Which Linux Distro???

[deepakprabhakaran]

Ppl i want to install a linux distro in ma laptop which already runs vista...
i am confused in choosin which distro i suited for me as i have no knowledge abt linux and want to learn abt it...plz also tell whether dual bootin vista and linux better or usin a virtual machine is better...

[praka123]

go with closed eyes for Ubuntu Feisty or Mepis Linux(kde).

[faraaz]

I say go for Ubuntu Feisty...you are new to Linux, and honestly Ubuntu has rocked my socks off with how amazing its support and ease of use is.

[deepakprabhakaran]

wat abt fedora or suse....

[praka123]

^they too are nice,but bulky.try fedora (Gnome/Kde)live cd then.

[deepakprabhakaran]

wat do u mean by bulky... and also tell which is the best way ie. to dual boot my system or use some emulator....

[praka123]

^means it(fedora,suse) comes in 4 or 5 cd's and asks u to insert while installing ending up with whole mess of stuff u ever gonna use?thats why i suggested Fedora Live cd or Ubuntu Feisty Fawn

[faraaz]

Dude...if you are new to Linux and this is your first time installing a distro, TRUST ME! Go with Ubuntu...a lot of options are streamlined and there is extensive research and documentation for tricky things like installing multimedia codecs, compiz-fusion 3d effects and simply the BEST software installation system there is.

[vish786]

bulky here means, u will have 2/3 or more alternate softwares for same purpose, Like Konquerer, Epiphany and Firefox browsers.

Originally Posted by deepakprabhakaran

wat do u mean by bulky... and also tell which is the best way ie. to dual boot my system or use some emulator....

all distro support dual boot.

[zyberboy]

I wud recommend PcLinuxOs over ubuntu for first timers...

[Faun]

try any one of these ubuntu 7.04 or PCLinuxOS 2007 or Linspire

[infra_red_dude]

Originally Posted by deepakprabhakaran

Ppl i want to install a linux distro in ma laptop which already runs vista...
i am confused in choosin which distro i suited for me as i have no knowledge abt linux and want to learn abt it

i'd suggest linux mint 3.0. its nothing but ubuntu but wid all the necessary things in place about which a new user doesn't hafta worry.

Originally Posted by deepakprabhakaran

plz also tell whether dual bootin vista and linux better or usin a virtual machine is better...

dual boot is always better. but if u wanna familiarize urself wid linux and are a bit hesitant then i'd suggest use the live cd first, get to know the basic things then install to experience the full power of linux. virtualisation, imho is only good for testing purpose (not for trying purposes). however, do keep in mind that mostly the eyecandy won't work out of the box in live cd (sometimes works, depending on hardware). but it'll surely not work in a virtual machine.

[dissel]

Originally Posted by infra_red_dude

i'd suggest linux mint 3.0. its nothing but ubuntu but wid all the necessary things in place about which a new user doesn't hafta worry.

^^^^ Totally Agreed....

In my case software update is a little bit slow....Other browsing/Installing Software are fine.....Any one facing similar problem ?

[faraaz]

Okay guys, I'd been sitting around mucking with my old Ubuntu 7.04 laptop and here's what I've done in the last 6 hours:

1) Compiz Fusion with my binary ATI Driver. Lappy looks sweet...

2) Buttload of apps and full system update. I now have EVERY app I ever could have wanted installed. List is too big.

3) Fully customized...I raided gnome-look.org and did it up so that its fully pimped out now. Still have to get some stuff for gDesklets though...

4) This is a big one...FULL SEAMLESS INTEGRATION WITH WINDOWS through VIRTUALBOX!!! I have the windows start bar as my bottom panel and ubuntu app launcher as my top panel!! I'm sure most guys here know what I'm talking about...its the holy grail of virtualisation! And I've done it! A complete noob that I am! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!

All of this in one night's work...none of this would have worked on another distro...atleast for someone as inexperienced as me. No doubt, almost all other distros have this functionality, but lets face it. Ubuntu's excellent documentation and community support make all this possible.

Why did I spam so much in this post?? To convince you, my dear OP, to just close your eyes and go for Ubuntu. Its the best.

[vish786]

yup, ubuntu has best community, no doubt.

[infra_red_dude]

actually, even freespire 2.0 is fully based on ubuntu 7.04. the threadstarter has so many choices

[mustang]

Funny thing, it was dead on. I mostly just use Linux as a secondary machine (learning and messing around), but I've gone from Red Hat ages ago to Mepis to Kubuntu. And my results showed that my first choice should be Mepis, followed by Kubuntu (mainly because *buntu/Debian doesn't have a friendly graphical installer yet).

One thing they should probably add (and I'll probably send them an email about it rather than just complaining here ) is a question about updates. One thing that made me choose Kubuntu over Mepis was *buntu's update schedule. I *really* like to be close to bleeding edge, and I think if they added a question about 'How often do you like to update your software?' or something similar, they might try to get me to switch to Gentoo or something