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Author Topic: New to Linux  (Read 6722 times)

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jasonwr

    Topic Starter


    Greenhorn

    New to Linux
    « on: June 10, 2008, 01:41:23 AM »
    Hi there,,,

    Just found this site and glad there is such a place to visit to get help, so thanks.

    Anyway.... I only got my 1st computer about 3 years ago, so i dont know too much about computers.....I can send emails, surf the web, burn dvds etc, and all that basic stuff, but would like to start learning more things.....

    Many times at diffrent forums ive been to, peopple are always recommend learning Linux if i want to really know about computers, which i do

    I visited the linux website and got sooooo confused about which distro to try, and everything i read there didnt make much sense to me  ???

    So, whats a good one for a beginner to start with ?

    Also, is it all command line stuff ?

    hoping for some good advice,

    thanks in advance

    jason  :)

    Carbon Dudeoxide

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    Re: New to Linux
    « Reply #1 on: June 10, 2008, 04:27:08 AM »
    Welcome to ComputerHope!

    Quote
    Also, is it all command line stuff ?
    I think you might want to look HERE::)

    I have Ubunu installed on one of my machines but i'm not exactly a pro at it.

    friny



      Beginner
      Re: New to Linux
      « Reply #2 on: June 10, 2008, 05:07:19 AM »
      It's a good decision you try Linux. I think you could try first with a live CD like Knopixx http://www.knoppix.net/ and then try with the Debian distro http://www.debian.org/ you could download it from the torrent link with ares, emule or any compatible P2P client (3 or 4 DVDs), this OS is totally free (GPL) and offers the major stock of software.

      Debian offers also compatibility with too many programs, and is the best used distro in Europe.
      Also, in this site http://linuxlookup.com/linux_iso you have reference about various distros.

      Best regards

      jasonwr

        Topic Starter


        Greenhorn

        Re: New to Linux
        « Reply #3 on: June 10, 2008, 06:21:02 PM »
        Hi friny, thx for the reply....

        i went to the site you told me http://www.knoppix.net/  but got a little confused....

        I ended up click several diffrent links and ending up here
        http://torrent.unix-ag.uni-kl.de/

        Can you tell me what link there i should dl ?
        they seem to be all different file sizes....some are 696mb, and others are 4gb ? ?
        i have no idea which one to dl...

        pls advice,

        thanks
        jason

        Astoria



          Intermediate

          Re: New to Linux
          « Reply #4 on: June 10, 2008, 10:58:24 PM »
          DL the ~690Mb ones, those are the cd's which will be all you need.

          The 4Gb are the dvd's, and as today, I still have no clear answer what else is on the DVD besides the installation software (what is on the cd's).



          michaewlewis



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          Re: New to Linux
          « Reply #5 on: June 11, 2008, 03:27:59 PM »
          check out www.ubuntu.com and go to the "Get Ubuntu" page. You can download it straight from the website without having to mess with torrents.

          devlin



            Rookie

          • Love your PC again....Install Linux
            Re: New to Linux
            « Reply #6 on: June 12, 2008, 03:23:41 PM »
            DL the ~690Mb ones, those are the cd's which will be all you need.

            The 4Gb are the dvd's, and as today, I still have no clear answer what else is on the DVD besides the installation software (what is on the cd's).

            The DVD's are the complete OS and the repositories. Great for people that don't want to connect their systems to the internet or have dial-up but a good friend to download the discs...   ;)
            Man plans, God laughs...

            Aegis



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            Re: New to Linux
            « Reply #7 on: June 14, 2008, 01:54:24 AM »
            Linux allows a lot of command line interface if you want, but you will not be lost when you load a Linux operating system.  Many even have a Launch button where the Windows start button is.

            I recommend Ubuntu Linux, too, because I've used it very successfully in the past.  Nothing wrong with Knoppix -- I just haven't used it.


            "For you, a thousand times over." - "The Kite Runner"

            Debian



              Newbie

              Re: New to Linux
              « Reply #8 on: June 27, 2008, 07:31:14 PM »
              Open Suse is a good one. Debian is sweet. Freespire is also great.

              Most are alot more simple to use these days. All mentioned above have easy to update and install software. Linux is a great OS.

              knoppix is really nice to. plus, it is the longest running linux. I believe it was the first distros out

              Toadbrooks



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                Re: New to Linux
                « Reply #9 on: July 30, 2008, 12:15:25 PM »
                Here are some criteria to consider:

                ·   Some versions of Linux are considered easier for new users who want to get productive as soon as possible without having to master all the complexities. Said versions also tend to have more drivers, which means a greater likelihood that they will have whatever driver you need. However, these distributions are often considered bloated and slow. Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS and MEPIS Linux fall into this category.
                ·   On the other end of the spectrum, Slackware Linux, Gentoo Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced distributions that require plenty of learning before they can be used effectively. They generally operate quicker and take a smaller footprint on your machine, but the learning curve can be steep.
                ·   Fedora, openSUSE, Debian GNU/Linux and Mandriva Linux attempt to split the difference, with mixed results.
                ·   Some are from companies that offer both free and pay-for versions of Linux. Red Hat / Fedora and SUSE Enterprise / openSUSE are examples of such pairs. The free version is often seen as a test bed for the pay version, and the controlling company is probably more interested in their pay sales than in support for the free version.
                ·   Debian has versions of Linux for 11 different processor architectures, but unless you are using an odd architecture, this just means the release time for new versions of the operating system can be slow. Other versions with slow release times include PCLinuxOS, MEPIS Linux, and BSD versions.
                ·   You also need to decide if you need a 64-bit version, assuming you have a 64-bit processor. My machine (HP DV9627CL using AMD X2 processor) does. However not every version of Linux offers 64-bit software. 32-bit may well work just fine, and drivers have a tendency to work better with the 32-bit versions, but the result will be slower than it would with a 64-bit version.

                Suggestions:

                ·   I think it’s a good idea to have the support of a company trying to make a profit off the version of Linux you want to use, but I’d prefer that there was only one version supported. I don’t want to feel like I’m just a beta test site for the version they are selling.
                ·   I think it’s a good idea to choose a distribution with a regular release cycle, so you will get the advantages of other people writing software for your machine.
                ·   Likewise I think it’s smart to choose a version with a lot of deployments. More people using your version means more people to write new software and fix bugs.
                ·   I think it’s smart to choose a recent stable version. If you choose a distribution that is older than your hardware, your chances of getting it going without having to do a lot of searching on another computer for additional drivers are lower.
                ·   The more work you want the computer to do for you, the more bloated and slow the resulting system will be. It’s a trade-off between how much you want to learn and how much bloat-ware you will accept. Fortunately there are ways to cut some of the bloat after you have the machine loaded and functional.
                ·   Just because you pick a version of Linux doesn’t mean you can’t change later. For example, if you pick one of the larger, slower versions, you can later pick a smaller, faster one, once you are confident in your ability to get it running.
                ·   Additional selection criteria may be seen at: http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major.
                ·   You may also want to check the Linux Hardware Compatibility List at http://www.linuxquestions.org/hcl/index.php.

                Based on my analysis above, I chose Ubuntu. YMMV.

                Regards,
                Toad
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