New To Linux: Help Choosing Distribution

Tinkster · 03-11-2008, 04:41 PM

I wouldn't go with Knoppix, it's kind of chubby by default, and impossible to
run of CD with that amount of RAM.

People suggested DSL and Slackware, and I thought those were sensible suggestions.
While there's going to be more of a learning-curve there should be some reasonable
performance, too. Yes, I know "Pigs fly just fine with sufficient thrust", but that
old dog of yours is not a whippet or greyhound (more of a pug with three peg-legs),
and the memory *is* *very* *limited*.

If you stick with it, and choose a slim WM (which won't have the comfort you'd
expect, I'm afraid) you should be fine. As for the difficulties with printers:
check on OpenPrinting how well supported your make/model is (or choose one
that's a) reasonably priced and b) well supported) and buy that.

Cheers,
Tink

cmnorton · 03-11-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tamadrummer

Not only free but also because I can get ACTUAL support for almost any issue that may come up. Also the Xp I find is somewhat unstable even on my computer.
My Needs are simple... I need to get on the internet, so I have used Firefox for years and hope to find something compatible with it. I also use Zone Alarm as a firewall and AVG Antivirus. Also the kids use that computer for their homework so I need something like wordpad and perhaps a paint type program. The computer does not have a cd burner but mine does so I need to burn it here then use the disc on the other one. Do I need a certain burner package or use the Windows media player?

I would respectfully like to suggest that XP is unstable on your system, first perhaps because of the lack of memory and perhaps your hardware, and second because of what may have "gotten into" your XP system.

I'm not a big fan of Windows, but some of my development work has to take place on Microsoft systems, and my XP systems have run without complaint. We even have long-term contingency plans to use Vista licenses with XP media to delay deploying Vista for as long as possible, and we wanted to get everyone off W2K onto XP for the same reason. Furthermore, I work in an environment that does not like change at all for any reason. So to move people off of W2K was an act of faith for us.

Personally, I'd like a lot of our clients on Ubuntu, but that's a story for another day.

Labman · 03-11-2008, 11:47 PM

Find out what your buddy is running and run the same thing. For about the last 4 years, I have been running Mandrake 10.1 on (que the laughter) an AMD K6. Last week I loaded Kubuntu 7.1.0 on new pieces, an AMD Athlon 3500 on a PCChips AG13+ mother board. The new hardware worked fine out of the box, but I couldn't get things to run right even with my son in law helping me over the phone. He has the system now. He is going to load the same Debian he uses. That way when I have trouble, he will be on familiar ground.

I am new here, but it sounds like there are people here ready to help me with Debian, and you with what ever your buddy is using.