Which Linux To Choose, Expert Help Needed...

Yes i know, and i have searched all through the forums and found threads that are helpful but i feel i needed to start this thread as i couldnt find anything specifically for me..

So what im after is to find out which linux is for me...

Past 3 years i have had a desktop computer (very average in specs) and have run Windows XP. Ive got to say its not bad, well i liked it. However for christmas i got a laptop (early present) il post its specs in a sec, but it has vista. Now i LOVE the way it looks, stylish and sleek (if you did judge a book by its cover, to me this would be one great book) but i don't like the way it works. For me its takes up too much of your computer and fails to do the easy tasks well. So this, and the fact i don't want to go back to XP, i have turned to linux for my answer.

Now i don't just want linux so i can say to my mates, "oh im running linux" i have been reading up about it for a while and have decided to give it a go.

So heres what i need: Stylish and god looking (futuristic looking) but at the same time easy to navigate around (like windows). I need it to talk on MSN and write word processor documents and download. Also i listen to music alot and watch movies.

My specs on my laptop are : AMD Turion 64X2 TL-58 Processor 2GHZ, 2GB RAM, 160gb Hard drive, NVIDIA GeForce7150M 559MB, 3D Soundblaster Pro.

Any comments are much appreciated along with any advice. Thanks Guys!!

 

Also forgot to say that at first i would like to run it "Live" off a cd/dvd so that if i find it isnt for me, i can just continue with Windows. Thanks

 

And you searched and didn't find an answer for "where to find a live linux cd"??

How about the very next thread down?

64 bit hardware?? (is that a 64 system??) very steep learning curve then.. Try sabayon which should work very well on your setup. http://www.sabayonlinux.org/ for a live taster of pretty cutting edge and complete linux.

But remember this.. Linux isn't windows.. It doesn't try to be windows.. It isn't made to be all one click. You have overall control of what happens. You rarely need to "navigate" through a minefield of application folders and god knows how many places "my documents" puts things.. Normally you say where things go and they go there.. Most linux apps you will install and forget about because they will just work.. which is what you need to do to get on with *nix.. forget the windows "idiot proof" mentality and enjoy being in control ..

 

no, but i wanted to know what linux was for me specifically, not someone like me, or anything like that.

 

thanks mate, just looking at that sabayon one now. Do you think that it will be a big step from windows to this then, i mean i knew it was going to be hard but surely its worth it right?

 

Give it a try.. It's a major culture shock at first.. after a while you will find windows slow and old fashioned.

There are other live linux 64 bit distros, but sab seems the most complete and finished. Ubuntu64 live has a few odd issues.. seem to be related to hardware detection.

You can find full time 64 linux users and other strange people on my irc home.. and live help too..

irc.villageirc.net #juliaskitchen

And most linux variants have irc live help too.. check the distro homepage for info.

 

ok kool, thanks for the help man, Ive been looking at this other live one called SLAX. Looks awsome, looks funny and qwerky and soo sleek. But its not a 64bit one. Will that make a difference, will it just be a matter of me not getting the most out of my laptop...

 

You could try 64Studio (multimedia based) which comes in Live or install dvd flavours. It is a Debian based distro and i really like it. Only thing you have to remember is to change the apt/sources.list to include the lenny or testing distro of debian to get flash working. more info at http://www.64studio.com.

sabayon is v good, but remember, linux is for getting it the way YOU want it, not the way Redmond does>

 

Any i386 linux will run on your machine.. slax is good for hardware detection, but on older machines.. it's getting a bit long in the tooth now....

Heres KT.. our resident linux 64 dude.

You won't get the best from your hardware with a live cd.. you can use the =toram boot option with some *nix, but not all.. the only way to get the full potential is to install it. For that it's better to stay as mainstream as possible.. more users means more solutions

Now where is MandrivaMan (creaky) :lol:

 

thanks for your help guys, i feel i am realy getting somewhere now. I understand a bit more about linux now. Il leave this thread for a bit longer to get a few more opinions though. The mandriva one looks very nice, not a live one though im guessing?

 

I thought we moved away from M$???? Creaky, you are letting the side down mate (*sniggers*). I am the opposite, I have to use doze in work (2000, not even XP ffs), and doze is on the eldest girls lappy but any box i have is *nix (almost) all the way (this machine is dual booting for the moment, but not for too much longer).

Joshyboy, DL a shed load of live CD's and try them out (except DSL as it can cause problems right varnull). Pick the one YOU think suits your needs and then install it. only then will you get a real feel for it all.

varnull and I lurk in her irc channel most days, so if you have any questions come and ask but please wait for a reply (we occasionally have a life away from a pc)

 

Install Gentoo for sure.

It's the easiest distro to install and is very very newbie friendly.




Or you could install ubuntu and join their very very small user base community.


Or you can just ignore with what I just said.

 

Well I think we will ignore that

I feel like a bit of a fraud sitting here running FreeBSD with a complete set of self compiled software.

Why did I ditch linux for old fashioned "real" unix?? Simple choice between ease of use and stability. I prefer things to work, not randomly crash all the time..
Looks like the linux devs have their work cut out to get back on track. The current list of mainstream "stable" releases are IMHO just not good enough.

 

i too found mandriva one very easy for noobs like myself, and 2007 does come on a live cd.

ubuntu is also very easy for noobs

as for your document problem both of these OS come with open office which is just like MS Word, and completely compatible

for your audio pleasure i suggest amarok, by far the best
video i recommend VLC, which is also available for windows

 

hehehehe.. I love it..

Must agree that Amarok is awesome, apart from some of the media type plugins don't work properly YET :lol:

Ask 20 *nixers for an opinion and you will get 20 answers.

*nixers:::"Yes we are all individuals"
M$customer::::"Excuse me, I'm not"

Still say stick mainstream.. be that suse, debian, fedora or derived with the exception of gentoo and slackware which are not IMHO n00b friendly.

 

I would agree with this, pick a distro that will install and is very graphically user friendly.

I learnt from n00buntu, progressed to debian Etch, thru 64studio, flirted with Slackware (*shudders*), tried Sabayon (got Pi**ed off with the time it took to install and install software, but it is a damn good OS) (/me is very impatient) and finally installed Debian Lenny (which is the testing version) a couple of weeks ago.


As you can see, i went on a journey, and found something that works for me (may not for you, but that is why it is soooo exciting). Took a long time (around 8 months) and a lot of mistakes, guidance and support(credit to my mate jan). I now am (on my own box and any future boxes I set up) a *nix user. I will never again have M$ installed on my PC's by choice, (got 2 lappy's with that crud (kids lappy's) on it if I absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely absolutely have to use it).

I can do all I need to on *nix, takes a bit of configuring, but that is the joy of it, it is all YOUR choice.