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**ExpertKing** · 27-01-2007, 16:53

www.distrowatch.com gives you a good indication of the most popular distros.

As you can see , it can be a bit of a minefield finding the right distro thats sits comfortably with you.

Ubuntu , seems to be the most popular , and I maybe the best place to start if you are migrating from windows.Large support and community should mean and problems you might encounter are easy to resolve.

I've tried a lot of Linux distro's over the years , and eventually stuck with Gentoo. Definitely not the easiest to get to grips with , especially running AMD64. With Gentoo you build your own Kernel and the majority of programs are built from source files instead binaries.The idea is that you basically customise the installtion , rather than accept a generic installation found on most distros.So the kernel and installed dependancies leave as small a footprint as possible.

Gentoo also borrows heavily from FreeBSD , a lovely unix distribution that you could also consider. Great documentation , but again you need to READ the manuals to get the best out of them. ^^

Personally I would start with Ubuntu/Fedora , run them natively or through a virtual PC and gain some confidence using GNu again. Then you can test the water with other distributions or streamline your current installation.

I don't necessarily wanna be mollycoddled and using one of them Windows-y ones

This is more a window/desktop manager issue rather than the OS itself. KDE provides a fully functional desktop environment similar to Windows in some ways.And in many respects while it all works together very while I find it slightly too much . A criticism leveled at KDE all the time it seems.With some distros Gentoo , FreeBSD etc , you can installed a BASE or Light version of KDE. Removing a lot of the bloat.

Desktop environment - Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desktop_manager

Fluxbox , blackbox etc are extremely fast window managers ,not fully functional environments. And hence are as basic as they need to be. Definitely not as pretty as the others but a great basis to build upon.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Window_...indow_managers

Personal favorites are XFCE4.4 and Enlightenment DR-17.

I could bore you forever really mate , so if you have any more specific queries just ask. I'll do my best to answer. Also I'm sure more *nix users could elaborate too.

As for the NTFS issue , full read/write support is availble in Linux. You may also want to consider using a boot loader like grub to allow you to choose which OS you wish to load.

**sj33** · 27-01-2007, 17:10

Sounds like Ubuntu is a good place to start. I'm basically seeing this as an opportunity to give it a play with and take it one step at a time, but the fact is it'll be an XP machine mainly until I've gotten to grips with it, so it needs to sit side by side.

Thanks for giving me some kind of direction!

**ExpertKing** · 27-01-2007, 17:17

Always mate , expect more crossroads and as the saying goes the more you learn the less you know. ^^

**sj33** · 28-01-2007, 22:21

Quick Q, is there a way of installing Linux on the same drive as my XP without having to reformat? This would just be easier.

If not, what's the best way of installing them, keeping them on the same drive?

**ExpertKing** · 29-01-2007, 07:23

Depends on the current partitions on your hard-drive.

If your hard-drive only has one partition ( NTFS/FAT etc) , then you will need to obviously add another partition somehow.

First bet is to backup any important stuff on to your other separate drive. Then defrag the drive you wish to install Linux upon. Applications like Partition Magic will allow you to create a another partition on the drive without destroying data. Unfortunately it is a commercial product , so maybe you could find a free alternative or maybe a trial version.

Then just create the needed partition , leave it raw or format it in extfs or what ever file format you decided to use.

Partition Magic trial.

Page not found

http://www.soft32.com/download_151.html

**sj33** · 29-01-2007, 07:27

I did a bit of playing this morning, booted up Ubuntu (seems the install CD is basically a Live CD), tried to use the GParted software to resize my existing partition, wouldn't do it for some reason. Looks like I'll have to try another application like Partition Magic, but I just don't have the time today, maybe later in the week!

The simplest way would obviously be to reformat, but that would have to wait until I have a day off so I can sort out my Windows drivers etc.

**kernow** · 30-01-2007, 13:10

just use partition magic like you said

its hardly fair to criticize linux for having experimental NTFS write support when its MS who won't open their specification for the filesystem. Linux supports more filesystems than Windows ever has, or will.

but yeah. go for it and stuff

**gingerj** · 30-01-2007, 13:32

Use Ubuntu mate, I love it. There's certainly not the steep learning curve that comes with say it's big brother Debian linux.

You get all the pro's of a linux distro but with the added ease of stuff that you'd find on Windows. Like easy application/driver installs via Synaptic, and you can have the added bonus of a better looking desktop than a Mac or Vista via the easy to install Beryl (as long as your gfx card drivers work).

I've got a dual boot setup, as my parents/bro use my laptop for casual net surfing. So in windows I just used partition magic to setup my swap space and main linux (ex3) partitons.

Using the live CD is a the easiest thing ever I actually tried to install Red Hat 6 in my mid-teens but gave up cos of it's brutal learning curve. I was amazed to find a windows like wizard installation.

Yeah it's easy as pie to get Ubuntu installed and working plus everything you'll probably need is right there installed open office, and all the net/email stuff. The only stuff you'll have to install is MP3/Flash etc.. Which I haven't got around to do yet but I think that's with all the linux distros.

I hope that helped

**kernow** · 30-01-2007, 13:58

ubuntu specifically does not allow mp3 codecs out of the box due to copyright

wierd as other distros allow it, but it has support for FLAC/OGG etc out of the box, but of course everyone wants MP3.

slackware 11 / debian 4 'etch' mainly here.

**gingerj** · 30-01-2007, 14:02

Originally posted by kernow View Post

ubuntu specifically does not allow mp3 codecs out of the box due to copyright

Yeah but it's quite easy to install there's a wiki with all the exact terminal commands to install the codecs for .wmv/.mp3 etc...

**in5ane** · 30-01-2007, 14:22

Get whatever this is!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwrdNSElEtU

I fancy some Linux loving, but having a dual boot already (XP/Vista), I can only assume trying to add a third OS will bugger something up... If it ain't broke and all that

**gingerj** · 30-01-2007, 14:35

Originally posted by in5ane View Post

Get whatever this is!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwrdNSElEtU

Yeap that's the rawness of Beryl, or the older version called Compiz.

**kernow** · 30-01-2007, 15:34

I find it amazing that the GUI system, or mainly the Window Manager was a big complaint in the past, and now its hardware accelerated it actually comes across as quite slick.

I'm a fluxbox user through and through , and XFCE 4.x at work so I never get to see them, I did play with the koroora XGL liveCD when it came out - but you get a little bored of moving wobbly windows about really.

shell please!

**ExpertKing** · 30-01-2007, 15:50

XFCE is compatible with Beryl/XGL/AIGXL pal. Before it took a little more to get up and running but with Beryl it's faily simple.

Heres an old XGL from early last year, running on XFCE4

And your right , after a while the novelty wears of . These days I just use XFCE4's own composite manager for some simple shadow/transparency effects.

Incidentally XFCE4.4 has officially been released if your interested.

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