Which is the BEST LINUX DISTRO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GNUrag]

Ubuntu with some more addons can make a very smoothly polished distribution

[khin007]

I really love mandrake Linux 10.1

It's
-User Friendly
-Easily Manageable

[pradeep_chauhan]

Gentoo is the way to go. Its the best. Gentoo rocks.

[ujjwal]

If asked my personal opinion, I would say that Slackware linux is far better than most other distro's existing, and here's why -

1. Bloat free - unlike most distro's, slackware is completely bloat free, nothing unneccessary is present, and no complicated path is taken to perform simple tasks
2. Control - The level of control slackware gives you over the system is possibly second only to Linux from scratch, its entire functioning is transparent, and system configuration is well laid out in the form of various files, which can be manually edited or edited through the few menu based tools provided.
3. You learn a lot about linux and unix while working on slackware, because every single thing is clearly marked out, so you get to know what actually you are doing.
4. Speed and stability - Slackware is great in both these fields, because of its simplistic and efficient functioning, inexplicable crashes are a rarity.
5. Extendibility - Some features not natively provided by slackware (like a package management with dependencies) are provided by tools like slapt-get, swaret etc.

Those the reasons I like slackware. Another very good distro is Archlinux, it resembles slackware in many features but has some other great things, like an excellent package management. Its a great choice if you have an unlimited internet connection, and like to try out new software and stay up to date.

[GNUrag]

Slakware, I got to install it to make any comments... Debian has this vast numbers of official mirror network... and uncountable number of independent/private mirrors... And since Debian is a community process, its there to stay... and it will always remain Free of Cost... not like Redhat and its Fedora/RHEL differentiation..

[pradeep_chauhan]

Well I hate to "blow my own trumpet" But since it is the call of the day let me join in. Guys let me take on slakware HEAD On. So its Gentoo Vs Slakware
1. Bloat free - unlike most distro's, slackware is completely bloat free, nothing unneccessary is present, and no complicated path is taken to perform simple tasks

Gentoo is the ultimate in bloatfreeness as the source code is got on to your machine and compiles using your flags.

Gentoo 1 Slakware 0

2. Control - The level of control slackware gives you over the system is possibly second only to Linux from scratch, its entire functioning is transparent, and system configuration is well laid out in the form of various files, which can be manually edited or edited through the few menu based tools provided.

Gentoo is build up from the point wher only a network connection exists Stage 1 in gentoo terms. It takes shape as per your directions each and every package is handpicked.

Gentoo 2 Slakware 1

3. You learn a lot about linux and unix while working on slackware, because every single thing is clearly marked out, so you get to know what actually you are doing.

Gentoo uses source and the entire build happens in front of you. You get to set the GCC options and tune the system to the fullest.

gentoo 3 Slackware 1

4. Speed and stability - Slackware is great in both these fields, because of its simplistic and efficient functioning, inexplicable crashes are a rarity.

Gentoo is the fastest distro no one comes near to it. Crash What is a crash Linux does not crash

Gentoo 4 Slackware 1.5


5. Extendibility - Some features not natively provided by slackware (like a package management with dependencies) are provided by tools like slapt-get, swaret etc.

Gentoo has the best package manager (borrowed from BSD ) called portage with emerge as the frontend all packages / dependencies are resolved you can also search as to if a package by the name or task exists.

Gentoo 5 Slackware 1.5

So guys the facts are in front. You decide.

[ujjwal]

Sure, all this does apply to Gentoo Stage 1, which is no doubt faster than slackware or anything else, but Stage 1 is source based, so installing it is extremely time consuming, as all packages do have to be compiled from their source code. Slackware manages to achieve speed despite being a non-source based distro.

If I did want a source based distro, I would choose LFS.

And yep, this all is purely my opinion, I think it would be crazy to say that one single distro is the best, different people will have different choices.

[GNUrag]

Originally Posted by pradeep_chauhan

Gentoo uses source and the entire build happens in front of you. You get to set the GCC options and tune the system to the fullest.

Last time i compiled Mozilla's deb-src, it took me around 2 hours on a PowerPC. I wonder in how much time i can get source packages (equivalent to 700MB CD) compiled and installed on that same system.

please note that ubuntu get's installed on that machine in 20 minutes flat.

[pradeep_chauhan]

What system did you use? I have a p3 with 512MB and firefox compiled in 15mins flat. Yes you do have to wast computing power if you want the best. Any way be happy with what you feel comfortable with.

[GNUrag]

Its an Apple PowerBook, with 833 Mhz PowerPC. Mozilla version was 1.5.. I estimate a full gentoo system compilation would take a day or so... Anyways, i'm thinking of giving gentoo a hit sometime soon, as i got a new 120gb disk attached yesterday..

[pradeep_chauhan]

For a full installation+ tweaks+customisation I took 3days of 18hrs each (i have not emerged gnome yet). If you are trying gentoo try SE gentoo its the future.

[demoninside]

what about us pradeep,
guys on dial up.................

it S**** a big times for us,
don't u think so pradeep, can't even image to download suck a thing ...,
any way just don't mind this i m too a tux fan so,

but all i want to say that think in real manner, it would be suck a pain if one OS takes 3 days to install.......

[pradeep_chauhan]

Obviously its not for dial up users. Before data one(feb 2005) i too was using debian at home where i had the BSNL dial up connection. So ,dont install gentoo cool.

[anup_sggs]

I want free source code of any flavour of linux so please send me links to doenload it or send it to me via email!
thanks!

[pradeep_chauhan]

I think he wants the kernel source so go to kernel.org and download it its size is about 38MB.

[hellknight]

SuSE rocks man. I've tried number of distros like Fedora Core, Mandriva, Ubuntu, CentOS, Gentoo etc etc.
In terms of geekology Fedora roxs, coz you've to do everything manully like mountig partitions etc.
But SuSE shines ahead due to the famous YaST , the awsome tool for configuring your pc. It is even better than Control Panel of Windows and System Preferences of Mac.

Try enabling XGL on it and you'll see its beauty. The eye candy is ages ahead than Mac and Windows.

Ubuntu is also good.

Mandriva's biggest advantage, its multimedia support.

[mehulved]

Look at the date. XGL wasn't even there at the time.