Which Distro?

[Gaccm]

first off, i'm not trying to start a flamewar.

I am an experiencd linux user, i used to use rhat, but now am running debian on my p200. The question is, i am building a new computer, with very new parts [gf2pro, logitech iFeel usb mouse, onboard sound, etc] and i'm worried that the official debian iso (which is still a 2.2 kernel) wont be able to handle it all. So i'm looking for a distro with good hardware support, but doesn't dumb down everything. and i would like something like apt-get. So, what Distros do people suggest?

[Craig McPherson]

Yeah, Debian's good.

Compile a 2.4 kernel like every other person on the planet has done. It's not a big deal.

Debian has the exact same hardware support as every other distribution. The hardware support is in the kernel, not the OS.

[Gaccm]

well, for starters i cant get mouse (USB) support until i compile 2.4.

I see what you mean, that the kernel is the important part, but i've never added hardware to a debian system, and that is what i'll be doing essentailly. How hard is it to configure debian for new hardware? I have heard from other users that "Distro X auto-configured my hardware." I would like a distro that does it all for me, but still allows asks me what i want, and afterwards is easy for me to tweak, and change everything.

[Craig McPherson]

You don't need your mouse to recompile your kernel.

Hardware auto-configuration is bad thing. It might seem good at first but it'll hurt you far more often than it'll help you.

[Xsecrets]

Well if you want apt your stuck with debian unless you want to try out progeny seems like they have some hardware config wizards or such that they have created. I can't remember cause I only left it on my machine for like two days before I went back to pure debian. If you want everything done for you you need to go with Mandrake, but then everything is as you say dumbed down. Sorry at the moment there is no middle of the road solution exept maybe progeny.

[bdl]

Originally posted by Gaccm:
<STRONG>well, for starters i cant get mouse (USB) support until i compile 2.4.
</STRONG>

Sure you can. Potato running 2.2.19 has USB support right from the get-go. Everything's modular, just enable the usb modules during install.

[eagle1]

I'm new in Linux but I have worked with Red Hat 7.1 and Mandrake 7.2 (currently using this one). My friend has Mandrake 8 and runs like a charm and he has a lot of new stuff and everything got detected and works.

[ph34r]

If you like Debian, stick with it. Just be sure that everything you go buy is 100% Linux compatible, if all you want to do is run Linux.

[Gaccm]

ph34r, i'm curious, cant just about any hardware work with any OS as long as:

1) the OS has drivers
2) the hardware isn't dependant on the OS to fill in, like winmodems.

?

couldn't someone randomly grab hardware, and have it all work (not including any software bundles)?
I think thats right, since i bought a old p200 from a friend, no manuals, no clue what hardware it had (except that i had to buy it a vid card) and linux worked fine on it.

[Dark Ninja]

Originally posted by Craig McPherson:
[QB]
Compile a 2.4 kernel like every other person on the planet has done. It's not a big deal.
QB]

HAH! I beg to differ. Could NOT get Slackware to even recognize the keyboard after I compiled the 2.4.x kernel. (Even though I had no problems during the compiling process.)


Dark Ninja

[ph34r]

Yes, nearly any hardware should work if it has drivers. If is the word here. Also consider that some things are only partially supported. Like a Savage card can do 3d in windows, but for 3d in Linux, you need 3dfx or GeForce or TNT2. (yes, others work, this is a example).

So rephrasing what I said... get hardware you know will do what you want it to in Linux with a minimum of fuss and hassle.

[Remi D]

Here is a sugestion.

How about you go on Ebay and search for some distro there.

I've got a set of 14 cd's with mandrake redhat slackware suse corel Debian Beowulf
for 25 $. Sit down on a week end with a
pack of beer and try every one of them.

From there you'll know which one works better for you.

And you'll learn a bunches about the other ones.

Just a suggestion

:)

[JALU]

Don't get too much beer though or those last few distros won't stay in your memory too well. :D

[Craig McPherson]

Originally posted by Remi D:
<STRONG>Here is a sugestion.

How about you go on Ebay and search for some distro there.</STRONG>

If you don't want to buy cheap home-made CD-Rs from eBay, you can buy cheap slightly-more-professional CDRs from Cheapbytes. See http://www.cheapbytes.com/.