The Brand New UltraMegaSuper "Which Distro" Thread

The problem with such a thread is that it wouldn't be objective on one hand and couldn't be complete on the other.

People have their favorites (I like the RedHat/Fedora stuff) but that doesn't necessarilly make them "better" than others except in the mind of the poster.

As far and pros and cons - they vary mainly on what you need to run so what you choose to run for say an Oracle DB of several TBs might be completely different than what you use as a VNC gateway.

It may also have a lot to do with what hardware you want to use. (I run Debian on an HP box that has PA-RISC because Debian specifically supports PA-RISC and is sponsored by HP to some extent.

There is no overriding "pros and cons" that would make a distro the perfect one for all uses. Therefore this thread would mainly invite what I call a "religious debate" which is more subjective than objective despite whatever evidence the posters would use to support their "best" distro.

It reminds me of long ago in Unix (when Linux was just a twinkle in someone's eye) the debate between using tar and cpio for backups. I always preferred cpio but most people used tar as it was more ubiquitous. In those days cpio could read a tar file yet tar could not read a cpio file so obviously cpio was better.

Hey guys! Guess where this thread is now? Yep, in the stickied megathread at the top of this very forum!

My dream came true
Thanks Xavier!

Wanted: perfect distro for a tech-orientated, dainty, controlfreakish geek.




I apologize for making a unoriginal thread and asking a question a lot of people ask, but I want a different distro. I want my distro to be tweakable, I want to decide what runs at the startup, what systemlogger I use and how the os should compile my programs: with what options.
Most important is a good packaging system and a easy-to-update distro. (I am used to "emerge world"@Gentoo)

I want a different distro for my laptop (Dell Precision M70, currently running Gentoo), it has to work with wireless (ipw2200), bluetooth (inbuilt dell thing) and I will be using it for some wardriving, downloading, office, and desktop replacement. I might also play some cute games like tuxracer.

I do not mind trying something not-linux, as long as it is not windows.


I have tried Slackware, and I don't want that anymore 'cause it simply lacks a good (commandline) update system. I want to run a command which tells the OS to update its packages and one to install the newest packages. I do _not_ want to visit some website to find out if there are any other packages, and I want to be able to browse an archive on my pc to see what kind of packages I can install (deb/emerge idea).

I have also tried Gentoo for a over 2 years now and I am beginning to dislike the conflicting packages. I really, really like the gentoo forum, but when I want to install my linux flavour, I do _not_ want to have to visit a forum to check out what error what means and how I can work around it (upgrade conflicts -_-) and find out that it has not been solved yet! Link to my problem@ forums.gentoo.com I kinda dislike having to wait over 5 hours for KDE, openoffice and mozilla firefox to compile. I like the principle of updating my packages this way. Just the principle, not the conflicts-hell.

I have also tried Debian for a little while, but I just can't settle with the way the installer works, it strikes me as bloated.


I have googled, I have tried 2 tests on the web (they advised me arch linux, gentoo and slackware) (arch linux uses tar.gz package management, not the console feats I want) and I have looked around on distrowatch.


I really, really, really hope you can help me.

We aim to please

It all boils down to what works best for *you*, not for what works best for anyone else.

I've tried about 8 different distros now, but after I tried and learned Slackware, I knew it was the one for me. It just fits me perfectly. I run Slamd64 now (Slackware unofficial 64 bit release), and I couldn't be happier.

I started with RedHat 7, then gave Mandrake a shot. I cut my teeth on Mandrake, and decided to try the challenge of Slackware. That's where I found my home. I still play around with other distros from time to time, but I've found my old standby.

Each distro has it's own setup/install methods, and their own set of software. Some are more "complete (aka bloated)" than others. Some do most of the configuration for you, while others require you to do your own configuration. I'd start with something mainstream, like Fedora and then move up from there (if needed, as you might find Fedora to fit your needs perfectly).

I don't begrudge anyone who uses a distro different from the one I use. Everyone has their own style, tastes, etc. What works for me, may not work for you. What works for you, may not work for the next guy (or girl).

Linux is very well documented, and each distro has its own learning curve. There is no "best" distro, or a way to equivocate such a statement, as it is completely subjective and not at all objective. Find the distro that you like the most, that works for you, and run with it.

Originally Posted by Prefect I apologize for making a unoriginal thread and asking a question a lot of people ask, ...

Don't worry, I moved it here where it can be of most benefit.

Originally Posted by XavierP Don't worry, I moved it here where it can be of most benefit.

Thanks. (y)

Originally Posted by Prefect I do not mind trying something not-linux, as long as it is not windows.

Considering that Portage is based on BSDs Ports, why not give FreeBSD a trial run?

Hello!

A couple weeks ago I stumbled across a linux distro that was a liveCD, but once it was booted you could take the CD out and then watch a DVD. I thought it was cool... but forgot about it, now I actually have a need for it and can't find it, anybody know of a distro like that?

Thanks a ton!

Slackware — The best '93 has to offer.

I should start off by saying that I don't consider myself to be much more than a novice when it comes to Linux. I have been using Linux exclusively on my desktop for almost a year and a half now, most of that time has been spent with Slackware. This post will attempt to explain why I think Slackware is a viable choice for anyone's home desktop computer.

The Slackware Philosophy Since its first release in April of 1993, the Slackware Linux Project has aimed at producing the most "UNIX-like" Linux distribution out there. Slackware complies with the published Linux standards, such as the Linux File System Standard. We have always considered simplicity and stability paramount, and as a result Slackware has become one of the most popular, stable, and friendly distributions available.

www.slackware.com/info/

First, a word or two about simplicity.

Customization.
I'm sure some of you have noticed that a lot of distributions ship with a lot of things customized for you. Anything from the desktops look and feel to the very kernel of the Operating System. Slackware doesn't do that. The KDE you see when you first log into KDE is the same as the KDE provided by KDE.org. The kernel is the same vanilla kernel you get from kernel.org. The applications in Slackware are shipped as the vendor suggests because that makes it easier for you to follow the software vendors instructions for customization. No need for "Distro-specific" documentation.

Packages.
This is a big one. Distributions like Debian and RedHat Have automatic dependency resolution. Many people would see that as an advantage. I don't. Too many times have I nearly borked and entire OS just trying to install a new program because the dependencies for one program confilct with the dependencies for another. Admittedly, the problem stemmed from mixing repositories, but that's a poor excuse. It shouldn't happen. Slackware stance is that the system administrator should know and control what gets installed on a system. The Slackware OS rarely experiences dependancy hell. In fact, if you avoid non-official packages, and build from source or SlackBuild any extras, you would probably never have dependancy problems. That's another thing. I've heard people say that with Slackware you must build from source. That simply isn't true. A Slackware package ends with the extension 'tgz'. It is essentially a gzipped tar archive of the package as it would appear under /, along with a short description (slack-desc) and a post install script (doinst.sh). Slackware packages are very easy to create because of this simplicity.

Configuring.
This is another aspect of Slackware that differs greatly from other distributions. Slackware offers no extra configuration tools. Now don't get me wrong, you still get application specific configuration tools. Using Slackware does not mean that you don't get to use KDE control Center (kcontrol) or other tools that come with their associated package. It's simply that there's no system wide configuration utility (like SUSEs Yast, or RedHats system-config-?). When you use Slackware, almost all system configuration is done through .conf files. They are all very well commented, and tweaking them is fairly intuitive. I say tweaking, because they're all fairly complete and ready to use. A little bit of tweaking is just to get the maximum performance out of your software. For example, all I had to do to get my maximum screen resolution was:

#pico /etc/X11/xorg.conf

and add "1600x1200" to one line in the file. Easy as that.

Startup.
This is a bit more of an advaced topic, but I think I should say something about it. Most modern distributions use the SysV init system. Slackware uses a BSD style initilization. Now I don't know much about how they both work, but I think that SysV uses folders full of different scripts for each runlevel, and BSD init uses one script for each runlevel. I've heard that SysV is a more flexible, yet more complex, init system. I won't argue the complexity... I'm probably being a tad biased here but is would argue that BSD style is just as flexible. I've never been unable to have my computer do something at boot time. Slackware's init folder (/etc/rc.d/) contains a shell script called 'rc.local'. this script is called at boot time and can contain any calls that you need. I use mine to activate DMA on my hard drive, load drivers for lm_sensors and kqemu, and set my numlock to "on" for all six ttys.

Whew! I've almost worn myself out on that. I'm not normally a big talker.

Now to talk about Stability.

The title of this thread says "the best '93 has to offer." That's kind of a tounge cheek reference to the misconception that Slackware is old or obsolete. Stability is defined as:

sta·bil·i·ty 
n., pl. -ties.

  The state or quality of being stable, especially:
         1. Resistance to change, deterioration, or displacement.
         2. Constancy of character or purpose; steadfastness.
         3. Reliability; dependability.

http://www.answers.com/topic/stability

Some people would say that Debian Stable is the most stable Distributon. I wouldn't argue that. Debian Stable does not change. Security patches, and bugfixes are applied, but the programs don't change version until the next Stable release. Debian Stable matches the Definitions of stability quite well. Slackware, on the other hand, changes. Slackware matches the second two definitions perfectly in my opinion. Slackware doesn't chase trends. It has always been slow and careful when it comes to software changes. In fact, rumour has it that the next release will still feature a 2.4 series kernel with 2.6.16 as an extra supported and 2.6.17 in testing unsupported. The creator and maintainer of Slackware, Patrick Volkerding, has always been very careful to only use well tested, known-to-work software. Because of this [urlwww.slackware.com]Slackware[/url] has a very well deserved reputation and an incredibly stable distribution.

Slackware, is fairly unique in that it only has one main developer and maintainer, Patrick Volkerding, This means that Slackware doesn't have conflicts within the development team, it means that as users we can be confident that Slackware will always be Slackware.

Think I've put enough Slackware links in here yet?

I should finish up about now... I'm on page three in KWord. Some people say that Slackware is not for Newbies. I strongly disagree with that. I was a newbie once, and I started with Slackware, and I'm pretty sure I'll be sticking with it for a long time to come. Slackware is the Oldest distribution in active development. it has an awesome base of users, many of whom are incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to troubleshooting problems on a computer running Linux. It is a beautifully simple distribution with a long history of stability. Regardless of your Linux experience, Slackware is a great distribution that I think everybody should at the very least try.

Three words: Damn Small Linux. I've found my distributor. i'm not a fan for 'eye candy' anymore for some reason... eye candy that's pretty much exploited in windows, and popping up in allot of other linux distributions, for better or for worse.

http://www.linux-watch.com/news/NS8272592722.html
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

i like simplicity; i can't help it.

Originally Posted by truthfatal Think I've put enough Slackware links in here yet?

Nope. They're all broken...

Originally Posted by rkelsen Nope. They're all broken...

I suck at the internets.

Fixed 'em

Hi I'm also a new, soon to be web developer,Well I'm in a 1 yr course for it, And yes I'm looking for the best Linux o's for web pages also, I have found that nvu is kind of like dreamweaver, somewhat, so any distro i might look for that would have to possible to use, next open office by far is the closest to microsofty Office 2003 Myah has nvu already installed and a few other ones, but then believe it or not, puppy linux has nvu as a pupget package which is nice and also open office and heaps others, if you want open office already installed get chubby puppy 2.02 beta, its only 175 megs, really If i was you , I would do like i did , go to distrowatch and have a few blank dvd/cd rw and download say ten different ones and tell me what you think, also if you want say a pay version of linux like Xandros or Linspire, I like Xandros better of the two, just get yourself bitlord for xp from bitlord(www(dot)bitlord(dot)com) it wouldn't let me try a url so i spelled it, lol and then download the torrent from (www(dot)isohunt(dot)com) you can get most distros that cost something at ishohunt for nothing, Hey Since we are in the same field maybe we could help each other out with the programs and O's, I don't mind installing and checking them out. In fact it would be cool to have a web designers forum, or I new to linux also and the names they give for programs really aren't even close to what they are, Also I think chubby puppy Linux is the way to go for newbees since it seems to install a bit hard, but it has just about every application compiled for a quick and easy install, pupget packages. Quanta Plus is also web development environment, krita - image and paint , not bad, Really I would , if i was you try Myah, it has about 200 installed programs and runs faster then xp with nothing installed, then i would figure out which programs I like the best and then download a copy of chuppy puppy, and add all the programs to it, also chubby puppy has a simular windows xp skin, Hope this helped, Jeff