Gonna make the big switch I think

[Ethan_27]

Hi guys

As you can see Im brand new so a big hello to everyone.

I have a spare laptop (acer) and want to rin Linux on it. There seems to be so many different versions of Linux that I am so confused. Can anyone tell me the standard o.s to use...?

I have also just learnt php and am looking to learn more programming. Is there a standard application programming language for Linux.. or can the same ones that are used on windows and mac machines be used...? Actually do windows and mac use the same ones....

Any things to think about before I download and install would be a great help

[Dapper Dan]

Hi Ethan_27 and welcome to the forums! Post the specs of your laptop. That'll give us a better idea of which distro would be a better match for its capabilities or lack of...

As far as switching, my recommendation would be to keep your present OS around until you get acclimated to Linux. Then, at some future point, you can switch completely over if you wish. Don't burn that bridge just yet...

[yancek]

Which OS you choose would depend upon the hardware you have and what you intend to use the computer for. If you have older hardware with miinimal RAM, many of the full distributions will not run or at least, not run well. You can get minimal distributions like TinyCore, SliTaz or Puppy Linux. There are a number of operating systems in the 200-500MB range for download. If you want a full system, you should check the minimum hardware requirements before downloading a distribution.

You could also download several, burn them to disk and try them or you could try them in a virtual machine on your windows computer.

You can get information at the distrowatch site which has links to numerous sites where you can get info on each distribution.

DistroWatch.com: Put the fun back into computing. Use Linux, BSD.

[MASONTX]

Welcome to the forum. There is always a debate on whether it is better to take the plunge and completely switch (what I did), or to dual boot with windows. If you have another computer you can fall back on if necessary, I would switch to linux on the one in question. As mentioned above, distrowatch.com is a great place to find different linux version or distro's. Ubuntu is the most popular, but if you are resource limited, then Lubuntu or Xubuntu are good options. With really old hardware, I like AntiX or Puppy. Jump on in, the water is great, and above all, have fun.

[Ethan_27]

Thanks guys for all the welcome's

I have a spare machine which is doing nothing so I would like to install linux on that.


My spare comp is an Acer Aspire4720Z. I tried to post a link but dont have enouhg posts yet. If the specs are a bit messy I apologise

Part Number Varies by model
Processor / Speed Intel Pentium dual-core mobile processor T2310/T2330
(1 MB L2 cache, 1.46/1.60 GHz, 533 MHz FSB
)
Core Logic Chipset Mobile Intel GL960 Express Chipset

System Bus Speed 533 MHz FSB

RAM / Max RAM Up to 2 GB of DDR2 533 MHz memory, upgradeable to
2 GB using two soDIMM modules (dual-channel support)

Video Subsystem Mobile Intel GL960 Express Chipset with integrated 3D graphics, featuring Intel Graphics Media Accelerator X3100
(Intel GMA X3100) with up to 358 MB of Intel Dynamic Video Memory Technology 4.0 (8 MB of dedicated, up to 350 MB
of shared system memory), supporting Microsoft DirectX 9

LCD Properties 14.1" WXGA high-brightness (200-nit) Acer CrystalBrite TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution or
14.1" WXGA high-brightness (200-nit) TFT LCD, 1280 x 800 pixel resolution

Hard Disk Drive up to 250 GB Hard Disk Drive

Optical Drive 8X DVD-Super Multi or DVD/CD-RW Combo
(varies by model)

Battery, Primary 44.4 W 4000 mAh 6-cell Lithium Ion battery pack:
2.5-hour battery life, 2.5-hour rapid charge system-off, 3.5-hour charge-in-use

Sound Subsystem Dolby-certified surround sound system with two built-in stereo speakers
Intel High Definition Audio support
S/PDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface) support for digital speakers
MS-Sound compatible, Built-in microphone

PCCard Support 1 ExpressCard/54 slot

Pointing Device Touchpad

Peripheral Subsystem 4 USB 2.0 ports, 1 IEEE 1394 port, 1 CIR port,
1 VGA port, 1 S-video/TV-out (NTSC/PAL) port
Headphone/speaker/line-out jack with S/PDIF support
Microphone-in jack/Line-in jack

5-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS, MS PRO, xD)

Integrated Acer Crystal Eye webcam, supporting enhanced Acer PrimaLite technology (varies by model)

Modem 56K ITU V.92 PPT approved, Wake-on-Ring ready

Ethernet Gigabit Ethernet, Wake-on-LAN ready

Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED network connection,
supporting Acer SignalUp wireless technology

Bluetooth 2.0+EDR Enhanced Data Rate (varies by model)
Dimensions / Weight 13.46" W x 9.72" D x 1.38/1.49" H
5.38 lbs (with primary battery)
AC Power 100-240V AC AutoSensing Adapter

Environment

Shock
Operational/Non-Operational

5 G max. pulse / 40 G max. pulse

Vibration
Non-Operational

5-27HZ, 0.16" p-p, 2g peak, 27-500HZ

Temperature
Operational/Non-Operational

+5ºC - +35ºC / -20ºC - +50ºC

Humidity
Operational/Non-Operational

10% - 90% / 10% - 90%

Altitude
Operational/Non-Operational

10,000 ft / 40,000 ft

Operating System Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2
Windows XP Home with Service Pack 2
Windows Vista Home Premium
Windows Vista Home Basic
(varies by model)



Blimey I didn't know it was gonna look that confusing. Once again I apologise

If anyone can decipher it would this machine be ok ...?

[elija]

I couldn't quite make out the amount of ram actually installed but if it is 512MB or more then that beastie should handle just about any distribution you want to throw at it

[MASONTX]

The best way to find out what you like, and what works on your equipment, is to get some CD-RW and burn several distro's. I went overboard and did about 20, 3 at a time on the the 3 CD-RW I had available at the time. Try ones from different bases such as Debian, Slack, Red Hat, etc. I prefer debian based ones, but you may like something else. Also try distro's with different desktops, Gnome, Kde, Xfce, LXDE, and any other that grab your fancy. The search page at distrowatch.com will help you identify what a distro is based on and what desktop it uses. The beauty of linux, is that you can probably find a distro that does things your way.

[hazel]

I have also just learnt php and am looking to learn more programming. Is there a standard application programming language for Linux.. or can the same ones that are used on windows and mac machines be used...? Actually do windows and mac use the same ones....

The Linux kernel is written in C and practically all Linux applications are in either C or C++. You could almost say that C is the native language of Linux. So if you want to play about with programming, that's the way to go.

[PrinceSharma]

Hi,

If RAM in your system is >= 512 MB then my 2 cents would go with trying Linux Mint 10 (Gnome), you'll get almost everything pre-installed and your system will be ready to go right after installing.

[Dapper Dan]

Hi,

If RAM in your system is >= 512 MB then my 2 cents would go with trying Linux Mint 10 (Gnome), you'll get almost everything pre-installed and your system will be ready to go right after installing.

Second this. Mint is a very nice distro.