Couple of Linux questions

AHarvey · 9 Jun 2008 at 00:20

Hi all,

Going to download Ubuntu tonight and install it all tomorrow, mainly so that I can start getting used to it and add another skill to my CV, plus I can then try other more in depth distros.

Daft question, but I have an AMD 64 X2 4400+ CPU, which version should I use?

The Standard personal computer (x86 architecture, PentiumTM, CeleronTM, AthlonTM, SempronTM) OR 64bit AMD and Intel computers?

Any advantage or disadvantage of using one over the other?

Will be using linux to get used to it and maybe getting into Python and trying my hand at some security stuff.

Or, should I be looking at jumping straight in with another distro?

Any decent books for linux noobs? beginners to intermediate levels would be good as I like having paper copies of stuff to read.

NicNac · 9 Jun 2008 at 00:37

I'd stick with X86 unless you have 4gig+ of ram. I dont really like ubuntu very much but for someone starting out with linux its a starting point

AHarvey · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:16

Thanks for the reply. Only running 2gb ram as I am still running XP.

Outcast · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:22

Bit of a hole in the 64 bit portage atm.

As your a N00b to Tux best use the i386 version of Ubuntu.. or Mint or.....

AHarvey · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:27

another noob question:

Am I right in thinking that KDE and GNOME are both GUI's? If so, what is the difference?

NicNac · 9 Jun 2008 at 01:32

how they look mainly, best thing to do is install your distro with whatever wm it comes with as default get used to it then try the others. its really easy to do

thegoonden · 9 Jun 2008 at 07:25

KDE and Gnome are both "windows replacements", with GNOME looking more mac-like. They're big and come with a pile of integrated utils and apps.

There are much smaller and lighter managers such as blackbox, xfce, windowmaker.

It's the nicest thing about linux if you ask me....however you'd LIKE your computer to work, that's how you make it work

whitecrook · 9 Jun 2008 at 19:09

KDE and gnome (and XFCE) are 'desktop environments'. They bring to your desktop things like integration between apps, shared memory, spell check anywhere, ability to type in a save dialog ftp://server/myfile.doc and the system knows what that means - yes the sort of things windows and MacOs bring as well.

Alternatively, things like blackbox, windowmaker, fvwm are 'just' window managers. i.e. they theme and decide where to draw and organise desktops and windows. (windows in this case being the 'frame' of your application.

The desktop environments above actually also use a window manager as part of their toolbox, KDE used to use kwin and gnome used to sawmill but now uses Metacity etc.

This is interesting : the post to usenet made by Matthias Ettrich, describing his vision and reasoning behind the need for KDE : http://groups.google.com/group/comp.os.linux.development.apps/msg/cb4b2d67ffc3ffce