Linux....which type???

[speeddude2000]

ok so i want to try linux out. im downloading the mandrake 10.1 right now, but im wondering, its pretty big. (650mbx3) which isnt all that bad, but i was just wondering, is there a better "version or type" of linux for a beginner? i need a simple interface....thx. ive heard of freebsd, openbsd, redhat, and some others. so my question is, what should be agood starter type?

[sataraid0]

You are down loading the best for begginers already. Believe it is 3 cd's when you get thru. I downloaded Mandrake linux 10.0 so you are getting the latest version.

When you are installing it, be sure a choose the KDE interface as that will give you the closest viewing to windows there is. It is very easy, take your time and enjoy

[kilgoretrout]

The current mdk10.1 is the "Community Edition" and is intended for bug hunters familiar with linux. The "Official Edition" of mdk10.1 should come out some time in November and will be much more stable. I think you would be better off with mdk10.0 at this point in time.
Mandrake is an excellent distro for newbs by the way; I'd just use mdk10 instead fo the beta mdk10.1 currently on the mirrors. If you want to get a feeling for what linux is like you might also want to take a look at some of the livecds like knoppix. Knoppix runs entirely off a bootable cd and installs nothing to your hard drive. It's known for its excellent hardware detection and is a good way to test how your hardware will react to linux.

[mrmister1]

I'd agree with everyone else. Mandrake is the easiest to learn.

The reason there are three CDs is because everything is included with Linux Distros. Pretty much all the applications you need will be on those 3 CDs.

[nubbler]

Originally Posted by kilgoretrout If you want to get a feeling for what linux is like you might also want to take a look at some of the livecds like knoppix. Knoppix runs entirely off a bootable cd and installs nothing to your hard drive. It's known for its excellent hardware detection and is a good way to test how your hardware will react to linux.

I'm using/trying out Knoppix right now, it will give you a feel of what Linux is like and as mentioned how well it will wok with your hardware, and it does not install anything so it's a good way of trying it out.

[speeddude2000]

ok, well i just downloaded 10.1 community

should i just go with it? or redownload 10.0? if i want to upgrade in november, will i have to download 3 cds again? also, downloading isnt really a problem for me, cause i have really fast internet, its just that i want to get started right away.

also, its impossible to install it from windows right? i have to burn it onto 3 cds? ok so dont forget, tell me if its worth it to download 2000mb over again(for version 10.0)

[Karnevil9]

I don't beleive you can install it from windows unless something has changed. You would have to change your boot order in bios to boot from CD. Make sure windows is already installed. Then pop the first CD in and reboot. I would go ahead and try the CD's you got, since you have them already. There may not be any or many bugs. If you find problems, then go ahead and download the other MD10. Or if you are still searching, SUSe now has a free version of it's 9.1. It is only one disk. SUSe is also as good or better than MD for beginners.

[speeddude2000]

ok thx, i already just DLed the 10.0 though, so i think i'll stick with it. so now i burn it to 3 CDs and boot from them right? i heard there was another way with floppies....if i use floppies, i dont have to boot from the cd drive right? can i just boot from an ISO?

[mrmister1]

You should just put the ISOs on the CDs, it is much easier than making a bootable floppy. The easiest way, I found, is with Nero. Just choose to make an ISO, and put the image on the CD.

There is no way to install from Windows, unless you are using VMWare. I would just install it on a new partition.

Hope that helps.

[speeddude2000]

ok yay im running SUSE live linux(from CD) for 2 reasons right now:

1. i dont have to make 3 cds
2. my computer crashed and i cant boot windows anymore :/

well now, i think ive had just about enough of this crap(windows) for now, i have to fix windows cause i have important files.

One thing i hate about linux already, the scroll on the mouse doesnt work. its annoying, and it always goes back to the last page instead of scrolling down or up...can i change it?


can i access all my drives through Mandrake linux or the normal version of SUSE?

also, would it be possible to make a multi boot with WInXP/Mandrake/SUSE/win2000(or possible 98)?

thx

[Karnevil9]

The live CD version of SuSe is not the full program. It was just to let you get a feel for SUSe, but it does not allow for installing on the hardrive so you won't be able to do much in the way of saving work. You want the free version of SUSe 9.1 personal edition if you want a more complete OS.

You don't want to boot from floppies. That is an method they leave for folks who still do not have CD burners. It would take about 10 or so floppies to get the entire system if I remember.

The easiest way to keep windows and linux together is with a program like Partition Magic. It is better at letting you make little paritions on your drive for each OS. Without PM, Since windows doesn't play nice with Linux If you repair the windows portion now you may lose the linux partions, because windows tries to overwrite them. That is why you put windows on the system first and then Linux.

I don't know if you can access all your drives from Linux, I'll let the more Linux savvy folks answer that. I never had to do it.

You can put all your OS systems on one drive, though without a program like PM it can be a bit of a learning curve. Rule of thumb is the oldest windows OS is placed on the drive first, and then the newer and then newest. Then Linux.

[speeddude2000]

ok. ill wait for more responses on the linux part. i have PM8, so that should be ok. and when did i ever say anything about using floppies? i meant a multi boot as in a screen popping up when you boot and asking you which OS you want to use.

now, ill get a full version of linux. i already Dled the full 10.0 mandrake, but i cant access my HD for now. so should i get the full verison of mandrake again, or the full version of SUse? is the interface about the same? because i like SUSe.

now what would YOU reccommend for me? i need a simple interface with many apps and functions.

[Dswissmiss]

Have you looked at Ubuntu linux? It's debian with gnome 2.8 and (I think) a fairly easy installer. But SuSe, Mandy and Fedora are easier to install...they're just rpm based, which I personally hate. With Ubuntu, you just open a terminal, type apt-get firefox for example, and it automatically downloads and installs it for you.

[speeddude2000]

ok so heres wat i want now.

1. Either use LILO or GRUB linux managers to manage the multiboot

2.have a multiboot of:

XP
SUSe or Mandrake
Ubuntu or Debian

3. how should i partition the drive? i have partition magic 8 btw.
4. whats the order of installation? xp first, then which linux version order?

[Karnevil9]

This is what I would do. Put XP on the hardrive and then when you have that installed the way you want, ie. firewalls, anti virus software etc. Install pm8. Make two unallocated or freespaces for however big you would like to have for two Linux flavors. Your chouice of Linux will find the unused space and ask if that is where you want to install.
I would choose SUSe for my first download, or primary DL, over mandrake. Why? only one disk to download. Has plenty of things for the average user with no wasted components or overkill like the three disk mandrake, ease of install and good hardware recongnition. It is very much like loading XP, pop it in and answer a few questions and it does the rest.
The other Linux partition I would use for a secondary Linux, to play with. Put mandrake on there and play with it and see what you think, then try Ubuntu. This is brand new, very exciting, but the first release just came out, so the verdict is still out. I plan on installing that today myself to see what it is like. But you can hardly beat a debian based system. Very Stable, good upgrade capabilities. The apt-get install is tauted as one of the best. Knoppix is another Deian based system that uses one disk to install. Another Debian based system that offers free versions is Libranet, which uses admenu to install new compnents. It is generally regarded as an improvement over the apt-get system. Then there is Debian itself. This is for more experienced Linux users as it's install is not as friendly. But you get the idea. What is a great Linux flavor for one person is not for another, so try a few and see what you think before settling on one.
Lilo or grub will always override (unless you tell it not to) The windows MBR, and let you dual boot, that is why you install windows first. Windows MBR does not allow for this as it doesn't see Linux at all.

[speeddude2000]

ok, now heres my list:

xp pro first
suse 2nd
mandrake 3rd
ubuntu 4th
libranet 5th

now, i would liek to have this, but i think 5 OSes is way too much. i have decided to eliminate either ubunto or libranet.

now how useful is that thing in libranet? also, which is better--LILO or GRUB? where can i get them? thx

[Dswissmiss]

Whoa yeah, I think 5 distros is a bit much. All linux distros basically look the same. It's the way they install and how they upgrade packages that make them different from eachother.

SuSe and Mandrake are both rpm based distros, so I would choose between one of them. Ubuntu and Libranet are both debian based distros, so I would again recommend only one of them for the time being. If you don't like one, just install its counterpart on the same partition instead.

Personally, I began using linux as a result of libranet. It was easy enough to install, and has a really cool admin tool to take care of any complicated configurations you would otherwise have to do, but it still makes you want to learn more about linux, and eventually IMO move on to something like slackware, gentoo or debian (If you have the time or the will). Ubuntu is the newest craze right now, but since its brand new, I would suggest maybe downloading the live cd and see how much different it is from libranet.

With regards to grub or lilo, it depends on which distro you're going to install first. I have a feeling that they might give you a choice, so make sure you choose the same one for all. I personally like grub, but you'll have to learn about their differences before you can decide.

Personally though, I would only try one distro at a time for simplicity's sake. That way you won't have to worry about the boot loader, and it will give you a lot of practice with installing different distros in a short period of time.

EDIT: Also, I had problems with linux recognizing partitions I made with partition magic (this was 2 years ago, so I don't know if this is still a problem). I'm pretty sure that SuSe and Mandrake will do everything for you during the install, but try it out, if it gets too complicated just pop out the cd before you make any changes.

[Karnevil9]

Sorry for the confusion. I wasn't suggesting installing five operating systems. I was suggesting you place XP on and then a Linux of your choice. You keep another partition to "try" other Linux systems. Then try another system by installing it over that one. You would only have three systems on at any one time. Windows, a Linux, and a Trial Linux, which you would overwrite as you try new ones. Or just keep windows and a trial Linux, which is what I done. I had Fedora, Red Hat 9, Mandrake 9.1, Libranet 2.7, Knoppix 3. something or other. Never was able to get straight Debian installed. Had Vector, Morphix, SuSe live, etc.