Getting started with Linux
I've heard good things about Linux and I've read a bit about it, but I have no idea how to get started.
What kind of Linux would be best for beginners? I'm aware that there are lots of versions out there but which one would work? I have an older machine, about 5-6 years old. Also is it very hard for Windows users to get used to?
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ChromeFoundry
(3,270 posts)You don't have to actually install it. You can run it from the CD to see if all your hardware is supported and kick the tires before you commit.
Ubuntu seems like a good transition OS as a friendly on-ramp from Windows.
Most importantly... be patient. Expect not to know where everything is on day one. Expect that your PC will be running a lot faster than it did under Windows. You will learn more with every day of your journey. If you have questions or problems, ask here or the million other Internet forums out there supporting Linux.
I'm sure others will offer other options coming from Windows to smooth the transition.
Fumesucker
(45,851 posts)I had an OP up about a year ago on just that..
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x32946
Right now I'm trying Ubuntu 11.10 on a three or four year old machine and while I can surf the web no problem I'm a bit frustrated in doing a lot of the little things like photo editing and recording internet radio to put on my mp3 player that were practically second nature to me in Windows.
Syrinx
(14,804 posts)But I'd actually recommend a Ubuntu derivative, Linux Mint. For two reasons.
First, it comes with all the codecs you need to play all your media files. MP3's and flash video, for example. It's not particularly difficult to add those to Ubuntu, but with Linux Mint it just works out of the box.
Secondly, Ubuntu has started using something called the Unity Desktop by default. Despite being called the Unity Desktop, it uses a paradigm that seems more appropriate to smart-phones and tablets. It seems to me a very alien approach for anyone expecting a traditional desktop experience. It's annoying as hell, in my opinion.
Gnome 3 uses pretty much the same paradigm, but at least Gnome 3 is a lot prettier, in my opinion.
Clem (don't remember his last name), the main developer of Linux Mint, has released early versions of something he calls the Cinnamon Desktop. It's an attempt to develop a traditional desktop using the modern GTK 3 libraries. I'm using it now, and it shows a lot of promise.
I think Unity is garbage. I don't know why the Ubuntu honcho loves it so much. Gnome 3 seems great for tablets and phones, but next to useless for the desktop or laptop. Cinnamon seems the next great desktop environment, though I'm not really crazy about the name of it.
Bottom line: I suggest you give Linux Mint a try with the Cinnamon desktop.
But you can also use a USB thumb drive and try as many live demos as you want.
Good luck.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)Using Ubuntu, started with Karmic, now up to L something build.
I must say that Mr. Dixie put my Linux into a newly built machine tho, with tons of memory.
The BEST thing besides speed is that Linux cleans up after itself, doesn't store used files all over the place,
and has a system for preventing viruses from entering the hard drive, it sort of isolates any,
but there are not many which attack Linux if you do sane surfing.( that is how he explained it to me, sort of)
2nd thing is we use VLC media player, which has almost every codec known to man, I can play anything on it.
User has more control over what programs to add or remove from Linux, very easy to do that via the Synaptic Package Manager drop down. You just check which ones you want, click and they are installed in a flash.
Downside: Netflix will not steam to Linux because Netflix uses Microsoft SilverLight.
Windows based games will not play on Linux.
I like the more intuitive feel of using Linux, my learning curve was fast, then when I went back and used the Windows machine for some things, it was slow, felt "clunky" to use, eventually I just stopped using it.
If I were doing this from scratch, I would probably watch online tutorials on how to get started, and to use different features.
No going back for me.
HopeHoops
(47,675 posts)They'll all work on a machine that "old". And no, it isn't hard to get used to. The gui is actually better than anything M$ has come up with (on all versions). Just download OpenOffice, Thunderbird, Firefox, and Sunbird, and you'll have a machine from hell for pretty much nothing.
Check back here if you have problems. There are plenty of Unix geeks on DU.
TigerToMany
(124 posts)I like what I see so far. I'm going to try to install it later this weekend and see what happens.
pokerfan
(27,677 posts)Already mentioned upthread... is to install the restricted extras. This gets you media stuff like flash, mp3 and video support.
I made the switch almost three years ago and it wasn't that big of a deal. Many of the programs I was already using on Windows (such as the Firefox web browser and the Open Office suite) were open source and I was pleasantly surprised to find them as defaults on Ubuntu. I was already using a web based email program (GMail) so that didn't change.
TigerToMany
(124 posts)Been using Linux for 10 days, like it so far.
One problem though: my microphone isn't working. When I go into "sound settings" there's nothing to choose which device to use and I can't change the options. I'm working on a Dell Latitude D620. It worked okay in Windows.
pokerfan
(27,677 posts)but try the Ubuntu forums (assuming you're using Ubuntu or one of its derivatives like Mint). Try searching the forums first googling SEARCHTERMS site:ubuntuforums.org and if that doesn't work then posting a question. Take a gander at these threads I found:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1574035
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1504774
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1503312
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1562658
