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Author Topic: Linux 4 newbies  (Read 10078 times)

H_TeXMeX_H

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Linux 4 newbies
« on: 11 April 2006, 23:24 »
Long ago I recommended DSL to a newbie, maybe this was not such a good idea. But the problem is I don't know what might be too difficult a Linux distro for newbie. So, I'd like a short list of distros that would be optimal for newbie, ones that aren't likely to scare people off or leave the with the wrong impression, you know.

So instead or DSL, feather linux seems to be a lot better live CD for newbie. Try to put ones that you have used, rather than just heard about. You can also put ones you have tried but did not like or that are not for newbie, along with the reason.

This is now a dynamic list ... I'll add to it as suggestions come in ... assuming that's ok with everyone.

Worth a try

live CD only
Feather
Knoppix
Accelerated Knoppix

live CD + possible HDD install
Mandriva One
Ubuntu
PCLinuxOS (never heard of it, but looks decent ... right ?)
Mepis

HDD only
Fedora (in case Debian won't recognize your HDD)

Don't try these

live CD
Linspire (it's complete bullshit, no modem detection, slow, annoying startup music like Window$)

You can try these, but you may encounter problems

live CD
Move (Mandriva live CD, it failed to boot)
Gnoppix (slower than a turtle in a tar pit + annoying startup music like Window$)

HDD only
Suse (failed to detect HDD)

 Honorable mention, but not for newbies
DSL (Damn Small and Fast Linux)
« Last Edit: 7 July 2006, 01:24 by H_TeXMeX_H »
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Aloone_Jonez

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #1 on: 11 April 2006, 23:46 »
Out of the ones you've suggested I've only tried Knoppix which was great and Fedora which was bloated and slow.

Can you easilly install Knoppix and Feather to your hard disk?

What would be nice is to have a Live CD with an install feature and a good non-fuckupable package system with a large repository.
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H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #2 on: 12 April 2006, 00:37 »
Ok, I'm looking for a new distro for myself ... it seems FC just won't cooperate with me :( ... it really does suck after all.

Trying Debian ... hope it's good.
« Last Edit: 12 April 2006, 00:59 by H_TeXMeX_H »
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piratePenguin

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #3 on: 12 April 2006, 00:46 »
Mandriva.

I got a completely-free version of Mandrive One on a DVD free with "Linux Magazine" a few days ago (the magazine probably wasn't allowd distribute the non-free parts).

It's a livecd, with a program to install it to your harddrive. Boots to KDE after a few questions. Made me feel a bit nostalgic (Mandrake Move was the first GNU/Linux distribution I ever used, and it kicked ass (even though it ran from CD)).

Seems very cool. Everything I expected to work, worked without my input. It was slow as fuck though, running from DVD. I was tempted to install it, but finding it a partition for it would be problematic.

It and Ubuntu seem pretty easy to me.

The Mandriva Control Center is very fucking cool.
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Refalm

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #4 on: 12 April 2006, 09:12 »
Ubuntu.
They even have a modified Synaptic that will let you choose applications really easy. And the fact that my Logitech gamepad was detected properly (which I had to do manually on some other distributions) was impressive as well.
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GenuineAdvantage

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #5 on: 12 April 2006, 10:39 »
I would add PCLinuxOS to this. The latest version. Though the Ubuntu that is due this June should be more feature rich.
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H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #6 on: 12 April 2006, 20:18 »
Quote from: Aloone_Jonez
Out of the ones you've suggested I've only tried Knoppix which was great and Fedora which was bloated and slow.

Can you easilly install Knoppix and Feather to your hard disk?

What would be nice is to have a Live CD with an install feature and a good non-fuckupable package system with a large repository.

Feel free to suggest ones you have tried and liked, and are very user friendly (for n00bs).

I don't think Knoppix can be easily installed to HDD ... never tried though so I don't really know. Same with Feather. But, I know you can easily install DSL to HDD ... I've done it ... unfortunately, it may not be as easy for n00bs to use. I personally don't think it's that difficult, but it's hard to think like a n00b, do you think DSL is too hard for n00bs ?

Is the word n00b insulting anyone ... ? I dunno what else to call people new to Linux ... who need very user friendly interfaces or they'll run away back to M$.
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H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #7 on: 13 April 2006, 01:16 »
Uh oh ... Debian and all Debian-based distros fail to recognize my HDD !!! :eek: How insane ! Looks like I'm stuck with FC.

Any ideas ?

My HDD is a HITACHI_DK23EA-60

according to hwbrowser
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Dark_Me

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #8 on: 13 April 2006, 01:19 »
Quote from: H_TeXMeX_H
I don't think Knoppix can be easily installed to HDD ... never tried though so I don't really know. Same with Feather. But, I know you can easily install DSL to HDD ... I've done it ... unfortunately, it may not be as easy for n00bs to use. I personally don't think it's that difficult, but it's hard to think like a n00b, do you think DSL is too hard for n00bs ?

Is the word n00b insulting anyone ... ? I dunno what else to call people new to Linux ... who need very user friendly interfaces or they'll run away back to M$.
Knoppix can be installed to hard drive but it shouldn't as many problems are encountered (take a look at Knoppix's website for more information) mainly because it's not designed to run from HD.
And n00b can be taken more readily taken as an insult than newbie as thats what it was originally intended as.
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H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #9 on: 13 April 2006, 01:25 »
newbie it is then ... would an admin or moderator mind changing the name of the post to newbie rather than n00b ... to be politically correct, thanks.

P.S. BTW I never tried to install DSL on my laptop ... it was a friend's computer.
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piratePenguin

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #10 on: 13 April 2006, 01:31 »
If you're moving on from FC you may as well take a plunge and go for something more advanced like Debian or Slackware.

Debian not recognizing your harddrive? That I don't understand. What makes you think it doesn't recognize it?

You could consider Slackware. Or even something different like FreeBSD.
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"What you share with the world is what it keeps of you."
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a poem by my computer, Macintosh Vigilante
Macintosh amends a damned around the requested typewriter. Macintosh urges a scarce design. Macintosh postulates an autobiography. Macintosh tolls the solo variant. Why does a winter audience delay macintosh? The maker tosses macintosh. Beneath female suffers a double scum. How will a rat cube the heavier cricket? Macintosh calls a method. Can macintosh nest opposite the headache? Macintosh ties the wrong fairy. When can macintosh stem the land gang? Female aborts underneath macintosh. Inside macintosh waffles female. Next to macintosh worries a well.

H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #11 on: 13 April 2006, 01:36 »
Quote from: piratePenguin
Debian not recognizing your harddrive? That I don't understand. What makes you think it doesn't recognize it?

Well it freezes at the screen where it is "detecting ATA" or something like that. Suse won't either ... is it Debian-based ?
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piratePenguin

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #12 on: 13 April 2006, 01:48 »
Quote from: H_TeXMeX_H
Well it freezes at the screen where it is "detecting ATA" or something like that. Suse won't either ... is it Debian-based ?
Nope....... (IIRC it uses RPMs)

Maybe there's a problem with the harddrive (a problem that might explain why FC is fucking up).
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"What you share with the world is what it keeps of you."
 - Noah And The Whale: Give a little love



a poem by my computer, Macintosh Vigilante
Macintosh amends a damned around the requested typewriter. Macintosh urges a scarce design. Macintosh postulates an autobiography. Macintosh tolls the solo variant. Why does a winter audience delay macintosh? The maker tosses macintosh. Beneath female suffers a double scum. How will a rat cube the heavier cricket? Macintosh calls a method. Can macintosh nest opposite the headache? Macintosh ties the wrong fairy. When can macintosh stem the land gang? Female aborts underneath macintosh. Inside macintosh waffles female. Next to macintosh worries a well.

Lead Head

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #13 on: 13 April 2006, 02:49 »
Quote from: H_TeXMeX_H
Uh oh ... Debian and all Debian-based distros fail to recognize my HDD !!! :eek: How insane ! Looks like I'm stuck with FC.

Any ideas ?

My HDD is a HITACHI_DK23EA-60

according to hwbrowser

Is that one of the Hitachi Deathstars?

SuSE actually managed to install itself on some dieing HD that I had that no other OS would load on it, it took around 3 hours to install on the HD and it took around 1 hour to boot:D. What is your system Aloone? Fedora ran pretty fast on my A64 and ran decently on my ancient Athlon
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H_TeXMeX_H

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Re: Linux 4 n00bs
« Reply #14 on: 14 April 2006, 05:59 »
Quote from: Lead Head
Is that one of the Hitachi Deathstars?

I dunno, it might be ... it came with a $ony laptop ... I just checked the original documentation and there is no word on what kind of HDD it is ... just Hitachi.

What are the symptoms of a hard-drive problem ?
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