Linux Distribution?

cwarrior · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:22 pm

What Linux distribution would be the best for a computer science student to have on his machine?

DtY · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:41 pm

For a desktop distribution, I like Fedora.

Alexander · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:55 pm

What is the advantage of this?

Kharybdis · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 3:05 pm

http://www.linux.org/info/wanttouse.html

Make sure that your graphics card can support your chosen distribution (without going into difficult stuff).

I like OpenSuse... but other versions are just as good.

cwarrior · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 5:24 pm

What about Ubuntu?

rdrake · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 6:12 pm

Ubuntu is simple for beginners. Most things "just work."

It's also Debian based which means no hideously ugly and broken RPM nonsense.

saltpro15 · **Posted:** Sat Oct 03, 2009 8:13 pm

Ubuntu or Mint if you want a 10 minute installation

If you have the time/experience to set it up, Arch is wonderful

cwarrior · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:37 am

So no Ubuntu. What distribution is used more commercially, corporately?

jernst · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 5:15 am

I'd recommend getting vmware or virtualbox and trying a bunch until you find which one you like the best Razz

bbi5291 · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:10 am

cwarrior @ Sun Oct 04, 2009 12:37 am wrote:

So no Ubuntu. What distribution is used more commercially, corporately?

Curious, what is it about the responses above that convinced you not to use Ubuntu?

DtY · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:31 am

I have no way to prove this, or even a more reputable person to say this. Buuuuttt, I understand Ubuntu is one of the most bloated, and slowest mainstream distributions. It also locks you into Gnome, if you want to use KDE or XFCE (afaik) you have to install Kununtu or Xubuntu. On Fedora, you can yum install xfce or kde, and use it.

On another note, I installed Ubuntu server today, and apt-get is insanely fast, I'm willing to bet at least 20x faster for installing software.

Clayton · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:39 am

I've had no problems installing kde/xfce on an Ubuntu installation before, so I see no reason why this wouldn't still be true.

rdrake · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 11:04 am

DtY @ Sun Oct 04, 2009 10:31 am wrote:

It also locks you into Gnome, if you want to use KDE or XFCE (afaik) you have to install Kununtu or Xubuntu. On Fedora, you can yum install xfce or kde, and use it.

They do that for a reason; GNOME is the best and most complete of the three.

Well, XFCE is pretty good actually, let's install it.

code:

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

Let's say you hit your head and want to install KDE, let's install that.

code:

sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

I should probably note that not only does it install KDE/XFCE/etc., but it also installs everything that kubuntu/xubuntu/etc. would have installed themselves. You have a complete desktop environment with no configuration. Want to switch? Change your session in GDM before you login.

DtY · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 2:25 pm

Oh, I just assumed you couldn't install it that easily because there are three separate distributions (I've never used Ubuntu desktop, and I've only had Ubuntu server for a few hours, so my knowledge is short on it)

andrew. · **Posted:** Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:57 pm

I think Linux Mint is the best for beginners. It's based off Ubuntu, but the UI is nicer and more friendly than the default UI.

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