Best Linux for running Windows?

[davestar_delux]

Hey looking for a good distro that I can mess around with like any other but with less guff installed and good performance so I can run Windows in a VM?

I run Ubuntu at the moment but it has loads of stuff I don't need installed like Firefox and OpenOffice. I do my surfing on Windows and Linux is more used as my 'techy' environment for programming.

 

[AJUK]

Erm, you can surf the interwebs in Linux you now. Ironically in a safer environment than Windows. If you need to run a VM for testing VirtualBox will do you fine.

 

[LabR@t]

you can uninstall apps on linux

If you no longer want to use a package, you can remove it from your system using APT. To do this just type: apt-get remove package. For example:
# apt-get remove gnome-panel
Reading Package Lists... Done
Building Dependency Tree... Done
The following packages will be REMOVED:
gnome-applets gnome-panel gnome-panel-data gnome-session
0 packages upgraded, 0 newly installed, 4 to remove and 1 not upgraded.
Need to get 0B of archives. After unpacking 14.6MB will be freed.
Do you want to continue? [Y/n]

 

[smids]

I always find CentOS a nice clean, low resource OS. It's a server OS really, so that should be a good choice.

 

[craptakular]

arch?

 

[BigglesPiP]

Debian's base install is good. Doesn't even have a gui.

Most of the rubbish you don't want comes with Gnome or KDE, for which there are also base installs, or you could try something like XFCE.

 

[pingwing]

arch?

or gentoo?

 

[BillytheImpaler]

Debian Stable base install with no GUI gives you a pretty much blank slate. You can then install a low-resource desktop by installing xorg and fluxbox or similar.

That'd give you low overhead and the familiarity of Debian packaging.

 

[UK|AL]

or gentoo?

Can't sleep. Compiling.

 

[pingwing]

Can't sleep. Compiling.

Hahaha, set it up to download some pre-compiled stuff for larger applications.... (though iv never done it being that cool....)

 

[Vonhelmet]

XUbuntu.

I also don't see why you insist on surfing in Windows, unless you're hooked on ActiveX or something.

 

[GarethDW]

I also don't see why you insist on surfing in Windows, unless you're hooked on ActiveX or something.

*shudder*

 

[sc0tt10]

Can't sleep. Compiling.

love the xkcd reference. but anyway, why in god's name would you want windows just for "surfing"? its just the same as ubuntu in that aspect, but ubuntu is more secure.

 

[Rich43]

Why did it take so long to suggest Ubuntu?
Ubuntu.

Also try VirtualBox.

 

[marscay]

I run Ubuntu at the moment but it has loads of stuff I don't need installed like Firefox and OpenOffice.

o-rly

Why did it take so long to suggest Ubuntu?
Ubuntu.

hmmm there could be a very valid reason why no-one else suggested Ubuntu

i vote for Arch (as usual) as it's lean and runs like a scalded cat.

 

[BigglesPiP]

Why did it take so long to suggest Ubuntu?
Ubuntu.

Because the OP already uses ubuntu, and is looking for an alternative.

 

[yashiro]

In theory, Solaris should be pretty awesome for Virtualisation.

Sun's own Virtualbox on Sun's own OS. Plus Solaris is often faster than Linux for pure computational tasks.
About the only thing it's better at, but still.

 

[TheOtherPhil]

In theory, Solaris should be pretty awesome for Virtualisation.

Sun's own Virtualbox on Sun's own OS. Plus Solaris is often faster than Linux for pure computational tasks.
About the only thing it's better at, but still.

Solaris (or should I say Open Solaris) has been proven not to be as fast as Linux (or should I say Ubuntu?)

http://www.phoronix.com/vr.php?view=13475

 

[yashiro]

Based on those tests from that site, yes.

 

[TheOtherPhil]

Based on those tests from that site, yes.

Well, you did say Solaris is often faster than Linux at pure computational tasks without offering any evidence. I'd be interested in any links that you may have, so I and others, can better evaluate Solaris/ open Solaris.

Many thanks!