The truth about Linux?

[billy_gates]

I know Linux is an ultra powerful ultra fast ultra stable OS and that it cam be very daunting and is at first.  However I want to know is it possible to make Linux as easy to use as the Mac.  I know it won't be that easy to use right off of the bat, but is it possible to make it so that double clicking a file will make it open in the right program, etc etc etc.  I want some opinions with long answers (voidman this is your cue).  I can do every thing that is required to be done but in the end I want it to be easy and usable so that most of the time I don't have to worry about its guts just like I don't when I use OSX.  Hell, if it can't be as easy as a Mac i'll even settle for windows.  But it is so annoyin having a .pls file and when I double click on it it opens as a text document in nautilus.  Please I need to make this easier or I will have to give it up.

[Interscope]

Don't worry too much about things that are hard-to-use in linux... But I guess that's coming from a person who finds it easy to install Slackware/Debian.

I'll be talking about distro's I have used.
Which are:
Mandrake
Red Hat
Debian
Slackware
Ice Pack Linux

Here goes:

#1 Installation
Mandrake: Very easy, it has a fancy X installer which is quite user-friendly. auto detected all my hardware and there were no problems after install.
Red Hat: Also very nice, although there are some things that I missed like alsa(which i need for my sound card and which is included in Mandrake and Ice Pack Linux) and automaticly adding my wind0ze partitions to /etc/fstab(which Ice Pack, Mandrake and Slackware do)
Debian: I used 2 floppies to boot up for a network installation. It has a text based installer and auto-detected all my hardware. You have to get over the fact that it is text-based, but other than that it's has a really nice installation. It missed alsa, though, but thats all.
Slackware: I find this one easier to install than debian although that's just me. It is pretty much the same as debian although I used CD-Installation so i can't comment on the Network installation.
Ice Pack Linux: Extremely easy, i'd say it can easily compete with distributions like Red-Hat and Mandrake. I'd recommend this one as a first time install.

#2 Booting Up(without tweaking anything after a previous session)
Boot Speed:
from fast to slow:
Debian
Slackware
Ice Pack
Red Hat
Mandrake
Starting X:
These distro's boot up X during the boot process:
Mandrake
Red Hat
Ice Pack
The other 2 are started up by typing "startx" in shell

#3 Window Managers
All of them have both Gnome and KDE. I'd recommend KDE for n00bs, and blackbox for people who want speed(not the drugs, smartass)

#4 Configuration
Mandrake: Does everything automaticly except configuring X. For that you have to know the video card and monitor brand. No biggie.
Red Hat: Same as above + the fact that some sound cards need ALSA to run. Which Red Hat does not have.
Ice Pack: Same as Mandrake + something about alsa: I tried letting it boot automaticly but it asks you to modprobe some stuff.
Debian: This is a bit harder. Pretty much the same with configuring X but you have to know the Monitor's Vertical and Horizontal ranges if you want to configure the monitor. And alsa. but installing alsa is no biggie as long as you follow the guide.
Slackware: Pretty much the same as Debian

#5 Packages Managment
Red Hat: Uses .rpm files, they are seen as the most simple way to install something in Linux.
Mandrake: .rpm
Ice Pack: .rpm
Debian: .deb
Slackware: uses basic tarballs(which means compiling). I was able to install rpm during the Installation, I haven't tried it yet.

#5 Distro's in order of most liked to least liked
Slackware
Debian(these 2 are pretty tied, but I don't want to be a hipocrit because right now i'm using slack and liking it alot)
Ice Pack
Red Hat
Mandrake

Throw questions at me.

[TheGreatPoo]

I don't know anything about it but what about Lycoris?

www.lycoris.com/products/desktoplx/

[TheQuirk]

I heared about "Lindows", but I also heared it was very hard, stable, and unlike-windows.

You might want to take a look at it.

[Refalm]

Lycoris Desktop/LX is very neat! Easy installation, easy desktop... it has not that good hardware support like Red Hat Linux, but other than that Lycoris Desktop/LX is great for a beginner.

And please don't confuse Lycoris Desktop/LX with Lindows.

[choasforages]

lindows is a mistake, just like windows

[billy_gates]

thanks for your help

that licorice thing looks cool except it is like a 100% copy of Windows XP which is a HUGE step backwards.

[billy_gates]

quote:Originally posted by Interscope:
I'd recommend KDE for n00bs

Why do you recommend KDE for noobs?  Can you give some examples?

I've used KDE and Gnome, i thought they were both pretty easy except KDE gives a lot of controls at your fingertips and IMHO I think that Gnome is simplified to the point where it is easier.  I would think that powerusers like KDE.  I like Gnome better, although I miss some things that KDE had.

[Calum]

i found kde more stable than gnome. i would recommend xfce to be honest, for newbies, as it will make them think outside the box in a non windows way and it is small enough for them to get used to it fast. Once they get used to it, they should move on to kde. maybe after a few days.

As for the pointing and clicking thing, it will be easy once you have got used to the environments and programs you are using. take heart.

[TheQuirk]

Geeze, I was joking. . .  Didn't think you guys would take me seriously!

[Faust]

My twelve cents:
About a week ago I used nothing but KDE, gnome and IceWM because they looked familiar to me, being used to windows guis. All three are pretty good but now Im using enlightenment when I want looks, blackbox when i want speed and a terminal when I want to try and learn more...    IMHO start with KDE, gnome and/or icewm until you are at least a little settled in, then choose which manager you want out of all o' them.    I did notice that iceWM came on my mandrake distribution (and probably a lot of other distributions as well)with a mac theme... no idea which os it was a clone of because I havent used macs often but if you recognise it, you might want to use that (make you feel at home    )

[Calum]

i posted a slightly modified screenshot of that theme in the screenshots thread and they told me it was MacOS8, but i found it a little sparse to be honest.

[Faust]

Yeah I know, iceWM sucks. But it doesnt look too different from other os's out of the box so hey it might lessen the culture shock... as a newbie id recomend all newbies start with KDE  

[Calum]

well, you know i'd recommend xfce for any newbie.

[Faust]

What does xfce most resemble? (I cant find it in my rpm list)
No wait ive got it... I didnt really like this one but hey personal choice yeah? Strange that it doesnt show up under enlightenments window manager menu though...

[ December 24, 2002: Message edited by: Faust ]