After installing more than 20 operating systems

[vish786]

Finally i quenched my thrist with various different Operating systems,
i'm just writing about the outline of the OS'es, it might not sound that technical, i'm not going into depth of what all i felt and i did with each OS, its hard to define everything in detail that too with soo many OS.
here is the list of OS'es i used.

Slackware 10.2
Ubuntu 6.06, 7.04 & 64 bit version
Kubuntu 6.06
Xubuntu 6.06
Debain 3.1r2
Mandriva 2006
Mandriva 2007
Mandrake 10.2
Fedora Core 6
Fedora Core 5 64-bit
Fedore Core 4
Red Hat
Suse 10.1
Suse 10
FreeBSD 6.1
PcLinuxOS p93a(bigdaddy)
freespire 1.0.13
Solaris 10
Knoppix 5.0.1
Elx (Everyones Linux)
Knoppix 3.2 & 3.1

i also installed different versions Of same OS to check out the difference in updated versions, i took a lot of time to install and customize them and make them work on my sata disk, which is most difficult part if ur sata disk does not get recognised .
the main thing wat i found was that every linux operating system has same features except it depends whether ur using gnome, kde or something else that is wat matters the most. Softwares were almost common in each OS with few more additions or with an alternative software for the same purpose. OS like PClinuxOS, freespire, Elx and other OS which are lesser in size will have just one dedicated software for ur basic softwares like instant chatting, mobile file transfer, office suite, browsers,download managers, etc etc...
if ur using some major bundled Software OS than u can always find alternative softwares which suits u best and use them, every OS is just same with some minor difference, and the way they approach to it is difference. The look each OS is different so u can choose which one u like, some OS are damn eye candy(infact all linux OS are eyecandy), when i installed freespire i almost fell in love with the OS, it has a good professional looks, its sexy in OS terms especially icons and the theme they use is good, and Ubuntu, Xbuntu,Kbuntu have same softwares except for, Ubuntu uses gnome, xbuntu = xfce, kbuntu=kde, though already ppl know abt it. Suse 10.1 has support for via chipset mobo, and suse 10.1 has a better start menu, a different way of implementing menu hav been used in 10.1 version when compared to 10 version, it has a huge softwares bundled but u get to select each of them while installing, but once u hav installed then no need to install any extra softwares as it covers all the softwares so no need to look and see whats missing in ur OS. I felt fedora is meant for programming purpose dont know y. Solaris is especially meant for developers so i dont suggest that and it also has very few softwares to work on with. Knoppix dvd is best among the live dvds and has every software in it almost every software i remember and latest version also includes beryl in it. I didnt like slackware that much.
Debain is 99.9% similar to ubuntu, Debain is a stable OS, there is no much difference in ubuntu and debain. Elx is known as Everyones linux its also a good one , it gives a feel of using windows and automounts ur windows partition and audio codecs are installed by default so no need to struggle to run ur music files.
Mandrake is a older version of mandriva, mandriva is another good OS, meant for gaming, multimedia, net,etc.... u can do everything on this OS, yes everything and with a friendly environment, its easy to handle, customisize ur OS, it has both gnome and kde, u can install gnome and kde both on it and not like OpenSuse where u can only select Kde or gnome while installing it. Mandriva latest release also has inbuilt beryl. OS which are based on Linux have same core files except with different looks, this is wat i can tell in simple term... its like just changing the clothes to give a different look.These r my views and opinions, it may vary from person to person.

This is a very small review i hav given as many had asked me b4 when i decided to install differnet OS. This review is not that technically oriented.
At the end i would like to give a my final result, these r the OS i have choosen which are good and they have many bundled softwares so their is no need to break ur head again & again to search for softwares and install them. U dont have to struggle to remember separate commands for separate OS, If u know how to operate any single OS using commands then handling any linux OS is just a piece of cake as these commands r universal for all Unix/Linux OS.

OpenSuse
Mandriva
Fedora Core
Debain/Ubuntu DVD

For Live CDs & DVDs
Knoppix

u can choose anyone among them, this is want i suggest and one more thing, plz dont waste time installing and trying out different OS as i have done,i didnt sleep for 2 nights continuously and spent many days on it... plz dont repeat d same mistake, Smart people r those who learn from others mistake... so b smart. Coz u would almost get confused and everything looks similar after instaling them... So its good to work on ONE OS and their commands and utilisation, as all the commands are universal in Linux.
Instead of Installing & spending time on trying different OS u could have learnt something else and utilised the time for ur benefit.

Good Luck.

[mak1012]

hey nice info.

[AshishSharma]

Hats off to your efforts but I don't see how you can review / experience 20 operating systems in 2 days ....

If it's just about installation, nice work

But as for the experience the OS offers u gotta give each some time, but in all a good job

[vish786]

Originally Posted by AshishSharma

Hats off to your efforts but I don't see how you can review / experience 20 operating systems in 2 days ....

If it's just about installation, nice work

But as for the experience the OS offers u gotta give each some time, but in all a good job

hey i said i didnt sleep for 2 nights, that does not mean i did everything in 2 days... its literally impossible to install so many OS''s in just 2 days dude.... use ur common sense buddy.

[AshishSharma]

So how much time did you take to complete this ?

[vish786]

Originally Posted by AshishSharma

So how much time did you take to complete this ?

i had started trying out the day when i got my new amd system its been 12 to 14 months, but later after this date 08-05-2007, 08:39 PM (this is the times when i had posted a thread... to b more specific) i thought of trying out more and more linux OS, to satisfy myself with the best one around.

[AshishSharma]

Chalo congrats then .. again good work nd atleast sleep tonight yaar

[vish786]

offtopic : got to read ebooks and watch the movie now.(the dark water, horror movie) the old signature was good one >>>> unzip, mount........ unmount, sleep

[mehulved]

Out of those I'd rate slackware at the top any day. But I haven't tried elx, Solaris and FreeBSD.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

Out of those I'd rate slackware at the top any day. But I haven't tried elx, Solaris and FreeBSD.

slackware,why on top ?? may i know d reason plz.

[mehulved]

1. Stability
2. Performance, even on low end hardware
3. User control
4. Excellent distribtion for learning linux
5. Small but faithful community, once someone understands what slackware is they will always like it.
It takes time and reading to understand what slackware really is.
It was also the first distro I install and managed by myself. And the distro that taught me the importance on CLI.

[vish786]

Originally Posted by mehulved

It was also the first distro I install and managed by myself. And the distro that taught me the importance on CLI.

okay slackware is ur first love.... who can forget the first love, its always the best. .... mine is Knoppix

[gxsaurav]

Which one is your primary OS.?

Your Work OS?

Your Music OS?

Your Movie OS?

[iMav]

Your Orkut OS?

Your ThinkDigit OS?

Your Gmail OS?

[vish786]

@gx_saurav, good to hav u back...
@imav

u both missed out many more things still

[Garbage]

Originally Posted by vish786

@gx_saurav, good to hav u back...

& with such a great(?) list of questions....

[praka123]

My first Linux OS is Redhat.that time it is really hard to get it installed.As of Now,Debian Seems perfect for me.it is the OS Which is my primary OS,My Work OS,My Music OS,My Movie OS,My Orkut OS,My ThinkDigit OS,My Gmail OS.OK

[anantkhaitan]

@vish786
I think its high time.. Now you should go for your own OS

[Zeeshan Quireshi]

Originally Posted by mehulved

Out of those I'd rate slackware at the top any day. But I haven't tried elx, Solaris and FreeBSD.

zipslack was the first linux distro i ever installed

[anantkhaitan]

Has anyone heard of Caldera .. well it was my first GNU/Linux distro.. and yes it is my first love

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by anantkhaitan

Has anyone heard of Caldera .. well it was my first GNU/Linux distro.. and yes it is my first love

openlinux... forerunner of sco.... yeah that was one of the very few distros which gave importance to internet apps being bunded...

my first distro was slackware.. when it was still bundled in floppies... and a bootdisk had to be created to install it.. umados etc.. etc..

@vish
hey since u've tested different versions of same distro, do you find any significant improvement? do they keep up wid the company's claims?

[praka123]

I dont believe this.hmm.. wasnt fdisk bugging u on each boot

[skghosh44]

@vish786

You have tried so may os in your PC. Therefore, I wish to know I want to install fedora core in my system just for experiment. Will you please tell me
keeping existing Os(Win XP) may I install Fedora Core. If it is whether it will be dwel booting system or it will overwirte XP.

[Kniwor]

how about a pic of the bootloader?
will look ultra cool.

[aditya.shevade]

Originally Posted by vish786

okay slackware is ur first love.... who can forget the first love, its always the best. .... mine is Knoppix

Mine too... Knoppix (Ok guys, we are talking about OSs here not....) It was 3.2.... But now, it's OpenSUSE 10.2....

@Mehul, is it only me or is it that you never ever supported any of these OSs (except Ubuntu), SUSE, Fedora.... (many others) (well well, I am not saying you said anything against them also... Just had the thought )

Aditya

[Pathik]

Mine was mandrake 10.1...
btw vish didnt u like ubuntu??? why havent u included it in the list??

[mehulved]

Originally Posted by aditya.shevade

@Mehul, is it only me or is it that you never ever supported any of these OSs (except Ubuntu), SUSE, Fedora

I have always mentioned that I have never been comfortable with rpm distros. And again distros like suse, fedora, mandriva, linspire make you depend on their GUI based tools to the point of being irritating for me.
I prefer distros like slackware, gentoo which give you more control.
But, in no way do I mean that other distros or OS's(including windows) are bad. Just that they don't suit me.

[aditya.shevade]

Originally Posted by mehulved

I have always mentioned that I have never been comfortable with rpm distros. And again distros like suse, fedora, mandriva, linspire make you depend on their GUI based tools to the point of being irritating for me.
I prefer distros like slackware, gentoo which give you more control.
But, in no way do I mean that other distros or OS's(including windows) are bad. Just that they don't suit me.

Yeah.. I know you did not say that others are bad. Thats why I mentioned it.

And, I am also getting annoyed by GUI tools, mostly by SUSE's package management. CLI rocks. But still I like SUSE... Dunno.. never tried Debian or Slack.... will give a try... right now though, major D/L going on and I don't have space in HDD (40GB )

Aditya

[The Unknown]

[vish786]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

hey since u've tested different versions of same distro, do you find any significant improvement? do they keep up wid the company's claims?

yes its better to always keep updated, as most important part "kernel" is updated to support more hardware, with more features included, like Suse 10 was bundled with via drivers, but they didnt detect my sata disk, so in the next version openSuse 10.1, this problem was rectified, they keep fixing the minor problem which we hardly know abt, one more thing is they usually try to achieve a stable system in ever version they release, that is why see softwares and OS regularly being updated.

Originally Posted by praka123

I dont believe this.hmm.. wasnt fdisk bugging u on each boot

i already told i had a lot of problem while installing. its ur wish u either believe it or u dont... its simple.

Originally Posted by skghosh44

I wish to know I want to install fedora core in my system just for experiment. Will you please tell me
keeping existing Os(Win XP) may I install Fedora Core. If it is whether it will be dwel booting system or it will overwirte XP.

yes ur existing win xp will not be overwritten while installing fedora core... u can find many threads here which will help u to install Fedora core and maintain a dual booting system.

Originally Posted by Kniwor

how about a pic of the bootloader?
will look ultra cool.

lol... i hav formatted my system as i was falling short of space... write now i have only 3 OS on system.

Originally Posted by anantkhaitan

I think its high time.. Now you should go for your own OS
Has anyone heard of Caldera .. well it was my first GNU/Linux distro.. and yes it is my first love

no time for that. , i just heard abt Caldera but never tried it.

Originally Posted by pathiks

Mine was mandrake 10.1...
btw vish didnt u like ubuntu??? why havent u included it in the list??

hey see properly dude its their in the list.