What's the better linux distro?

[jacbu]

I recently experimented with installing linux on my pc and I really love it. Actually I'm liking it better than my MACbook Pro & Windows XP desktop. I'm actually starting to do more and more stuff on my linux machine than my Mac & windows OS computer. Totally unexpected for me really. (but off course I still use Mac at work because that's what the boss wants)
I don't know if it's true or not but I feel more secure browsing the internet with the linux machine.
Having said all that, I'm debating between installing PClinuxOS2007 or Sabayon for my main desktop computer. Ubuntu is out - for some reason my video card goes crazy with it (Radeon9800)
I actually already started with installing PCLOS & it works great but does not support my 64bit processor. I played with the 64 bit Sabayon live CD and it also works great but my TV tuner doesn't want to start.
WHaaaaa! Sabayon? PCLOS? which one? HELP me choose!

BTW the linux 3D Beryl - Compiz desktop insterface thing is awesome! I really like it better than the new vista & leopard. It's CRAZY that it's FREE!
Blender 3d modeler, Gimp photo editing, Xara vector drawing is so good - I wonder how this is affecting those companies who charge thousands of dollars for programs that do the same thing ^u^

 

[hopper]

hmm best linux distro i suppose would be the one that suits your needs
i personally would go with fedora
it may not be the 'easiest' out there or the most 'powerfull'
it probably isnt even the 'best'
but its not that hard to use
its decently flexible esepecailly the more recent ones
and its easy to install
suse isnt that bad either, nore is debian but espeically with debian the installers arent as easy

 

[sathyabhat]

It's alll subjective really - what's best for on person maynot be the best for the other. I prefer openSUSE. It's worked GREAT for me for quite some time now!

 

[jacbu]

I actually tried fedora & suse before but I was finding it hard to make everything work (specially my TV card). Yeah I can't seem to learn all this manual command prompt typing anymore. SUDO this SUDO that...I get blehhh. Weird, when not long ago (90's) I was so used to typing away commands in DOS & autocad. All this nice GUI things have spoiled me.

Main purpose of this desktop is to be a media center & work secondary. From all the distros I've tried my hardware only seems to play with PCLOS - everything works after installation(and on live disk). I just wished it supported 64bit processors. I don't care anymore, just as long I can watch my TV while I eat breakfast.
I guess that's it then, PCLOS with KDE is the ONE for me
So long 64bit Sabayon you where good (but a bit bloated with none sense software for me) maybe I'll check you out when I get new hardware. Maybe then you'll work the TV.
Now if I can only make the digital coax out for sound work. Every distro I played with can't seem to make it work (doesn't even show controls for it
I can always just plug in to the amp analog but boooo to that.

 

[denaon]

I used to have Elive in my HD.... it worked perfectly fine for me...
http://www.elivecd.org/

As I'm kind of a newbie with Linux the only thing I can say for sure it's that it wasn't complicated at all to install and it recognised every hardware I have

 

[jacbu]

Looks like I can't make this media-center-&-work desktop pure linux. From time to time I need to create flash animation & I couldn't find any program that does that in linux. Well... actually there are tiny programs out there that does basic animation but they are so far from cs flash functionality.
I have to make this thing dual boot with windows then.

BTW ELIVE looks interesting but TV functionality is not automatic.

 

[hopper]

tv card eh? i STILL havnt gotten my tv card to work properly.. it works but well.. i cant record with sound hehe.. but someday, anyways.. good luck at finding what works and dont give up and all that

 

[jacbu]

Yeah...all because of my TV Card (ASUS TV Fm). Yikes that reminds me, I haven't tried the record functionality.
Just for fun I downloaded Ubuntu 8.04 64bit hopefully this new version would work better than v.7.
But really I'm already sold out to PCLOS (for now - well because of my current hardware)
Edit:
I just tried the latest Ubuntu 8.04 desktop 64bit. My TV card didn't work :dunno: oh well....

 

[allinone]

because i have always been struggling with harddisk space so i will opt for these.
1.DSL
2.Puppy linux
3.geexbox(media center only)

 

[tangbaba]

I've got to say that I love Ubuntu. For the poster who had problems with his TV card- there may be a work-around for it if you're into tinkering. Just post on the Ubuntu forums- the community is very supportive and has helped me with any hardware problems that I have ran across (like when I installed Xubuntu onto an ancient laptop of mine).
Plus- Ubuntu is one of the most popular distributions out there. Remember that hacking contest to see which system would fall first to hacking attempts (about a month or so ago)- the distribution that they used for the Linux box was Ubuntu

 

[hopper]

not to sound like an advertisement but
i've been a member of http://www.linuxquestions.org for many years now and they have helped me solve many of my issues. it is a HUGE forum with lots of active members, i would reccomend signing up there
p.s. i am not affiliated with them in any way and am NOT advertising for them
hope ta see ya there
good luck

 

[jacbu]

Yes Ubuntu is awesome. It was my first ever experience of Linux and I was so impressed with it.
The reason I tried it again yesterday because it ranked number 1 in distrowatch.com (PCLOS is #2). It was great to see Ubuntu operate in 64bit- the last time I tried using 64bit Ubuntu(fiesty fawn I think) it didn't work out very well for me. But the new 8.04 works! But not my TV Card, maybe I will try getting answers on their forum.

 

[ootini]

I'd have to say my personal recommendation would be for Kubuntu 7.10 Gutsy.

It's gorgeous and fast! Also very easy to use.

 

[kanno]

I highly recommend Ubuntu 8.04, I have just installed it on a laptop recently and it recognized everything. I have always used Ubuntu and it seems to be the distro that is the easiest to use and it causes me the least hassle.

 

[kkenny]

Here's my two cents.

Whatever floats your boat. You will have to in the end make the final decision we can only influence it. I suggest choosing Ubuntu because if you don't know much about how Linux works, using other OS'es without big communities can be a pain trying to fix (UBuntu has a massive community, simple fixes can be given in 10 mins)

I myself am using Fedora.

 

[soporteweb]

ubunto 8.04 lts is good i has a problem with a wireless adapter , but with this version evething is ok.

 

[sonicsshadow]

I prefer Ubuntu 7, mainly because I hear 8 still has some bugs or whatever. But it's mainly up to you and what you want out of your operating system.

 

[tnl2k7]

Hello,

I'd go for Ubuntu. It seems (for me) to be more stable than Debian and I like the package management system. The support forums are really good, the people there are really knowledgeable and always seem willing to help where they can.

I use Compiz Fusion because I like having a fancy desktop, I like it even more the fact that there's no lag like with the tatty 'effects' in Vista.

I've got my TV card working, I'm trying to configure MythTV to work the way I want it to, for some reason I can't get MythTV to work with my TV card, despite the fact it works with other applications.

But yeah I like Ubuntu, it's secure, stable and fast, and the server edition makes configuring a standard web server easy, it take about 20-30 minutes to install and configure Apache, MySQL, Bind, Webmin, Usermin, PHP, Postfix etc.

I run Ubuntu without any other OS installed, and I'm glad I do. All my programs work without problems and there's a lot more Linux games than the press would have you think. Ubuntu really is becoming a mainstream OS now, it's getting better with every release.

We run Fedora at school for the weird TV server we've got, I detest the operating system. For the fourth time I watched the TV as the power to the server was cycled because it froze......not a good impression =P

-Luke.

-Luke.

 

[kanno]

I run Ubuntu without any other OS installed, and I'm glad I do.

I am the same I run only Ubuntu and I love it.

All my programs work without problems and there's a lot more Linux games than the press would have you think.

Thats true, all it requires is a bit of google-ing and you would be surprized at the results.

I also hate Fedora but people have different taste in almost everything, I don't judge anyone because they use Fedora... If they love it then good for them.

 

[hussam]

hi guys

im getting sick of my windows xp, and vista needs a super computer to run

im thinking of either Ubuntu or Knoppix

although i didnt try any, but knoppix has always been recommended on linux.com for hardware

Knoppix is a popular live Linux distribution known for its excellent hardware support

hope that helped