the flavors of linux

Swansen

Swansen

The Ninj
ok i know there are many version of linux and i've read a little on some big names, mandriva, suse, redhat, i play games do homework some graphic design, i was just wondering which versions people like and why and links they have to info on them or to certain distributers. thanks for your input

PS i want to same i might have made a post like this before but i'm really busy and don't really remember sorry if it makes anyone angry
 
I have 3 computers running versions of linux right now and they are all running separate distros. My main one is Mandriva, a guest computer is running SuSe, and I have a power PC running Ubuntu. Honestly, I think Ubuntu sucks. It might be ok for newbies to linux, but even then, I think it gives a false impression of the purpose of linux. As far as SuSe goes, I'm actually pretty impressed. Anti-Trend, as you may know, is not nearly as happy with SuSe as I am (with good reasons). The thing that really sucks about SuSe, but is kinda nice if you are not familiar with linux/unix is the lack of non-graphical tools. Even the non GUI tools are semi-graphical. Mandriva seems to be the top choice among Mods around here. It is really clean, comfortable, and not bloated. As far as Red Hat goes. It think its basically trash (though any linux is better than Windows). It's very bloated and unfunctional.

Now, to get down to the point for which you posted: If you're looking to play games and some graphical editing, you can basically do that on any graphical linux. First of all, I would suggest an nvidia card, because they work a lot better in linux and are much easier to get working properly. For most games, you'd want to use Cedega, which is program in linux that can emulate Windows games. Cedega should have no problem in any major linux OS (and most minor). And obviously, native linux games (ie: Doom, Quake, Unreal Tournement) will run fine in any of them. Lastly, programs like Gimp run in any one of the linux OS's also.

Ok, now that I've given you lots of information that probably either doesn't matter or doesn't make sense, I just want to say that my suggestion to you is to either run SuSe or Mandriva. Both have their benefits, and should be just fine for your purposes.
 
Something AT prepared earlier :D

Anti-SuSE said:
These days there are many excellent, user-friendly distributions of Linux out there. Personally I rather enjoy Mandrake Linux, which is very similar to Red Hat except it's compiled to be faster, has a much better software installation tool, and it comes with tons of cool software and multimedia codecs by default. I also really like Suse, which aims to take over the corperate desktop. I'd get a free version of one or both of those, either by downloading it from an FTP mirror or by paying a Linux CD distributor about $1 per CD for a nice, silk-screened copy. If you find you like a certain Linux distribution enough to use it exclusively, you might consider supporting that vendor by buying a boxed copy of the OS or signing up for a subscription for early releases of upcoming software.

While I believe Linux is by far the superior of Windows, I want to stress that Linux is not a 'better Windows' -- it's actually a 'better Unix' if anything, so it's very different. It's true that in some aspects Linux and Windows are very much alike. But in others, they are nearly polar opposites. This can be a good thing and a bad thing. A good thing because Linux is a much better design, and a bad thing because it's nothing like what you already know. I recommend literature which will help ease the transition, such as Marcel Gagne's excellent Moving to Linux: Kiss the Blue Screen of Death Goodbye!, which is an enjoyable and easy read. If you want more depth, you should check out Paul Sheer's LINUX: Rute User's Tutorial and Exposition, which is published for free as HTML (also available in PDF and as a single compressed archive). Rute covers everything from how binary works to how to set up & configure an Apache server, and everything inbetween. Read this book, and you'll know more than a gaggle of MCSEs!
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Personally I use SuSE Linux, it does everything I want it to do.
Ubuntu is also a very good distribution, and it's well documented/supported.

I'd recommend you choose SuSE, Ubuntu or Mandriva. You can download all of them as a Live CD, so you can try them before you install them
 
It's not that I don't like Suse, it's just that it doesn't make as good of a multimedia desktop as Mandriva.
 
[ot]
Anti-Trend said:
It's not that I don't like Suse, it's just that it doesn't make as good of a multimedia desktop as Mandriva.
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Yeah right! You foam at the mouth whenever the name 'SuSE' is mentioned! :P

Only trying to wind you up - I know you quite like SuSE really :) [/ot]
 
I've dabbled with the *nixes too, although never really a convert. I think SuSe (as of 9.1) has been the easiest Linux distro to setup. I was using Madrake (where Mandriva came from, if I have my facts straight) when I dabbled, and I thought it was pretty good. I ran into RedHat once, but never used it long enough to form an opinion.

There's many, many distributions of Linux, but some probably aren't your cup of tea or are for specific purposes, like IPCop, which is a firewall. Hell, you can make your own distro if you wanted to, so long as you distribute the source code (as per GPL--GNU Public Liscense). You can view a ton of distros over at LinuxISO. Linux strength, customization, can be overwhelming, so, while Ubuntu may not be for the more seasoned Linux vets, it might be a good choice for the *nix n00b.
 
Big B said:
...while Ubuntu may not be for the more seasoned Linux vets, it might be a good choice for the *nix n00b.
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The reason seasoned vets don't like it isn't because it's easy to use, but rather because the Unix user hierarchy is ruined in Ubuntu. Instead of running as an unprivileged user and using the root account periodically for special purposes, Ubuntu has moved the Windows model to Linux -- basically running as root full-time. Obviously this hasn't worked out well for the overall security of Windows at all (although there are other major factors which contribute to its security problems). This can be disabled with some tweaking, but afterwards every aspect of Ubuntu which made this system user-friendly in the first place is thereafter completely hosed. WTF were they thinking?

The really stupid thing about all this is that the idea of user accounts not needing root privileges to do everyday work, tweak their desktop, etc. already exists in Linux. There's no compelling reason to take a giant leap backwards just to keep people from needing to enter one extra password once a month or whatever. Ubuntu would be a much better distro if it wasn't for that glaring, hidiously stupid and completely uneccessary design flaw.
 
AWSOME
yeah i was kinda leaning towards mandriva looks like good stuff and now some specific questions, i read something about filesystems and what type of partion does linux use and is it nice, also how complicated is it to install.
on a side note does linux linux have a notepad like program, (i just really like notepad, but thats all i like about windows)
 
Swansen said:
yeah i was kinda leaning towards mandriva looks like good stuff...
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Yeah, Mandriva is a good distro. We have a tutorial to help you get started: Getting the Most from Mandriva
Swansen said:
and now some specific questions, i read something about filesystems and what type of partion doesn linux use and is it nice, also how complicated is it to install.
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With Linux you have your choice of many filesystems depending on your individual needs. You can even mix & match on different partitions. I recommend ReiserFS for general usage. We recently discussed this topic: http://www.hardwareforums.com/linux-filesystems-11529/

If I was you, I'd format my system with a single Reiser partition and a small (128-512mb) swap partition. If you want to get a little more tricky, you could give it like a 25GB root ( / ) partition, a small swap, and make the remaining space a Reiser partition mounted as home ( /home ).

As for the installation, in many ways it's easier than Windows. Mandriva has a great installer, just sit back and enjoy it. :)
Swansen said:
on a side note doesn linux linux have a notepad like program, (i just really like notepad, but thats all i like about windows)
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No, I don't think Linux has anything quite as limited as notepad, ;) although it does have many lightweight and simple text editors which are very similar. I'm typing this from a laptop so old it literally could not even install Windows, and on this system I use Leafpad for my graphical text editor. Of course, there are dozens of other which are similar, and I prefer Kate on my workstation back at home since it is still light and simple but has a lot more features.
 
Don't listen to AT :P
Mandriva is not the only distro out there.... ;)

Obviously jesting there.... :ohah:

I just wish Ubuntu would addopt the partitioner that Mandriva and Vector use.
Other than that, Installation is a dodle on all the distros I have tried so far.

Why conceder anything like Notepad when you can have Kate which can even do programing editing like Jave and C? :confused:

Good luck whatever you choose.
 
The first thing I did when I installed Ubuntu was to sort out the root account. It's just damn stupid to use the Administrator's account for day-to-day activities.

I agree that the partitioning tool in Ubuntu isn't the best, but I can live with it. For a newbie though, it could be a stopping point. Had it not been for the installer, i'd recommend Ubuntu to any newbie.

As for text editors, i've become quite accustomed to using nano in the CLI.
 
Ark Linux is my poison, I tried about 30 types then I found this little gem. I find it comes with just right mix of programs right from the start.
 
I made a complete switch to Linux about 2 months ago. Before then, I had Windows installed on my main PC, and SuSE Linux installed on another computer. I found the transition very difficult at first - just ask Anti-Trend and Sabashuli. The Linux environment felt so strange at first, Alien!
The directory stucture, the terminology, the device names, the graphical environments, applications and the package management are worlds apart from Windows.

Rewind a few months, I was trialing SuSE linux. I had such a hard time with it that I actually ditched it and reinstalled Windows again. I guess I was looking for a quick fix and didn't have a good enough reason to ditch Windows, partly due to the fact that Windows was all I knew. Now that i've been using Linux, i've realised just how ineffiecient Windows is! Moral of the story? You won't know how good it is unless you try it! And I don't mean whack in a Live CD and play around with it for five minutes. You should install it and if nesscary, force your self to use it! Linux is no walk in the park, but once you grasp the basics it becomes a hell of a lot easier. If you get stuck, don't worry, there are plenty web forums, documentation and user groups. Ubuntu has an amazingly helpful using community.

So why did I give Linux a second chance? Had it not been for Anti-Trend, I may never have given it a second chance.
Despite all his Mandriva propaganda, I installed SuSE....again. The only reason because a Linux magazine was giving it away free on the cover. And I couldn't be bothered to wait for all those Mandriva ISOs to download!

Fast forward to the present day and I really wonder what all the fuss is about. I can watch videos, listen to music, play games and write documents. I no longer feel so paranoid about security and haven't had to waste 5 hours installing anti-virus programs!
I still have Windows installed on my computer, but only as an aid to my MCSE. Besides, it's only an evaluation version of Server 2003 (cough) and is resigned to a small partition on a spare computer!

If you are looking for a Linux distribution that 'just works', try SuSE, Mandriva, Fedora, Ubuntu or Kubuntu. However, If you want to learn the ins and outs of Linux you should try Slackware or VectorLinux. I've learned a lot about Linux trying to fix Vector.
 
megamaced said:
...If you are looking for a Linux distribution that 'just works', try SuSE, Mandriva, Fedora, Ubuntu or Kubuntu. However, If you want to learn the ins and outs of Linux you should try Slackware or VectorLinux. I've learned a lot about Linux trying to fix Vector.
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Suse, Mandriva, Fedora / Red Hat, and Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu are all full-fledged Linux distros and, with the exception of the Ubuntu family, none of them are 'dumbed down'. However, Slackware has really very little software in place to ease the use or automate certain features of the OS. It's a bit like an old Volkswagon; most people hate 'em but those that love them really love them. They're simple under the hood and easy to work on if you know how to work on them. Of course, just like the Volkswagons in my metaphor, the problem is you have to work on it more often than others. This makes them pretty unatractive to me, but they do force you to learn the nuts and bolts of Linux without taking any shortcuts, so there is merit to be found in Slack. :)
 
Anti-Trend said:
This makes them pretty unatractive to me
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I thought you liked to get your hands dirty? :D If ThePenguinCometh was still around, he'd give you a long lecture on the merits of Slack! :)
 
megamaced said:
I thought you liked to get your hands dirty? :D If ThePenguinCometh was still around, he'd give you a long lecture on the merits of Slack! :)
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When I first tried Slack, I was pretty impressed by the idea of almost zero automation and a super-simplistic architecture. However, I soon found myself writing scripts and adding more software to aid in routine tasks. This is when I realized that Slack sounded good in principle, but in practice I really wanted better thought-out distros for pretty much every purpose conceivable. I realize I would sound much more 1337 if I really liked Slack, but honestly it's not a very practical distro. The biggest argument I personally hear for Slack is "but it makes a rock-solid server!!1" True, but so what? Just about any other Linux distro makes a rock-solid server also, but with less work involved to set it up and maintain it.

So, in conclusion, I don't think Slackware is a bad distro for what it is. But what it is happens to be completely impractical for most purposes.
 
GOOD STUFF i'll probably find some distibutors and download some versions, or if i get ambitious i'll order a cd or 2 thanks for all the input
 
[ot]
Anti-Trend said:
So, in conclusion, I don't think Slackware is a bad distro for what it is. But what it is happens to be completely impractical for most purposes.
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With that in mind, do you think Slackware's days are numbered? Can you see it being around in another 10 years?

It's never in the top 10 'most downloaded' list on DistroWatch. Those honours are always going to the more fully fledged desktop distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora etc[/ot]
 
[ot]
megamaced said:
With that in mind, do you think Slackware's days are numbered? Can you see it being around in another 10 years?
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I don't know, it almost died recently when Patrick Volkerding, Slackware's creator and overseer, became seriously ill a few years ago. There are some who are fiercely loyal to Slack, but it does not seem to be a progressive distro so it's hard to predict a bright future for it. Of course, the fact that it's not progressive is apparently what appeals to the Slackware apologists in the first place, so... *shrug*
megamaced said:
It's never in the top 10 'most downloaded' list on DistroWatch. Those honours are always going to the more fully fledged desktop distributions like Ubuntu, Fedora etc
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FYI, that's the top visited distros, not top downloaded. And page visits on distrowatch.com are little indication of anything except n00b appeal. Which is by the way an important thing, but you can't expect to see many hits for n00b-unfriendly distros like Slack on distrowatch.[/ot]
 
[ot]Unlike Debian and Redhat, there aren't many derivatives of Slackware. I can only think of two worthy for mention - Vector and Zenwalk. Of course, neither of these are as polished as SuSE or Mandriva.
Perhaps Slackware could live on through a decent derivative? At least Zenwalk and Vector are trying to make things easier for the end user! Vector have their VASM adminstrative tool which is quite easy to use. Alhough it would still throw a newbie off.

Slightly off-topic but anyway, what are your thoughts on Debian? Better then Ubuntu?[/ot]
 
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