How to Find the Perfect Linux Distribution for You

[pokerfan]

I'm still running Ubuntu 10.4 LTS and while it's supported for another year I feel like I have a decision coming up with the release of 12.04.

Linux is a badass open-source operating system. Take it from a card-carrying Linux lover. But it's not without problems. One such problem: There are nearly six hundred different versions of Linux out there—an incredibly overwhelming number to even the most experienced of Linux users. If you've tinkered with Linux a bit and want to move beyond the basics, here's how to narrow down that selection and find the distribution that fits your needs.

http://lifehacker.com/5889950/how-to-find-the-perfect-linux-distribution-for-you

[2ndAmForComputers]

1. CentOS 6 will have support until 2021.

And it uses the good old GNOME 2. Looks just like Fedora before they went to GNOME Stupid.0.

[dem644555il]

2. hmm

[knightfiend]

3. do you remember OS/2?

"There are nearly six hundred different versions of Linux out there—an incredibly overwhelming number to even the most experienced of Linux users. "

That's not a problem, that's choice. Were there only one Linux distribution available, a certain "monopoly" would've destroyed it and Linux would've been devoured like OS/2 and other tales in software history.

[outofstep]

4. You dont need to search around

The answer is Ubuntu or Mint.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. Opensuse Evergreen

Another option is the Evergreen project for Opensuse. It provides infinite community mirror support for 11.1 to 11.4 so you don't have to keep upgrading your system with a reinstall of the latest OS to get security updates and bug fixes. Instructions are at their website for setting up repos and the prior OS's are there too.

I have a quad boot system with XP, Vista, Suse and Ubuntu.

[Boo_Radley]

6. Ubuntu or Fedora

I'd say either Ubuntu or Fedora for anyone who has to ask, only because everyone on Earth knows at least one of the two, so they can get help easier. When I first started, it was all about Slackware 2.0 and Red Hat Linux 3.0 (back before the RHEL/Fedora split). I liked Slackware better, but Red Hat because the OS of choice for Corporate America (where I work), so I started using Red Hat (later Fedora) at home, just because I also use it at work. Now no one uses Slackware.

I don't care much for ubuntu. I tried it once and didn't see what was so great about it, but I'd still throw that out as an option for newbs, just because so many people use it, so it will be easier to get support.

And, really, the question only applies to newbies. Anyone who needs to ask the question really needs to stick to a popular and easy distro.

[struggle4progress]

9. Quick peak at Distro Watch suggests lots of folk still regularly check out Slackware

[pwhtckll]

7. Ubuntu 12.04

I have Ubuntu 12.04, but use virtual machines (via Oracle VM VirtualBox) to try other distros. I haven't found one I like better than Ubuntu, but it's a fun way to play with other systems.

[struggle4progress]

8. I've tried a bunch. Now I think I'm going to stuff different distros on different machines

I just put Slackware on a little netbook that I'd upgraded. I'm really impressed with the distro, in part because it seems solid and well documented, and in part because there's an active community that likes it. Good info is easy to get and easy to apply. Changed the run-level -- bam! I've suddenly got access to a bunch of desktop environments. Wireless for my own network was really pretty easy to configure

I just put Fedora on another netbook. Here, I'm much less impressed. Good info is harder to get: packages don't always work like they're supposed to. And it seems slow and clunky to me. Another pizzer: Fedora is starting to merge all the bins into /usr/bin with some symlinks in the old standard places. I think that means Fedora is planning to wander off the ranch in terms of file organization. I can't see how that will help me learn linux. I'll keep Fedora on the machine a while, but I had Debian on that machine, and I think I'm likely to go back to Debian

I have Knoppix on one super-cheap machine. It works great.

I have Arch on another machine. It's a really good learning experience

[TruthAnalyzed]

10. I'm a speed junkie

I'm constantly looking for ways to speed up my computer.

I started with Windows... disabling processes, uninstalling programs, etc...
Then I went to Ubuntu... better, but not as much as I hoped.
I tried the lighter windows managers for Ubuntu(Lubuntu, etc)... better, but still not as much as I hoped.
Tried Mint... tried a few other distros...

Now, I'm working off of Arch+Openbox, and I love it. I don't have anything other than bare-bones put into it... menu bar or anything. I use some 90mb of RAM on startup, and I mapped all of the programs I use to keyboard shortcuts, so I don't even have to right-click to select programs.

Now I'm compiling my own OS with Linux From Scratch... the move to Arch and now LFS has taught me a lot, and I love how insanely fast my barebones OS's are.

I also have Puppy Linux on a USB stick, I carry it around with me when I'm out.

[martheus99]

11. Spam deleted by hlthe2b (MIR Team)