A small question...

[WarOmnimon]

Today, I go on from Windows for Linux. I see a bunch of versions though. Which is the best one?

[MottZilla]

Which version of linux is the best? Some people say Slackware, some say mandrake, and there are tons more it seems. I don't use linux so I wouldn't know.

[AtmaWeapon]

Mandrake was really easy* to install, so I recommend that one. It was really cool once I got it working.


*(By really easy I mean I had to reformat my drive twice and post on 4 message boards before I found the obscure command that I needed to pass to the installer. It seems Linux couldn't count my RAM for some reason.)

[Menokh]

Go with Mandrake 9.0. If you download it it is 3 large ISO's the boxed version comes out in a few weeks.

It is largely considered to be the best all around distro, and it is great for newbies. Atma's problem is incredibly rare, I still don't knwo what caused it.

If you're planning on buying Linux, then go with Mandrake 8.2 or Red Hat 7.3.

[WarOmnimon]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I'll be getting Mandrake 9.0.

[AlexMax]

Redhat 7.3 was fine until I found that gdm looging in as ROOT would crash Sawfish. Should have gone with text login.....

Other than that, Red Hat 7.3 is awesome. Slackware is alright if you know what you are doing (install wise, it's kinda complex, but not implssible), and it even puts fortune in everyone's 'run at login' script. (Dont know what it's called...) How cool is that?

I think I need to try Mandrak though. My parents are insisting that I reformat the drive and put dual boot Win98 and Linux on there to satisfy my two years younger sister. Hell, my 9 year old sister could even figure it out...by herself to wit.

[WarOmnimon]

I'll keep an eye out for Linux when I go shopping tomorrow. Thanks in advance.

Just one simple question... How much does it cost? And is there AIM for it?

[Menokh]

Originally posted by WarOmnimon
I'll keep an eye out for Linux when I go shopping tomorrow. Thanks in advance.

Just one simple question... How much does it cost? And is there AIM for it?

Linux distros cost between $30 and $200 depending on distro and what it comes with. Most full featured distros are around $40-$70, like SuSE or Red Hat or Mandrake.

And yes there is AIM for it(either the official AIM client or GAIM).

Again I'd recomend either Mandrake 8.2, 9.0 or Red Hat 7.3. Slackware is a pain for new users and SuSE sucks IMO.

[inori]

Of course, that's if you actually buy it. You can download it for free (legally :kawaii: ).

On the other hand, you get various things if you buy a distribution, such as manuals, tech support, and the like.

[Menokh]

Originally posted by inori
Of course, that's if you actually buy it. You can download it for free (legally :kawaii: ).

On the other hand, you get various things if you buy a distribution, such as manuals, tech support, and the like.

And if you buy it you typically get some commercial software that you won't get in the download edition. For example Mandrake 8.2 PowerPack comes with StarOffice 6.0 while the download doesn't. Also you will likely get some proprietary drivers(like Nvidia's) that you'd otherwise have to download seperately.