Switching to Linux for a week

[Paul Keith]

Oh sorry. From my lack of technical know how point of view, there's very little difference between BSD and Linux. 

[40hz]

Oh sorry. From my lack of technical know how point of view, there's very little difference between BSD and Linux. 

-Paul Keith (January 16, 2009, 03:00 AM)

Brill!

[mahesh2k]

I just don't recommend it as a diving board for jumping into Linux. There are friendlier distros out there that give you the same OS under the hood, and a smoother ride than Ashley experienced in these posts.

Which Distros are much friendlier than ubuntu?
Mepis?or Mandriva?

[Paul Keith]

I think it depends on usage. Ubuntu is sometimes not the best for trying out Linux because it hides stuff rather than introduce stuff to Linux.

PCLinuxOS possibly is more friendlier due to it's ability to look like Windows. (Although it's a crap shoot between it and Mandriva)

Mint is better in that it's an improved Ubuntu.

Sidux is much closer to Debian than Ubuntu is so it's probably more convenient for things like portability since it sticks much closer to the Linux model.

Puppy saves it's settings on a pupsave file so it's much easier to load off something removable as it was designed for that. Just put QEMUPuppy on a removable drive and you have your desktop environment.

There are probably other Linuxes that are much easier not in a pre-configured way but in a "if you follow these advises, you understand more of how Linux works so you can do unorthodox things with it" like Gentoo and LinuxfromScratch.

[mahesh2k]

Ubuntu is sometimes not the best for trying out Linux because it hides stuff rather than introduce stuff to Linux.

Yes. But for those switching from windows then there is no problem, it is user friendly & with less details like windows.

Mint is better in that it's an improved Ubuntu.

Yes. Agree.

[40hz]

My

PCLinuxOS provides the least amount of "culture shock" for a Windows user IMHO.

Mint probably best provides the features most users want with the least amount of hassle.

Ubuntu has the most momentum, and is probably best for support and day-to-day completeness. There also seems to be more well-written material (i.e. tutorials, how-to's, books, etc) available for it than any other distro..

Debian is great if you really want to learn Linux and don't mind putting in the time to get there.

Centos, SLED, RHEL, and the non-Linux BSD family are better if you're planning on pursuing a career in NIX support or development.

And Sabayon is perfect for those people who haven't the slightest clue about what they're doing - but still want to look incredibly cool while doing it.

[mahesh2k]

And Sabayon is perfect for those people who haven't the slightest clue about what they're doing - but still want to look incredibly cool while doing it.

[Edvard]

Ubuntu is sometimes not the best for trying out Linux because it hides stuff rather than introduce stuff to Linux.

-Paul Keith (January 17, 2009, 08:45 AM)

I'm seeing this more and more... I've got Ubuntu on all the computers in our house because it keeps the wife happy but I noticed more and more stuff is 'hands-off' automated. Okay, I understand that modern computing requires on-the-fly actions like mounting usb drives, acquiring WiFi connections, mounting network drives,etc.
BUT...
When NetworkManager has a memory leak (yeah, they updated it but my box lags after about 4 hours and fully craps it after ~18 hours), I can't tell if X is actually loading the drivers I specified, and the network drive connector plays dumb about NFS exports, it starts getting a little much.

I'm seriously thinking about going to Debian as I am much more used to the 'old' Linux way of doing things but have gotten addicted to the simplicity of apt-get.

[Paul Keith]

Edvard, you might want to consider Sidux then.

It is kinda the Linux Mint to Ubuntu of Debian.

http://www.linuxques....-debian-sid-683436/

[Edvard]

Thanks for the tip, Paul. I'm currently downloading Sidux as well as Debian Lenny as I've seen quite a few good reports about it.
I'll install it and see if it whups some pants on Xubuntu... er, that is after I get around to giving OpenSolaris a go... 

from Paul's link...

Sidux is for newbies who want to feel tough, Sid is for competent people.

Oh dear, identity crisis in 5... 4... 3... 

[40hz]

Thanks for the tip, Paul. I'm currently downloading Sidux as well as Debian Lenny as I've seen quite a few good reports about it.
I'll install it and see if it whups some pants on Xubuntu... er, that is after I get around to giving OpenSolaris a go... 

-Edvard (January 19, 2009, 04:16 PM)

Sidux?
Lenny??
OpenSolaris???!!!

(Here's your special case badge, Ed... You've earned it!)



 

[Edvard]

Dude, you ain't seen the half...



P.S. - I have since added Plan 9 and Mac OS9 to that list

[40hz]

Dude, you ain't seen the half...

P.S. - I have since added Plan 9 and Mac OS9 to that list

-Edvard (January 19, 2009, 06:12 PM)

OMG - Plan 9?

My, my, my...you are an OS  connoisseur! A man after my own heart, you is!

Check out Haiku and ReactOS when you get a chance (or some disk space ) if you haven't already

http://www.haiku-os.org
http://www.reactos.org/en/index.html

[Edvard]

I have been following HaikuOS off-and-on since BeOS was sold to Palm (I even signed the petition to open the BeOS source code), and so far only unstable testing images are available for it.
ReactOS has never been out of Alpha, despite 8 years of development.
I may be a maverick when the mood strikes me, but not that much.

However, I think I will give them a whirl just cause you asked... 

[40hz]

However, I think I will give them a whirl just cause you asked...  :Thmbsup

-Edvard (January 20, 2009, 10:30 AM)

Don't waste your time. Haiku still isn't really usable at this stage of the game. A better choice would be Zevenos ( www.zevenos.com ) :

What is ZevenOS ?


ZevenOS is a GNU/Linux Distribution with a focus on a fast and easy to use system with a touch of BeOS.

Since 2001 BeOS is no longer developed. We took some of the main advantages of BeOS and integrated them into our distribution

Including i.e. :

– Performance
– Compatibility and Ability to run on old Hardware
– Easy to use Interface (oriented at BeOS)

As far as ReactOS goes, I try to stay on top of what they're doing, but I still think they're doomed in the long run. Gotta admire their determination however.

They deserve the Dom Quixote de la Mancha Award for tilting at Microsoft's windmills!