running linux vs learning linux, IMHO

[happybunny]

I decided to post here and not /random since it may help people deciding on which distro to pick.

I am now an official Redhat Certified technician and have been running RH ES 2.1 and 3 and RH 8 for almost a year at work for this app and that.

I have a RHES3 server at home, and have loaded SUSE, Mandrake, both Fedora Core 1 and 2 at one point or another.

I have used Knoppix and Knoppix-STD to recover NTFS data.

I can do just about anything i need to in Redhat that needs doing.

But when it comes to other distro's, I have realized I don't really know anything about linux! I know Redhat.

I have recently loaded slackware (which is waaay faster) and struggle more than I should on getting things done.

I have to un-learn how Redhat has modified linux to its' way of thinking just so I can get simple things to happen on other distro's.

This is not to say that Redhat is bad....I will continue to use it as it is solid and has good support. But keep this in mind when answering the following question:

When deciding on what distro to use, you have to ask yourself :

1. Do I want to just run linux
or
2. Do I want to LEARN linux.

If you answered 1, pick a happy fun distro like SUSE or Redhat with scripts and GUI's that do things for you,

or

If you picked 2, choose a distro that will help you learn what it is that linux is doing, like slackware or (i guess) debian or Gentoo.

So whats the point of my ramblings?

I am learning that the lessons learned on a slackware box are more easily transferred to ALL distro's, not just slackware.

Whereas the Redhat way of doing things, most always apply only to Redhat. Again, this isn't bad, just keep this in mind when learning, or running, a linux distrobution.

[gehidore]

if you really want to learn some things, try LFS... and yes gentoo does help you learn, but it also encourages lazyness :p

[happybunny]

Good point...i meant to mention LFS as I am just starting that install.

[JohnT]

Originally posted by gehidore
if you really want to learn some things, try LFS... and yes gentoo does help you learn, but it also encourages lazyness :p Yea...all that sleeping during the install...:D

[gehidore]

Originally posted by JohnT
Yea...all that sleeping during the install...:D

i fell asleep durring mine, managed to hit ctrl c in the middle of compiling gcc.

[JohnT]

I've gone to bed several times with LFS. Thats why I always start it late at night if I'm doing one.

[gehidore]

Originally posted by JohnT
"I've gone to bed several times with LFS."Thats why I always start it late at night"if I'm doing one."

i wont even bother to make a joke for that, its just too open for ideas...

[EnigmaOne]

Your turn to take a thread OT? 'Least you're less obvious about it than I was. :D

[madcompnerd]

You can't truly appreciate shared libraries unless you run a precompiled distribution and only install apps in binary formats.
That's what it takes to truly gain a love-hate relationship with gnu/linux and other OS's that use a lot of shared libraries as a norm.
Course, I guess then you just feel like you're back in dll-hell, except that you actually know what that .so file is for, and what program puts it there...

[bosox79]

Originally posted by gehidore
if you really want to learn some things, try LFS... and yes gentoo does help you learn, but it also encourages lazyness :p

you are right gehidore, gentoo can make you lazy, but that is why I love using gentoo, I get to learn more about Linux and I have the power of emerge at my finger tips :)
I think I have found my new distro of choice:D no more downloading ISO's when a distro decides to release a new version:) and the gentoo documentation and forums are very informative

[Rinias]

bosox79
I think I have found my new distro of choice no more downloading ISO's when a distro decides to release a new version

Not to put down Gentoo at all- but doesn't swaret do this in Slack if you set VERSION=current ??

[JohnT]

Originally posted by Rinias
Not to put down Gentoo at all- but doesn't swaret do this in Slack if you set VERSION=current ?? Yes....

[mrBen]

<cough>apt-get dist-upgrade</cough>

[JohnT]

Originally posted by mrBen
<cough>apt-get dist-upgrade</cough> Slackware does "apt-get dist-upgrade" ????:confused:

[mrBen]

Originally posted by JohnT
Slackware does "apt-get dist-upgrade" ????:confused:

Nah, just pointing out that the 'original' (and best?) distribution-upgrading package management system was apt, as developed in Debian (http://www.debian.org)

[JohnT]

Originally posted by mrBen
Nah, just pointing out that the 'original' (and best?) distribution-upgrading package management system was apt, as developed in Debian (http://www.debian.org) Well if thats the case I'm downloding that application for my Slackware install. Should fit right in with my "Emerge" application. Now I'll have "all" the advantages of Debian and Gentoo, but with a Slack install. :D

[bosox79]

to both Ben and JohnT apt is a great tool and I am sure swart works great also, I have never used it and I had forgotten about Emerge

to each there own, I say Gentoo, slack and Debian ( in no particular order) are all easier to administer then an RPM based distro

just my .02