Guide to newbie distro's.

[MASONTX]

As a newbie myself, I was trying to settle on a distro (still haven't), but kept forgetting which distro had what features. I made some notes on the ones I was interested in, and thought I would share them with other newbies who are trying to decide on which distro to use. The rankings are accoding to DistroWatches 6 month hits list. Hope this helps someone.

UBUNTU – #1 distro, Gnome based linux for the beginner, debian based, rec minimums: CPU 1 GHZ, HDD 15 GB FREE, RAM 1 GB (WILL WORK WITH AS LITTLE AS 256, BUT SLOW and may crash)

KUBUNTU - #21 distro, KDE based derivative of Ubuntu with different default decisions made, It is not just Ubuntu with KDE though, and some users prefer to install Ubuntu with KDE rather than Kubuntu, rec minimums: CPU 1 Ghz, HDD 15 GB free, RAM 1 GB (WILL WORK WITH AS LITTLE AS 256, BUT SLOW and may crash)

LUBUNTU, #19 distro, fast lightwt form of Ubuntu using LxDE desktop, designed primarily for netbooks, older lowend PCs and mobile devices, Linux mag found it used about 1/3 to ½ of the memory that Xubuntu did, rec minimums: CPU not specified, HDD not specified, RAM 128MB (but 160MB keeps the system from lagging if the graphics card uses some of your ram) You may also want to check out Peppermint linux.

XUBUNTU - #33 distr, xfce desktop based version of Ubuntu, debian based, designed for older computers with limited resources, rec minimums: CPU not specified but some users report 500Mhz as too slow, HDD 2GB, RAM 256MB

LINUX MINT- #3 distro, Gnome desktop, but others can be used, KDE, LxDE, Xfce, and Fluxbox. Considered to be one of the most user friendly distro's. Ubuntu based whose goal is a fuller out of the box install w/codecs, java and other items already installed. Has its own configuration tools. rec minimums: CPU 600 Mhz (1 Ghz rec), HDD 5 GB min (10GB rec), RAM 256 MB min (512 rec) . You may also want to check out Peppermint linux.

PEPPERMINT – not in top 100, but available by going to distro list, A lightweight distro based on Lubuntu and Mint, with Openbox as the window manager. It is reviewed as good for a beginner. It uses web based apps such as Google Docs instead of Open Office, with the aim of speed and being easy on processor and system resources. OpenOffice and other aps can be downloaded and installed instead of relying on the cloud. rec minimums: CPU , HDD 4 GB, RAM 192 MB (256MB rec)

UBUNTU NETBOOK EDITION (also known as UBUNTU NETBOOK REMIX), - is optimized for smaller screens, the download isn't available on distrowatch, but is on the ubuntu.com site. rec minimums: CPU 1.6 Ghz Atom , HDD 4GB, RAM 512MB

MYTHBUNTU – # 54 distro, Ubuntu based system for setting up a MYTHTV pvr system, and uses Xfce as its default desktop.rec Reportedly easy to set up and easy to use. If you want to record more than one show at a time, you must install mutiple video cpture cards. Schedule data can be downloaded from Schedules Direct for a fee. minimums: CPU 1 Ghz (2 Ghz rec, 3 Ghz for HD video) , HDD 20 GB (80+ GB rec 160+ GB for HD video), RAM 192 MB (1 GB rec) Rough estimate of HDD space for recording video, 2.2 GB/hr standard def, 7 GB/hr HD.

LUPU (PUPPY) (UBUNTU DERIVATIVE) – #10 distro, puppy is designed to be a minimum resource install that works well with older computers. The default windows manager is JWM. It can be used on a live CD even if the HDD is dead., working enirely from ram. Installed on a flash drive it takes about 100 MB, 256 if you use OpenOffice instead of Abi word. rec minimums: CPU , HDD , RAM 64 MB (128 MB rec)


PCLINUSOS (UBUNTU DERIVATIVE) - #5 distro, is a fork of Mandrake (now Mandriva) easy to use and out of the box has browser plugins, KDE based, but can take other DE's, rec minimums: CPU any, HDD 3 GB free (8-10 GB rec), RAM 512MB (1 GB rec)

YLMF OS (XP TYPE UBUNTU) - this distro is out of China, and the download is v-e-r-y s-l-o-w, taking 5 ½ hours to download, not on the top 100 list, but available through the select distribution list. It is an Ubuntu based distro with the goal of resembling windows xp and working on older computers. It uses Gnome desktop, but is xp themed. It used to be available only in Chinese, but no has an English option. rec minimums: CPU 300 Mhz (700 rec), HDD 4 GB (8 GB rec), RAM 128 Mb (512 rec)

OPENSUSE – #4 distro, default desktop is KDE, but others available. It's goal is to be the most usable linux distro. rec minimums: CPU any Pentium or better, HDD 500 MB min install 3-6 GB for full install, RAM 256 MB (512 rec)

FEDORA - #2 distro, default DE is Gnome, but others supported. Based on Red Hat linux, the goal of fedora was to have a free open source version. rec minimums: CPU 400Mhz or better , HDD 10 GB , RAM 384 MB (512 rec)

MANDRIVA - #7 distro, uses KDE DE but others available, it is the new name for Mandrake linux following a corporate merger. It is based on Red Hat linux, and is known for ease of use, the outstanding features of Mandriva are its installer and system control panel – which are rivaled by few. rec minimums: CPU any, HDD 6 GB, RAM 512 MB (1 GB rec)

SIMPLY MEPIS (listed as Mepis on distro watch) - #11 distro, Listed as a beginners linux, it is debian based and uses the KDE desktop, and is listed for older computers. It also reportedly does well on netbooks. One reviewer called it “the masterpiece of of desktop linux”. rec minimums: CPU 300 Mhz, HDD 3 GB (8 GB rec), RAM 256MB (512MB rec)

[XaeroOne]

PCLinuxOS isn't Ubuntu derivative. As you said it's derived from Mandarke.

Simply mempis has fluxbox as default doesn't it?

[MikeTbob]

PCLinuxOS isn't Ubuntu derivative. As you said it's derived from Mandarke.

Simply mempis has fluxbox as default doesn't it?

I believe Mepis has several spins to choose from.

[celem]

Choosing is a bit like politics and it is hard to get agreement. For my two cents, I used to work for the real AT&T and started using Unix systems with root access in 1974. My first Linux system was built from a huge stack of floppies that I laboriously downloaded from the the Internet. It was fun to play with but certainly not useful for my desktop and I put it aside. Later, each year or two I would try the newest incarnation of Linux with similar results - fun to play with but certainly not for my desktop. Finally, a few years ago, I tried Ubuntu. Finally! A Linux distribution for my desktop. My home is currently Microsoft-free and I use Mint-9 amd64 for my primary desktop and xubuntu on an old, underpowered laptop and xubuntu on a new underpowered Dell netbook.

I have tried many distros but my favorites are Ubuntu, Mint and Sabayon. I prefer GNOME over KDE.

In my opinion, go with either Ubuntu or Mint. Test drive both with live-cds and make your own decision.

[simon]

If by "newbie distros" you mean distros that aim to work easily for people new to GNU/Linux, then I don't think Fedora fits the bill. It's a great distro, but it's neither as newbie-friendly nor as reliable as Ubuntu. On the other hand, if you're not so much concerned with ease of first-time use as with learning for the long term, there are some "categories" that can narrow down the choices:

Debian based distros like Ubuntu are the most popular so if you're just looking to learn Linux the way most others are using it, the Ubuntu family or Debian itself are good choices. Either will teach you Debian-style administration using apt, etc. Ubuntu is more newbie-friendly than Debian, Debian is more stable for servers or if you're doing something serious.

If you're looking to work in IT with your GNU/Linux skills, the Red Hat family is another option. No need to pay for Red Hat itself: CentOS and other RHEL clones are basically Red Hat Enterprise Linux for free, and then of course there's Fedora, where the latest technologies are tested before moving into RHEL. The RHEL clones are stable and reliable like Debian, and also tend to be out-of-date like Debian: Fedora on the other hand is bleeding-edge new technologies, so much so that it doesn't always work as advertised. Either way you'll learn Red Hat style admin using rpm etc.

If you just want to "learn Linux", Slackware is great, although it can be hard for newbies. Its main advantage for learning is that it doesn't layer on all the newbie-friendly package management and gui-based complications that other distros have, which means that if you learn how to do something on Slackware (manually, by editing the relevant files or whatever) there's a good chance it'll work on any other distro too; whereas if you learn to use the particular admin tools of your favorite distro, you can get stuck on others. Slackware's simplicity also makes it fast and reliable.

Then there all the distros like Gentoo and Arch that have their own package managers and ways of doing things: your skills won't be as transferrable if you learn them, but for some people their benefits make it worth it (e.g. for people who like customizing and tweaking everything, Gentoo is great). In the end Linux is Linux and the most important things (like BASH and the GNU tools) are the same on most distros, so it's not a huge big deal which one you choose first as a newbie: the only reason I'd suggest putting some thought into it and choosing an appropriate one early is that the longer you stick with one, the more competent you'll get with its particular way of doing things. Distro-hop and you'll be able to muddle through on any distro, but pick one and stick with it for a few years, and you'll be able to administer it quickly and competently, without having to go online and ask "what's the best way to install the proprietary nVidia driver on this distro?" or "what's the best way to apply a custom patch to an official package?" or whatever.

[MASONTX]

My goal is two fold, 1) ease of use without having to wade into script writing and command line work arounds, but available if I really need them, 2) something I can put on my wife's and mother-in-laws computer that is easy for them to transition to (I'll be maintaining them)
Oh, and a third thing, 3) FREE

[MASONTX]

I tried the YLMF OS on my laptop, and it loaded fine in Chinese, (didn't look like XP as advertised), but when I tried to load the English version the instalation crashed and suggested submitting a bug report.

[MASONTX]

I just tried YLMF on my work computer and it loaded fine. Yes it does look like xp as far as the task bar is concerned. Has an applications button that list aps like xp, and was the only *buntu to find the work wireless and connect. One problem though, it has a curious mixture of Chinese and English labels. It was easy to discover what the icons were, and rename them to English, but the English version should have come with all labels in English. When I opened firefox, it took me to a mixed Chinese and English homepage for Google, which was easy enough to reset to the English only version, but again, an annoyance. It also came with a bunch of Chinese labeled bookmarks which I deleted without exploring. Connects to Ubuntu software center, so you will be able to get additional software of your choosing, but again, a bug in their English language support mixed Chinese and English in the descriptions. All in all, if you want an xp look alike it is worth checking out, but the mixed Chinese and English would probably be too much for my wife or mother-in-law.

[handydan918]

the standard default Mepis 8.x uses a full KDE 3 desktop environment, as well as having several very nice GUI tools for doing various system tasks that no other distro has.

[sandman6471]

Well, I have tried several different distro's over the years and seemed to always return to the other OS. Now, I'm free from that other OS and happy as can be. I'm running Mint Linux 9 on my desktop and my netbook, with no problems what so ever and everything worked great out of the box. Just my input to each is own.

Registered Linux User # 511702