Any Other Free Linux Distros? Help Also Needed! Is there anyother Linux Distros which ships cds for free?

[iGuest 3]

Hey guys, I had ordered that Ubuntu Linux CD and gave it a shot. Ok, not bad but I had problems connecting to the net using my ethernet card. Infact I could never connect it.Another problem was that I could not edit the boot log file too (GRUB), to make windows xp the default operaying system, cause my parents dont like linux. If anyone here could help me do these stuff, I will be grate full to them. If not...Do you know any other linux disto group like Ubuntu that offers free linux cd plus free shipping? I need something other than ubuntu, may be Red Hat or Mandravia or Gentoo or Fedora or Slackware or SuSe anything will do, except Ubuntu.Please help me out.

[WeaponX 0]

What kind of ethernet card are you using? Not a huge Linux user here, but check to see if they have drivers for Linux on the manufacturer's website.

 

It's been a while since I last played with Linux. Isn't there a way to configure GRUB through the CD repair option to change the order? If not, take a look here. They go into some details there. If you get lost or confused by that post, reply back. Or your parents could always just choose Windows from the GRUB boot manager when it starts up...

 

Do you have high speed internet? If you do, you can just download the Linux distros directly from sites like Linux ISO here. I don't know of any sites that will ship the Linux CD at no additional cost.

[yordan 10]

Right, just download the distros and burn them to CD.Also, just try the Knoppix CD because you don't need to install it, so you will directly see if your Ethernet adapter is recognized.

[iGuest 3]

My ethernet card has a driver for linux, but I dont know how to install them. Could anyone here provide me with step by step instructions?I dont have a high speed internet, just 128 Kbps where I cant download 2-3GB of iso files. And even worse I dont have a CD writer . My parents dont want me to install linux (Ubuntu) as it shows too many options while chosing which operating system (Recovery, MemTest, and the OS) and they think I have installed so many operating systems. So I'll have to make Windows as the default operating system.And about grub boot-loader, I had managed to come-up to the file, but when I edit it, it says that its in the read-only state and thats why it cant save. Ok, I even tried to change the read-only setting to write also, but then there it says I am not the OWNER of the system. I am the system admin, so what else rights could some-one have over the operating system. I guess the admin has all the preveliges, right?

[yordan 10]

My ethernet card has a driver for linux, but I dont know how to install them.

How does this driver look like ? Is it a simple file ? How is that file named ?Last time I had to do that, I put this file on a CD-Rom, booted Linux, displayed that file and simply clicked on it and that's all.

By the way, I recommend first try with Mandrake. It manages automatically the dual-boot, Windows partitions sharing, at has most of the ethernet boards in the standard auto-detect install features. And it was really easy to modify /etc/lilo.conf in order to put Windows as default, the system automatically boots on Windows without asking for nothing. Only experienced people know that within two seconds they have to "down arrow" and choose Linux.
Edited May 17, 2006 by yordan (see edit history)

[romyo 0]

May I suggest you https://kororaproject.org/ ? It's a very nice one

Is your ethernet card integrated into the mainboard?

[nightfox1405241487 0]

My parents dont want me to install linux (Ubuntu) as it shows too many options while chosing which operating system (Recovery, MemTest, and the OS) and they think I have installed so many operating systems. So I'll have to make Windows as the default operating system.

1) Parents & ANY kind of technology DO NOT MIX. Trust me.
2) Explain to them that you can do EXACTLY what you do on Windows... it's just a different interface. The only problem I have is connecting to a printer attached to a Windows computer. I'm sure I could get a "real" network printer working using CUPS.
3) Avoid the greedy monopolists!! Free & open source is BETTER than locked and VERY insecure source.

But yeah, dual boot Ubuntu & Windows. Your parents can use that worthless thing and you can enjoy a REAL operating system!

[N]F

[xboxrulz1405241485 0]

There are similar threads like this, but as I've said many times, I always recommend SuSE Linux. It's simple and powerful.http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/

[iGuest 3]

Hey guys, thanks a lot. But I installed Installed PCQLiniux which has a number of softwares already installed, but Ubuntu doesnt give so many. It just has, OpenOffice.org, Mozilla Firefox, Evolution and some other softwares for basic use, but PCQLinux which I got from PCQuest Magazine has a hell lot of softwares pre-installed including, Wine, John the Password Cracker, Phast Recovery and a lot more (about 100 softwares).

 

I did everything, got connected to the net too but now, there is a problem with GRUB boot loader for PCQLinux, its different from the Ubuntu GRUB Loader. During installation it asked me to chose which operating system as my default selection, I chose Windows. For the first boot, Windows was the default operating system selected but now (second boot) its PCQLinux is the defalut one.

 

How can I change which is the default operating system. I think Yordan uses LILO Boot Loader as he had said he edited /etc/lilo.conf, but for me will there be a same file named "grub.conf" or is there some other way to do it? Please help me out with this. I have already installed the OS and before I get spankings from my parents I want to change the default OS selected.

[yordan 10]

How can I change which is the default operating system.

So, seems that you have to learn now to configure Grub, on an already configured machine, in order to change the default booting operating system.You should first have a look at the Xisto tutorial section, I'm pretty sure the "how to change the grub settings" already has a topic. If not, this should be a suggestion for skilled people, they should urgently use this easy way of earning posting credits by means of writing a nicd tutorial.


As hou have correctly guessed, I use Lilo. If I happened to have a Grub working machine, I woud do the following way.
Look here : http://www.linuxmigration.com/quickref/kernel/grub.html
You can also get more info on how configuring Grub here : https://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&q=how+togure+grub&meta=

[iGuest 3]

As hou have correctly guessed, I use Lilo. If I happened to have a Grub working machine, I woud do the following way.Look here : http://forums.xisto.com/no_longer_exists/
You can also get more info on how configuring Grub here : https://www.google.fr/search?hl=fr&q=how+togure+grub&meta=

Thanks a lot yordan, the link you suggested, it worked.