Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Demonicat]

BigblackE suggested on another post that its probably time for me to reinstall. He's right of course. I've decided that as I am reinstalling I will do something that I've been meaning to do for years- go linux. I've been considering my options and looking strongly at gnome (even DL'ing their livecd) but I'm wondering what is the best version in the experts opinion?

[Wrench]

Ubuntu is great. Fedora Core is nice.

[ejmlab]

I'm not currently running linux on any of my systems but I've used Mandrake and Redhat extensively in the past (redhat primarily as an apache server and Mandrake as a workstation). The biggest decision is which packaging system you want to use. Mandrake uses the .rpm (redhat package manager). The debian packages are also very popular. In a lot of ways the distribution is not terribly important, especially if you put some thought into the packages you choose during install. Think about what you're going to use the system for and include the necessary packages. You can always download and install other software later if you find a specific need. The great thing about linux is that if you choose a major distro you can find reams of advice and troubleshooting advice online. Good luck with the install.

Cheers,
ejmlab

[Pangit]

I liked Slackware, but they got rid of GNOME, so someone new to it should steer clear if they need a GUI. I'd probably go with RedHat if I were in your position.

[dbee]

Red Hat is both huge and annoying OP ... they throw in everything but the kitchen sink.

I would definitely advise you to go with Ubuntu, it's an excellent choice for the linux first timer.

It's got it all really ...

* extremely friendly community with lots of newbies and more experienced hands
* it's fairly small and fits on one cd
* you can have your choice of gnome or kde as a GUI
* supports most hardware

check out the unofficial starter guide, it'll get you up and running in no time

http://ubuntuguide.org/

[ejmlab]

like most linux distro's, including redhat, the install is as huge and annoying as you make it. The trick is to select packages according to your own specific needs and you can have a lean linux system with virutally any distro.

Cheers