What's your Linux Distro?

[Crow550]

I've been browsing various Distros to help a friend out who is building a PC for basic web surfing and such.

Would you recommend for a new user just a basic user friendly Distro like Ubuntu or Mint, PCLinuxOS, Zorin or one of those that have a lot of various features already baked in and pre-installed?

Like: Pinguy OS, Ultimate Edition, PCLinuxOS Full Monty edition?

I gave him a few Distros to check out and info about Linux and such. So he can decide if this is something he wants or not. There are so many Distros I don't wanna give him a ton just yet. Just a few to mess with then if he digs it and wants to check out more.

I enjoy checking the latest on what is coming out with Linux distros. I have used Ubuntu 10 and 11 a bit. I haven't had too much time to mess with it. I am thinking of either dual booting some distros or running them off a USB stick to play around.

I also have an older P4 system I am debating what to do with. That Commodore OS looks pretty cool. LOL!

 

[janas19]

I've been browsing various Distros to help a friend out who is building a PC for basic web surfing and such.

Would you recommend for a new user just a basic user friendly Distro like Ubuntu or Mint, PCLinuxOS, Zorin or one of those that have a lot of various features already baked in and pre-installed?

Like: Pinguy OS, Ultimate Edition, PCLinuxOS Full Monty edition?

I gave him a few Distros to check out and info about Linux and such. So he can decide if this is something he wants or not. There are so many Distros I don't wanna give him a ton just yet. Just a few to mess with then if he digs it and wants to check out more.

I enjoy checking the latest on what is coming out with Linux distros. I have used Ubuntu 10 and 11 a bit. I haven't had too much time to mess with it. I am thinking of either dual booting some distros or running them off a USB stick to play around.

I also have an older P4 system I am debating what to do with. That Commodore OS looks pretty cool. LOL!

Ubuntu 11.10. Show him the Ubuntu Software Center. Dashboard. Applications. Best Linux distro for newbs imo.

Ubuntu Software Center gives them the chance to decide what they like. And Ubuntu is very well supported.

 

[Crow550]

Isn't Distros like Pinguy OS that are based off Ubuntu have similar support? Same software center and such?

 

[Crow550]

What's the best noob lightweight OSes? Puppy & Peppermint?

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

What's the best noob lightweight OSes? Puppy & Peppermint?

Ive been primarily using Lubuntu since i really only use linux on older desktops i own/give away. From my experience it runs better on older hardware than xubuntu, and is more user friendly than most other lightweight distros. (puppy, dsl, etc)

 

[lxskllr]

I don't notice a big difference between Lxde, and Xfce. If the difference between those DEs makes a difference in your setup, you're one fat web page away from disaster, and need to be looking for a distro that's much lighter like Puppy, or TinyCore. Zenix is a nifty light distro. I've played a bit in a vm, and I like what I see. I might like it enough to wipe Ubuntu on my netbook, and install it there.

http://zenix-os.net/

 

[janas19]

I don't notice a big difference between Lxde, and Xfce. If the difference between those DEs makes a difference in your setup, you're one fat web page away from disaster, and need to be looking for a distro that's much lighter like Puppy, or TinyCore. Zenix is a nifty light distro. I've played a bit in a vm, and I like what I see. I might like it enough to wipe Ubuntu on my netbook, and install it there.

http://zenix-os.net/

Hm. Idk if you would notice a big difference b/w Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Lubuntu uses less RAM than Xubuntu though.

 

[lxskllr]

Hm. Idk if you would notice a big difference b/w Lubuntu and Xubuntu. Lubuntu uses less RAM than Xubuntu though.

Not that much less, which was my point. One content heavy webpage will blow that difference out of the water, and bring the whole thing to a halt. If tens of mb makes the difference between runnable, and not, you need to be looking for something much lighter.

 

[janas19]

Not that much less, which was my point. One content heavy webpage will blow that difference out of the water, and bring the whole thing to a halt. If tens of mb makes the difference between runnable, and not, you need to be looking for something much lighter.

This is true.

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

Well also part of it could be i didnt take the version into account. I was using a 2 year old release of xbuntu vs lubuntu 11.10, so that might be part of the problem there.

My biggest problem with puppy was that it was so much different than other ubunut like distros.

When i get some time i want to try out arch, and build it from the ground up.

On a side note, rasberry pi was released today, if i can ever get my hands on one, whats a good distro for it?

http://www.theverge.com/2012/2/29/2832449/raspberry-pi-miniature-computer-on-sale (speaking of big slow content heavy webpages, does the verge website suck for everyone else too?)

 

[Crow550]

I'm looking for various light and heavy weight user friendly Distros to burn on discs and show him some options he has on which one he likes best. He has some spare PCs he doesn't really know what to do with. I have also givin him a fair amount of info on what Linux is and such.

Should I make a new thread on this? I just figured since this is about what Distros people use I could get some better feedback.

 

[janas19]

I'm looking for various light and heavy weight user friendly Distros to burn on discs and show him some options he has on which one he likes best. He has some spare PCs he doesn't really know what to do with. I have also givin him a fair amount of info on what Linux is and such.

Should I make a new thread on this? I just figured since this is about what Distros people use I could get some better feedback.

Actually, we've given you a fair amount of feedback on lightweight distros that WE use, so it's not that you haven't gotten feedback. Now, if you want someone to give you feedback on a Distro which nobody here uses, like Pinguy, a better idea would be to start a thread with a title like "Want to try Pinguy, has anyone else used it?" or "Seeking Pinguy feedback."

Hope it helps you. My recommendation would be to experiment with a mainstream lightweight distro first, or perhaps one that somebody here has used personally like Zenix. Once you get familiar with that, you can move on and have a shared frame of reference.

 

[Crow550]

Actually, we've given you a fair amount of feedback on lightweight distros that WE use, so it's not that you haven't gotten feedback. Now, if you want someone to give you feedback on a Distro which nobody here uses, like Pinguy, a better idea would be to start a thread with a title like "Want to try Pinguy, has anyone else used it?" or "Seeking Pinguy feedback."

Hope it helps you. My recommendation would be to experiment with a mainstream lightweight distro first, or perhaps one that somebody here has used personally like Zenix. Once you get familiar with that, you can move on and have a shared frame of reference.

Thanks I appreciate it. I have been checking the recommendations out.

Also gotta say. SO MANY DISTROS!!!!

 

[iGas]

Default OS is Mint 10. Currently DLing Mint 12 to try out on my 3TB external HD.

 

[ThatsABigOne]

Not that much less, which was my point. One content heavy webpage will blow that difference out of the water, and bring the whole thing to a halt. If tens of mb makes the difference between runnable, and not, you need to be looking for something much lighter.

This is very interesting! Might give me a link to a BIG FAT webpage?

My distros:

Debian for C++ programming.
Slitaz for old computer folding@home.
Lubuntu for screwing around.

Debian and Lubuntu are on VM though. Love Virtualbox!

 

[Nvidiaguy07]

I don't notice a big difference between Lxde, and Xfce. If the difference between those DEs makes a difference in your setup, you're one fat web page away from disaster, and need to be looking for a distro that's much lighter like Puppy, or TinyCore. Zenix is a nifty light distro. I've played a bit in a vm, and I like what I see. I might like it enough to wipe Ubuntu on my netbook, and install it there.

http://zenix-os.net/

out of those three, which would you recommend for an old persons computer, who just needs a browser to check their email. nothing else.

 

[lxskllr]

out of those three, which would you recommend for an old persons computer, who just needs a browser to check their email. nothing else.

Hard to say. A lot of it depends on the person involved. Puppy is "cuter", and would be my choice for a female. TinyCore is lightest, and boots up lightning quick. It also looks kind of like an ancient version of Windows. Zenix is the best looking imo, but it's the least Windows-like of the 3. It's also the heaviest, and comes with more features than you're looking for.

Edit:
Bodhi is a nice light distro also. This will give lots of pretties with a minimal performance hit. Some people absolutely don't care about looks, but I'm not one of them. I like stripped down stuff for utilitarian purposes, but for something I look at a lot, I like it to look good. Again, it depends on the person you're building for.

http://www.bodhilinux.com/

 

[zokudu]

Debian Stable.