Which Version Of Linux Is Better For A Newbie?

[Eric16]

Hello My Name is Eric16.I Havent Yet Purchased Linux But I Will Soon.My Brother Inlaw Works For IBM and he told me about linux and i look into it on the Internet and have been wanting to try it for awhile now.Im getting A New Computer soon and plain on useing the on i have now to put linux on. I just dont know which Version to get Im Looking at ether Redhat Linux Or Mandrake.My Brother inlaw said that Redhat is the best version but ive read that Mandrake is better for people who dont know what they are doing. I Really need help decideing cause theyre are soo many choices.Can Somebody please tell me which one would be better to get.Also I will probably be asking some question during and after i get linux.But i promise ill read the manuals and make sure ive tried everything i can think of and have read before i post here. I wont post stupid simple questions.Linux looks really awsome i cant wait to try it.

[Whipping Boy]

1) We can see your name
2) Learn the rules of English concerning punctuation, capitalization, spacing, and spelling. I didn't bother to read your post because it was all one large block.
3) From your topic, http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/cool.gifSlackware http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/cool.gif

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Kurt Weber
Shell scripts? Shell scripts? We don't NEED no stinkin' shell scripts!
White, heterosexual, middle-class, and proud!
I've never understood why Bill Gates would name his company after his penis

[demian]

Don't take the last post too serious http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif
read this (http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/Forum1/HTML/013692.html)
Cheers, demian (that's my name http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif)

[Gibby]

I personally started with Mandrake, and I recommend it for a newbie. It does alot of the dirty work for you.

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Doing nothing is entirely under-rated.

[Eric16]

Well Im Leaning toward Mandrake Cause it just looks like the better one for beginners Plus they got a version just for desktop use no server or development tools.So Im leaning toward ordering that one. I know i could download it but i dont have a very fast connection so it would take along time.

[TC]

I believe that Stormix is easier to use than Mandrake or Redhat. Easy install and all the great benefits of Debian. Give it a try.
http://www.stormix.com/
http://www.stormix.com/products/download/download_html

TC
http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif

[sincka]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by TC:
I believe that Stormix is easier to use than Mandrake or Redhat. Easy install and all the great benefits of Debian.

TC has a point. Stormx is very easy to install and has some very usefull tool that Debian has http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif. Maybe you should try Stormix first and if you don't like it. Go to debain.
If you choose Stormix though...

apt-get

never forget those two words. After you've learned the basics you should move to Debian. Debian is what I use http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif.

Anyway good luck!

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Evil Is Good

[rayh]

Gents:
While not quite so green I have a similar problem. After stumbling over SuSe, I've used RedHat_6.0 steady for a year, and will move to the new software system once the V_2.4.x/4.0.x packages come out.

I say this in good faith --- I have NO INTENTION of seriously learning Linux ... I just use it as a flexible option to M$ ( which I use on a separate box), and occasionally as base for C-code.

Choice for me seems between RedHat and Debian: RedHat because of the personal & hardcover support upfront, or Debian because of APT-GET ... as upgrades/downloads are NOT an option and the RPM system does not in my experience function cleanly.

Right now I lean toward RedHat, because of sys-admin support, AND what I perceive to be the non-GUI_application orientation of the Debian users group.

[DJ-dOoK]

Ok here is my $00.02

Stormix, is indeed easy to install and has nice stuff, however in terms of currency, this is where it lacks. From what I believe, it only has kernel 2.2.16 and Mandrake has better hardware detection. More knowlegable users correct me if I am wrong.

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One day, the DJ declared! Let this OS be taken to the world, and Linux was introduced to many frustrated windows users!

[NGene]

Stormix might be a good choice -- it's very easy to install, plus you get the excellent package management of Debian. Do you hear how they praise apt-get?

But well, if you haven't got very fast connection, it might not be a bad choice ordering SuSE since it comes with a huuuuge amount of software so that'll probably save you from downloads. SuSE 7.0 also has a Personal version if you don't want all the development or server tools. Besides, I've found SuSE rather easy to install and very easy to configure with its excellent setup tool YaST.

[DrDebian]

Originally posted by NGene:
Stormix might be a good choice -- it's very easy to install, plus you get the excellent package management of Debian. Do you hear how they praise apt-get?

But well, if you haven't got very fast connection, it might not be a bad choice ordering SuSE since it comes with a huuuuge amount of software so that'll probably save you from downloads. SuSE 7.0 also has a Personal version if you don't want all the development or server tools. Besides, I've found SuSE rather easy to install and very easy to configure with its excellent setup tool YaST.

Debian comes with just as much software as SuSE and RedHat combined! No need to download anything if you have the official 3-CD set.

[DrDebian]

Originally posted by Eric16:
I'm Looking at ether Redhat Linux Or Mandrake.My Brother inlaw said that Redhat is the best version but ive read that Mandrake is better for people who dont know what they are doing. I Really need help decideing cause theyre are soo many choices.Can Somebody please tell me which one would be better to get.

Try StormLinux (www.stormix.com) instead of Mandrake. It has good hardware detection as well, combined with all the clarity of Debian GNU/Linux.

As for questions, you have already found the right place to ask them! http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif

[configure]

SuSE, and Mandrake is easy. Once you mess around with linux well enough and wanted to try something more challenging go for Slackware or Debian. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif

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..and Bill Gate said, "Just a few billion bugs, aint that nice?"

[Big_daddy]

Mandrake is best for newbies.

[ColdPack]

Originally posted by DJ-dOoK:
Ok here is my $00.02


Stormix, is indeed easy to install and has nice stuff, however in terms of currency, this is where it lacks. From what I believe, it only has kernel 2.2.16 and Mandrake has better hardware detection. More knowlegable users correct me if I am wrong.




Yes, hardware detection (namely cd burners) is better with Mandrake than Storm.
I use storm, though, and will not go back. When I was a newbie, I used redhat and then mandrake. They got me started but not until I stumbled on storm did I feel I could actually use linux.
The kernel is a modified 2.2.16. It has things like USB support already precompiled into it so it's more like a more recent 2.2.17 or pretty close to what 2.2.18 offers (from what I can tell when I recompiled).
Anywho, Mandrake is good for ease of install. But trying Storm may be a good thing to do, too. Go to cheabytes for some cds. Best deal around (aside from downloading which, I see, isn't practical in your situation.)
Good luck!

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What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I
definitely overpaid for my carpet.
-- Woody Allen, "Without Feathers"

[TC]

We use Stormix more than Mandrake or Redhat because Debian handles hardware recognition better. Stormix's easy install, is a big plus with the students that take it home to use on their PC's. No I don't work for Stormix but their are numerous Universities changing over to this Dist. Get on the Stormix mailing list and ask Paul Gray if you don't beleive me.

TC

http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif

[ColdPack]

And speaking of mailing lists, the Stormix one is by far the most helpful one I've ever come across.
That comment is completely unrelated to the great group here at LNO -- this is a great website resource but for dist-specific stuff (and plain debian stuff, too) the Stormix group is spectacular. The combo of LNO and the Stormix mail-list has gotten me out of nearly every jam I've found myself in.


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What if everything is an illusion and nothing exists? In that case, I
definitely overpaid for my carpet.
-- Woody Allen, "Without Feathers"

[Whipping Boy]

Originally posted by demian:
Don't take the last post too serious http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif


Why not? Are you saying he should make his posts as difficult as possible to read?

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Kurt Weber
Shell scripts? Shell scripts? We don't NEED no stinkin' shell scripts!
White, heterosexual, middle-class, and proud!
I've never understood why Bill Gates would name his company after his penis

[Kalten]

Because comments like yours suck!
Maybe he's not too good with English.
Did you think about that?

Don't be putting newbies down - help them out (i.e. Be kind and point them in the right direction!).

Alex

[Kalten]

Being new to Linux myself I recommend Mandrake.

I've installed it on an old laptop and it seems to be fine - the installation found the right hardware for everything including the crappy Compaq modem (WOW).

Plus the documentation is geared towards newbies so is easy to get to grips with.

For the future I'm looking at Debian, but we'll see... http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif

[Whipping Boy]

Originally posted by Kalten:
Because comments like yours suck!

Why?

Maybe he's not too good with English.

He has to be--he's just lazy. He understands sentence structure, has decent grammar, etc. Obviously, English is his first language or a language that he is very familiar with. All that screwed up spacing (or lack thereof), punctuation (or lack thereof), and capitalization makes it next to impossible to read what he was saying.

Did you think about that?

Not necessary--see above.

Don't be putting newbies down - help them out (i.e. Be kind and point them in the right direction!).
So basically you have a problem with me pointing out that someone made his or her post next to impossible to read?

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Kurt Weber
Shell scripts? Shell scripts? We don't NEED no stinkin' shell scripts!
White, heterosexual, middle-class, and proud!
I've never understood why Bill Gates would name his company after his penis

[sincka]

Whipping Boy:

Maybe you could be a little less rude. Just say "maybe next time you could write a little nicer" or something like that.

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Evil Is Good

[prince_kenshi]

I think it's funny myself. People do need to try a little harder if they're going to put English on paper. It's one thing to not know English well, but it's another to just not even try. It has grown so common, however, that I have learned to not worry about it. I'm also less likely to respond to it too. American education is said to be the best in the world, and even if he's not American, it still should be better than that.

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Prince Kenshi
Son of Bahamut

[Eric16]

All Right So That Post Wasnt Perfect i was in a hurry sheesh.Well After Looking At All the diffrent Distributions, websites and reading tons of reviews and articles,I have decided to go with Stormix Linux,It sounds like the best one for beginners,and its at a good price.Thanks for all your help.And yes English is my first language its the only lanuage i speak.I am an American,im a very good reader and speller.Matter of fact im a 12th grade level reader,which wouldnt be a big deal except that im in the 10th grade.
I guess it still isn't a big deal,ohwell.
I was just in a rush so I wasnt able to check my post.

[This message has been edited by Eric16 (edited 10 January 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Eric16 (edited 10 January 2001).]

[Counterstrike]

WHAT'S MY MUTHA-FSCKIN' NAME!??!

Snoop Do-ggy Dooooooooooooooooogg
(The dogg!)

LOL http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/biggrin.gif