Linux

[blockers]

Hi.

I want to have a play about with linux, on a back up computer - just so i can experience it see its benefits compared to windows. I have only ever used windows on computers, so linux would be a nice change.

First question is:
What is the best linux to get? - i am aware there are loads and loads of versions.
Any tweaks that i should be aware of? - such as running games that should only work with windows.

Thanks very much
Will

[ikonia]

try a live CD distribution, such as knoppix. This boots from the cd and runs the OS from the CD in memory. If your keen to install to a harddisk the later versions of mandrake are very easy to install and very friendly, as is Fedora and Suse.

This is available along with other disto's from http://www.linuxiso.org

[Red10]

Don´t forget Ubuntu too!! It can be run as a LiveCD - definately the fastest and easiest distro i have come across - ´tis the business in my opinion...

[Daymonkey]

I expect directhex will be in here saying it and minute, so i will say it for him. Try debian, from all the distros ive tryed it is the best

[Red10]

what distro is easiest to get to work with a bt voyager adsl usb modem?

USB Modems + Linux =

I´ve checked the Ubuntu Website, you need to download some drivers/do a bit of fiddling to get the speedtouch modem to work with it, so imagine, the same is true with the ADSL BT USB thing.. Sorry, i ditched my BT USB modem in favour of a Ethernet Modem, DSL-W 906E from the DSL warehouse - it is the BUSINESS - incredible works like a charm with Linux...

[directhex]

it's largely a question of kernel version, not of the distribution itself. a distribution's page on distrowatch.org will tell you the version of the kernel in use

[blockers]

Cheers guys. Ill think ill just download a couple and try them out, fine one to my liking.

Which is the best from install versions i.e Mandrake/SuSe/Redhat?

Thanks

[directhex]

i'd rate mandrake as the best out-of-box distribution i've used, in terms of what it can do without extra packages.

none of the 'easy' distributions are easy to add software to, though

[Red10]

Yep, directhex is spot on, i used Mandrake about 12-18 months ago when i was learning Linux - it´s really nice, as is SuSE, to be honest... Mandrake shades it - just...

[directhex]

suse has some horrific bugs in all SORTS of places, especially with hardware device configurations, from what i've heard

[oyster]

I just tried Xandros free edition. Very impressed. The Xandros File Manager is excellent (particularly for those used to Windows Explorer), and hardware detection was good on my Shuttle (although it's only v2.0 that's free, so not sure how the very latest hardware will be autodetected). In particular, it detected, configured and used my winmodem.