organicbmx 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2005 (edited) anyone think unbuntu is a good linux for me to properly start on?ive dabbled into gentoo - not a great idea for a programming/hardware/clever stuff noob. i nearly managed to install it properly as a dual boot on an old p3 win98. the dual boot is fine but there are mounting issues [maybe a different thread soon]on my real pc - p4 winxp sony thing - im gonna get a second harddrive and some more ram and stuff and dual boot linux. do you think that unbuntu would be a good choice untill i can figure out gentoo? - i want power!!!! i will probably use linux for general browsing, a little design/web sites, office and open source games. winxp for video editing on adobe and musicany suggestions Edited June 16, 2005 by microscopic^earthling (see edit history) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
moonwitch1405241479 0 Report post Posted June 15, 2005 I've used Ubuntu, I think that for a newbie to Linux Ubuntu is good, even though my personal recommendation is Kubuntu (when you're at the log in screen, click on session and select KDE). I started using Fedora Core 3 and loved that distro to pieces, but then again that's because FC is the follow up of Red Hat Personal. Anyhow, Ubuntu you say. It's a fairly new distro, so of course it has a few flaws, minor things though. One recommendation for ANY LINUX DISTRO : When you're using a PCI soundcard and your sound is all distorted, go into your BIOS (F8 or something - it says which key(s) you need to press on boot up) and make sure PCI Power Management is DISABLED! Took me a long time to figure that one out.Other then that, Ubuntu is nice. For me, I've used Linux (Red Hat) for 3 yrs solely and then switched to a dual boot, and now solely in Win due to a too small HD, that made Ubuntu too "small" for me. I missed some key features I had in Red Hat. My best advice is to check the Ubuntu forums (https://ubuntuforums.org/ if I am not mistaken) and read up on Ubuntu itself. I found the Fedora Core installer nicer for beginners than the Ubuntu one, actually Ubuntu has a more text based installer, whereas FC has fully graphical. Also Ubuntu does NOT let you choose your packages, whereas FC allows you to do that. So if you want more control over what gets installed while setting up the distro, go for any distro but Ubuntu. Personally, I intend to try Gentoo and Debian as well :(Oh, in Ubuntu the root account is disabled/locked, which means instead of CONSOLE su -, you now have to enter CONSOLE sudo command Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xboxrulz1405241485 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2005 su and sudo are almost the same command. sudo is temporary for 1 command. su is a temporary session. I recommend SuSE Linux 9.3 for starters but Kubuntu or Ubuntu is a great alternative.xboxrulz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oncombeureum 0 Report post Posted June 16, 2005 i've a lot of "very2 low" computer spec. Celeron 550 with a 64 MB of RAM.. HD 3.2 GB.we're migrating from windows env to linux env. (any linux env).try Suse 6.4 but fail to load KDE (there's a test like: "just wait 2 second to create desktop" and keep appearing for like 5 hours). try FC 2 but run too slow .. try Ubuntu, installed well... but there's no network connection (lan detected but not in the list when configuring network = ( no card ?))well ... any recommendation ? is it linux always this heavy ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xboxrulz1405241485 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2005 SuSE Linux version 6.4 is SO OLD THAT IT IS NOT SUPPORTED. Plus the KDE version on that is very old. I recommend you to at least use SuSE Linux 9.0 and up.Fedora Core has had some problems with its experimental kernels.Also, your machine are too old to support any new versions of any OS. I recommend you get new machines.Linux has gotten easier thru the years because Linux is now better aimed at the desktop users than before.xboxrulz Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the empty calorie 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2005 SuSE Linux version 6.4 is SO OLD THAT IT IS NOT SUPPORTED. Plus the KDE version on that is very old. I recommend you to at least use SuSE Linux 9.0 and up.Fedora Core has had some problems with its experimental kernels.Also, your machine are too old to support any new versions of any OS. I recommend you get new machines.Linux has gotten easier thru the years because Linux is now better aimed at the desktop users than before. Actually, a Celeron 550 is not too old. Most of the computers I convert to linux have less than a 233MHz processor, and I always use the most current Slackware distro. And no, it does not run horribly slow. hardly slow at all, I must say. So you don't need to buy new hardware.SuSE 9 will run fine on a Celeron 550. I've gotten it to run fine on much less, although, distros like Fedora and SuSE, because of their odd kernels, tend to not be quite as bulletproof as say, Slackware or Debian.IMHO, GNOME might be a better environment to use than KDE, although if you REALLY want performance, just ditch both and go with a Window Manager like WindowMaker or fvwm2. AmiWM is nice, but configuration is only accessible through hand-editing the config files.-xboxsux Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the empty calorie 0 Report post Posted June 17, 2005 P.S. Oh yeah, with a 3.2G hard drive, Linux itself won't be too heavy, but when you throw in KDE or GNOME...kiss a good chunk of that space goodbye. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
organicbmx 0 Report post Posted June 19, 2005 turns out my gentoo attempt failed only to a spelling mistake. i forgot a 'u' in 'default' in my fstab and it all fell apart. a friend found and fixed that for me, very mild dyslexia and hacking - not a useful combo!!!!!! this mean im not as a big a failure as i thought i was and im gonna jump in at the deep end, gentoo user to be.but ive been running the ubuntu live cd and it is all very nice so to anyone who wants a nice and simple looking distro get it - i think it would be very good for schoolsme, im gonna get my full power from my p4 ht - yes!!! Expect alot of install question threads from me Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madcrow 0 Report post Posted June 20, 2005 I installed Ubuntu recently on an older computer and I must say I would not reccomend it for a beginner to install. Once it's installed it's briliant for a beginner. The only real problem is the fact it's CD has very little software available. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
enve19 0 Report post Posted June 20, 2005 Why not try Mandrake?Very easy to install and has a lot of software for it on the 3 Cds. definately worth looking into. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the empty calorie 0 Report post Posted June 20, 2005 Mandrake, another distro plagued by a "customised" kernel. Yes, it's easy to use. Well, not for me. It's too point-and-click, and I personally can't stand KDE or GNOME. But, you're looking for a beginner's distro...the best "beginner" one I've used would have to be SuSE, although, if you can find a friendly distro that uses the vanilla kernel, I'd go with that. But, I'm not a linux user anymore, as I have moved onto OpenBSD, which is a very good choice for someone with the technical know-how. (and actually, I've found it a lot friendlier than linux, although many here will probably disagree.) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
madcrow 0 Report post Posted June 22, 2005 Heh, there's nothing wrong with customized kernels. It's always nice to have features from future version features rolled into the more or less current kernel.And don't diss SuSE. It's not JUST a beginner's distro. It's huge size makes it excellent for everyone from the total n00b to the ultimate hacker... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
organicbmx 0 Report post Posted June 22, 2005 i tried to end this thread with that last post of mine. one thing is for sure though, ubuntu or not, linux uses can talk for years about distros that because there are just so many, but again that is a different thread altogeather Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
the empty calorie 0 Report post Posted June 22, 2005 Heh, the ultimate hacker....I don't know about that...and really the bloat of a distro doesn't make it better. But I wasn't dissing it. I said it's one of the better "beginner" distros. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jguy101 0 Report post Posted July 6, 2005 Well, I've decided to delve into Linux...I ordered some Ubuntu CD's a while back, but they haven't come yet. I wouldn't be complaining, but recently I saw a new mailman put a whole pile of stuff in one of these new package mailbox (something to prevent mail theft), I dunno if he even sorted it to see who all the stuff was for, and if a neighbor got it and didn't bring it over.... Anyway, I'm downloading Kubuntu tonight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
