Which version of linux shall i get? I am a complete newb [Archive]

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PimpHolic

03-02-2001, 08:44 PM

Yes, i am finally doing it. I am gonna install linux alongside Windows. I have heard great things about linux so i wanna install it, but i am not sure which "flavour" to install. I am a complete newb and i don't wanna make a partion or format or anything like that. Which version should i install? Mandrake? Any help would be greatly appreciated :D

MBMarduk

03-02-2001, 09:01 PM

See that link on top of your screen called "NHF"? It's for "Newbie-ized Help File"...
Ohh heck, click this: http://www.linuxnewbie.org/nhf/intel/distros/distronhf.html
:D

Gaccm

03-02-2001, 10:23 PM

dont want to partition? you want linux that runs on top of windows. I tried Phat linux and it was fine for learning how it works (www.phatlinux.org)

Tyr-7BE

03-02-2001, 10:45 PM

Go for Mandrake...highly recommended by me.

stingray72

03-02-2001, 11:18 PM

I started w/ Red Hat. Don't know why, it's just what I had. Works well for me, don't hear a lot about it around here though. I've also used Mandrake and everyone else is right... It's the easiest install and setup I've used.

Want to do the conversion the hard way? Do what I did, drop windows completely and use Linux solely :) You'll earn a lot faster

That wasn't the smartest way though.

Whatever distro, you'll enjoy!

2 key words.... MAN PAGES!

Dwergje

03-03-2001, 03:55 AM

I started out with Suse 6.1, I´ll never recommend that one. But the latest versions of Suse are better, for sure.

After that I ran Redhat 6.1, I was really satisfied with that. If I didn´t buy myself an AMD Duron, I think I would´ve been steel running that distro.

Because Redhat 6.1 didn´t work anymore, I gave Mandrake 7.1 a try. And yes, I think this is the best distro to start out with. 7.2 is even better.
The installation is easy, configuration with linuxconf/drakeconf. No file editting by hand. Xwindows and network configured during setup.

After using Mandrake a few months I thought I knew linux now and must be able to switch to Debian or Slack, I chose Debian because of the great packagemanagement system (apt-get), and I´ll NEVER EVER go back to anything else :)

echemosis

03-03-2001, 12:42 PM

i'd recommend using mandrake 7.2 if you are a newbie.

i'm using it now and it's great, easy to install, and the features are easy to use.
regardless you'll never learn if you don't try it out, and learn from your mistakes. also, a LOT of reading helps.

bdg1983

03-03-2001, 12:50 PM

I'd recommend SuSE 7.1. It comes with the latest software so you don't have to start downloading right away after the install, and its setup tool YaST makes installing and configuring the system very easy.

Stude42

03-03-2001, 02:46 PM

I would get two or three disto's. I found out the hard way that not all distro's are the same when it comes to detecting hardware and setting itself up. Mandrake 7.2 detected my hardware but the cdroms and soundcard would not work. Drove myself crazy trying every suggestion possible but no luck. Wiped the disk and put in Red Hat 7 and all of my hardware worked the first time. Didn't have to mess with anything. I have no idea why one distro would work when another would not. So if you have serious problems after installing. Try another one. You may not have as many problems as you think. By the way, I really prefered MD7.2 but RH 7 works!