Which distro and install?

[1pudding1]

Hi, looking for a little guidance on which distro to install. Ive never used Linux before, and will be installing as a dual boot with Win XP on a AMD XP2500 with 1GB RAM.

I have downloaded Kubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, but am not sure if that would be best for me, or the Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4, or just plain Ubuntu? Any help on which would be best for me, and what the main differences/restrictions of each are?

I have 80GB primary hard disk, and could partition this 40/40, or have a secondary 60G that I could dedicate to Linux? Which would be best?

Thanks for any help, I'll get back to searching and reading about it all, theres so much info I just keep skipping between so many sites/forums and getting confused!

 

[Outcast]

Kubuntu is Ubuntu using Kde desktop instead of gnome. It's really a matter of your personal taste. Most windows users trying linux prefer the kde interface, I know I used to when I was running debian 64 but since changing over to Ubuntu, kde just seems so wrong now.

It's all irrelevant anyway as you can install both desktop environments anyway.
Probably with the command

Sudo apt-get install kubuntu-desktop

or something similar. I would think its even in synaptic if you prefer to use a gui.

As for what drive to install on... I'd use the second drive for linux myself. but again... Thats up to you.

 

[eXor]

Hi, looking for a little guidance on which distro to install. Ive never used Linux before, and will be installing as a dual boot with Win XP on a AMD XP2500 with 1GB RAM.

I have downloaded Kubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron, but am not sure if that would be best for me, or the Kubuntu 8.04 KDE4, or just plain Ubuntu? Any help on which would be best for me, and what the main differences/restrictions of each are?

Google is your friend. Just for starters, http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/kdegnome

I have 80GB primary hard disk, and could partition this 40/40, or have a secondary 60G that I could dedicate to Linux? Which would be best?

I'd have Linux on the secondary and unplug the XP primary during the install, just in case something goes wrong.

Depends which way you want to go. Use the BIOS to select which drive, and hence which OS, to boot up? Use the Windows bootloader? Use the Linux ( GRUB ) bootloader?

 

[1pudding1]

Thanks for the replies and link. Think I will go with the Hardy Heron Ive got and format my 2nd disk to dedicate to Linux, and I guess use GRUB as that will be the easiest thing as it will install automatically when I install Kubuntu?

 

[|Thomas|]

Thanks for the replies and link. Think I will go with the Hardy Heron Ive got and format my 2nd disk to dedicate to Linux, and I guess use GRUB as that will be the easiest thing as it will install automatically when I install Kubuntu?

Absolutely. Also don't unplug your windows hard drive when you do the install, otherwise ubuntu won't detect the windows install and you won't be able to pick it from the grub menu. You'd have to manually add it to the menu which if you've never used linux before would be a pain. You could select which hard drive to boot from using the bios each time but grub is much easier and quicker.

 

[NicNac]

Just go ahead and install it any of your problems an pretty much ironed out after the install anyway. Just dont install it to the windows drive you have by mistake

 

[Fop]

Coming from windows with little to no Linux experience?

I'd say http://www.pclinuxos.com/ and the 2007 version (full 2008 will be out soon - don't mess with the minime version till you know what you're doing) it's KDE and quite windows-ish, a rolling update distro with a lovely package/update manager (it's not bleeding edge, but it is fairly up-to-date and very reliable), and it's very GUI friendly (and you don't have to delve into the command line unless you want to) and easy to set up and use.

I can't imagine any windows user having any real problem with it, it's just so nicely designed.

 

[1pudding1]

Hmm, thanks for the alternative, will take a look and check it out.

 

[Outcast]

I tried PcLinuxOS but disliked it.

Try Mandriva.

 

[Fop]

I tried PcLinuxOS but disliked it.

Try Mandriva.

Aye the new Mandriva is nice (and has some great hardware detection - one of the few that will automatically configure my sound on install), but I still think PCLinuxOS (which was originally a Mandriva offshoot of course) is the distro that'll give people coming straight from windows the least issues and easiest learning curve.

 

[1pudding1]

Just installing Kubuntu on what was my secondary / D: drive. Im not sure which options to use on step 4 of the installation when preparing the disk space? Ive looked around but none seem to specify what I should use. I am using the entire disk space, and then there is a slider to vary, what is this for and what is each partition used for? Any advice?

 

[1pudding1]

Re-post.

 

[jack.mitchell]

Hi mate,

Is there not a guided install option which says use entire disk and then you select the disk you wish to use? I havnt installed kubuntu recently but i could have sworn there was a similar option.

On another note, I would most definetly try Linux Mint, Mepis, Dreamlinux and second the Mandriva suggestion.

Jack.

 

[1pudding1]

What, rather than Kubuntu, Whys that? I did the install using the entire disk as you said, but have no idea how much has been allocated for swap, / or /home etc. Also, how the hell do you get wireless net to work? I can see my wireless card in the network adapters, but cant configure to log onto my net. Is there any kind of browser for wireless networks?

 

[.walls]

I tried PcLinuxOS but disliked it.

Try Mandriva.

Wow - helpful post. Perhaps give some reasons why you disliked it rather than making a flat statement.

I've tried lots of linuxes and disliked them, but I've also tried lots and liked them - each distro has it's own strengths and weaknesses and the OP is looking for help choosing a distro.

Simply stating "I didn't like distro Y" isn't very useful.

 

[pingwing]

Im going to say i tried PcLinuxOS and didnt like it either

But its because it felt very bloated and slow (on my old athlon 2400). Im also not a KDE fan, found the package management system slow and poorly done.

It does have two redeeming features of turning up with all the right codecs to play mp3 and such like (from what i remember) and found my sound card straight away (this impressed me a little drunk...)

As for distro advice id recomend maybe ubuntu (gnome is nicer than kde in kubuntu in my opinion) or just jump into the deep end and give Gentoo or Slackware a razzle (both can be tuned nicely to run really fast on your spec machine)

As for wireless networks its probably best to search the ubuntu forums for some help, as they are really hard to get working if your card doesnt have linux drivers (your looking at ntdsl wrapper which isnt fun)

 

[Outcast]

Wow - helpful post. Perhaps give some reasons why you disliked it rather than making a flat statement.

I've tried lots of linuxes and disliked them, but I've also tried lots and liked them - each distro has it's own strengths and weaknesses and the OP is looking for help choosing a distro.

Simply stating "I didn't like distro Y" isn't very useful.

Yeah, sorry.. I was in a hurry.

Anyway.. Basically... what ^^^^ he said.

 

[Fop]

Im going to say i tried PcLinuxOS and didnt like it either

But its because it felt very bloated and slow (on my old athlon 2400). Im also not a KDE fan, found the package management system slow and poorly done.

It does have two redeeming features of turning up with all the right codecs to play mp3 and such like (from what i remember) and found my sound card straight away (this impressed me a little drunk...)

Well if you don't like KDE it's never going to impress you (although there is a gnome version ).

I'm a bit bemused by your package management comment though as really rather simple and nicely designed (it doesn't have big commercial backing however so occasionally repositories need to be changed).

But as I said I'm talking from a straight from windows easy ride into Linux perspective (as oppose to a "right this is linux wtf do I do now? I'm lost and a little scared.... Hmm... I'm back off to windows" perspective ), not really a poweruser one (if you were using this flavour as such you'd be better off using the Minime2008 and put together your own remaster).

Also if you were drunk at the time of trying it maybe that explains a lot of things.

 

[pingwing]

haha yeah i may have a peer at this gone version, as writing off stuff one a few experences isnt always good (even if i still cant handle ubuntu...)

I remember finding it hard to remove the preinstalled stuff (probably fixed by now though) as it felt a little too like windows

Anyway iv become too used to gentoo for my own good (along with windows xp but you know) so its off to more linuxness! (and drinking...)

 

[1pudding1]

I want to switch to try Ubuntu. Can I just install this from the CD over the top of Kubuntu ok by formatting the hard disk, without it messing up the GRUB menu which has currently got Kubuntu and WinXP on there? Or do I need to uninstall Kubuntu first somehow?