I have 3 versions of linux, which one to install?

[music_man]

I've got Xandros Version 3 Deluxe, Ubuntu Version 5.10, and Kubuntu 7.04. I have an empty 20 gig partition on my rather new Dell Vostro laptop. Which of the 3 should I install? I'd like to switch over to linux completely someday, so keep that in mind.

[oz]

Welcome to the forums!

I'm not sure about the Xandros version, but the Ubuntu and Kubuntu versions are both a bit outdated now.

Otherwise, any of them should work, I'd think.

[music_man]

Thanks for the welcome.

Once installed, can they be updated, or do I need to download the latest stuff and make a new disk?

[oz]

Yes, they can be updated, but it's generally better to do a fresh install rather than an update, so in my opinion, your best option would be to download the latest version of whatever distribution you want, then install it.

[music_man]

I see. Is their any significant strengths and weaknesses to any of the 3?

[oz]

I think Xandros costs money, but I've never used it so can't say for sure.

Ubuntu and Kubuntu are each free, and are essentially the same thing other than the desktop environment used.

[techieMoe]

I've got Xandros Version 3 Deluxe, Ubuntu Version 5.10, and Kubuntu 7.04. I have an empty 20 gig partition on my rather new Dell Vostro laptop. Which of the 3 should I install? I'd like to switch over to linux completely someday, so keep that in mind.

Xandros usually has very good hardware detection, but I haven't used it in several years so Ubuntu may have caught up with it in that regard. I would very highly recommend getting newer versions of Ubuntu/Kubuntu however. They're up to version 8.04 now.

Xandros comes with a copy of CrossOver Office, which should let you run some Microsoft Windows applications decently. However it's not significantly better than the free program WINE which you can download for Ubuntu.

Ubuntu and Kubuntu are essentially the same OS, the only difference is that Ubuntu uses the Gnome desktop by default and Kubuntu uses KDE. That's just a matter of personal preference. Both have the same abilities and can run the same applications.

[daark.child]

If you like the latest packages and features, then Xandros may not be for you. Xandros is usually outdated when compared to other distros and their package versions are much older than other distros.

[music_man]

Thanks for all the help and tips. I'll download and make a new Ubuntu disk, and download and install wine as well. There's a lot of information on this forum. Thanks again for the tips.

[kopete]

If you can free up any more space, Ubuntu also has a customized 'multimedia' version that you might be interested in. I haven't tried it myself but if you like music, it might be interesting to try?

DistroWatch.com: Ubuntu Studio

It's probably just base Ubuntu with many multimedia apps and codecs already installed but I'm not sure so don't quote me on that.