install them, then install the main program. Yes, Debian is easier than most others where installing programs is concerned. OpenBSD is almost the same. My favourite so far has to be OBSD.

 

[perrymans]

That's why I tried Gentoo. I was able to notice one possible troublesome occurrence in Gentoo though. After you emerge a program (like apt-get), it doesn't update config files or delete outdated files.

Old file:XFree86Config
New file:XFree86Config.c00006

You have to sequence through the list one by one and manually do it. That really sucks! Is Debian the same way?

Debian was the only distro I had trouble with on my laptop, but I had no network connection at the time (it really hated that) and I was kind of half-assed about it. I may try it at home, but I can't delete Slackware yet, it is finally working really well.

Thanks. Sean.

 

[skiflyer]

I have had that trouble with apt-get, but my system hasn't been up long enough to really know.

I mean, you do have to be certain to do an apt-get update to the new version, or apt-get remove of the old software.

Alternatively, you can just use dselect, and it will handle all the apt-get management you need...

-Rob