Linux N00b Needs Your Help !

[cyph3r 0]

If I were u, I'll take Mandriva because it's easier. There's a downside of Mandriva, if you want to update KDE or GNOME you MUST be part of the subscription club.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whats a Subcsription club ? ok i know the literal meaning as we use it on the net to subscribe to new updates and services of a particular item. Is it the same here too ? I mean if Linux was open source why would we need a subscription to update KDE and genome. i mite as well uninstall and reinstall the new version ? ( i know sounds like windows ) but its possible rite ?

 

Well theres no harm to subscribe, i can do that, assuming its free lol. but then i think, i better learn the hard way console and commands.\

 

See my state is like this tourist who hasent visited a place everyone else has. And hes being told many good things about it but really cant decide where to go. i mean unless i get the right version for me i wouldent go further. i wish i was here 4 years before when i was 17, i could have started off with anything and by now i could have been a master like u all.

 

Anyways, I got this book from the city library. Its called O'Reilly - Linux in a Nutshell, 4th Edition also i got O'Reilly - Linux in a Nutshell, 5th Edition , i guess i'll go with the 5th one since thats the latest. But i have booked both the books for like a month ahead. So here starts my first step.

 

Thankx all.

Oh and i am still waiting for an option Mandriva or Gentoo or ( SuSE as xbox told and since i had that in mind at first ) I feel Mandriva is up for me ? Easy yet professional ? As something that isnt used by people who "JUST" want to learn linux. I want to get "INTO" it

[abhiram 0]

Whats a Subcsription club ? ok i know the literal meaning as we use it on the net to subscribe to new updates and services of a particular item. Is it the same here too ? I mean if Linux was open source why would we need a subscription to update KDE and genome

Yup, that's exactly what it does. You could uninstall and reinstall, but this way, it downloads and installs it for you and you don't have to do anything except give one single command. But it comes at a price... subscription isn't free .

Don't bother too much about which distro to use. All the distros are free and assuming that you have a pretty good net connection, you can try as many as you like. That's how people do it... they try one, use it for a while and if they aren't satisfied with it, get rid of it and install a new one. That's one of the advantages of an open source OS... you don't have to buy it . In fact, you can just go to http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/ and download the first distro you see and try it out.

I would still advise you to go with Mandriva as a beginner. If you really want to plunge into the deep side by using Gentoo, i suggest you make sure a lifeguard is nearby... i.e. a friend of yours who has atleast some experience with Linux.

Cheers.

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

Actually u mean free as in opensource and not free as in free beer, because there are distributions that require you to pay. Something like Linspire or Xandros.Anyways, Mandriva DOES require you to pay a subscription to update the internal system files like KDE or GNOME or even get the kernel updates, unless u wait for about 6 months for the next version.SuSE is different because it's easy as it is professional, and no stupid subscription. Pay for it and you get support, a large manual and a sticker . Else, you can download for free, but no support, large manual and no sticker.Gentoo will take you days to install even on Pentium D computers. Also, without Linux experience, you won't get anywhere, since you need to know the basics on how UNIX works. You must know how to use emerge and know your computer inside out in order to use it.xboxrulz

[cyph3r 0]

OK, made the decision, One point was right tho, if i didnt like an installation, i could always shift to another one, but for now i would start d'loadin Mandriva ( and since i have done it i subscribe to abhiram's support services for life and free lol )

 

Anyhow, I got all the info i need to start, and mostly i had the info from here. so would first thank you guys for all the help. I will check out distrowatch and D'load the stable version of mandriva as of now and go ahead with a trial first installation. When m done i'll get back to u folks.

 

i suggest you make sure a lifeguard is nearby... i.e. a friend of yours who has atleast some experience with Linux.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

LOL, i wished man. Just wished if sumone here was as ready to help as you guys. Learning through a tutor and learning through a forum is different and difficult, but i guess i'll manage and hope i would be of assistance to someone some day

 

 

SuSE is different because it's easy as it is professional, and no stupid subscription. Pay for it and you get support, a large manual and a sticker . Else, you can download for free, but no support, large manual and no sticker.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sorry xboxrulz no offence for not selecting SuSE, but i would love to try that out after i am comfortable with the linux enviornment. SuSE was my first choice, but looking at mandriva and checking out other places, i see that the people i have been around over here are dependent on SuSE so that started off as my first choice. U know, the listen and do stuff. I would love to try all and then select the right one, so i wouldent gurantee sticking with mandriva too. Just to start off with something different

 

Thankx for all your help guys, really do appreciate all the help and info you provided me with.

 

Cheers

[cyph3r 0]

Aww man. m sorry guys, just one more question. I am on a ftp download server to get mandriva

FTP Listing of /pub/linux/Mandrakelinux/official/iso/10.2/i586/

http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/


I have 3 CD to d'load .. is this the right version ? i586 is the PC one rite ? i am on a 32bit so this should work rite ?

Please Advise

Thankx

[qwijibow 0]

i586 will work, but i686 will be better optimised to your hardware ( i586's pre date pentium 1's)
or -athlon -pentium4 architechture would be a litle faster.

EDIT: oops, it seems mandrake dont release optimised version newer than i586. stick with i586.

1) I pop in the windows xp cd and install a new version by formatting from the cd itself ( like i always do ).

not exactly. at some point early in the windows install, you will be asked where you want to install windows, go into the partiton options and delete the C/ patiton.

ets say for example that partiton is 20 gigs, create a new partiton 15 gigs or smaller, and use that partiton to install windows.

then dureing the linux install, linux will find that un-partitoned space, and use it.

this is not vital to the llinux install, but it makes things a little easyer.

Gentoo will take you days to install even on Pentium D computers. Also, without Linux experience, you won't get anywhere, since you need to know the basics on how UNIX works. You must know how to use emerge and know your computer inside out in order to use it.

My 2.2 Ghz AMD Athlon 64 fully compiles an entire distro in about 4 hours.
Which is a long time, but the added performace boost is worth it, gentoo fly's

For example, Mandrivia is optimised for i586 (the Pentium processor released in 1993 12 years old)

My Gentoo is optimised for my AMD-64 cpu. processors have changed alot inn the last decade, and using the enhanced optimisation features isworth it

Also, i dont think gentoo is that hard to install, the handbook tells you what to do step by step.

But ill stop puching gentoo, otherwise you will never make a decision, LOL.

Mandrivia should be a nice gentle introduction to linux, and help you learn the basics.

ver few people ever stay with the first linux dstro, ive been using linux for about 3 and a half years.

i started on redhat 9, then fedora, then mandrake, then slackware, then Linux From Scratch, then gentoo.

my main [rpblm with other distro's is installin things, endless package dependancy's. you install 1 porgram, it says it needs you to install 2 dependancy's, ten those 2 dependancy's have anouther 4 dpeendancy's etc etc etc.

with gentoo, i can simply type "emerge apache" and the source code is automatically downloaded, automatically optimised and compiole, then installed, along with any dependancy's it may have..

[abhiram 0]

i subscribe to abhiram's support services for life and free rolleyes.gif lol

Noooooooo!!!!!

hehe... jk

[cyph3r 0]

Thankx qwijibow, i started d'loading .. lol, y am i laughing ? i duno , maybe i cant cry either , lol. I started d'loading on the all mighty ADSL 512k , and its getting d'loaded at 6 kbps oh well .. no time shown too ... ahh .. 2 days ? 3 days ? .. jeez , i have no words to describe my hate towards my ISP at this moment.Thankx for ur help guys