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Operating Systems => Linux and UNIX => Topic started by: Shai_Hulud on 7 September 2005, 18:10

Title: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Shai_Hulud on 7 September 2005, 18:10

I would appreciate any advice as to what distrobution would be best for my current hardware setup. Please assist me if you so desire.

I have:  Radeon x800 PCI-E
         Abit AN8 Ultra with Nforce 4 Ultra Chipset
         Generic Mouse and Keyboard
         80 GB SATA 3.0Gb/s hdd
         1 GB ram
         AMD Athlon 64 3000+ Venice 90nm core

Types of applications I would require:
         Some sort of CAD program
         Compilers and/or IDEs for several languages, Pascal, C/C++, JAVA
         Apache (can get it)
         javac and java
         Xaos fractal zoomer
         Software to use my TI-89 Titanium
         Software to view windows netbios drives and printers
Open GL libraries (preferably ATI for better quality 3-d)

Thank you very much for your consideration, and if I can make the format easier to read, please feel free to suggest it.

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Jenda on 7 September 2005, 19:14

Your specs are high, so that won't be a problem. If you are a GNU/Linux newbie, I'd recommend one of the eaoy distros. My personal preference is Ubuntu (http://www.ubuntu.com) (Kintaro might contradict me here) and SuSe seems to be agood choice too. If you have used GNU/Linux before, you can choose a wide variety, and all the apps, with which I can't help you, are pan-distro (i.e. distro independent). The most advanced, as I see it, for programmers and geeks is Slackware.
It is a common practice to dual boot, meaning usage of multiple distros (and/or OSes) on a single machine.

Welcome to the board.

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Orethrius on 7 September 2005, 21:27

I would strongly recommend Slackware, which can be had for free from here (http://www.slackware.org/getslack/) or here (http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=17).  Of course, that mostly has to do with its adoption by some of the more knowledgeable members of the forums.  ;)  I don't know the particular software packages you would need off the top of my head, but I can certainly look into it and see what I find.  Additionally, many of the members here have some ideas for the software, feel free to ask around!

Welcome to the boards, please enjoy your stay.  :D

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: WMD on 7 September 2005, 21:44

Ubuntu has the largest amount of pre-packaged software there is.  And ATI 3D?  Haha, ATI in Linux is a joke.  And Slackware, which I use, would probably be a bit tough for you to start out with (unless you're really dedicated to figuring stuff out).

That's about all I have to add for now.

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: MarathoN on 7 September 2005, 22:44

Slackware was a beauty for me...

and then I tried SuSE :rolleyes:

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: worker201 on 8 September 2005, 00:24

Are there any open source CAD programs?

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: MarathoN on 8 September 2005, 01:10

I saw one once, and it was really nice, but I can't remember the name. :(

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: piratePenguin on 8 September 2005, 01:49

Quote from: worker201

Are there any open source CAD programs?

There is.
Nothing like the likes of AutoCAD though.

QCad (http://www.ribbonsoft.com/qcad.html) (WARNING: Qt.)
There's a few others (gcad or gtkcad, can't remember) that I've come accross, but most of them are waaay behind.

EDIT: GtkCAD (http://www.nongnu.org/gtkcad/)
There's also a CAD plugin for blender, dunno how good/bad it is.

EDIT: gratisCAD (http://sourceforge.net/projects/gratiscad)

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Lead Head on 8 September 2005, 01:55

can you *wine* auto cad

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: piratePenguin on 8 September 2005, 02:10

Quote from: Lead Head

can you *wine* auto cad

A few (at least) of the versions work (http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?appId=86).

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Lead Head on 8 September 2005, 04:37

i have autocad 2000!, but i never learned how to use it :(

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Orethrius on 8 September 2005, 05:14

Quote from: Lead Head

can you *wine* auto cad

 AutoCAAAAD, AutooooCAAAAAD, AutoCAAAADDD!!! WAHHHHHHHH!!! :D

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Commander on 8 September 2005, 11:08

haha
i actually did hear a few people that got some of ther older version of autocad working with crossover.  i dont know if it will still work, or if it works at all with the newer versions.  I would test it out for you, but I dont have anutocad and i'm using my residence internet ATM.

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Shai_Hulud on 9 September 2005, 05:09

Thank you very much, at the moment I can't get my harddrive (hitachi utility won't run on my computer) to work as it should so I  am not able to start out yet.  Even a very simple CAD program will work so those recommendations are great.  Unfortunately, I had to stick with ATI with this computer, and the last time I tried to get my Radeon 9000 working with X, I failed.  Nvidia's drivers were supper easy to install though.

On a side note:  Does Linux still run very well on Nforce chipsets (as in did this carry over to the later Nforce chipsets)?

And thank you for welcoming to the forums, I am mostly here to learn a little more.  I'm tired of microsoft pushing everyone around.  Corporations (especially microsoft and large energy companies) need to learn that business is not making mass amount of money at the expense of quality and customer's benefit, and that they don't need to kill competition to be successful.

Also, Bill Gates is a donkey prick, that speech he gave to a graduating class shows what an egocentric ass he is.

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: piratePenguin on 9 September 2005, 19:40

Quote from: Shai_Hulud

On a side note:  Does Linux still run very well on Nforce chipsets (as in did this carry over to the later Nforce chipsets)?

I've got an nForce2 chipset, and it works very well for me.

Quote from: Shai_Hulud

Also, Bill Gates is a donkey prick, that speech he gave to a graduating class shows what an egocentric ass he is.

What speech?

Title: Re: Distrobution recommendation.
Post by: Kintaro on 15 September 2005, 16:38

Fedora, Debian, or SuSe are what I would suggest.