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Here are some various Linux distributions that I have tried and what I think of them. I have used several others, but I for some reason I just don't believe that they belong on this list. If you need help choosing a Linux distribution, I recommend you try PolishLinux.org's distro chooser and distro comparer.
You can download many Linux distributions via BitTorrent at LinuxTracker.org and The Linux Mirror Project.
SimplyMepis |
If you have never tried Linux before and you have enough knowledge about computers that you feel comfortable experimenting, you can download SimplyMepis. SimplyMepis is a liveCD based distribution. It fits on one CD and does not have to install anything to your hard drive, which makes it a perfect way to test Linux. It is based off of Ubuntu (which is based off of Debian) and uses Synaptic (a front-end to apt-get) to install and maintain software. SimplyMepis uses KDE (which is IMO the most friendly for Windows users), comes with several codecs and browser plugins installed, and has NVIDIA and ATI drivers built in. (Note: Due to license restrictions, these extras are now dummy files that will be replaced by the real versions once you update the system.)
SimplyMepis can install onto a hard drive from an installer wizard that runs from the liveCD. You can either select to install SimplyMepis to the entire hard drive or use QTParted to partition the drive. SimplyMepis automatically detects and configures a ton of hardware at boot time, but I recommend figuring out how to disable any stuff you don't need if you install it to your hard drive in order to get it to boot faster.
Mr. Bass is a mirror for SimplyMepis and also has some good tips at the bottom of the page.
Debian |
My Linux distribution of choice is Debian. Debian is the basis for many popular Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, Mepis, Damn Small Linux, Knoppix, Xandros, Linspire, etc. I think that if so many others see Debian and a solid foundation to build from that it must be good, and indeed it is.
I prefer to grab the Net Install CD and download everything I use after I have it up and going. This ensures that my system is free of unwanted software (bloat) and the slowness that comes with it. One of the first things I do with Debian is install a kernel optimized for my machine. This is a painless process by using apt-get as it will automatically configure grub or lilo with the new kernel (it leaves your old one, just in case). I really do think that Debian is the best distro there is, but since Mepis is easier for Linux newcomers and is still based on Debian, I recommend it for most novice users.
Debian has three different package repositories - stable, testing, and unstable. Unstable is the latest builds of software, stable has been tested extensively (perhaps more so than any other Linux distribution) but is somewhat outdated, and testing is somewhere in between. I run unstable myself and have never had any problems. Debian uses the apt-get package manager to make installing new software a breeze. For instance, to install PSI, you just have to type in the command "apt-get install psi" as root. It will automatically install everything needed (even dependencies) and will also put it in your applications menu.
The application menu may seem more unorganized than in some other distributions, but this is actually a great example of the care that the Debian developers put into the Debian Operating System. They created a utility that will provide a standard way to integrate menus with the 30 or so different window managers in the Debian repositories. All packages in the Debian repositories are built to conform to the Debian Social Contract. While the Social Contract is rather short, it provides all of the power behind Debian.
To learn why the their philosophy gives Debian so much strength, I recommend that you read The Debian System: Concepts and Techniques by Martin Krafft, a Debian developer. His book helped me understand why every other operating system is inferior. The book also covers installation and maintenance of Debian on your computer, how the Debian organization is structured and operates, and how to create and maintain .deb packages. This book is much less of a reference manual than it is an enlightened insight into the decisions made by Debian.
Arch Linux |
Arch Linux is optimized for i686 computers. Arch is a distribution for experienced Linux users and does not attempt to hide you from the command line or common Linux utilities. For example, it does not ask you to set up users and passwords during or after the install. You will log on as root with no password after installing. You can change the password by typing the command "passwd" and add users by typing "adduser".
Arch usually has the latest stable builds of software and is much more up-to-date than many distributions. Arch uses the Pacman package manager, which is much like Debian's apt-get. Arch also has one of the best wiki's I have seen for a Linux distro. It is clean and simple and the how-to's are right to the point.
I like Arch but I think it still needs many improvements before I recommend it. The installer is simple but seems to have some bugs in it (I had to install three times before it loaded the config files onto my hard drive correctly). WDM will not show Xfce4 automatically (but it does in Debian), Gnome does not load my programs into the Gnome menu until after I reboot, and some programs such as XMMS were not shown in my menus at all.
I run the unstable branch of Debian so my software remains up-to-date and I didn't notice enough of a speed boost to justify the switch to Arch. Arch does not configure much of anything for you, and while I like that it forces me to learn, I don't like spending that much time trying to get things to work. I also do not see any sort of philosophy or driving values that drive the work behind Arch. This interview at OSNews gave me the feeling that the developers were facing some serious problems with the scalability and longevity of Arch. The also discuss the possibility of the commercialization of Arch, and while the developers all deserve respect for not wanting to go commercial, I don't like the fact that it is even a possibility in the future.
Despite some problems, Arch is very promising and I do not doubt that it will become a major contender in the Linux world as it combines some of the qualities that make Debian, Slackware, and Gentoo great. Good luck guys!
Mandriva |
NOTE: Mandriva was formerly Mandrake Linux.
I began using Linux with Mandrake 7 back in 2000. I found it easy to use it's graphical installer and it installed a nice and easy to use system. I also liked the Mandriva Control Center. It would handle almost all of my configuration needs and most tasks were handled by wizard-like walkthroughs.
While RPM files are usually easy to install and can be found fairly easily on rpm.pbone.net, they often complain of missing dependencies. If you are installing a program, it will sometimes tell you that it depends on some other packages to be able to install. You go out and find the other packages just to have them tell you the same thing. And this goes on and on... This is getting slightly better however due to URPMI and apt4rpm, but these solutions are thrown onto a broken system in an attempt to fix it rather than having been designed from the beginning as an integrated part of the system. EasyURPMI is a website that will help you configure Mandriva to install software and dependencies over the internet.
I stopped using Mandrake because as I made changes to the system (installed and uninstalled programs, changed configurations, and plain daily use) my system would become buggy and unstable. I would end up reinstalling Mandrake with a new version and have to go about restoring my system to it's previous state. I felt that Mandrake had so much potential but not enough stability. Mandriva is not a bad operating system, but I recommend Mepis for new Linux users or Debian for the experienced.