I want to try LINUX - which linux distribution is the best - or best for my taste ? ( please help )?

Question

I want to try LINUX - which linux distribution is the best - or best for my taste ? ( please help )?

Answer 1

1. Linspire. It's made just for people switching from Windows.



2. Linspire, Ubuntu, or Linux Mint.



3. Debian. Or anything running an appropriate desktop environment for your computer. If you have a slow computer, use Gnome instead of KDE for a desktop environment.



4. Linspire, Debian, Mandriva, Linux Mint, Ubuntu, Fedora, almost any distro.

Answer 2

well, since you want to test, i would recommend a live cd linux.



a live cd is a linux distribution that runs off the CD without you having to install it, this way, if you like that distribution you can just download it and install it for real.



i believe, Kubuntu has a live cd, knoppix also has a live cd



Here is a search on distrowatch for livecds from the us.

http://distrowatch.com/search.php?category=Live+CD&origin=USA&basedon=All&desktop=All&architecture=All&status=Active



again, i would recommend Knoppix, Kubuntu or the best of all Fedora

Answer 3

If you are looking for the most similar intereface, I believe that would be any distribution based on KDE, like Kubuntu, SUSE, Mandriva, Knoppix, (Im not a Linux expert tho I'm pretty sure I got those right :) )



First off, I Highly recommend if economically possible to purchase Linux PRE-Installed, especially on Laptops!. Although you can also try a Live CD to test a version before installing it, as mentioned above, nearly every distribution has them.



I switched from Windows to Linux last summer, and I choose Ubuntu. And it seems to be Very very fast on my machine. It also seem plug and play, except for some printers. (Lexmark for me wasn't, but HP was plug and play) Internet connectivity is much easier than windows!



I also recommend Ubuntu because of the support , ubuntuforums.org Is Very active forum, questions answered Probably the best support of any distribution. I also felt confident as it was selected by Dell, a major distributor, and basically the only one in the US to support Linux for home users. www.dell.com/open



While its not exactly like Windows, I found it extremely easy, actually easier to use, and the layout is not that different anyways. Also you can get a free CD shipped to you, through https://shipit.ubuntu.com/



For other distributions check out http://distrowatch.com Very informative on almost every version.



Personally, If you don't choose Ubuntu, I would stick to one of the other major versions such as SUSE, or Mandriva, which are likely to have more support, which is essential!

Answer 4

I'd go Ubuntu, Mandrake, Linspire, or Xandros. I have used the first three. And all are easy to install, but "easy" is a matter of perspective. If you have your computer's specs handy, I'm sure it will be a breeze. If you're just looking to try it out I know that Ubuntu and Mandrake at least have a "LIVE" ISO that will allow you to use linux without installing it directly from the disk.



One thing to keep in mind during your experimentation (thought #2 was strange) what you have loaded will make things slower. Do not install EVERYTHING when doing your install. Install the minimum and install the things you think you will need later. There is a large open source software library and if you install a web server, an SQL server, PHP, CGI, Python, an FTP server, an IRC server..... I think you get the point.

Just installing SQL express on my windows box slows it down a bit.



Good luck,



Randolph

Answer 5

I've been using Linux since it's inception. I've tried almost every distro available. They change all the time, so the next version of a particular distro may not be as good as another distro.



My suggestion is to try several LiveCDs. Most distros have these available. That way you can try one after another without affecting your computer. One word of caution. Since you will be operating from a CD/DVD, it will be SLOW! So don't judge the speed when using a LiveCD.



I would highly recommend PCLInuxOS, Mandrake or even a smaller, simpler distro like Puppy LInux.



Another word of caution. A lot of wifi cards are designed to work only with windows and require a windoze driver to make work. This is not the fault of Linux but the card manufacturer. If you have a standard ethernet card, everything should work right out of the box.



Moving to Linux is like moving from riding a bicycle to flying a fighter jet. There IS a learning curve, just as there was when you first started using windows. It took you some time to learn windose. it's going to take you some time to learn Linux. Stick with it and you will be extremely happy you made the switch.

Answer 6

Ubuntu isn't necessarily slow- it really depends on what kind of computer you have. Is you have an older computer but still want a relatively lightweight linux OS I'd recommend DSL (Damn Small Linux). Knoppix is alright- you might want to try something that runs off of a live CD so that you don't have to wipe your linux clean, I'll give you a list of distros you might want to try with a live CD in my sources.

Answer 7

The Debian based distros are the best. Most packages (over 16,000) and great package manager (apt-get).



Ubuntu isn't bad and I don't find it slow and I have a 2005 junker laptop.



The drivers are built-into the Linux kernel so all major distributions will generally support the same hardware components.



Kubuntu (Ubuntu with KDE desktop instead of GNOME desktop) is nice because you can install LinuxMCE without any porting.



Get the CD instead or DVD (easier to install)

http://www.kubuntu.org/download.php



http://linuxmce.com/

Answer 8

I'm afraid I haven't used many different Linux distributions but the Ubuntu family is very good.

Answer 9

Try Knoppix. That is the big daddy of all the live DVD/CDs out there. If Knoppix doesn't have drivers for your harwares, chances are really dull that you'll find any other distro with drivers for your hardwares.



Wait a minute. You want to try out Linux. That is great. But don't expect to find something similar to Windows in Linux. It is a different OS and your knowledge of using Windows is entirely irrelevant when it comes to using Linux. You have to learn it the hard way just as you learnt Windows the hard way. You might not have felt Windows hard because that was probably your first OS ever. Now imagine Linux is your first OS and you'll find it easy.



Debian is the best if you ask for my opinion. The installation and first time setup takes a bit of work. But after that, it just runs and runs without any interferences. I use Debian on a six year old old PC and it runs real fast.



Since you can easily get connected to the net, just visit www.goodbye-microsoft.com and follow the instructions. You will successfully install Debian at the end.



OpenSuSE, Fedora, CentOS, Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu, Linux Mint, DSL, Vector Linux, Slackware are some of good distros. Look at www.distrowatch.com for more.

Answer 10

Time to look into "Fedora",

the OS that just works !

I used to reinstall winblows every two weeks,

ever since I got Fedora in 2000, I have only reinstalled once,

and it was my fault that time... 7 years no problems

- no viruses

- no file fragmentation

- no data loss



Paying for virus protection is like paying them to make more viruses !



~THINKING

For real security, look into encfs

the simple way to dynamically encrypt your data

Answer 11

OK this is a very detailed list of distribution:

http://helplinux.altervista.org/english/generico/view.php?arg=26&titolo=Distros%20list%20of%20linux&desc=a%20lot%20of%20distribution%20of%20linux