I need help with Linux technical terms

[floccinaucini]

Could someone please tell me what is meant by the following terms: Distro, Debian, Ubuntu and Kubuntu. I want to get a Linux Operating System, but I need to know what these mean before I can do that. I am reading about these but I have difficulty in understanding them properly. A simple explanation would be appreciated.

Also if there are tutorials here about Linux, please direct me to those.

Thank you.

[Calum]

I'm not a Linux expert by any means, have only fooled around with it, but I can help a little
Distro = a version, or distribution, of Linux.  Ubuntu, Debian, Slax are three examples of distros.  Some are very similar and some are wildly different to each other, they may vary in the included software, driver/hardware support, default desktop environment and theme, or many other items.
Debian, Ubuntu and Kubuntu are all distributions of Linux, some of the better known ones in fact.  Kubuntu and Ubuntu are quite closely related.

I'll leave it for others who are more experienced to give you a better explanation but hopefully that's of some help?

[Geek-9pm]

Here is a document that can help anyone to understand Linux.
http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Dictionary/Linux-Dictionary.pdf

This document is designed to be a resource for those Linux users wishing to seek clarification on Linux/UNIX/POSIX related terms and jargon. At approximately 24000 definitions and two thousand pages it is one of the largest Linux related dictionaries currently available. Due to the rapid rate at which new terms are being created it has been decided that this will be an active project. We welcome input into the content of this document. At this moment in time half yearly updates are being envisaged

[floccinaucini]

I'm not a Linux expert by any means, have only fooled around with it, but I can help a little
Distro = a version, or distribution, of Linux.  Ubuntu, Debian, Slax are three examples of distros.  Some are very similar and some are wildly different to each other, they may vary in the included software, driver/hardware support, default desktop environment and theme, or many other items.
Debian, Ubuntu and Kubuntu are all distributions of Linux, some of the better known ones in fact.  Kubuntu and Ubuntu are quite closely related.

I'll leave it for others who are more experienced to give you a better explanation but hopefully that's of some help?

Thank you Calum, this is very helpful. I have trouble in deciding on a Distro because of the mind boggling number of choices available. In this regard, any further advice from you will be most appreciated. Also, is there a web page that you know of, where I can evaluate the pros and cons of different Distros, to decide which suits me best?

Regards,

[floccinaucini]

Here is a document that can help anyone to understand Linux.
http://www.tldp.org/LDP/Linux-Dictionary/Linux-Dictionary.pdf

Thank you for this one.

Regards,

[camerongray]

What distro is best really depends on what you are using it for.  As a regular desktop for a beginner you'd be best to use something like Ubuntu as it does the job and has good support/documentation.

[Calum]

You could also check distrowatch.com - it's maybe not as beginner-friendly as it could be, but you can see distributions by popularity, search by name or keyword, and see the latest releases.  I find it's a good place to go for information although it can be a bit overwhelming.
I do agree with camerongray though, something popular and well-supported is best for a beginner (including myself firmly within that category) - so Ubuntu would be a good choice, or I've also heard good things about Mint.

[floccinaucini]

Thanks to both of you. I have seen some customized desktops for Mint etc. which are very beautiful and has a display of Memory, CPU, Network information all on the desktop itself. Does Ubuntu have similarly customized desktops?

[camerongray]

Well, it's all Linux so there is nothing stopping you from using any desktop environment that you want.

Since distros are free, why not download several that interest you and try each of them and see what you prefer?

[Geek-9pm]

Very short list:
  Ubuntu
  Linux Mint
  Debian
  Fedora

Have Fun! 

[floccinaucini]

Since distros are free, why not download several that interest you and try each of them and see what you prefer?

Can this be done (trying out a few Distros), without installing in the computer, until I decide on what I like?

Thank you,

[strollin]

Absolutely!  Almost all linux distros (there are exceptions) come as what's referred to as a "Live CD".  Once you download the ISO file and burn it to a disk, you can then boot and run from that disk without installing it.  This gives you a chance to try that distro and see if you like it.  If you don't like it you can just shutdown and eject the disk and no changes will have been done to your computer.  If you decide you like it and want to install it, there's usually an icon on the desktop to click on to perform the install.

[floccinaucini]

Thank you for your post. If I want to try out a number of Distros, it looks like that I must have a number of CDs, one each for every Distro that I want to try out. Am I correct, or can I do this with just one CD or DVD by overwriting each Distro, after I have looked at it?

Could I also use a USB stick instead of CD or DVD? The USB stick has enough space but there are some saved items in it that I like to keep.

Regards,

[Calum]

If you have a rewritable CD or DVD to hand, you could do it that way, sure.  If you only have CD-Rs or DVD-Rs, then each burn is permanent so you'd need a separate disk per distro in that case.
You could also look into creating a bootable USB stick, and then just format the stick after you've tested each distro, which might be quicker.  I use a tool called Rufus to create bootable USB drives from ISO files, it requires no installation and is reliable, and nice and simple to use.  I find this easier than using optical media because I have a ton of USB sticks lying around.

Edit: just saw your addition about the USB stick, Rufus and indeed most other tools (well, all that I'm aware of) will format the USB drive during the creation, so you'd need to copy the files on the drive to a safe location before turning it into a bootable drive.

[Geek-9pm]

The DVD-R  100 pack, brand name, sell for about $25.
Buy a pack and have fun.
USB sticks are much more expensive.
With DVDs you will have a library you can use again or share with other.s
 

EDIT: Forgot to mention. A bootable  DVD can be made from a CD ISO and it will work. Just will hafe some emply space. Bu for 25 cents a pop, don't let it worry you.