Choosing a GNU/Linux

Subject: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 4:25 pm

This is all my opinion for a school paper that i had to write in class in 30 min off the top of my head. Hope everyone here agrees with me tongue

Quote :: a.l.e.x m.a.r.c.o.n.d.e.s - 04.04.2008

Choosing a GNU/Linux Distribution

Many people are looking to switch from Windows or OS X to GNU/Linux for various reasons but most don't know where to start. Jumping into the world of GNU/Linux can be daunting and also very tedious if you don't do it right. The first step is choosing the correct GNU/Linux. To do this you must understand the components of each one. Obviously you can't go through and try every one of them (There are over 400 active GNU/Linux distribution.) and many of the online recourses are bias towards one distribution or another. There are quite a few major GNU/Linux distributions; Ubuntu from Conical, Fedora from Red Hat, and Linspire, are just some of them. These are usually considered the most popular distributions and each one is known for some aspect.

Ubuntu is by far the most popular GNU/Linux distribution with millions of people downloading, install, or using the distribution every day. This means that the support base is very large. The Ubuntu support forums have around 544,000 members, 726,100 threads and 4,645,800 posts. In other words, it's massive. This is probably the main thing that makes Ubuntu stand out. Another is ease of use. In GNU/Linux, most of the time you have to compile a program or other by source. This process involves the terminal which can be confusing if you've never had any experience with text based operating system. With Ubuntu they offer you three routes. The most popular and most used method is the Synaptic Package Manager. This offers a graphical alternative to the commonly used aptitude which runs off of the command line. Synaptic is useless without repositories, or package lists and where to download them, but the nice thing about Ubuntu is that the Ubuntu repositories contain almost every package the average user is ever going to need. This means that Ubuntu is probably one of the easiest to use operating system.

Fedora (Which used to be called Fedora Core, but the Core was dropped when the two main repositories were merged.) is the free version of Red Hat Linux which is developed by the Red Hat Corporation. Red Hat Co, sells a version of Red Hat Linux called Red Hat Enterprise. Usually you can't sell GNU/Linux because it is licensed under GPL 2.0 (General Public License) but in reality they are not selling the physical GNU/Linux. Red Hat Enterprise contains proprietary software, or commercial software. This means that someone has to pay for it. Fedora on the other hand, is completely free. Fedora offers a great alternative too Windows, except that it is not the easiest to use. The Fedora repositories are not as rich as the Ubuntu repositories. This discourages many new GNU/Linux users because this means that you must learn to compile things by source and read error messages to figure out what went wrong if something does. On the flip side, Fedora is one of the most secure GNU/Linux distributions out there. With a built in firewall and many different security features, Fedora is great for someone who is worried about hackers or just wants a secure environment. Fedoras support base is not as large but is still reliable. Fedora is not the most recommended GNU/Linux for GNU/Linux newbies but it is still a great on to look into if you are looking for an alternative to Windows or OS X.

Linspire (Previously called Lindows) is the easiest transition from the Windows world to Linux. With absolutely no need to use the terminal to do anything, ease of use is Linspires great advantage. The reason that Linspire is so easy to transition to from Windows is because Linspire by default runs the KDE Window Manager which looks and feels a lot like the Windows operating environment while the other two, Ubuntu and Fedora, both run on GNOME (Gah-nome) which looks a lot more like OS X. The downside of Linspire is that it sadly is not free. It is full of propitiatory software and drivers. The plus side of this is that you can be pretty sure that it is going work with any computer that you try it with, and if it so happens that something doesn't work then you can just call Linspire Customer Support. Linspire is also the first GNU/Linux to have been sold preloaded on a computer. While Linspire is not free, it is most likely the best solution for a Windows user looking for GNU/Linux and doesn't want to do much work.

In conclusion, GNU/Linux is not that hard to use or to set up if you choose the right one. Most people get discouraged because they get stuck on something and don't know where to go. As Ubuntu, Fedora, and Linspire get bigger they will be come even better and even easier to use. When that day happens, then the world may start to see the advantages that GNU/Linux holds over Windows or OS X.

Veteran Member From : Florida OS : Mac OS X Leopard

well i dont agree because the 1st line doesnt fit me. i am not looking to switch. lol

Senior Member OS :  Snow Leopard

mac is better

Veteran Member From : Florida OS : Mac OS X Leopard

thank u Razar happy

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 6:04 pm

lol, Mac is good but linux is better imo.

Veteran Member From : Florida OS : Mac OS X Leopard

i wouldnt know. i cant even get any Linux to run

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 6:13 pm

No, Mac is better. it even comes with its own computer Lol! beat that

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 6:49 pm

@broskee: ur trying to run them in parralel! that doesnt count! try using 6.06 btw. i read that that was the only supported Ubuntu atm in Parallels

Veteran Member From : Florida OS : Mac OS X Leopard

@alxz: HELL YES and it is an awesome computer btw

@alxm: y didnt u tell me that before i downloaded lik 8 million copies of the stupid thing?

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 7:08 pm

//Moved.
This does NOT belong in the lounge, moved to computing and hardware

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux April 5th 2008, 11:53 pm

@alxz: i wasnt sure about where to stick it :/

@lbroskee: i JUST read that when i told u tongue

Veteran Member From : Florida OS : Mac OS X Leopard

o ok. i was bout 2 jump thru the internet and kill u for that. lol, but i think im done with Parallels for a while anyway...idk yet

I'm New

Well, I think they have their own advantages in their own rights.
Linux is more extensible and Mac is more beautiful in default. Everyone has his own favorite so let's not argue about which OS is the best ok?

Instead, we should argue how to improve all the OS smile

Subject: Re: Choosing a GNU/Linux June 27th 2008, 8:35 pm

im not saying its the best here (but it is imo), im just saying how to CHOOSE one if you were to decide that it was best for your purposus

i drastically agree on the improving OS thing, all the OS's could do with some tweaking here and there (some more than others)