Getting Linux

ajtribick · Post #1by **ajtribick** » 24.05.2007, 14:01

I'm considering installing Linux on my machine (a laptop with an NVIDIA GoFX 5200 card), and obviously I want to be able to run Celestia in addition to things like OpenOffice, POVray, the GIMP. What's a good distribution to get started with? Preferably towards the user-friendly end of the spectrum?

Any help much appreciated.

Post #2by **t00fri** » 24.05.2007, 14:22

OpenSuSE(Novell) is never wrong. Has even been MUCH improved recently, as concerns automatic hardware recognition, WLAN, ACPI and all that. Notebook support in general.

I use OpenSuSE 10.1 and am very content. I have been with SuSE since it started (> 10 years ago). My laboratory used it for many years with many thousands of installations on site. Meanwhile we have switched to "Scientific Linux/Redhat/CERN" at the official front.

Bye Fridger

Post #3by **Christophe** » 24.05.2007, 14:28

One in the Ubuntu family seems to be the way to go these days. It's user friendly without being to much "dumbed down".

Proprietary drivers are provided so it has a fairly good hardware support, you may want to check the forums first to see if users with the same hardware as yours are reporting any problems.

Post #4by **Christophe** » 24.05.2007, 14:34

t00fri wrote:OpenSuSE(Novell) is never wrong

he he

I didn't see your answer Fridger.

Of course, being linuxly oecumenical, I shall add that Fedora or openSUSE (I believe this is the now correct cApiTaliSation of the distribution formerly known as SuSE ;-)

), are equaly good choices.

ajtribick · Post #5by **ajtribick** » 25.05.2007, 22:46

Cheers for the info... I've decided to try out OpenSUSE, once I can get the setup CDs burned.

ajtribick · Post #6by **ajtribick** » 05.08.2007, 00:39

Hmm... my laptop gets much hotter running OpenSUSE.

This causes major slowdowns (presumably it's the CPU being throttled). Back to WinXP until I find a fix I think.

Boux · Post #7by **Boux** » 11.08.2007, 10:11

You may want to give a go to Mandriva 2007.1 Spring.
There are kernels available specially patched for laptops, with energy management and all.
Very user-friendly, unmatched hardware recognition, very efficient control panel.
I recently installed i on a 3 years old Dell. Worked out of the box.
I have tried/tested almost all current distribs. This one is very well balanced imo.

ajtribick · Post #8by **ajtribick** » 15.08.2007, 19:43

I've decided to try Ubuntu, and I'm impressed so far: seems to start up faster, and it also appears to be able to handle the fan. Plus there's only one install disc, as opposed to the three (minimum) for openSUSE.

Post #9by **t00fri** » 15.08.2007, 20:21

chaos syndrome wrote:I've decided to try Ubuntu, and I'm impressed so far: seems to start up faster, and it also appears to be able to handle the fan. Plus there's only one install disc, as opposed to the three (minimum) for openSUSE.

Strange, I have never used more than 1 disk even for the "kingsize" installation. With Suse there is always a set of CD's and --alternatively-- 1 (double sided) DVD. People who boot from the CD's are masochists ;-)

Bye Fridger

Bluespace · Post #10by **Bluespace** » 31.08.2007, 10:15

hmmm. what about Debian4 ? 21 CD's :wink:

ok u already got one for ur laptop, anyway if you are not satisfied with it, i think the knoppix will be the best choice as it has a great hardware support builtin (and it comes as a live CD, so you can try it without installing, + you can install it on HDD if you like it )( KDE desktop IS much more resourceful than Gnome desktop of ubuntu)

+ in this site you can check what the other users are using (with your current laptop model )
http://www.linux-laptop.net/