Linux distros

[quote=Searz]I thought I'd post a thread about this to find and share any interesting ones. I'm gonna focus on Ubuntu distros because Ubuntu has a software center, program repositories and will support Steam for Linux right out of the box (other Linux distros might have to add some libraries to run Steam) Window managers are the programs that pretty much visualize the entire OS. Almost everything you see is the window manager. So changing the window manager changes how pretty much everything looks, but changes very little to nothing under the hood. Ubuntu comes with 2 window managers out of the box. [b]Unity and GNOME Shell[/b]. Unity is the default. To switch between them just log out of your user account and press the options icon beside the login name. [b]GNOME Shell[/b] seems pretty bad though, from what I've read and seen. Very pretty, but weird(in a bad way). [img=https://lamiradadelreplicante.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/gnome-shell.png] [b]Unity[/b] is pretty good. It has an innovative search function and is very user friendly. The things I dislike is that it's a little on the heavy side on resources for a window manager (pretty sure it's better than "windows explorer" though)and that I can't click on the dock icon for the currently open program to minimize it. There is a script for it, but that should simply be changed.. [img=http://www.linuxnov.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Dash-Home-Unity-5.2-Ubuntu-12.04-LTS-Precise-Pangolin.png] [h2]First off there's the distros that are pretty much exactly like Ubuntu but for the window managers:[/h2] [url=http://www.kubuntu.org/][b]Kubuntu[/b][/url] - Uses KDE, a windows-like-ish manager with these sorta areas you can make on the desktop. [img=http://reformedmusings.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/kubuntu-12-04-desktop.jpeg] [url=http://lubuntu.net/][b]Lubuntu[/b][/url] - Uses LXDE, a simple very lightweight (takes little system resources (as little as 100MB RAM)) manager that looks kind of similar to Windows XP. (there's a black theme too ofc) [img=http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/Lubuntu-12-04-Screenshot-Tour-2.jpg] [url=http://xubuntu.org/][b]Xubuntu[/b][/url] - Uses Xfce, a very lightweight manager. Kind of like LXDE, but even more simplified. [img=http://xubuntu.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/precise_01.png] [h2]Then there's the Ubuntu based distros that are more heavily modified than just a change of interface:[/h2] [url=http://linuxmint.com/][b]Linux Mint[/b][/url] - Uses Cinnamon/Mate (Dark/Light theme), a heavily modified version of the GNOME Shell environment. Seems pretty good, but I have not yet tried it. [img=http://blog.sudobits.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/linux-mint-13-screenshot.jpg] There's also Mint versions with KDE and Xfce (pic of KDE version below). [img=http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/extra/LINUX/large/linuxmint13rckde-large_001.jpg] [url=http://ubuntustudio.org/][b]Ubuntu Studio[/b][/url] - It's an Ubuntu version for those into audio, video and photo editing. It should contain most tools required for the job. It also uses the Xfce interface instead of Unity. [img=http://www.alandmoore.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Screenshot-05102012-091244-PM.png] [h2]... and then of course there's the distros for the crazy religious people:[/h2] [url=http://ubuntuce.com/]Christian Edition[/url] [url=http://ubuntusatanic.org]Satanic Edition[/url] (it actually looks pretty good, lol) [url=http://www.sabily.org/website/]Muslim Edition[/url] [url=http://www.dedoimedo.com/computers/macbuntu.html]Macbuntu[/url][/quote]

[quote=The LZ]Very nice. Ubuntu is the distro (distribution) which has really put Linux on the map. I mean it has made it so much easier for people to get into Linux, so that's real good, I guess. I also like Macbuntu, it's pretty sweet. Which distro do you use Searz? I currently use a lightweight one myself, as the computer is almost a decade old ^^. I think people need to get Linux served to them, just like they normally do with Windows, before they make an active switch. For those who are interested in getting a Linux distribution, there's only a few things you need to do. Here's a little guide for the curious people who might read it :). 1 - Find the distro which you're most interested in. A great place for finding out, is distrowatch.com. There you can browse most Linux distros. Some are more security oriented, some more religiously, some are meant for gaming and so forth. 2 - You go to that distros website and find the download page. In that page, you simply download the latest version. You'll be downloading what's known as an .iso image. 3 - After the image has been downloaded to your disc, you need to have a blank CD/DVD. You can get these in the shops nearby probably. Insert the disc and then using a program such as imgburn (search it) you begin burning the aforementioned iso image to the CD. I used 4x speed. 4 - Supposing the disc was burned correctly, you need to reboot your computer. In the reboot process, some key numbers will flash at the bottom of the screen. Such as "Press F12 for boot menu" or similar stuff. So press F12 or whatever key it tells you and then you'll enter the BIOS of your system. In the BIOS, you navigate around with the arrow keys normally. 5 - While in the BIOS section, if you browse around, you'll find a list which details which order things like your HDD start in. Change it, so that CD's start first. So they're at the top of the list. This will make the CD you burned, read first and thus load your new operating system. From there, just follow the onscreen instructions and you'll soon be running Linux ^^. P.S. If you do this, do yourself a favor and backup any files you might have, in case something goes wrong or you choose to format your HDD :). By the way Searz, Mint is SO popular right now. I plan on trying it out myself. I just can't resist such beautiful artwork on the desktop : D Oh and the distro I use is VectorLinux. It's lightweight, which is what I'm looking for, as this computer is quite dated. Instead of writing it all myself, here: [i]Speed, performance, stability -- these are attributes that set VectorLinux apart in the crowded field of Linux distributions.The creators of VectorLinux had a single credo: keep it simple, keep it small and let the end user decide what their operating system is going to be. What has evolved from this concept is perhaps the best little Linux operating system available anywhere. For the casual computer user you have a lightning fast desktop with graphical programs to handle your daily activities from web surfing, sending and receiving email, chatting on ICQ or IRC to running an ftp server. Power users will be pleased because all the tools are there to compile their own programs, use the system as a server or perhaps the gateway for their home or office computer network. Administrators will be equally as pleased because the small size and memory requirements of the operating system can be deployed on older machines maybe long forgotten. [/i][/quote]

[quote=Searz]Don't write such walls of text, you'll scare off readers >.> Remove the installation instructions and the Vector description and replace them with links. I personally would use Lubuntu or Puppy Linux as a lightweight distro (puppy being ultra light and Lubuntu being normal light). Vector uses Xfce like Xubuntu and Ubuntu Studio. I use Ubuntu on my old PC, not yet on my main PC.[/quote]

[quote=Canoas]@The LZ Instead of burning i to a CD you can just put it on a usb pen. That way you can easily format PCs that are left unattended and force people to try linux.[/quote]

[quote=The LZ]Rofl Canoas. Brilliant. I know you can put it on a USB pendrive, I just opted for the CD side this time ^^. But that's a good idea, maybe I should try it. I know some people who could sure use the format. I'm sure you know the ones. The ones who think internet explorer is the only browser and whom have 3-4 extra toolbars installed, hence slowing their already slow computer massively, when starting explorer. Jokes aside, I'd give em a live CD. Then they can try it and still go back :).[/quote]