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linux users - which distro???

JasoninHalifax

Jul 29, 08 13:15

Post #1 of 7 (84 views)

linux users - which distro???	Can't Post

considering switching (back) to Linux, my PC has been getting flaky lately, mostly hardware issues - i have an older machine (4 years old or so) that I have lying around and works perfectly fine, just that it is a LOT faster under Linux.

Only issue is I need to run iTunes (or an equivalent) and would like to be able to synch with my Garmin.

Did a quick search - looks like there are a couple of apps (e.g. Banshee) that will synch with my ipod and pytrainer for the Garmin. Anyone here have any experience with these apps?

Last time I used Linux I used Red Hat and Fedora Core. What is your favorite distro (Ubuntu seems to be popular these days).

whatever I get needs to support a widescreen monitor and webcam, I am assuming that is pretty standard now.

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"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.

jriosa

Jul 29, 08 13:30

Post #2 of 7 (79 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [JasoninHalifax] [In reply to]	Can't Post

well I run either SUSE enterprise or RedHat enterprise, but that is mostly because I can run work based apps on a separate system.

Distro's are for the most part pretty good these days. Personally I prefer KDE as the graphic environment - I find gnome can be a bit cumbersome. Other than that, jsut check that you can set up your partitioning the way you want - I find Suse a bit easier than RedHat in this regard. Package Managers all seem to be aboutthe same these days for ease of use and number of issues, so it is a bit of a mixed game.

I haven't run Ubuntu since it is not a work supported distro - but from what I gather it is popular because it is relatively light weight - you get core stuff and add on as required, instead of being buried with a lot of stuff you might not use - nice for a desktop, not so hot if you are a developer. That may even be a bit harsh becasue you can load whatever you may need in addition, just that gets time consuming compared to having a full blown enterprise install from the beginning.

The one thing I haven't followed in a while is support for wireless - it was still pretty shabby two years ago - hopefully it has gotten better.
Jim

JasoninHalifax

Jul 29, 08 13:33

Post #3 of 7 (76 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [jriosa] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thanks for the insight. yeah I almost forgot about wireless, I am running a wireless system in my house for my desktop. I can easily switch it so I'm wired, it isn't a dealbreaker.

____________________________________
Fishtwitch clique (ex-butterflyer)
"Cats like Ham" - Tom D.

Marco in BC

Jul 29, 08 13:37

Post #4 of 7 (75 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [JasoninHalifax] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I would go for fedora, I think ubuntu doesn't qa as much as they should; last time I installed it I had some lock-ups nearly right away, which is really not something I have ever associated with linux (which I have been using since late 1994)

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A wise man can learn more from a foolish question than a fool can learn from a wise answer.

Jim_n_La

Jul 29, 08 13:50

Post #5 of 7 (67 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [JasoninHalifax] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm running scientific linux right now on my big machine, it's kinda geeky, not easy to install software packages. I'm also running Ubuntu on my laptop, very user friendly, have not encountered lock up problems mentioned by other poster. Also am working with a customer who uses fedora, also pretty user friendly. If I had to pick one I'd probably chose Ubuntu.

No help on iTunes, I run a dual boot on my laptop I keep my iTunes on the Windows side.

Good luck, be sure to back up before you switch over ;)

Jim_n_La
...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but only until it kills you - Cousin Elwood

Dead Horse

Jul 30, 08 6:24

Post #6 of 7 (51 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [JasoninHalifax] [In reply to]	Can't Post

Ubuntu latest distro working fine for me for an older low-powered laptop using wireless. Seems like a nice fit for general office automation/home office purposes.

One cannot enlighten the unconscious.
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TwinDad

Jul 30, 08 8:46

Post #7 of 7 (40 views)

Re: linux users - which distro??? [JasoninHalifax] [In reply to]	Can't Post

I'm running Debian at home on an old 100 MHz Pentium system with a couple hundred MB of RAM. It's not horribly slow. It wasn't too hard to get a new wireless card working, either, though it did take some command line configuration and some text editing.

I haven't tried Ubuntu, and I'm not entirely sure why I went with Debian. Still, I'll give it a vote for not too hard to install and runs decent on old, slow machines.

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