Which Distro Should I Use?

**FredJones** · 03-30-2008

I am a web developer, mostly PHP (with MySQL,JS,CSS,HTML and a bit of XML here and there). I am a Windows user but I know a good bit of Linux/Unix and I am comfortable with the command line. I have a nice new PC and I want to make a Linux workstation for development. I was advised to try Ubuntu but also advised to use version 8. I tried the beta version and while mysql/php/apache setup was VERY easy, samba crashes when I try to transfer a lot of files from my Win 2K machine and something else crashes if I try to make a file share on the Ubuntu machine.

What I want out of a workstation is:

FAST interface (I am real 'power user')
Easy install/configure

Those are the main issues--I use the machine ONLY for development, so no games, no videos etc. I am a bit of a minimalist and I use 2 monitors so I can switch QUICKLY between apps.

My question is, what should I be using? Seems that Ubuntu 8 beta is not quite ready. Should I use Ubuntu 7 or perhaps a different distro?

While I know how to use a command line, I like GUIs very much. Installing software on Ubuntu was quite easy, both from the add/remove tool and from the command line for those items not available in the GUI. Anyhow, I certainly consider myself a real newbie to Linux. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Thanks!

oz · 03-30-2008

Welcome to the forums, Fred!

Take a look at the link in my signature for lots of good information on getting started with Linux. You'll also find a couple of links to quizzes there that will help you in picking a distribution.

If you want a minimal distribution, you might want to consider installing Arch, Debian, or Gentoo because they all can install a base system, then you only add what you want/need on top of that via the internet.

Do let us know how you get along.

**FredJones** · 05-13-2008

Originally Posted by ozar

Do let us know how you get along.

I tried Ubuntu 7. Was ready to return to Win 2K. Now I am trying Ubuntu 8 and it doesn't seem to work on my PC. I posted now about CPU problems on Ubuntu forums, but overall I am not thrilled with Ubuntu so much.

**techieMoe** · 05-13-2008

Originally Posted by FredJones

I tried Ubuntu 7. Was ready to return to Win 2K. Now I am trying Ubuntu 8 and it doesn't seem to work on my PC. I posted now about CPU problems on Ubuntu forums, but overall I am not thrilled with Ubuntu so much.

Can you tell us more about the problems you're having?

**FredJones** · 05-13-2008

It seems slow. Perhaps that's due to CPU issue, but even if half of the CPU is being sucked up by Xorg, it should still be a quick machine.

Samba works intermittently--connects fine to XP machine but not always to 2K machine.

I tried to fix my xorg problems via:

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-new

that installed nothing b/c I had it. So I did:

sudo nvidia-xconfig
sudo /etc/init.d/gdm restart

b/c someone told me about those. Gnome died altogether. Command lines via alt-Fx worked, but Gnome was dead so I rebooted.

Just seems not so stable...

***elija*** · 05-13-2008

Ubuntu seems to either work wonderfully or cause nothing but
problems. If you have no luck sorting your issues out there are
a "few" other distributions you could try...

PC Linux OS
Open Suse
Mandriva
Fedora

to name but a few

however, you could try the following to see if it rescues your xorg
settings. It will reset to the defaults however so you wont have
the Nvidia drivers activated. Still, one step at a time

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Just take the defaults all the way through unless you definitely know
better...

**FredJones** · 05-13-2008

Originally Posted by elija

Ubuntu seems to either work wonderfully or cause nothing but
problems. If you have no luck sorting your issues out there are
a "few" other distributions you could try...

PC Linux OS
Open Suse
Mandriva
Fedora

I am looking for a workstation for LAMP development. What I want is a simple desktop environment where all software and my distro are stable, as in rock solid. Excitement I am not looking for--boring stability is what interests me.

I don't have a preference for WM yet either.

Although I DO indeed like GUI tools for installation and configuration of things--I am still a bit of a newbie, albeit an advanced one.

Seems to me that Debian or OpenSUSE fit the bill. Debian I understand is known to be ROCK solid, yet OpenSUSE seems more popular today for desktops.

Any more specific suggestions?

Originally Posted by elija

however, you could try the following to see if it rescues your xorg
settings. It will reset to the defaults however so you wont have
the Nvidia drivers activated. Still, one step at a time

Code:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Just take the defaults all the way through unless you definitely know
better...

Problem is that I need nvidia to use both monitors...

***elija*** · 05-13-2008

If we can get your gui back, then we can look at the nvidia
drivers. Like I said one step at a time.

I'm currently using Ubuntu 8.04 and liking it.

I have apache, PHP, mysql and various other development
stuff going on and I'm finding it very stable.

I only have one monitor though

**FredJones** · 05-13-2008

I guess I wasn't clear--I have Gnome back--it runs fine. Just eats half my CPU.

I am burning Debian CD as we speak.

Thanks.

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