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danmpem · #3 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 11:12 AM

Here is a post a out up a while back:

Quote:

Originally Posted by danmpem

Quote:

Originally Posted by SemperFideles

Dan,

Beside Ubuntu, what Linux distros do you like that are "out of the box"? I'm intrigued but don't really want to spend a lot of time figuring out how to tweak it just so.

-Fedora Core (it's the end user version of Red Hat. Very nice.)

-Knoppix (Currently the most popular Live CD. It's great if your Windows system crashes and you need to get files off fast.)

-Debian.......Ubuntu is based on Debian which is directly based on the Linux kernel. Ubuntu installs with a bunch of 3rd party applications and either the GNOME or KDE GUI. If you want Debian to install with a GUI, then it's just a check-box away in the setup menu. The only downside for someone who may not have a whole lot of time is that you don't get the Synaptic Package Manager (which is a great "find it fast in the repository" feature which comes stock in Ubuntu). All of this is available if it's installed via command-line in Debian. This should not be confused with other distros in which the user may spend several hours in the command line interface; Debian is quick and as about as painless as it gets while working in the command line.

There are others than what I have here, but these are what I am most familiar with. Although I have not personally tried them, I here Suse and Mandriva are good too. If someone here wants to contest that, please feel free.

Here is a great reference page for apt-get commands (for the console on Debian-based distros)

Amazon

O'Reilly's Desktop Linux Pocket Guide
O'Reilly's Desktop Linux Pocket Guide

Besides blank CD's, this is the only financial investment I have ever made that's Linux-related. It's a nice, short book in plain English, which gives very relevant introductions and technical specs on five major distros (Fedora Core, Gentoo, Ubuntu, Mandriva, and Suse). It is 2 1/2 years old, so it is somewhat outdated, but I use this very, very frequently for reference. Really, the only parts that are outdated are the bits of commentary on how to get past tough spots in the installation screens. Most of the tricky parts have all been fixed since the book's publication.

To learn more about different distros, check out
DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.
Distributions - Linux Downloads Directory (This site helps find just Live CD's, Install Discs, etc)
Ubuntu Forums

Are you familiar with any virtual machine programs like VMWare? VMWare is very popular and the military uses it, so it should be pretty easy to get a Workstation license at no cost. I like using my VMWare to play around with new distros, especially if I don't have the time to really get it perfect on my computer, or if I just want to test and not run the risk of crashing my computer by doing something stupid.

I hope this helps. If you have any questions about any of this, please feel free to ask. I love talking about this stuff.

Try Wine here. It runs Windows Apps and is available in most major repositories (I knew I forgot something above).

***I gotta go to class, but I'll be back to finish this***