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Linux which is the best

I don't agree about linspire over mandrake.

Whilst I agree that there are problems with mandrake I would still reccomend it to people who are new to Linux.

To be fair it doesn't detect your graphics card (well it does - but with a really rubbish driver). But because your not playing games with it typically - you don't really miss anything.

But the usb thing is a problem. Mandrake 9.2 Official worked fine with my usb memeory stick. But the community version of mandrake 10 didn't. I think the Official version of mandrake 10 solved the problem though. So maybe you were using the community version. Then it's your own fault.

(Mandrake releases a Community version of upgrades before it's offical one - it's bascially a Beta copy and the mandrake community of supergeeks hunt out and solve the bugs and compatibility problems post them back to mandrakesoft who then impliment them all and release the offical version. So it's always best to get the newest Official version rather than the prettier - but buggy - community one)
 
Yes, I'm using the download version of Mandrake. Investing the $90 for a 'real' Mandrake (or Redhat) to SEE if it will work right (I've made that mistake in the past) on my machine isn't very smart. The fact that they provide a 'free' version that doesn't work very well (without pasting 'get the real one and fix everything' and popping up a web browser to an information page that shows what's been fixed as soon as the OS can connect to the internet) is also not very smart.
 
I'm using SuSE 9.1 (which I bought). Didn't detect the wireless card at all but then most don't. I use NDISWRAPPER to enable me to use the Windows wireless driver and it works a treat.

I'd use Linux a lot more if there was a foolproof way of installing applications to the desktop. At the moment, the command-line text-editing geeks have the upper hand.

For a beginner going from Windows to Linux then SuSE or Mandrake appear to do nearly all of it. There are gaps in the Linux repertoire which are annoying, mainly in the area of "how do I get certain pieces of software to work" and " how do I upgrade software".

Its getting better though. I'd have to say that Open Office isn't quite as functional as MS Office, and nothing in Linux touches MS Project or Visio.

The pluses for Linux are definitely the web tools, as I use Firefox for browser, Thunderbird (with spam detection turned on), Pan for newsgroups.

My 2 cents worth.
 
Diamond said:
I'd use Linux a lot more if there was a foolproof way of installing applications to the desktop. At the moment, the command-line text-editing geeks have the upper hand.
Click to expand...


This is exactly what 'Linspire' is supposed to have.
 
evildave said:
Yes, I'm using the download version of Mandrake. Investing the $90 for a 'real' Mandrake (or Redhat) to SEE if it will work right (I've made that mistake in the past) on my machine isn't very smart. The fact that they provide a 'free' version that doesn't work very well (without pasting 'get the real one and fix everything' and popping up a web browser to an information page that shows what's been fixed as soon as the OS can connect to the internet) is also not very smart.
Click to expand...

No you can download the offical version not the community for free. There is just a two or three week delay between it being released for money and for free. I'm just having a copy shipped to me now (don't have broad band Total cost £1.99).

Admittedly the free version doesn't have propierty drivers but the name kinda gives that away. Doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Whyatt
 
http://www.mandrakelinux.com/en/ftp.php3

Here's where you can download 10.1 Community and 10.0 Official. If anyone wants to try it.

Remember - if you like it you should help out.

Edited to add. You need to select the I plan on registering later box. It's their guilt trip thing. But under GPL they have to release it for free.
 
Redhat, Suse, and Debian are your "big three".

Question: WHY do you want to switch to GNU/Linux?

If the answer is, because you're a cheap bastard, then any of the above should work out OK.

If the answer is, because it's more secure, then you're better off either trying Debian Woody, in which all the software is roughly 3 years out of date, or trying one of the BSD systems and skipping linux altogether.

If the answer is, because you have philosophical ideals that are at odds with paid software, then Debian is your only choice of the big three. I'd suggest using the "Sarge" (ie: "testing") version.

If the answer is, you just want to try something different... try all three.
 
scribble said:
Redhat, Suse, and Debian are your "big three".

Question: WHY do you want to switch to GNU/Linux?

If the answer is, because you're a cheap bastard, then any of the above should work out OK.
Click to expand...

If by cheap you mean your a student who doesn't want to spend £100's to check your email and write essays. Then yes I was one of them. Stuck around for the Ethics thing though. That and it works nicer. For me.


Whyatt
 
evildave said:
This is exactly what 'Linspire' is supposed to have.
Click to expand...

Oh great. Do I have to lose all the good features of SuSE for this one?

With Linux it really is "horses for courses". I'm just not geeky enough (and I've actually had sex with a woman) to run Debian, not clueless enough to run Linspire or Xandros. SuSE (and probably Red Hat) are probably about my level of (dis)comfort.

I would have to agree with the poor student needing to run Linux because of the cost of Windows - and also the fact that most Universities and colleges are stuffed with Linux geeks anyway.

For those who need Windows apps, there's CrossoverOffice or WINE.
 
Lose what features? You'll end up with all the same free software available as the others. There's not a lot to differentiate various Linux distributions other than how they package it up and make it easy for the end user.

Of course, certain installations that they don't have a 'one click' setup for will still have to be installed RPM style (or even untar, configure, make install make style), but since it's still Linux, it will only be as 'hard' as it would be for any other distribution of Linux.
 
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