I want to switch from Ubuntu to something cooler...

[Roelof92]

Hey guys.

I've been using Ubuntu for something like a year now and I want to switch to something that's closer to the real deal. I've been considering Fedora or OpenSUSE and I'd like to have your advice.

I'd like to have a distro with the following things:
1. User-friendliness like Ubuntu but more options
2. Configuration with the GUI not the Terminal
3. Advanced security, a more advanced firewall then Ubuntu
4. A wide variety of programs in the repositries.

So, what would you guys recommend me?
Thank you,

[bigtomrodney]

1. User-friendliness like Ubuntu but more options

There are systems that don't have a reputation for friendliness but are very easy to maintain - Debian springs to mind. The install might be tricky if you need to get an awkward wifi card going but other than that you're solid

2. Configuration with the GUI not the Terminal

That pretty much points towards openSUSE, Linux Mint or CentOS/Red Hat Enterprise

3. Advanced security, a more advanced firewall then Ubuntu

ufw isn't a bad firewall and there are several GUI frontends for it. If you want IPTables, which is one of the best you can find it in the Ubuntu repositories and there are loads of front ends available for it.

4. A wide variety of programs in the repositries.

I'd be looking at Debian again. Ubuntu really is great in this respect too, though I know you're looking to get away from it. For what it's worth, a lot of distros fall down in my book with repository maintenance. Either a short supply of packages or conflicts in what they do have. This weekend I was driven mad with a Fedora repo problem and I previously packed openSUSE in because of the number of inconsistent repos I had to add just to get basic functionality.

If you're looking to get more into how Linux works I'd recommend getting a system such as Gentoo or LFS up and running. You'll learn a lot that way though it will take patience and time. What I would say is that Ubuntu is just as much "the real deal" as any other distribution - freedom, choice and configurability is what makes open source so great and Ubuntu is built on these principles. Overall though I'd say go for Debian as it will give you a good balance between a completely solid system and the opportunity to customise and learn.

[Roelof92]

I heard that the Fedora security system is also quite advanced. I want to learn more about computer security, that's one of the main reasons.

[bigtomrodney]

That may be true as Fedora is the incubator for Red Hat Enterprise in a way. However on the other side of things Fedora is quite bleeding edge and prone to stability problems from what I hear so it's a double-edged sword.

[teenytinylinuxgrl]

I have heard some really good things about PCLinuxOS. Very graphical (so it feels almost familiar to newbies) and has all the latest cool software. I'm told that my computer is too "low-end" to run it, but it sounds great for a newer computer.

Amy

[Roelof92]

Nah I'm looking for something more advanced and security is the most important thing. I slowly want to use more difficult Linux but getting more in control by myself and eventually in a few years I'll end up with my own LFS which only supports configuration with the terminal. If I choose OpenSUSE then what's the coolest environment, Gnome or KDE?

[Bemk]

1. User-friendliness like Ubuntu but more options

In my opinion Ubuntu is very user friendly, but systems like Suse and debian also provide what I call user friendliness.

2. Configuration with the GUI not the Terminal

If you please enable the button for the control center, this one is not defaultly enabled (at least not in 8.04), but if you go to "Main menu" in the submenu "Preferences" in the "System" menu, you can then enable "Control center" under the system tag.

3. Advanced security, a more advanced firewall then Ubuntu

Ufw is only an easy frontend of IPtables, which is a very advanced firewall (working properly as well).

4. A wide variety of programs in the repositries.

Isn't what you find in synaptic not enough? Or do you have the closed source repo's disabled?

My solution, if something isn't in the Ubuntu repo's, just nick it from another, and if necessary, use alien to make it a deb, or else just compile the stuff from code.

If you're not intending to use the terminal, Ubuntu and Suse are some of the best, though, Ubuntu is getting better and better, every release.

By the way, the coolest environment is something I call personal preference.

[Roelof92]

I actually am quite satisfied with Ubuntu. The way configuration is done and the amount of packages is not the problem. I just want my Linux to be a little more difficult, to let me be in control a little more. And a more advanced and complicated way to configure the firewall.

And I think you misunderstood me with one thing. By configuring with the GUI I mean doing administrative tasks the Ubuntu/SUSE/Fedora/whatever way. So click options and stuff and not editing textfiles like in Slackware for example.

[Bemk]

Well, Ubuntu still has the complexity any Linux distribution has, it has only been covered by a graphical shell, which makes it more easy, but if you want to dive into the system, you can do so.

I compiled a new kernel the other day, just to see if it would work. I did it using Ubuntu. Having good repo's is a real advantage.

If you want to access the complexity of the system, you should use the shell, if you want to use the graphical simplicity, use the GUI.

If you use the command line mode (or actually just another TTY, running a shell) you'll probably feel much more engaged with the system.

(If you didn't know this already, you can switch to command line mode by pressing ctrl+alt+f1 through f6 and go back using alt+f7)

For the firewall, just try editing the IPTables rules. You'll see it is really complex.

[reed9]

I'm with everyone else on this. Ubuntu is just as advanced as any other distro out there. I believe the enhanced security in Fedora that you're referring to, is there default use of SELinux., which you can use in Ubuntu as well.

Ubuntu (and other Debian-based distros) have a larger repository of software than any other distros, and anything another distro uses, you can find and use in Ubuntu.

I also have had the same experience as bigtomrodney regarding fedora and suse repos. I like to tinker, but I don't like to be forced to tinker because things that should work, don't. I also find package management in all of the rpm based distros I've used painfully slow.

The fact is, if you want more control, you pretty much need to learn some command line basics. After using Arch for a while, I personally find the command line is far quicker and simpler to use for basic system admin stuff, package management, adding/removing users, a lot of basic file management, than GUI tools. So even when I'm using Ubuntu, I tend to go right for the terminal to install or look at stuff. At the same time, I really know very little. For example, I have yet to be able to wrap my mind around sed, and looking at scripts that use it makes my eyes water.

If you want more control with Ubuntu (or Debian), do a minimal install and add just the packages you want. Or install something like Crunchbang and try out a different desktop environment/window manager.

If you want to live a little more on the bleeding edge, check out Sidux.