Recommended Linux distros

[Silenus]

Think long and hard, and be sure you really want to do this; because for the first week or so, it is frustrating. However, I will paint you this picture: With Windows, the installation is fairly easy to start, and I grant that it runs pretty well in the beginning. But from that point onward, it is straight downhill until you do a new installation. With Linux, some distros are rather difficult on first installation; but from the beginning, Linux just looks better and better.

I personally don't like the dual-boot system, because it's always a temptation to go back when Linux is frustrating (which, in the beginning, it really is). Also, when you finally get the hang of Linux, that Windows partition is suddenly just wasted space. Then you have to reinstall just to remove the Windows partition, thus taking the chance of messing up a perfectly good Linux system. Rule Number 1: Don't mess with a working system. To me, the dual-boot system is half-hearted, like toilet training a child over an 18 year period. There is a time just to push ahead, and do the right thing, and don't look back.

Linux does have a few problems or bugs: The fonts suck, but you can download TTF, which look pretty good. Open Office is very good, but a little slow compared to Word. Linux is great for neworking, but the TorK program, to run Tor and Privoxy, is a little buggy, for the first day or so. And so on ... But if you like a stable system that never crashes, and is virtually unhackable, and not prone to viruses -- then Linux is for you.

I did a lot of research before I settled on one Linux distro, and most have their merits, depending on your system, and just how geeky you are. (I'm guessing you are somewhere on the high end of the geek scale.)

I've recently heard of Linux Mint and SimplyMEPIS, which come very highly recommended, but I don't know much about them. I tried SimplyMEPIS, and it caused my system to freeze, damaged my core, and I had to spend a day rebuilding my machine. First time that ever happened with Linux of any stripe; maybe my old CPU and graphics card wasn't up to its  3D desktop. Sabayon also offers a 3D desktop, and what I've seen of it (on somebody else's computer) is incredible -- maybe a couple years more advanced even than Vista. It has one serious drawback: no Synaptic, so you must download and compile all programs from source.

However, you will find, if you like that kind of thing, that any Linux distro can be customized almost infinitely, and you can find the program to give yourself a 3D desktop, if you want that, and if your machine is up to it.

So ... recommendations:

If you have time, you ought to download the most likely candidates, burn some live and install discs, and then take them for a test drive. I tried out maybe 20 different distros before I settled on my system. And CD-Rs are relatively cheap, considering the commitment you're making if you decide to change your OS.

1. PC Linux www.pclinuxos.com/
As far as I'm concerned, the easiest for somebody just starting, and the one I actually use. I could access my Windows files right away, even on other hard drives, without any special knowledge. The wizards do all the installation stuff; you just have to click the right boxes. But it is Linux, and on top of it you can build anything you want. The more I use it, more I like it. The Live CD is also the install disc.

2. Ubuntu / Kubuntu / Edubunut / and that crowd.
Nothing bad to say about them. The geekier crowd seem to like them. They're not bad at all, and it is impressive how the live or install disc (they are separate discs on this distro) finds everything on your system, and automatically configures it. However, I couldn't access my Windows files without first formatting. If you can navigate command line right away, without special help, there is some way to do it, but for a newbie that's a little rough.

3. Dream Linux. Similar to PC Linux, but runs a lot like a Mac. Again, not bad, but I found PC Linux easier to start. Live CD is also the install disc. 

4. Zenwalk Linux -- Their live and install discs are separate. Runs a lot like PC Linux and Dream Linux, but again, at a certain point, I hit obstacles, and kept going back to PC Linux.

5. Sabayon is great, and for once, here is one that I cannot compare to PC Linux. But it demands a fairly new CPU and graphics card, and then there is that compile-from-source business. But it is packed full of stuff, comes on a DVD it's so big, so a lot of stuff you'll have already installed. And the 3D desktop kicks Windows' butt.
Apparently SimplyMEPIS is a lot like Sabayon, when it isn't crashing my computer. It has the 3D desktop, and everything is supposed to be well integrated. However, it also has Synaptic, so you can use that to download programs, rather than compiling from source. That's a definite bonus for a Linux newbie. I don't doubt that my experience was unusual, but I can't recommend it personally.
Others I've tried, but found more seriously wanting:
One Base Linux
Vector Linux
Damn Small Linux (DSL)
Tinfoil Linux
Knoppix
Puppy Linux (8 different distros) Maybe the most customisable, but hard to get started
TurboLinux

Linux for people who are very afraid, and don't really want to leave Windows:
Linspire
Freespire
Actually I couldn't get them to boot, and instead of running on a Linux file system, they use FAT -- not even NTFS!

As I said, once you really understand how Linux works, all distros are more or less alike, because you can build anything you want on top of the Linux kernel.

Otherwise, I am glad to answer questions, or direct you to the right places. There is a lot of information online, and Linux users have a pretty good network.

[Arkie]

Looks good.

I'm currently downloading it from here: http://linuxtracker.org/t...rents-details.php?id=4143

I'll test it out and post my experience with the OS after i've played with it. Ofcourse i'll try the other distro's as well but this one seems good enough to me.

Do you know any Java IDE's that work on linux? I know Eclipse run on linux but i'm not sure if there are other "better" IDE's to code Java with.

Thanks for your rather long but easy to read post, must have taken some time to write  .

[Silenus]

Yeah, sorry about the excessive verbosity. But, as others may be interested, I try to cover other points, and my answers get longer. Also, I type fast.

I don't do the same work as you -- I write, and honestly, I'm just an imitation geek, but I know enough to run Linux. I am a little out of my depth to recommend tools to code java, but I will lay out some basics:

PC Linux is a KDE desktop, so all their programs designed specifically for KDE have that K somewhere in it. (K just stands for K.) KDE is built on the old CDE, but you might know all this stuff. Otherwise, there is Gnome, GNU, X-Windows, and so on. They all have their programs, which will run on PC Linux, and it is easy to end up with lots of programs that do more or less the same thing. Sometimes you can use them, sometimes not. (I have 11 different browsers, have used them all, and I use at least 7 of them regularly, each dedicated to different tasks.) You will find that Linux people are fanatical not only about Linux, but also about their particular brand of Linux: 'Dude, you should be using Gnome instead of KDE!' or some such thing -- you'll hear that a lot. For myself, though, I find the KDE stuff tends to work very well with PC Linux, because they were made to go together; Gnome stuff is okay, might work better on a different distro, or maybe it's just me. So here's my rule: Find what works best for you, and run that. The strength of Linux is that there are so many different versions; everybody has his or her own preferences; you know your own machine better than anybody else. And with Linux, once you have it running, resist the temptation to keep tweaking. Don't mess with a working system!

Once you've installed PC Linux, open up Synaptic (the red/grey circle with a dot in the middle, right next to the Firefox icon in the lower left of your screen. Synaptic has a search feature, so look for java, IDE, coding, tools, etc.

I find ECJ (Eclipse Compiler for Java) and GCC (GNU Compiler Collection), which can handle other scripts such as perl, python, etc., besides java. Then there are also a number of smaller tools specifically for java.

Before you do that, though, you might want to enable your firewall: Search Synaptic for 'firewall' or 'security', as there are components (or 'dependencies') that you will need to download to make your firewall work. I personally like Firestarter, which is a graphical firewall that is easy to use and very high security. Klamav (the KDE version of Clamav) is also a good idea. (Make sure to look for the file libclamav to see that it is already installed, or marked for download, as you need it to make Klamav work.) Otherwise, just keep searching Synaptic for the files you want; you can search by name, type, or keyword.

For myself, I do a lot of shopping round, and try 10 of everything until I settle on one or two. It is easy to uninstall.

By the way, my desktop is customized beyond all recognition, compared to that screenshot you posted. I will see if I can make a screenshot of my desktop sometime.

[Arkie]

I've downloaded the "pclinuxos-2007.torrent" from here: http://linuxtracker.org/t...rents-details.php?id=4143

But when i run it in VMware I don't see any install options to install PCLinuxOS 2007. Is this the cd i need or do i need another download to install the OS?

[Silenus]

The Live CD is also the install disc on PC Linux.

I would take the live CD for a test drive first, to get an idea how it works. On your desktop you'll see an icon, 'PCLinuxOS Install'. You on click that if you've decided to go along with the installation.

I know you're running this inside the VM, but still I would be sure you've backed up files, just to be safe. I'm not so familiar with VM, as I have only done it a little running Windows inside Linux. (In a Linux system, by the way, this is call Virtual Box.)

By the way, to run the live CD, you don't need to run inside the VM; in fact, I'd say it would be better to boot from the live CD. That's most likely the problem. Just shut down your computer and boot from the disc.

[Arkie]

Yup, i guess so but I don't have the ISO burned to a disk so mounting seems like the next best choice. Anyway, I've loaded up the disk and i'm ready to go. Just trying out some features and see how it goes.

Too bad the distro doesn't support 1280x800. The max screen resolution i can set is 1024x768 

[Silenus]

Well, you ought to be able to run it from your hard drive, I suppose, if you mount the image, but I've never tried that.

Ummm ... screen size: Mine is 1280x1024, and I have no problems setting for that resolution.

[Arkie]

Well, you ought to be able to run it from your hard drive, I suppose, if you mount the image, but I've never tried that.

Ummm ... screen size: Mine is 1280x1024, and I have no problems setting for that resolution.

Hmm, maybe I need to install a driver? Or is it because this release doesn't support widescreen resolutions? It's not that i can't work with the 1024x768 resolution but 1280x800 would be nice.


//edit
I might as well check their support forums if there are any tips/solutions for this. 

[Silenus]

I've never had any problems on any machine with PC Linux. I've helped two friends install on their machines, and other friends have tried out the live version. If you need to install anything, I supposed it would be in Windows.

You know how to burn an ISO image, I imagine, but I did have some problems with Windows -- almost as if Windows knows what's coming ... and other friends could not download or burn the image properly, so I had to do it for them, and then send it by post. I've had problems with other Linux distros, but thus far, all my problems with PC Linux can be traced to Windows.

Very strange! I can only imagine that it is something different with a notebook, as I've run or installed PC Linux on several different machines.

I would check the PC Linux home page for similar problems.

P.S. Maybe I'm skipping something  obvious: You can change your screen resolution in the Control Center (the blue icon with a sort of white circle, next to your Home folder Icon). Look for Peripherals/Display in the menu.

I just set my screen for 1024x768, to look at what you were seeing. Yikes! that was scary! 8-o

[Silenus]

Dear Mr Happy Cat,

Been away taking care of business.... Just wondering if you got any farther with PC Linux, or any other distros.

[Arkie]

I installed it and tried pclinuxOS but i can't figure out how to change my resolution. I haven't tried other distro's as i'm quite busy with my own projects. But i'll take a look into the other distro's soon. (redhat, ubuntu etc)

[Silenus]

Newer Linux distros:

PC Linux - Gnome version:
http://www.linuxgator.org...ome/gnome_page/gnome.html

Google OS (yes, it really exists!):
http://thinkgos.com/

Linux Mint:
http://linuxmint.com/
[haven't tried it yet, but I hear good things]

[Arkie]

To be honest, I haven't had the time to test run these distros but i'll try to download them and see how it goes :) So far i like the pclinuxos distro.

[Silenus]

Hey, all! Sorry to be so unsociable, but my job has been a bitch of late. As for Linux distros, thus far I am happily plugging away with PC Linux. The only major change is that I went to the Gnome version (though I still use a lot of KDE stuff). The Gnome version seems a little more stable, but installation is slower.

To be honest, I haven't had the time to test run these distros but i'll try to download them and see how it goes :) So far i like the pclinuxos distro.