Which linux distro should I use?

[wawnahbEE]

I want to start using linux for my everyday computing and as a learning platform for things like programming, web design, and linux itself. Right now all I've got is a laptop with a brick for a hard drive so it also needs to work well from my 8 gig usb stick. Basically this is what I'm looking for:

free
fast
easy to use
lots of support
good distro for learning under the hood stuff
works well from a usb

I know theres a lot of threads like this but this is my second day of searching for a distro and I still haven't made a decision.

[jayd512]

Take a look through this page.
There are a few tips for looking for a distro, as well as a couple of 'distro quizzes' that may help you find the right version of Linux for you.

[wawnahbEE]

Yes I've had a look at distro watch, did a lot of googleing, and took the quiz, but I'm still confused. It seems like Ubuntu is the one I should default to at first unless I specifically need a certain feature from another distro. The problem is, I need to keep the os and all my files on a usb until I get a new hard drive, and I don't thin Ubuntu would be a great distro for that.

I've had a look at a lot of the more lightweight distros designed specifically for usb drives such as dsl and puppy, but I'm not sure if I will be able to use them or not because of my technical skills (well, lack of).

[jayd512]

If the size of the OS is an issue, you could look at antiX or Slitaz.

And both of them have great communities to help you out with any specific issues that may arise.

[rokytnji]

Yes I've had a look at distro watch, did a lot of googleing, and took the quiz, but I'm still confused. It seems like Ubuntu is the one I should default to at first unless I specifically need a certain feature from another distro. The problem is, I need to keep the os and all my files on a usb until I get a new hard drive, and I don't thin Ubuntu would be a great distro for that.

I've had a look at a lot of the more lightweight distros designed specifically for usb drives such as dsl and puppy, but I'm not sure if I will be able to use them or not because of my technical skills (well, lack of).

Then do what I did. Easy as Pie. Debian Based. For 8gig I would use the full Iso. More Tools included.

antiX-forum - View topic - Antix 11 antix2usb persistent

[wawnahbEE]

Ok I'll start googleing antiX Slitaz.

I was looking at puppy this morning and thought it was pretty cool, any thoughts on how friendly it is to a newb?

[rokytnji]

I run Puppeee on a SD card on my Netbooks. Pretty easy to use also.

[MASONTX]

I agree with roky, antiX would be the way to go, although puppy would be a close second choice. AntiX, to me, just feels a little more user friendly, but I have used both on an old PIII 500 with 8 GB hd.

[rm-rf]

I have heard of one distro called "linux from scratch", which is supposed to be good for learning about Linux (though I have never tried it).

[oz]

free
fast
easy to use
lots of support
good distro for learning under the hood stuff
works well from a usb

It's usually easier to learn more about how distributions work if you choose one that you have to do more of the configuring manually, such as Arch, Crux, Debian, Gentoo, Slackware, etc. Those distros that are generally considered "easier" by new users do a lot of hand-holding so it's harder for many users to force themselves to dig deeper into the inner intricacies of the distribution. That said, you should be able to learn the same things from any distro if you really want to learn, and you apply yourself.

"Linux From Scratch" as suggested by someone above might be your best option for digging deeply into it, but it's more of a side project than it is a "use it every day" distribution.