Knoppix

[BusterDBK]

I agree with Dave, Knoppix and SuSe are very user-friendly.

I'm still kind of a Linux begginer myself and I started out with Damn Small Linux, then Knoppix (it also doesn't need very much hard drive space) and SuSe. One good thing about SuSe if you're a beginner is that it has YaSt for automatically installing .rpm packages (many programs distributed under that form).

Whatever you decide to use, good luck!

P.S.: Also, if I'm not mistaking, you can also more easily install software in Knoppix 4.0 than in older versions as it can store data on a persistent Knoppix image and combine directories (it gives the impression that you can write in a read-only directory - actually what you see is a combination between the read-only dir and data stored in your computer's memory or on the hard drive). I find it good for experimenting but an installation is still much better.

[Gut_Eater]

I agree with Dave, too. Ubuntu and openSuSE might be the right choice. I use Suse since some years now and i am pleased with it.
Suse and Ubuntu have the advantage, that many information, dokus and programs can be found in the internet. (Yes esteel, I know, the same thing with debian ) And they are quite newbie-friendly.
If you use Ubuntu you need a good internet connection all the time, cause you have to download additional programs. The Ubuntu install-cd only contains basic programs.
If you want to use Suse, you need the internet connection mostly only when downloading the 5 cd-isos. It is shipped with much software. I would recommend to use the version 10.0 and not the newest 10.1. Version 10.1 seems to have many bugs and i read about some problems with it. Version 10.0 is running here since release-date without problems and without a crash.

Whatever people say, you will always have to configure some things by hand. Although these things are getting less. On the other side, you get to know your OS better.

<flamewar on> Try Linux, overcome the problems that occur at the beginning and you will never want to go back to Windows. That is my story .<flamewar off>

[PHREAK]

I don't think I want to give up windows. It has it's quirks but also its positive aspects.
I will partition my drive and install either suse or ubuntu or whatever else I get to like.
As far as turning my back on windows to a certain extent, I've done that a long time ago. I've been a mac user now for many many years, usually doing all my work (photography, printing, etc) on a mac and wouldn't even think of doing anything creative on a PC. I do like messing with the system though and macs are boring for that sort of stuff. I guess perfection has it's price.

Linux is just something I'd like to mess with...expand my horizon, if you will.
I just might pick the nastiest, hardest to set-up linux distro out there and go with it. What better way to learn that than, eh.

[TehTux]

I've been using Linux for a long time (started with Red Hat 6.0) and have been, since about two years ago, 100% Microsoft free at home.

The battle between Linux and Microsoft will go on forever with the fan boys on either side refusing to budge. It's best to aviod the usual flamewar threads and find something that you enjoy using, whatever it may be, and use it.

I've recently switched from OpenSuse 10.1 to Kubuntu 6.06 LTS. I've been an "RPM'er" for so long and switching to using apt-get is fan-bloody-tastic. Any application you'd like in the pool over over 10,000 - just type:

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sudo apt-get install [b]application_name[/b]

It'll download the application, install the application (and any dependancies), configure it and add it to your menu system. You can use the graphical tool if you're that way inclined though I'm hooked on the power of the console.

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IF you understand computing AND are willing to learn AND are willing to give up some games THEN
  use linux
ELSE
  stick with Windows
END IF


[C.Brutail]

I think windows is only for playing, not real work. Show me one university or company that computes it's stuff on non *nix systems. I think you won'T find any.

If you need SERIOUS (and I mean it) work, use *nix. If you don'T care about monthly - 2 monthly reinstalls, but still wanna have fun - use windows. I'm not saying This can't be done on a *nix system, but harder (With user friendly distros like ubuntu not hat hard now, but still I'M sure you'll need to rtfm a lot )

[kern]

ive used knoppix and some of its live CD variants, mainly for recovery/security/forensics and found them to be excellent.
Altho as above, i too think knoppix main distro is getting cumbersome.

couple of links you might like to try:

http://www.livecdlist.com/index.php

http://www.knoppix.net/wiki/Knoppix_Customisations

For me the home setup is Arch linux with xfce4 destop/wm.
Fast, reliable and a rolling release package update system.

We also have a place for Windows here.
Usually about 3-4ft / 1-1.5m off the ground and placed strategically over a large hole in the wall in each room.

[:)]

I think windows is only for playing, not real work. Show me one university or company that computes it's stuff on non *nix systems. I think you won'T find any.

Congratulations to my university for setting up a 16-node computer cluster using Microsoft® Windows® Compute Cluster Server 2003®®®®®.

Get the facts: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver/ ... s/vti.mspx

[leileilol]

Microsoft and "facts"?




HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

[Psychcf]

yeah it's more like microsoft and "What we wished our product is, but you'll believe us because 90% of our users are complete asshats!"

[dweep]

if you will.
I just might pick the nastiest, hardest to set-up linux distro out there and go with it. What better way to learn that than, eh.

perhaps try slackware. its the most "basic" distribution with lots of manual administration tasks. for the easy route i also recommend opensuse. 10.2 works nicely