# Linux Assistance



## pitonpeludo (May 21, 2008)

I'm am a bit new to some of the other options available for OSs. I enjoy my PC and will use Windows for all my more productive activities, but I'd also like to install Linux on one of my older computers.

1) Should I use this computer to install Linux? I've been warned about installing it on a pre-built computer because of the difficulty of locating Linux-friendly drivers for everything.

2) Does anybody know of any documentation that would be beneficial for someone completely new to the field? I've used DOS in the past, and I'm learning UNIX through The UNIX Programming Environment.

3) I've read up briefly on Linux, and it seems there are quite a bit of distributions available to choose from. Anybody have any recommendations?


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## DuncanFox (May 21, 2008)

If it's your first time with Linux, I heartily recommend Ubuntu.  It's probably the easiest to just sit down with and start using.  Plus, you can run it from a CD to try it out.  The hardware drivers might not be 100% there if you're running from CD, and it's kinda slow, but fully functional.


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## net-cat (May 21, 2008)

I recommend Ubuntu or one of it's derivatives. (Kubuntu, Xubuntu) It is very good with drivers. The drivers it doesn't have by default you can install with a few clicks.

As for which OS I have, "All of the above." 

Ubuntu 8.04 on my desktop
Windows Vista Business on my laptop
FreeBSD 6.2 on my server
MacOS X Tiger on my Mac. (Although it's booting into XP Pro until I can find an app in MacOS X that works the same way as Media Portal.)


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## pitonpeludo (May 21, 2008)

I'd like to be able to run a server from my old desktop. Would you recommend Ubuntu Desktop Edition or Ubuntu Server Edition? Or should I wait until I get some experience before doing so?


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## net-cat (May 21, 2008)

Actually, they're both basically the same base system and you can easily convert one to the other.

Ubuntu Desktop comes with a desktop environment and no server packages. Ubuntu server comes with no desktop environment (text-only) and a handful of different servers. So really, it depends on what you want to do. 

If you want the system to be usable for day-to-day stuff, go with desktop and just add the server packages with Synaptic or apt. 

If you want to put the system in a closet and forget about it, go with server. With server, you'll have to learn how to use apt and dpkg and the UNIX command line.


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## indrora (May 22, 2008)

for doing a basic server install? go straight up debian. I'd reccomend the MiniGTK installer as its <100mb and is nice and friendly

as for installing on an OEM machine, thats really just a hardware thing. google "Linux On (Machine name)s" and you should find some articles. the biggest bugga is modems. they are the bane of Linux, for many are SOFT-modems, ones that use software on top of a line on the audio card or some other peice of hardware to jiggle the lines.


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## Eevee (May 22, 2008)

1) If you're that worried, just look around for any mention of Linux support of your hardware.  Older stuff is more likely to work, though, as there's been more time for someone to reverse it.

2) I dunno; I learned the GNU environment just from reading bits and pieces around the Web.  Worst case scenario, pester one of the *nix nerds floating around here.

3) Ubuntu.  If you actually want to _use_ it at all, get Ubuntu Desktop and install whatever server components you want on top of it.  I'm assuming the overhead won't be a concern if it's just a personal server in a closet.


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## pitonpeludo (May 23, 2008)

indrora said:


> for doing a basic server install? go straight up debian. I'd reccomend the MiniGTK installer as its <100mb and is nice and friendly



I'd first like to get comfortable with Linux. Several people have recommended Ubuntu; would you think Debian would be a better start?
[edit] I don't plan on hosting a server for a while, mind you.



Eevee said:


> 1)3) Ubuntu.  If you actually want to _use_ it at all, get Ubuntu Desktop and install whatever server components you want on top of it. I'm assuming the overhead won't be a concern if it's just a personal server in a closet.



I do plan on offering my weakling of a server to host either mirrors or web pages to people who are interested, though hopefully by that time I will have good experience and a better computer to offer it on.


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## WarMocK (May 23, 2008)

If you want to try out some distributions, go to www.distrowatch.com
There you'll find about 500 distros, among with a short description and the download links.
Since you are a newbie to Linux I'd recommend to test Ubuntu 'till you get the hang of it. Then you can use another distro. RedHat/CentOS/Fedora or Debian would be good for a server, you PC is fast enough for it. But don't try to install it if you're not familiar with the basics. Ubuntu works much different and won't help you much with the other distros.
As for Ubuntu, you should go for Kubuntu. It uses KDE as the standard desktop enviroment, so you won't get lost on the desktop. ;-)


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## Tomtenizze (May 23, 2008)

1) Shouldn't be a problem to install Linux that computer.

2) Sorry don't know any, but the best way to learn Linux is using it.

3) I consider myself to be a beginner with Linux and I'll recommend Slackware, even though a lot of people seems to think it isn't good for beginners. I wouldn't recommend Ubuntu to anyone since my personal experience with it is nothing but trouble on 4 out of 5 computers I've tried it on.


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## Aurali (May 23, 2008)

let's face it.. Linux users are gonna pull you each and every single way they possibly can to their own distro... so your best trying something that's commonly used, (IE: ubuntu) so you can get better support need be.. though.. NEVER try to get direct support. you'll get a tech geek that'll look at you funny for not knowing how to connect your server directly to nasa!


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## WarMocK (May 23, 2008)

Eli said:


> your best trying something that's commonly used, (IE: ubuntu)


Or OpenSUSE, Mandriva, PCLinuxOS, and Mepis.
Every distro has its pros and cons, so the best solution is to test them all as LiveCDs and decide which one fits your needs. If you like, you can even go for smaller distros that were designed for older machines (Zenwalk, Vector, Puppy, SaxenOS, Wolvix) and give your PC an extra boost. ;-)
However, don't start with distros with too exotic interfaces (Elive, Fluxbuntu, Looking Glass), since you will likely get confused by their unusual look&feel. Just try to stick with KDE-based versions, or maybe IceWM, they are similar to Windows.


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## Chinook Steeves (May 23, 2008)

Eli said:


> let's face it.. Linux users are gonna pull you each and every single way they possibly can to their own distro... so your best trying something that's commonly used




Or you can do what I'm going to start on in the next few minutes is to build your own distro from scratch with a free ebook called Linux From Scratch. It's supposed to be really informative because you learn how Linux actually works so you don't need help to fix it. I'm doing it so I can have a good fast system for my art production. Then I'm going to make a live version so that I can boot from my new 16gb flash drive.

By the way, interesting bit of trivia... Linus (pronounced Lee-nus) Torvalds (the guy who made the original Linux kernel) may have been a furry. http://http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/showdr.php?id=298 first author.


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## WarMocK (May 24, 2008)

Chinook Steeves said:


> Or you can do what I'm going to start on in the next few minutes is to build your own distro from scratch with a free ebook called Linux From Scratch.



LOL, you don't have to go that far imho. ^^ If you just want to do a few changes you're better off with using the core of a distri already available and build from there. Then you already have a repository you can stick to and don't have to reinvent the wheel. And if you run into sproblems you can always stick to the old distro's communities and ask them.
Slackware is a good candidate here, since it still has the simple basic structure of the first linux distros and is easy to modify.


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## CyberFoxx (May 24, 2008)

Well, if you want a Linux distrib that "just works" (for the most part) then yeah, follow everyones advice and get Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu. My father, who does have some computer affinity, got into using Ubuntu really easily.

But, if you want to actually "learn" Linux, then there's nothing better than good ol' Slackware. It's of the "just works" variety, but you'll also learn quite a bit along the way. Many a Linux nerd got their teeth cut, as it were, on Slack and went on to the more "complicated" distribs from it.


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## An Sionnach Rua (May 24, 2008)

Yeah, those guys are right. Ubuntu, or one of its derivatives would be the best option. Maybe Xubuntu if you have less than 512 RAM.

Using Windows on this house PC. Got Ubuntu running on an older computer, and I'm going to put Damn Small Linux or Puppy on another more ancient one.


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## Armaetus (May 26, 2008)

DuncanFox said:


> If it's your first time with Linux, I heartily recommend Ubuntu.  It's probably the easiest to just sit down with and start using.  Plus, you can run it from a CD to try it out.  The hardware drivers might not be 100% there if you're running from CD, and it's kinda slow, but fully functional.



I second Ubuntu, as it serves a backup OS for me.


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## Chinook Steeves (May 28, 2008)

WarMocK said:


> LOL, you don't have to go that far imho.



Yeah but I can't seem to find one to suit my tastes. Plus with my own system, I don't have a bunch of unneeded crap running in the background. This things gotta be fast.


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## WarMocK (May 28, 2008)

Chinook Steeves said:


> I don't have a bunch of unneeded crap running in the background. This things gotta be fast.


True, but you could also take a micro distri (DSL, Puppy, Parted Magic, etc), throw out what you don't need (is is done really fast since those distris don't have much software included), and use the core you got to add the packages you need, among with additional package management tools to get software from other repositories.


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## FurTheWin (Jun 7, 2008)

Triple booting XP, Vista and Arch on my main computer, and Vista, Ubuntu and Arch on my laptop.

I don't use Ubuntu though, I just kept it in case I didn't get Arch working.


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## Arkolyte (Jun 13, 2008)

Err...I know I'm a little bit late, but I installed Fedora Core on my Compaq and Freespire on my old HP and they both worked without any problems to speak of.


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