70 replies to this topic

[sm00nie]

I've just recently tried linux and I must say I"m really impressed with the new KDE and Gnome environments, as well as the shere number of OSS available. I'm really excited about devling deeper into this more stable and efficient OS; This coming from a windows user since it's dawn.

I've started with Gentoo 2006.0 to get my feet wet, and I'm planning to grab the new Fedora Core 5 when I get a chance (as well as more cd's/dvd's) - it was recommended to me.

Anyways, what linux flavor do you prefer and why ?

[tt3]

I've got a copy of Suse lying around, but I've never used it.

[xJedix]

i've used a cd-boot version of linux called knoppix.... It is a nice cd-boot version of linux. Comes in handy for using on school computers or just a different os then windows.

I am going to be getting fedora soon, I've heard that it is very good. My friend uses it and likes it a lot. I would probably recommend it, but its whatever you like the most.

[tvaughn05]

I've heard a lot of things about Knoppix, both good and bad. Do you have any networking or anything, cause' everytime I try to use Linux, I can't get my networking running... I use Fedora usually, its nice, comes with lots of games :-).

[amhso]

I use slackware. it's very versatile while being not newb unfriendly. I don't like redhat/fedora. their updating and whatnot always screws up.

[SqlByte]

Im using Slackware, yes some of you might say that im mazohist... but im not, i realy like to do things the most simple way there is but. Slackware is not realy user frieandly type of distro, he isint friendly at all, but he is much better then many other linux distro in many ways. If you learn Red Hat or SuSe... you learned red hat or suse, but if you learn how to use Slackware, your mastered the linux

If you have trouble finding the right distro for you... maybe Live linux distro chooser will help ya.


Linux Distribution Chooser
Linux Distribution Chooser 2
Linux Distribution Chooser 3

If you run the linux for the first time, i suggest you to use some live cd linux distros like Knoppix he is the most popular, but you have others on
www.damnsmalllinux.org/
you can find some basic mini linux's, that you can put on your USB drive and run em that way, some of them are like 30-40mb
If you tryed live cd but you wont more, then i suggest you to start with SuSe the newest version you can find, or with Ubuntu. You can order ubuntu for free, they even pay your post on https://shipit.ubuntu.com
I ordered and it came to me like 1monts after but i live in Serbia
Im not big fan of Ubuntu becouse its not so complex and it uses Gnome gui, but his "brother" Kubuntu uses KDE grafical envoriament.

[kdr_98]

I use often Knoppix from (live-CD / DVD), but i'm still searching a distribution for installation on my hard drive. Since they work with older hardware as well I'll try it with an older Comp.
For making a firewall/router I've used IPCOP (small and works fine).

With knoppix I'm using the KDE
So I'm seaching for a distribution were I can select the KDE desktop.

Maybe I'll try Kubuntu.

[elrohir]

installing Ubuntu next Monday, if all goes well - theres some crap with the wirless that messes up all the time. A little noob like me can't set up an ndiswrapper, so I'm getting a friend to take a peek at it. "Thats what friends are for..."

I though Ubuntu worked with KDE? Kubuntu, which is a subsection of Ubuntu, does, so I would expect Ubuntu itself to use KDE...

Oh well, I'll find out next Monday

[Magic1492]

I love SuSE10.1. It is extremely easy to network and to add a printer, I got a samba server running in around 15 minutes with no previous experience. I used to use Mandrake and Debian, but they didn't have what I was looking for.

[odomike]

Right now, I have Mandrake Linux running in my system. Tried Redhat but, didnt like it that much. Prefered Mandrake. Will be installing ubuntu, kubuntu and PCLinux too.

Doesnt mean I am going to remove my Mandrake. It will still be but I will add the new ones and have multi-boot options during system start-up.

I am using Acronis OS Selector and it detects all the Operating Systems intalled on my Computer. It lists them immediately after the post screen and leaves you to seleect which one to boot from.

[frederick.ding]

I love SuSE as well. Unfortunately, the German company (SuSE GmBH) was acquired by Novell. This significantly reduced the image of open-source and freedom. In fact, SuSE is becoming similar to RedHat Linux now; Novell actually dares to charge people for SuSE!

It is fortunate that there is openSuSE (http://www.opensuse.org) which has been useful to almost all previous SuSE users.

By the way, Kubuntu and Edubuntu are now also available for free pressed and shipped CD's. I requested them at the end of May. Visit kubuntu.com and edubuntu.com and click on ShipIt Free CDs.

[iwuvcookies]

I use to use Ubuntu. The ones that they ship free cds. I got one of them packages waiting for a whole month. It was cool. Ubuntu was sort of hard to understand at first. I got through reading tutorials and stuff. It was easy to use in some ways. The only thing I didn't like was because it didn't have an appealing instant messenger program. I need to keep in contact with my friends.

[michaelper22]

I have my old machine set up with SuSE Linux 9.1 Professional (which set me back $89 plus NY taxes, totaling me about $97). It is slow running, but that's the computer's fault since I am running KDE on a 350 MHz AMD K5 with 160 MB of RAM. I like Linux, it's much 'quieter' than Windows, but then again you have to do more to get things done, things that are typically vey easy to do in Windows. I'm not going to be a Linux convert anytime soon, especially not until I get a computer that's faster, has more RAM and a bigger hard drive. But overall, I like working in a Linux GUI, and even terminal prompts aren't terribly scary .

[elrohir]

About Linux being slow, I am running DamnSmallLinux on a 98MB of RAM machine. I set it up as a server for HTTP, FTP and IRC protocols, and it is currently using 23 of thos 98 megs. This machine could barely suppot Windows at all, so I think that linux is a considerable improvement. On my laptop, I finished partitioning, then installed Ubuntu, and everything is fine once you get used to the layout and fonts. I still try pressing "Windows logo" + "M" to minimise things, however...

The only complaint I have about Ubuntu is the network config for wireless. It takes ages to figure out how to do things, and the solutions seem rather random. For example, I had to configure everything in the "Network Settings" rather than terminal, then I found out (after several hours of sweating and swearing) that the solution was to not click OK to exit the "Network Settings" box, just exit as normal!

Rather confusing if you ask me...

[electron]

I like the small Linux Distros rather than the large ones.

I mean the ones like Damn Small Linux, PC Linux OS , etc.
Also the live CDs are the best.
U dont even have to install them.
Burn It up and move it all around.

They are also convenient to recover your Windows Passwords when you forget them as you put the CD in and boot it and do whatever you want.

If you want some info on all of this try the following site:
http://linux.softpedia.com/

You also get a lot of new info and all Linux Softwares.

[elrohir]

Linux all the way

The reason that I did not choose Dam Small Linux for the normal machine is that I didn't really like the interface all that much... Not my kind of thing. Ubuntu suits me fine, and I really appreciate the absence of that disgusting light blue they use in Windows

[KoYoda]

I am using SUSE 10.1 and I am very satisified with it, but the only thing that bothers me is that I can't enable the 3D support for my ATI X800 XL
If anyone has managed to do that and wish to help me please send me a pm or an email. Thanx!

[abu]

SUSE linux, its great, furthermore its be more valuable when you integrate it with windows XP, so SUSE Linux is became program on the desktop (eventough actually its OS), I already done it in my NoteBook and Runs well, ussually I used OS Linux for surfing on Network, 'coz its muc faster and no killer virus so far try it

[elrohir]

iwuvcookies, on Jun 16 2006, 02:15 AM, said:

I use to use Ubuntu. The ones that they ship free cds. I got one of them packages waiting for a whole month. It was cool. Ubuntu was sort of hard to understand at first. I got through reading tutorials and stuff. It was easy to use in some ways. The only thing I didn't like was because it didn't have an appealing instant messenger program. I need to keep in contact with my friends.

Ubuntu does come with an instant messenger program. System -> Administration -> Synaptic Package Manager, search for "gaim", install it and it will appear in the Applications -> Internet menu. It does all sorts of protocolls, including Jabber, MSN Messenger, AIM, IRC, IRQ and a buch of others. I like the simple UI

[fffanatics]

I have been using suse 9.3 for over a year now as my second os and i love it and prefer suse over fedora any day but it depends on your taste. Also, i just got my Ubuntu CDs and will be running Ubuntu using their live cd to see if i like it better than suse. Finally, for anything where a live cd is needed such as recovering windows from a virus, etc. knoppix is the way to go. It has saved me and my roommates soooo many files its unbelievable. Plus, when i travel and need to use linux i dont have to bring my external with me, just a cd

[Chrisseh]

I'd been wanting to give Linux a try for a couple years, it's been hard to download anything over dial-up (That's all we get in these parts.), so when somebody recommended Ubuntu, which was available through ShipIt, I figured "What do I have to lose?" so I got the discs... tried out the live CD and discovered that it got along best out of all the other live CD's I've tried (Move, Damn Small, Dyne:Bolic) so I decided to install it alongside Win2k (I still need windows for doing my artwork since my tablet doesn't work all that great under Ubuntu) and after finding out how to configure an old external modem I got from a friend, I got online and began to fall in love...

But I really didn't get into it much until a couple of weeks ago, I'm staying at my parents and I brought my laptop over... I decided to go ahead and install it on here alongside Win2k, as well (Mind you this laptop is pretty old) and here I am... I've been getting used to the terminal, since I had to install the winmodem, and to install some programs manuallly, I'm a newbie, mind you, but I seem to be getting along pretty good. I really enjoy the learning experience and since it includes many programs I already use under Windows (GAIM, Firefox, Open Office.org) it really suits me quite well. So far, my experience with Ubuntu has been a very enjoyable!

[kkrizka]

I use Kubuntu and like it quite a lot. First of all it's based on debian so there are many packages availble for it and they are fast and easy to install. Also it's easier to work with than Debian, so I can work instead of playing with it all the time (even though that can be fun at certain times). And finally it uses KDE instead of GNOME. I find KDE having more advanced features that make the life easier. But I have nothing against GNOME though, I would definitly suggest it to someone who only wants to use the computer to surf the web and read email.

Btw, I'm running the beta version of kubuntu, Edgy Eft.

[PWNGEx3]

I have just started using ubuntu, and I am scared as hell. Its extremely weird jumping from an OS that you've been so used to for most of you computing life(Windows), to something different and new. Don't get me wrong, it's probably one of the best decisons I've ever made, but it will take some getting used to.

Now that I have it up and running, with some of the programs I've been curious about, what do I do now? I mean, I went through the trouble of changing over, I dont want to waste my time just surfing the internet. I want to do something constructive on the linux platform...

[kkrizka]

PWNGEx3, on Oct 6 2006, 09:47 PM, said:

I have just started using ubuntu, and I am scared as hell. Its extremely weird jumping from an OS that you've been so used to for most of you computing life(Windows), to something different and new. Don't get me wrong, it's probably one of the best decisons I've ever made, but it will take some getting used to.

Now that I have it up and running, with some of the programs I've been curious about, what do I do now? I mean, I went through the trouble of changing over, I dont want to waste my time just surfing the internet. I want to do something constructive on the linux platform...

There are a lot of thinks that you can play around with on Linux! Just search the web, but here are some ideas. Look around the WIKI or the forums for ideas, mainly the Tips and Tricks sections. Also if you have a fancy graphics card (I don't think you even need a fancy one, a simple intel one should do) then check out the beryl project. It is an fork of the compiz project started by novell. It allows one to take advantage of a 3D accelerated desktop that is availible with an extension for now, and in the next ubuntu release it will be built in. Some effects it can do that I like is expose like effect, shadows, transparency and wobbly windows. Other things to play around on linux are of course programming and app hunting. Check out the "Add/Remove Apps" menu item in the applications menu to see if you find anything useful there. Or go to GnomeFiles for even more applications.

Let us know how your linux experience goes or if you discovered anything cool to do!

[ishwar]

I have Knoppix 4 live DVD , its the only one I got.