What linux distro do you like?

I really like Ubuntu 7.04 7.10 Is to buggy right now.

 

hi,

i fell in love with mandriva 2008

 

Fedora 7, haven't tried 8 yet as it just came out last week.

 

I've been using openSUSE 10.2...
I'm not sure whether to go with 10.2 again now I'm about to reinstall (new hard drive - still working to get XP set up so I can work at the moment) or to go with 10.3. I've heard some apps don't play nicely with it so think I might hang back until it is a bit more stable and has more working under it.

 

Haven't had one issue with 7.10.

 

I wanted to update mine form 7.04 to 7.10 but it gave me like 100 error messages and left my Ubuntu unstable so i had to reinstall it.

 

To date, there has never been an OS, be it nix, MacOS, or Windows, that should ever be upgraded.

Upgrading 90% of the time causes problems.

 

Another offshoot of Mandriva is PCLinux OS It has been my distro of choice with no bugs and no problems(other than the ones I cause )

mytwocents

 

He's absolutely right. Even a clean install of a replacement OS should be done with care and only with a foreknowledge of your hardware and the necessary drivers. The results of an upgrade cannot be guaranteed, it's at one's own risk.

 

I'm going with Ubuntu. I'm new and totally raw with Linux but I did a fair amount of research. Seems to me by what I've read, more people are happy with Ubuntu with less negative being said about it. Plus do a Google on 'shipit' and they will send you an install disk totally free. I'm putting together a machine with old salvaged / recycled parts that will run it. At minimum you need a 500 mhz proc. 320 meg RAM, 8 gig HD and a 1024 graphics card.

BTW: I was an E-8 when I retired from the military nearly 20 years ago. Whats this E-2...

 

I agree whole heartedly...pclinuxos rocks

 

On very old hardware you might want to look elsewhere.
The likes of Ubuntu and other major desktop distros tend to be quite resource hungry, so while it may well run on lower spec gear, you'd probably get more performance out of a more lightweight distro.

Xubuntu is a lighter option if you're certain you want to go down the *buntu route. Basically Ubuntu without the Xfce desktop.
There's also Fluxbuntu which is a version of Ubuntu with the Fluxbox window manager.

Of course there are also distros like:
DSL (Damn Small Linux) which will run entirely from RAM if you have more than 128MB (= very fast)
Or with a slightly more capable machine you could go for DSL-N (Damn Small Linux - Not) which is DSL but less minimalist (includes GTK2 toolkit for example) and comes with 2.6 series kernel.

You might want to get your hands on the December 2007 Linux Format (Future Publishing, it's a UK Magazine) if you can. It has Xubuntu 7.04 and a pile of other handy software on the disk and some VERY good articles (the projects sections on hacking your router and running a USB Linux install (feather linux for USB installs is on the disk too) look really good and as soon as I can get my hands on a spare USB key I'll be doing that one.



On the subject of openSUSE (following from my previous post) I installed 10.3 last week and it's been great. The installation was fairly long but once it gave me a desktop there was almost nothing to do. I added a couple of repositories (even that's automated for the biggies like Pacman and the non-FOSS one) one or two packages and installed the stable (non-FOSS) driver for my graphics card and it's done.

Much better on a notebook than 10.2 was, I think.


As for updates - someone I was chatting to did a 10.2 to 10.3 update a day after I finished my install and it went off pretty much without a hich. I can't say whether that's an exception or the rule for the openSUSE update to 10.3 but it looks good.

 

I was using Mepis, but just loaded Mint 4.0...visually beautiful and stable. There are two features that are very useful. This is the first Linux distro that I have been able to set to "sleep". Because I seldom turn the computer off, I like that.
The second feature is that Mint shows my "D" drive and I can drag and drop documents between Windows (W2K) and Mint. Also very useful.
So far, I'm really liking Mint!

 

Any distro can be setup to do that...the first is a kernel feature, usually. The second is merely a mapping of the drive, via fstab, hal, or other means. So if it comes to it, dont be concerned you will lose tyhose features if you try another distro, you just gotta set them up.

 

I ran Kubuntu for 3 yrs or so, and see KDE 4.0 would not be done for Gutsy. Everytime I went to do something, it asked for Gnome and all the directions were for Gnome, so I went down to Ubuntu with Gnome. I ran the Gutsy betas and due to my error hosed my partitions. Fresh install was with Gutsy. The Compiz does not render Emerald as nicely as Beryl did on Feisty.

I have completed a disk for Linux Mint and I am going to attempt seeing if it meets up to what has been told about it. there are two design teams to create one Mint with Ubuntu and one with FC.

:major

 

Adrynalyne: I actually didn't realize that any distro could do what Mint does...but I do know that not any user (like me) can do that.
I have a new computer coming in the next several days with XP Pro. My neighbor had trouble loading Mint on XP...a fact that concerns me. He could, however, load Mepis. Because I now have a triple boot (W2K, Mint and Mepis)...not being able to load Mint on dualboot with XP could be a deal breaker.

Bored: Please let me know your opinion of Mint............I didn't get along very well with Ubuntu (Feisty), but admittedly I'm a Novice (but a wannabe Linux Geek!).

 

Shrugs

The Ubuntu/Mint I use are both Gutsy Based (7.10) and they worked flawlessly. Mint Green is prettier than Brown/orange or blue, but you still have to know where to tinker to get it all to work. I think the Mint is a bit easier but not much.

Last year I ditched a Netgear G wireless card and at $60 expense bought a Linksys G Wireless card. I gave the G card to my son in law. He installed Gutsy on his P3 500 Compaq box and while trying to tinker the netgear was connected...... I borrowed the same box and set up the Linksys- said to be supported while the Netgear is NOT. I had to tinker and once had to reinstall the Linksys Prop drivers. An Atmel B card connected instantly in Gutsy and it would not even be found in Dapper, or Feisty.

The areas you had problems are some that you may find with ANY linux distro and I have used Linux for going on years now including a RedHat 5.0 install with dialup. Easier now to click twice.

Have you sought help on boards like Ubuntuforums where there are hundreds posting daily instead of this area alone for help?- we are seeing many more postings here (Thank you again Tim for creating a Linux area) but no where near the traffic of the others sites for specialized help or others having the same problem.

 

Thanks for the info, Bored.
I have been to several Linux Forums, but rely mostly on information found on MG (even though limited on Linux) because of the vast knowledge of the participants. Most of the computer knowledge I've gained, as well as 100% of the downloads, has been from this site. Bottom line: I just trust MG!

My new computer is due in today or tomorrow, so I will try again to create a dual boot. Stand by...I may be posting for advice.

 

I did not mean to despair MG in anyway. I agree it is the Number 1 site to send folks for help. I do so all the time.

Have you tried a Mint 4.0 or a Ubuntu 7.10 disk to see the differences in the way it recognizes hardware? Remember too some times it takes enabling proprietary drivers (not open source) to get some hardware to work. The purists say the system is not fully Open Source, but I found I have less headaches and have even went back to the OS drivers after gaining some knowledge on how to configure the system. With Linux, you have a learning curve and you then have IMO a better system.

Best of success!
:major

 

I currently have a triple boot (W2K, Mint and Mepis) on an old 733 Compaq (10 years old with every part except the motherboard swapped out)...I keep watching the window for the UPS guy with my new machine.

The only Linux distro that correctly identified almost everything, except the Windows drive, was Mepis.

Can I ask a really newbie question: in trying to get ready for this new computer, I have a copies of both Mint and Mepis. Will burning them on my current W2K system still work on the new XP? The reason I ask is because I installed Mint on this machine and gave the disk to my neighbor who just purchased the exact same machine I just bought. It would not load on his machine.

 

If you burn it as an iso it is an image burned the same if in Linux, Win2000, or XP.

You still do not give specifics to WHY it will not load? Video drivers are the usual culprit.

 

WesternMA
I'm not aware of any Windows install that actually prevents you using a Linux install of any sort on the same machine.

If you have XP on first and then install Linux - you do it into a separate partition and in doing so prevent Windows from being able to do anything to it. The only point of contact between the two is when you turn on your computer and are asked which OS you would like to start.

Windows XP will be installed on an NTFS partition. You'll need something called NTFS-3G to access it from Linux. Some distros come with that already - otherwise it's easy to get up and running.
There's something that works the other way too allowing you to access your Linux partitions from XP - but I can't remember the name of that off hand.


If you want help getting things working I have one word (three letters more like) for you...
I R C
I'd suggest getting X-Chat for windows and using whatever IRC client comes with your Linux install (I use Konversation - the KDE irc client)
I chat in the SUSE channels on freenode.

I've found problems usually get solved much more quickly on IRC than they do on Forums because the communication is much quicker and more direct than on forums.


Good luck with the new computer - and for the record...
If you have no intention of using Windows XP - you should be able to reject the EULA (when asked to read the terms and conditions and accept or reject them) and get a refund on the software. Then just remove it from your machine and install linux on it.

It usually says "If you do not agree, decline this agreement and return the software to your vendor for a refund".

Of course - you wouldn't be legally allowed to use XP without buying a licence then - but if you only want it as a linux machine - that's no loss.

 

I'll vouch for the awesomeness that is ntfs-3g, but its not needed to read NTFS partitions, its just another driver, so to speak, that does the same thing. Most distros dont ship with it, i dont believe. Especially when you examine the fstab, which requires an entirely different method of mapping drives with ntfs-3g.

 

Yea - ntfs-3g for read-write access.
openSUSE comes with it - for certain in 10.3

I'm not sure whether the read only access that's set up from the off in SUSE makes use of ntfs-3g but I'm definitely using it for RW now.

 

What I am saying is, ntfs-3g isnt needed for RW access. Its just nicer than the default Linux ntfs driver. Linux has had RW acces on NTFS for a good year without ntfs-3g.

 

I wasn't aware of that. My mistake. I was under the impression that 3g was pretty much the only choice. I stand corrected.

(Does make me wonder why some distros can't R/W right out of the box though)

 

Sometimes it depends on hoe well the distro is updated/maintained, and whether the kernel has been compiled with ntfs RW support.

 

Adrynalyne you were an Arch Fan and now you are using what you said you hate- a 'buntu?

Why did you switch?!?


(BTW this Linux Mint is sweet)

 

Arch quality went to crap after the founder left.
I still dont care for Ubuntu, but its the lesser of other evils. That and I found a way around the problem with it killing my monitor.

 

Well, I use openSUSE 10.3 - a pretty nice distro.
Wouldn't say it works equally well with KDE adn Gnome, the focus is KDE but it comes with Gnome too so there's choice.


Anyone got experience with Feather? I'm thinking of making a USB Flash Drive install for my own Linux desktop on any machine that supports booting from USB, and I believe Feather is meant for that exact purpose... I wondered if anyone had any opinions on it.

 

Well, it really depends on what you're gonna do with it.

Sadly, SuSE is the only distro offering support for my laptop's video card, I dual-booted XP and Linux Mint on my desktop for a few months until the HDD with my minty stuff died.

Linux Mint was awesome, especially after getting Beryl to run on it. ^.^

I'm thinking about running Gentoo on my next desktop, had to sell the other one.

 

What kind of card do you have that gives you such grief?

 

If Suse is the only one who can offer support for your video card, then they are violating the GPL. Being that they probably are not writing the drivers themselves, then its probably nonfree.

If its a nonfree driver, its available to everyone, but the source code is not. Just a matter of finding it, compiling it(if needed) and installing it.