Deciding to change to linux, need tips.

[Aquamarine]

Hey, I'm getting tired of windows, because... windows just sucks. So, I've been deciding that I'm going to download a linux distro (Is that even illegal?)

Anyways, I need some tips on which linux distros are the best in your opinion.

 

[DragonDude]

So, I've been deciding that I'm going to download a linux distro (Is that even illegal?)

You mean legal? Of course it's legal. Nobody "owns" Linux the way Microsoft owns Windows.

I personally dualboot with Windows XP and BeatrIX (check my sig). Look up LiveCD distros. A LiveCD (if you don't know) is an OS distributed on a bootable CD. When you boot from it, the entire OS is contained on that CD, and doesn't affect your current OS (Windows) in any way. You won't have all of the features of the OS, but you'll be able to see how it runs on your system. BeatrIX can be used LiveCD, and installed to your HDD from it. Many other distros do the same thing.

Asking for a good distro is kinda like asking for a good color. Different people will tell you different ones. Experiment around with different distros until you find one you like. I tried about 6 different distros before I found BeatrIX and liked it enough to keep it.

Use these sites to find distros:
http://www.linux.org/
http://distrowatch.com/

Look up Linux info on the Internet so you know what you're doing. And if you want to keep your Windows install and dualboot, make sure you back up all the files you want to keep.

 

[Pain]

Moved to Tech Bench.

 

[Aquamarine]

o/ thanks DD. I'm trying out BeatrIX. It looks neat from the screenshots i've been seeing.

 

[Snow]

if you need to ask if linux is free to down load its not going to be easy.

 

[madgik]

Well, i've been running Linux on solo for a while, and i've been using a fairly popular distro, Ubuntu. For me, it just 'works'. Everything I need is either already installed or a few commands away. When I first got into Linux I found the distro's like Fedora Core were very helpful in learning the basics for me. And if you run into any troubles, and need some help, there are a multitude of members or various forums who are always willing to help out new people changing to Linux.

Best advice I an give you, is that if you do decide to try Linux, yes use the LiveCDs as DragonDude advised, and also try a few distros. You may find one distro appeals to you more than an other.

Good Luck

 

[Aquamarine]

o/ I found myself a distro. But now I'm having trouble loading the gui, I'm stuck at the black screen, logged in currently. (On my bros PC.)

 

[madgik]

o/ I found myself a distro. But now I'm having trouble loading the gui, I'm stuck at the black screen, logged in currently. (On my bros PC.)

By 'Blank Screen' do you mean the command line. If so log on with the user name and password you created at installation. Do this by typing "login" and follow the prompts for your user name and pass. [Tip : dont log on to root as a beginner in Linux as you can really screw things up... like I have experienced.] Once logged on, type 'startx' in the command line and the X server should start up. X is the windowing system used by most distros to provide a Graphical User interface.

If the X server does not start up and you do not find yourself in a GUI, then most likely it is not installed or was not installed properly. To check to see if its installed type "Xorg -version" and it should output the verion of the X server you have.

Just wondering what Distro did you choose?

Good Luck and stick with it. You might find Linux a bit fustrating at first but once you got it doing what you want it to do Linux works like a charm.

 

[harSens]

Linux is for those who prefer to work on their computer, rather than getting work done with their computer. If you are that kind of person, Linux is good for you. Be prepared for bad/tedious hardware support and no gaming. It is a pretty good server OS, but for the desktop it still has a long way to go.

(Reply typed on my linux machine, 'cause my WinXP machine broke down a while ago).

 

[jp]

o/ I found myself a distro. But now I'm having trouble loading the gui, I'm stuck at the black screen, logged in currently. (On my bros PC.)

Hmm, I have Suse linux, not using it though, I will when I have my 2nd HD in it, so I can have a dual boot system.

But if you don't have a gui but only a promt, try typing /sbin/telinit 5 or just telinit 5, then you'll load runlevel 5, wich is the gui with some other stuff.

And if you are in the GUI you can choose in your settings how Linux should start, but this could depends per distro.

At least it works or me

 

[Rick]

Linux is for those who prefer to work on their computer, rather than getting work done with their computer. If you are that kind of person, Linux is good for you. Be prepared for bad/tedious hardware support and no gaming. It is a pretty good server OS, but for the desktop it still has a long way to go.

(Reply typed on my linux machine, 'cause my WinXP machine broke down a while ago).

Hardware support is getting better and better...best thing to do is to download one of these cool live cd's (knoppix) and see if all works.
Gaming...well not very much, just some major FPS games are ported; All Quake series, All ut series, ET, Doom series and some others.

(Is that even illegal?)

From the several hundred linux distros only a few cost money

Well, i've been running Linux on solo for a while, and i've been using a fairly popular distro, Ubuntu. For me, it just 'works'. Everything I need is either already installed or a few commands away. When I first got into Linux I found the distro's like Fedora Core were very helpful in learning the basics for me. And if you run into any troubles, and need some help, there are a multitude of members or various forums who are always willing to help out new people changing to Linux.

I agree with ubuntu beeing a nice and a 'just works' distro. After installation you can run some kind of script to install common stuff(such as various audio/video codecs) with a nice GUI.
After that I think its more productive than windows

I'm using FreeBSD these days btw...does require some learning/configuring but is much better organized than linux distros.