PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Apple, Linux & Open Source Software: Help, News & Discussion => Topic started by: sam on September 26, 2008, 12:02
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In theory, any computer running Linux can be custom-built and tweaked down to the very last bit. In reality, a first-time Linux user wants to grab an install CD, get a working desktop, and do their own thing from there. Lots of Linux distributions make claims about being easy to use, fast, or stable, but what does that mean for a non-programmer trying out a Linux system for the first time? Today we're taking a look at the real differences between three popular distributions of open-source software, and offering our readers their chance to weigh in on why they like their own particular open-source OS.
http://lifehacker.com/5054510/battle-of-the-linux-distros
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That will be interesting for when I get home. Presumably, I could use any flavour of Linux on this litte EeePC thing? Or not?
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yep.... just ubuntu has a nice guide... but then again I think quite a few of them have now
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The guide didn't bloody help me! What I want is a Windows-like UI, and not have to learn a new language. I can handle a package manager, but that's about it. :)
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I don't understand - Ubuntu does. And even with windows you occasionally have to get your hands dirty.
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I suppose it does, Sam, but you still have to know all this 'sudo' stuff. Or perhaps I've got that impression from mixing in Linux circles? I don't like the Eee PC anyway. The keyboard is too small, for some reason I find the mousepad hard to use, and the thing keeps freezing on me for a few seconds, more often than not, when using it here on Pals. I'm guessing it needs more RAM, but I wouldn't spend any more money on it.
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I couldn't even install ubuntu on this machine. It gave me a crapload of errors at the shell prompt when I tried. Stuck in the windows cd and it went on through. I intended to put linux on this one, but I didn't feel like fighting the linux install for several days just to use it.
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Linux in all its forms is still too geeky for general use. Which is really sad.
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I suppose it does, Sam, but you still have to know all this 'sudo' stuff. Or perhaps I've got that impression from mixing in Linux circles?
well I can't argue with you that you need to do some commandline stuff... and sudo is just superuser, for security you as the normal user can't do certain tasks.
I couldn't even install ubuntu on this machine. It gave me a crapload of errors at the shell prompt when I tried. Stuck in the windows cd and it went on through. I intended to put linux on this one, but I didn't feel like fighting the linux install for several days just to use it.
New machine? If so that's odd... I wonder if your download / burn was correct?
Linux in all its forms is still too geeky for general use. Which is really sad.
I'm not so sure (but I'm a big geek so... 8-) ) - I think its just everyone is locked in this Microsoft mentality of things. People are hard to change to something new. If I gave you a machine that was boxed with Linux on it, now you could just use it without having todo anything fancy. Hell Mac OS X is just a prettier version (though built from BSB and not Unix)... but then again my gnome desktop looks fairly swish.