Differences between version 41 and revision by previous author of SelectingADistribution.
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| Newer page: | version 41 | Last edited on Friday, May 5, 2006 10:31:51 pm | by LawrenceDoliveiro | Revert |
| Older page: | version 39 | Last edited on Thursday, September 8, 2005 5:47:05 am | by AristotlePagaltzis | Revert |
@@ -9,9 +9,11 @@
Most people will fall into one of these categories:
!! Never seen Linux before
-If
you can't get to test drive a friend's
Linux box
, get a
KnoppixLinux CD
and boot it up
.
Try a few things from the menu and get familiar with it, see that Linux isn't just a command prompt any more, it's a stable, professional operating system. But you get better performance running software off a hard drive than from a CD. Although KnoppixLinux
can be installed to your hard disk, you'll probably be better off moving to one of the mainstream distros.
+__No-obligation, try before
you buy__. You
can try out
Linux without actually installing it on your PC
, by booting up with one of the many [LiveCD] distributions available.
KnoppixLinux was the pioneer, but there are now many other choices, including Kanotix
and ones like Damn Small Linux and Puppy Linux which are small enough to fit on a business-card-sized CD
. Ubuntu (see below) also comes in a LiveCD version.
+
+
Try a few things from the menu and get familiar with it, see that Linux isn't just a command prompt any more, it's a stable, professional operating system. But you get better performance running software off a hard drive than from a CD. Although most of the abovementioned Live CD distros
can be installed to your hard disk, you'll probably be better off moving to one of the mainstream distros.
!! Desktop user
These distributions are at the forefront of combining useful, full featured [Unix] power with an excellent desktop experience. You can use the desktop without any [Linux] knowledge (these distros have configuration tools for almost everything), or you can do everything from [Shell]. They are all very well supported and all use a packaging system (such as [RPM] or apt) to make software installation easier. These distros provide both [KDE] and [GNOME] as well as some other window managers.
@@ -41,9 +43,9 @@
[Lycoris Desktop/LX | http://www.lycoris.org]:
Previously known as Redmond Linux (to emphasize it's Windows-clone-ness), this has grown into a reasonable desktop distribution. It has a unbelieavably smooth install and sets itself up looking almost exactly like [Windows], so users coming from it should have __no__ problem whatsoever. Like many other distros, it has an auto-update feature that will upgrade the software for you without any major issues. However, as it is mainly for offices and new users, Lycoris locks the system down very tight. Root is hidden (and in fact never mentioned -- you set up an "administrative password" for system maintenance) and some files are in unusual places. For a hard-core customizer, this distro would be incredibly frustrating... about as frustrating to the customizer as it is helpful and friendly to newbies. It's freely downloadable (mind the difference between lycoris.com and .org.)
[Linspire]:
- A 'commercial [Linux]' by the guy that tried to make money off MP3's. Originally called Lindows OS, it was renamed after pressure from MicrosoftCorporation, trying to pretend they own the word [Windows]. Designed to be a drop in [Windows] replacement and they're doing a lot of work on desktop apps ([Nvu] and [Wine]).
+ A 'commercial [Linux]' by the guy that tried to make money off MP3's. Originally called Lindows OS, it was renamed after pressure from MicrosoftCorporation, trying to pretend they own the word [Windows]. Designed to be a drop in [Windows] replacement and they're doing a lot of work on desktop apps ([Nvu] and [Wine]). Its USP (Unique Selling Point) is "Click'n'Run", which lets users choose from available packages and have them automatically installed on demand--for paying customers only
.
[Elx Linux | http://www.elxlinux.com/]:
Everyone's Linux. A distro from India that looks so much like Windows it's scary.
[Ark Linux | http://www.arklinux.org/]:
Created by the [KDE] guy who didn't leave RedHat when [Mandrake] started, Ark Linux is a desktop distribution based on [KDE].
@@ -59,8 +61,11 @@
The most obvious community-driven Linux. This is a blessing and a curse; the stable versions are rock solid but can become outdated quickly. However, [Debian] has almost everything available for Linux available with one command (apt-get). Don't be put off the by name of the 'Unstable' branch though, that means that the packages are constantly changing, and you can update to the latest versions of all your installed software very easily (see FlavoursOfDebian). [Debian]'s PackageManagement is binary based.
[Gentoo]::
For those who want total control of their system. There are (almost) no binary [Package]s, ''everything'' is compiled from SourceCode. There is currently no installation program, either. You have to set the system up yourself. You don't have to be an überhacker or technical genius, but you the time and will to read the (very detailed and good) documentation, and the energy to follow through.
+
+Build Your Own:
+ Even Gentoo not customziable enough for you? Or you just want to learn how it's done? Why not roll your own Linux distro with [Linux From Scratch|http://www.linuxfromscratch.org/]!
!! Enterprise in need of a server
__You need support with accountability.__ :
