Where to start with Linux?

[Lazgoat]

I'd like to give Linux a go and see what its all about. Question is how? Which version? I'm just getting Knoppix 3.6 to play about with while I get the pieces together for another rig, just need motherboard and ram!
Thanks,

Laz.

[piccoLEW]

i use mandrake linux

i got 10.0 and 9.1 disks.

I'm still a learner, until the gameport dongle arrives for my audigy player card all i need to do is in console shell:

cd to /home/lewis/TransGaming \Directory/drive_c/Sierra/Homeworld
su
<password>
nvclock_gtk
exit
cedega homeworld.exe

[Kaitain]

When you're just starting on Linux, the most important aspects are how easy it is to install, whether it will recognise all your hardware and how well it works once it's installed.

With this in mind, since you're building a machine specifically for the task you have the option of making life a whole lot easier for yourself:

Motherboard: most will work nicely. I'd suggest any VIA-based board older than 1 year. Something like a KT333 (or intel equivalent for P4s) would be ideal.
Graphics: nvidia - even if it's a cheap mx200
Sound: Something like a SoundBlaster Live or an Audigy saves a lot of effort
Hard discs: SATA's still fairly new - while Linux itself is happy with SATA, most installers aren't as yet. Stick to PATA

Distribution: It's up to you - they all have their advantages and disadvantages. I would suggest the "larger" distros, still RedHat, Mandrake and SuSE, simply because they have some sort of graphical setup to get you started.

Use: consider what you tend to use your computer for, and what you want to get out of it. If your main interest in computing is gaming, then Linux is probably not for you (yet). If you use it for work - office/productivity/internet/programming etc then you will probably find Linux more useful. Everyone feels differently about their choice of OS - my only recommendation is to expect a certain degree of frustration and awkwardness and not to give up immediately. Remember how long it took you to learn to use a computer in the first place... you're about to start it all over again.

[Lazgoat]

Thanks Kaitain, thats answered all my qestions. I'll probably convert my Epox PC in my sig . It seems to fit the criteria you outlined almost exactly, or was that your line of thinking anyway?

Thanks,

Laz.

[cloasters]

The classic philosophy is: Try as many distro's, uh, distributions as you can. While Linux is Linux, the "front end" of various flavors can be quite a bit different. Or try a few distributions/flavors and see which one you like the best.

SuSE 9.0 found all the hardware drivers and installed them faster than XP--without being online both times I've installed it. Pretty impressive. TBH, you need very little Linux knowledge to install and use SuSE 9.0, and I read that 9.1 is even better.

[dabaerman]

I've been thinking along those lines for a while now. downloading Knoppix 3.6 for much
the same reasons as cloasters. I like the idea of 'seeing' how it works.
now I have to try SuSE 9.0/9.1 also. I have 4 via kt266 with pali procs that will fold
nicely with linux

Ron

[nki69c]

Personally I like Mandrake a whole bunch more. 9.1 was my first install and it went wonderfully. Mandrake is getting alot of flack now because it has become bloated after 8.0, I really don't know much about that but I know that it works really well for me. 10 was an even better install and I like it a whole bunch more. When I installed SuSE 9.1 it had trouble detecting things and it didn't like my video card, granted it is a 9800xt. The control interface seemed so much more intuitive on Mandrake than on SuSE. But that is just my 2 cents...

[GrahamGarside]

mandrake is quite good, not as polished as suse but if you know a bit more about what your doing mandrake is great
I've used version 10 and all my hardware apart from my tv tuner worked great
of course with ati you have to download their drivers seperately from their site but other than that its fine

[piccoLEW]

yea but to get proper use with nvidia graphics cards you still should download the latest driver off their website. i'm still addicted to playing homeworld, i got further than i have before without giving up... i've learned the art of goading ion cannon frigates and other ships out of the big defensive sphere and using salvage corvettes to steal them