I am Going Linux, but which one? , page 1

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Topic started on 20-4-2011 @ 07:54 PM by Tygart

So I am thinking about upgrading to Linux but I am not sure which one to use.

I have Ubuntu on a USB still not sure what I think about that yet.

I downloaded Gnome on openSUSE, but I don't know how to put it onto the USB, the live CD did not load the Linux OS right, the commands it gives for the USB are for Linux users, . I have an old computer I can throw it on if I can't get it to work.

I see there are Gnome on openSUSE and Fedora. What does that mean?

To run from a CD/DVD, burn the download to a disk, insert into your computer and reboot. To run the GNOME 3 from a USB stick: Download the USB image writer (below) and extract it Open a terminal and navigate to the extracted image writer folder (eg. $ cd Downloads/abock-image-usb-stick-f3b1002) Prepare the image writer by running: $ chmod a+x ./image-usb-stick Remove any USB storage devices that you might have connected to your computer and insert the empty USB stick that you want to write to Run the image writer script: $ sudo ./image-usb-stick path_to_the_live_image.iso (the script requires Python 2.x) To run the live image, reboot your computer with the USB stick attached

Any info would be great.

Thanks

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:00 PM by Konah

reply to post by Tygart

Did you burn the ISO to the CD yourself?

I have only used various Mint distros and Ubuntu, and I will say they are incredibly user-friendly. I enjoyed Linux Mint more than Ubuntu, and currently am running it on three PCs.

I've never used openSUSE, so I can't really comment on that, but if this is your first time using a Linux distro stick to something simple (unless you have coding experience).

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:06 PM by juleol

reply to post by Tygart

I recommend a debian based distro like ubuntu.

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:11 PM by chr0naut

reply to post by Tygart

The choice is becoming vast but it still comes down to a personal preference.

For heavy iron servers, I like the Fedora flavour but most of the time I think Linux Mint & Ubuntu are the friendliest for general desktop use.

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:14 PM by Praetorius

reply to post by Tygart

I also like Linux Mint, currently dual-booting with WinXP on my desktop.

No big complaints on version 10 yet.

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:29 PM by Tygart

Mint looks really cool, I want to try it.

Here is were I am stuck
www.linuxmint.com...

Which do I chose? I am running a 32bit system.
And why does it say "Main edition (Gnome desktop)" talking about "Gnome"

Originally posted by Konah
reply to post by Tygart

Did you burn the ISO to the CD yourself?

I have only used various Mint distros and Ubuntu, and I will say they are incredibly user-friendly. I enjoyed Linux Mint more than Ubuntu, and currently am running it on three PCs.

I've never used openSUSE, so I can't really comment on that, but if this is your first time using a Linux distro stick to something simple (unless you have coding experience).

Yes I did burn it myself, all I had to do was click on the ISO and it opened my DVD burner.

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:52 PM by Tygart

What is the KDE desktop or LXDE desktop?

edit on 20-4-2011 by Tygart because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 08:59 PM by felonius

reply to post by Tygart

I suggest using a "live cd" version of whatever you might like.

It loads into your memory (at start up). It gives you a good feel for the os.

you DO NOT have to partition a drive!

If you dont like it....log out, let the system reboot, at the POST, remove the disk and use it as a frisbee!

Its a great way to try it before you do all of the trouble of formating ect.

I tend toward the KDE interface. Its a little nicer than gnome imho.

I think of most distro's as vanilla ice cream with different toppings. Its still vanilla but it has different flavors added so its different....but not.

The one thing I have used live cd's for is a "rescue" for trashed window installs. If you have data that must be retrieved, you can do so. If you have dual burners, one will have the distro and you can save the "lost" data to the other.

I really cant explain kde vs gnome. Im not well versed enough with linux. For me its always been more of a curiosity.

edit on 20/4/11 by felonius because: add

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 09:10 PM by Tygart

Cool thanks a lot, I will download Mint KDE, and see how I like it.

If I use USB instead of LIVE CD won't I be able to save data and come back to it later?

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 09:14 PM by LadySkadi

reply to post by Tygart

Suggestion: Choose the ones you are curious about (example: Mint versions: Gnome, KDE, LXDE, Fluxbox, xfce, etc.) burn them each to LiveCD's and try them out. There will be ones you like better than others. For instance: I hated LMDE, it was an exercise in frustration!

If I use USB instead of LIVE CD won't I be able to save data and come back to it later?

No. What you will have is a Live USB installer in the same sense that you would have if you had used a CD. To tweak the USB such that it will save any updates/changes you make (in the same way Puppy Linux does, for instance) takes some additional work ... There is a way to make Mint or Ubuntu Persistent on a USB, but you should Google or read the Mint forums to find out how to do that.

edit on 20-4-2011 by LadySkadi because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 10:29 PM by autowrench

reply to post by Tygart

Long time Linux user here. Been using Fedora for years, but am not satisfied with it's performance at all. After a while it is real slow. Two days ago I downloaded Zenwalk Gnome 6.4. There is a newer version, but it is xfs, and I do not like it. I am really impressed with Zen, it has everything I want and need, and is smoking fast. The install is easy, just use the automatic partition use the whole drive, it makes three partitions, Root, Swap, and Home. Good luck, fellow not Windoz user!

reply posted on 20-4-2011 @ 10:37 PM by Arcot

reply to post by autowrench

Fedora is Testing Ground For Redhat Enterprise Version's, i Suggest you use CENTOS

reply posted on 21-4-2011 @ 01:26 AM by ShakaDoodle

Welcome to the world of GNU/Linux. I see you decided to go with Mint KDE 32 bit, which is probably a good choice, as Mint is a derivative of Ubuntu which utilizes Debian APT software management systems. You should find over 30,000 free software programs available for use with your new system. Most of the codecs you need for multimedia use will already come pre-installed which should make life much easier for you. I noticed you had some questions about GNOME and KDE etc. As you will soon discover, these are nothing more than GUI's (graphical user interfaces or desktop environments). The GUI is simply built on top of the Linux kernel which is the core operating system, and as one poster aptly described it, is similar to viewing it as flavors on top of vanilla ice cream. You will soon find that some of these desktop environments function better with your particular hardware configuration than others, and also, you'll like the look & feel of some as opposed to others. Linux is a great big world of variety - not necessarily of one being better than the other. There are a great number of Linux websites & forums available to help you in your new adventure. Hope you enjoy it! Please keep us updated.

edit on 21-4-2011 by ShakaDoodle because: typo corrections

reply posted on 21-4-2011 @ 11:57 AM by Tygart

Thanks everyone, I am looking forward to testing it out. Just need to burn it to CD.

I get it now! On the desktops. Like said above, I will download a few and see what I like.

Thanks again

reply posted on 21-4-2011 @ 01:28 PM by Tygart

Mint Looks nice, the graphics are not set up yet. I will poke around and figure out how it sets up.

Will I need to do any coding (Terminal) ? Or is it as plug and play as windows in "Click here to set up?"

reply posted on 21-4-2011 @ 11:20 PM by BigBrotherBear

My suggestion may be different from the others, but I would say to run your normal Windows version with a VirtualBox setup with multiple versions of linux installed as VMs, this way you can tinker around and see which distro you like the best. I prefer Gentoo, but Ubuntu is nice for a beginner, and Debian has a good amount of support behind it.

This is my VirtualBox setup. Running Windows 7 with a Mac OS X, Windows XP, and Ubuntu VM.

Click to enlarge

edit on 21-4-2011 by BigBrotherBear because: Thumbnail

edit on 21-4-2011 by BigBrotherBear because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 22-4-2011 @ 01:23 PM by Tygart

reply to post by BigBrotherBear

Thank you
You answered my next question, Now if I run windows from a VM, will I be able to play my windows games and run my Adobe photo shop?

I don't really care since Gimp will take most of Adobes plug-ins.

I am running Mint withe the KDE desktop on a USB (my DVD ROM is way to slow to run Live CD). I really like it so far, I have had some trouble getting the graphic drivers going.

They are Nvidia Current for an HP Pavilion dv6000.

The first problem I had was activating it, then it was activated but not in use.
So I went back and selected a different version of the driver in the "additional drivers" and messed it all up so I reformatted the USB and I am going to give it another try.

Also, I used Ubuntu's Universal USB Installer, it includes mint, and there is a way to add allocation space for saving stuff.

edit on 22-4-2011 by Tygart because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 22-4-2011 @ 01:29 PM by BigBrotherBear

reply to post by Tygart

Yes, it will be a normal Windows installation, so you'll be able to play all of your games, use Photoshop, etc. The Virtual machine will not affect the Windows install at all. It's as if you've got a machine running inside your machine that can't see outside (unless you let it)... call it Inception for OSs.

If you want to run your games at full power, I would suggest the main OS of the computer be Windows, and then run the Linux distros from VMs.

edit on 22-4-2011 by BigBrotherBear because: (no reason given)

reply posted on 22-4-2011 @ 01:32 PM by Tygart

reply to post by BigBrotherBear

What I really want to do is, get rid of this memory hog Vista.

my worry is how much will I need to use the "Terminal"? not good at remembering codes I don't use much.

reply posted on 22-4-2011 @ 01:35 PM by BigBrotherBear

reply to post by Tygart

With Ubuntu you won't be using the terminal very much as the GUI is very "Windows" like. If you are stuck with Vista, you can install Windows XP on the machine or Windows 7. I would suggest using a program like nLite to slipstream service packs, updates, drivers, and get rid of stuff in windows that you don't use. I have a Windows XP install that I made that has only 12 running processes and uses only 48MB of RAM to run.

I know a lot of people are leery about others online, but, if you'd like, we can do a remote TeamViewer session and I can optimize your Vista machine so that it's minimalist and uses as few resources as are need to run your games, and programs.

edit on 22-4-2011 by BigBrotherBear because: (no reason given)

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