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Most Newbie Friendly Distro of Linux


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I find myself looking for a new operating system, and I've been thinking of going somewhere different than the standard Windows route. Which version of Linux would be easiest to get into for someone that has never used any kind of Unix based operating system before? A friend of mine recommended Gentoo, but I'm not so sure I want to go any specific route without first consulting some people that seem knowledgeble on the subject (and hopefully willing to help :) ). And so I leave the question of where I should start in my *nix career to you.

 

Thanks for the help!

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Yeah, don't go with Gentoo - you'll get really angry really fast (if it's your first time).

 

I would recommend downloading Ubuntu and giving it a try. It's VERY user friendly and will make it easier for you to make the transition. Then, after you get used to it, you can begin messing around more with the UNIX innards.

 

Welcome to the forum, too!

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Depends what you want out of linux :

 

Gentoo - Fastest. Good for people interested in learning/setting up linux. Allows you to have full control on your linux box. Lots of tinkering potential. Hardest to install and get running. Gentoo is a source based distro, so lots of compiling involved during installation. Support from other users is excellent.

 

Ubuntu - Easier to install and normally results in a usable linux box. You can also dig under the covers to tweak it. Only draw back being its all shiet coloured.

 

SuSe Linux - Installation is the easiest with the best interface. Very slick. In my opinion, the best distro to compete with WinXP.

 

The best plug n play distro is SuSe Linux. If tinkering is something you are after, go for Gentoo/Ubuntu.

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Yeah, I forgot about mepis. It's a live CD so you can just test it out and see what you think without having to install anything.

 

If you decide to go with Linux, I'd ditch then ditch mepis for Ubuntu or Kubuntu (the KDE version of Ubuntu). When I tried SUSE linux a year or so ago, it was too buggy for a n00b like me.

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just remember Mepis is KDE and Ubuntu is Gnome. I highly suggest KDE over Gnome but mepis is very ugly compared to Kubuntu or suse. Plus it is easier to get help from the 'ubuntu' community which seems to be the most helpful.

 

With Kubuntu (or ubuntu) you can also get your multimedia codecs with 'easy ubuntu' with 3/4 lines copy+pasted into the terminal: http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/get.html

 

edit: also the 'dapper' cd of (k)ubuntu is both a live cd and the install cd like mepis. http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/dapper/flight-7/

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just remember Mepis is KDE and Ubuntu is Gnome. I highly suggest KDE over Gnome but mepis is very ugly compared to Kubuntu or suse. Plus it is easier to get help from the 'ubuntu' community which seems to be the most helpful.

 

With Kubuntu (or ubuntu) you can also get your multimedia codecs with 'easy ubuntu' with 3/4 lines copy+pasted into the terminal: http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/get.html

 

edit: also the 'dapper' cd of (k)ubuntu is both a live cd and the install cd like mepis. http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/dapper/flight-7/

 

When is the last time you tried Mepis? Did you know that Mepis is using Dapper(Ubuntu).

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just remember Mepis is KDE and Ubuntu is Gnome. I highly suggest KDE over Gnome but mepis is very ugly compared to Kubuntu or suse. Plus it is easier to get help from the 'ubuntu' community which seems to be the most helpful.

 

With Kubuntu (or ubuntu) you can also get your multimedia codecs with 'easy ubuntu' with 3/4 lines copy+pasted into the terminal: http://easyubuntu.freecontrib.org/get.html

 

edit: also the 'dapper' cd of (k)ubuntu is both a live cd and the install cd like mepis. http://cdimage.ubuntu.com/kubuntu/releases/dapper/flight-7/

 

I have a small question about the version of kubuntu to download: If I have an amd64 processor should I go for the x86 or amd64 version? I'm assuming that driver support is pretty nil on the 64 one, but I'd like a second opinion.

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I have a small question about the version of kubuntu to download: If I have an amd64 processor should I go for the x86 or amd64 version? I'm assuming that driver support is pretty nil on the 64 one, but I'd like a second opinion.

 

I would go with the 64 one personally, but I can't really vouch for driver support or anything since I don't have a 64 bit processor.

 

Here is a good guide: http://www.krazypenguin.net/Ubuntu_Dapper_Drake_6.06_Guide

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  • 1 month later...

this is actually a similar question i had. i was thinking about running linux on a seperate partition but i didn't have a clue which way i should go. i'm a noob to *nix systems and after reading all this i think i might start with kubuntu since i'm also running an AMD64 chip.

thanks guys without even trying.

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simply is terrible! i would go with Gnoppix its like knoppix in the aspect of the live cd and if you like it just install it off the same cd you use to boot! gnoppix is also based on unbuntu which is the hottest distro right now and uses a Gnome environnment which is better than KDE in my opinion. and it rune on athlon AMD chipsets.

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Try Knoppix if you do not want to touch your harddrive or if you are looking to install my first distro was SuSe 10.1 (three weeks ago) and I had no trouble with it. SuSe was a very full featured distro, especially with KDE. I had installed gnome first but figured out that KDE was better. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Edubuntu/Server Ubuntu have the shipit program where they ship you *ubuntu (any flavor) at no cost to you, all you have to do is sign up. I am currently waiting on 30 cds of assorted archatectures and flavors (a little of each). I have read a ton about how Ubuntu's community is one of the best for n00b tolleration and support and that it is an extremely good distro. Oh, and if you have two partitions Grub makes dualbooting as easy as anything and if you decide to use *ubuntu (kubuntu is the best I think) then you can use this instalation guide

 

http://wiki.cchtml.com/index.php/Ubuntu_Da...tallation_Guide

 

and if you have any trouble pm me and Ill try to help

 

Good luck migrating to Linux and I hope you find the right distro for your preferances

 

 

bwhsh8r

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I just installed PC-BSD and i like it much better than linux (ok only a little) but it also good and comes with a full gui install, so you might want to look into that.

 

 

 

oh, and post witch distro u decide on when you do :)

 

 

max

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i would use ubuntu if i was you.

 

1. apt-get - it has awsome package management you will find installing proggys much easier than with other distros.

2. its based on debian, which is what everyone uses. (well mostly) lol

3. actually i thik everyone is using ubuntu these days so yeah go for ubuntu. :whistle:

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i would use ubuntu if i was you.

 

1. apt-get - it has awsome package management you will find installing proggys much easier than with other distros.

2. its based on debian, which is what everyone uses. (well mostly) lol

3. actually i thik everyone is using ubuntu these days so yeah go for ubuntu. :D

 

 

 

and theyll ship you cds for free (just got mine today) :lol:

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i would use ubuntu if i was you.

 

1. apt-get - it has awsome package management you will find installing proggys much easier than with other distros.

2. its based on debian, which is what everyone uses. (well mostly) lol

3. actually i thik everyone is using ubuntu these days so yeah go for ubuntu. :poster_oops:

3 is more accurate than 2 (most geeks have gone to Gentoo, most users have gone to Ubuntu; Debian IMO has problems with staying cutting-edge and user support... and what I see as elitism). And yes, APT is better than RPM as far as I've ever seen in the past six years.
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