Snake@War Posted September 17, 2005 Share Posted September 17, 2005 What is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 17, 2005 Share Posted September 17, 2005 That's one huge can of worms. For the new user, Linspire is meant to be a simple transition from Windows to linux. It's unfortunately not free, like most distros. Gentoo is fantastically powerful, but a read through the install docs (never mind actually installing) is a headache of grand proportion. Although I haven't handled it, many agree that Slackware is one of the easiest to install and config, for new users. In the end, the best distro to use is the one you like best... so since most of these OS's are free (as in freedom AND beer), grab a few ISO's, and see for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 17, 2005 Author Share Posted September 17, 2005 How is debian? I also want something that looks awesome and performs well. I'ld probably use it for 2d GFX editing. Would it be faster thanXP Pro SP1 or what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 17, 2005 Share Posted September 17, 2005 My only experience with Debian was trying to install it a week ago, on a friend's machine, to have the installer fail about 75% of the way through with no clear reason. Plus, it takes a lot of foreknowledge of the linux system and your hardware to configure the installer... two hours wasted. Then again, others have no issues with it. In terms of 'looking awesome and performing well', just like XP, the prettier it is, the slower it runs. Same is true of any OS. If you want fast, you don't boot into a desktop environment, and stay at command line. Blazing fast. If you want a nice Windows-like pretty desktop (and with most desktop managers, you can actually have several desktops you can toggle through), you lose some performance. If you have zero linux experience, I'd suggest checking out Knoppix. Since it's a live CD (based on Debian linux, as I recall), you don't actually install anything. Instead, you boot from the CD, and it uses your system RAM as a ramdrive. You can run it even in a machine with no hard drives. Also, it won't have any effect on your existing OS installs. Sure, performance is poor unless you have a massive amount of RAM, but the point of the disc is both as an emergency tool to access your system during catastrophic system failure, or as a simple to use demo of a robust linux system on your hardware. EDIT: Something that I feel is important to note, to new linux users: Linux is not an operating system, it's a kernel. Windows is an operating system. This is important because using linux, you take the linux kernal and install it. Then, everything else, from your choice of desktop control, text editors, file system, etc. are what the different distros are. Debian, for example, is simply one group of developers creating an OS that works from the official linux kernel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 17, 2005 Author Share Posted September 17, 2005 (edited) I have NO Linux experience. A total NOOB. About running from command line: How would I do that? Just boot to C:\ promt? I want a OS with power, but I want it to be relatively easy to use as well. I know about the Kernel thing... Edited September 17, 2005 by Snake@War Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 17, 2005 Share Posted September 17, 2005 I have NO Linux experience. A total NOOB. Then I doubly suggest you start with Knoppix. It's stupidly easy to use. About running from command line: How would I do that? Just boot to C:\ promt? ← Pretty close. When linux boots, it normally defaults to the shell, which is similar to DOS, but is in fact a type of UNIX. Then, you fire up your desktop environment from there. Mind you, it can be configured to automatically launch your desktop on boot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supasniper Posted September 17, 2005 Share Posted September 17, 2005 i'd actually recomment Suse... it's awesomly easy to install and it's for the latest KDE (depending on the version you get) GUI so it's really easy to use Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 17, 2005 Author Share Posted September 17, 2005 -Then I doubly suggest you start with Knoppix. It's stupidly easy to use. I, honestly don't want something slow. That's why I'm thinking about even running linux. it can be configured to automatically launch your desktop on boot. ← I'm assuming that would be included in the readme? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Ubuntu is awesome. Based off debian and VERY easy to install. http://www.ubuntulinux.org for help: http://www.ubuntuguide.org If you need any help installing let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Ubuntu is awesome. Based off debian and VERY easy to install. ← Thus my 'can of worms' comment up top. I know Ubuntu rocks, but I've never succesfully completed an installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 http://www.distrowatch.com They have a whole list of distos. @Dannik - Wait, you tried Debian though. Debian is nice but Ubuntu has extra polish and automatic hardware detection (much like Knoppix). I would give Ubuntu a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Nope... tried both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 18, 2005 Author Share Posted September 18, 2005 Thanks guys... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specter Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 (edited) SuSE is probably by far the easiest, most multi-media compatible of all the Linux versions. And best of all, you can DL a live trial version to burn onto a CD or DvD to see if you like it. slackware is very powerful, but not to good for the first timer. I have heard great things about Ubuntu, but mostly from the corporate server world. Fedora, Redhat's offering is good too, but can be a headache to get installed. SuSE comes with more drivers and stuff for multi-media machines, and is extremely user friendly. It can be point and click, making the transition very easy for a Winblows user, and it can be extremely powerful as well, for when you move into the advanced stuff. I have used Slackware, Redhat, and Fedora, as well as SuSE, and I keep coming back to SuSE. Go to http://www.distrowatch.com. You will be amazed at the offerings available. But until you're sure you have the Linux bug and really want to go with it, I highly advise SuSE as your first entry into the Linux world. Also, SuSE comes with the widest selection of programs, compilers, games, and productivity tools, and best of all, they are all free, including the OS. Edited September 18, 2005 by Phantm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 I installed Ubuntu, but to my suprise, It wouldn't install in FAT32. Also, I want a free Linux... Not one I'll have to pay for. Any help finding a different Distro would be nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Why do you want to use FAT32? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Why do you want to use FAT32? ← I want Windows to be able to read the drive Linux is on. That way I can I can work fast on Linux and so forth Call me stupid if you want. It was either that or FAT... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 But that's what Samba is for. Allowing Windows to read *nix file systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 (edited) But that's what Samba is for. Allowing Windows to read *nix file systems. ← I'm a total newbie to Linux! Sorry, I need a explanation. Sorry. Anyways, I used an EXT3 system... Edited September 19, 2005 by Snake@War Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Ubuntu is free. You have to reformat your drive to probably ext3 (default). It won't work installing to Fat32, that is windows only. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Samba is for networking windows computers and linux computers. See my PM for NTFS. Is your windows drive formatted as Fat32 or NTFS? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dannik Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Samba is for networking windows computers and linux computers.← I'm still a linux n00b myself. Thanks for pointing out what I should have already known. I forgot Samba is for shares, not for drive access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snake@War Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 My internal disk is Win32, My external is NTFS... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firefly2442 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Samba is for networking windows computers and linux computers.← I'm still a linux n00b myself. Thanks for pointing out what I should have already known. I forgot Samba is for shares, not for drive access. ← That'll probably be the one and only time that I correct you. You're a walking techno-encyclopedia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drazi Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 This is a little off topic but regarding FAT32 you can convert it to NTFS quite easily. To change from FAT 32 to NTFS file system for more stability, security and less fragmentation, open the command prompt and type: Convert C: /FS:NTFS Thats basically about it, all you need do is restart your computer and you should be all set I hope you find this some help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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