which linux to choose?

[yoshiserry]

I don;t know much about Linux, but i would like to try it.
Ive read alot about it, and really just want to get on with using it, because thats how i prefer to learn. But would someone gimme an idea about which distro to choose, and why? I really need help.

[dogdude16]

i just installed ubuntu linux because people have said its the most easy to use and popular. They are some videos and guides here on pcmech but just look for guides on google there are plenty. I installed unbuntu from this handy windows installer beacause windoes is my primary machine and i installed it on my second harddrive.

here is the link http://wubi-installer.org/

[Jimmy0]

Like dogdude, for a newcomer to Linux I would also recommend Ubuntu as it is very user friendly and also has a great support community should you need help.

[kilgoretrout]

Also try PCLinuxOS:

http://www.pclinuxonline.com/news.php

This is a livecd, i.e. you download the iso file, burn it as an image to a cd-r or cd-rw and boot off the cd into a functioning linux system without anything being written to your hard drive. If you like what you see you can install it to your hard drive from within the livecd environment. Ubuntu is also a livecd and you can do the same. There are many other livecds you can check out and see what you like before installing but these two are currently the most popular with newbs.

Since livecds are running of the cd drive and ram only, they run slower than a hard drive install but you can still get a good idea about the distro. For someone new this is probably the best way to check out a lot of distros without installing. These livecds will also give you a good idea about how compatible your hardware is with that distro in particular and linux in general.

[mikeL]

As with all suggestions go with either ubuntu, or pclinux.

Never used PCLinux, but installing Ubuntu is a snap if you so decide to.

[bd1886]

Another vote here for Ubuntu. Have it on 2 comps (for myself) and have it on a few friends secondary computers. It is easy to use, ultra stable, super full featured and good lookin' to boot. Definately worthy of it's reputation!

[MichaelG653]

The live-cd is the way to go to check out the various distros....... personally PCLinuxOS is my favorite with ubuntu coming in second......... so either by concenous would be a choice. To burn the iso file to a disk, do a search for a program called Active ISO.... if you have never burned an iso file before.

[marine63]

what about freespire? wubi screwed up my computer

[o00JONESY00o]

if you have a fairly fast running pc, fedora is the bomb

[rave]

I've tried Mandriva 2005, OpenSuSE10.1 and 10.2 and Ubuntu 7.04
Ubuntu is a clear winner.

[DSCHIEF]

Originally Posted by yoshiserry I don;t know much about Linux, but i would like to try it. Ive read alot about it, and really just want to get on with using it, because thats how i prefer to learn. But would someone gimme an idea about which distro to choose, and why? I really need help.

Check out Fedora Core 6, I'm a newbie also been into linux less than 6 months.
there's a lot of 3rd. party support ( beginner level books etc.).

check out Linuxcentral.com
and www.oreilly.com/pub/topic/linux

other resources.
mozilla.com
WWW.Linuxforums.org
WWW.Openoffice.org

I currently have 3 dedicated linux boxes online running the 64 bit distro of FC6
have firefox for Web surfing
Thunderbird for E-mail
and OpenOffice suite for office productivity stuff.

[peekaboo]

Originally Posted by DSCHIEF I currently have 3 dedicated linux boxes online running the 64 bit distro of FC6 have firefox for Web surfing Thunderbird for E-mail and OpenOffice suite for office productivity stuff.

no problem with 64 bit?
i tried ubuntu 64 bit and i couldn't install flash on firefox (but i'm an ultra noob).

[marine63]

i dont think theres any reason to get any 64 bit os at this time... many programs are still being made for 32bit os.. you wont be able to use 64bit programs for a long time. also i think theres could be problems when using 32bit programs on 64 bit os. so just get 32bit os

[marine63]

a list of windows like linux
freespire
linspire (pay)
pclinuxos
linux xp (pay) mayb the best one
kubuntu

[dragonxx4]

Research a litte bit before you try a linux distrobution. Every flavor of linux is going to have its own quirks that you may have to deal with. Take a look at the compatabilities of your hardware. Google around to see what kind of experiences other people may have had with your same hardware setup or just individual hardware pieces. My point is poke around and take your time while making your choice.