Preparing for Linux, need tips
 

Hi,
in a couple of days it's almost vacation :D so now I have lots of time to spend on my computer and after a whole year of thinking and considering about moving to linux I'm almost ready for it, I've been preparing myself for it a couple of weeks, downloaded some e-books, looked on forums etc, but I have a question, I downloaded fedoracore 6,7 and 8, just because I read on a forum about fedora that the drivers arent fully working ( or atleast quite hard to install) but in fedora core 6 it is. I have a quite new system, intel core 2 duo e6600, 4gigs of ram, ati x1950 pro (pci express) my system must be able with linux, but will I be able to handle with linux?? So I'd liked to know what version is recommended for isntalling the first time, I read that the videocard is the biggest problem to install because there were problems with 3rd party drivers.

I like experimenting, and I like the way you install applications in linux ;) it makes it more entertaining to me, in that terminal, that was the first thing that got my attention to linux and I know that this is a good forum.

i am new user of Linux os (moving from windows os a friend give me a nice big book on red hat 7 version so i copy RED HAT 9 to cd and my current os windows say "This file is a CD-ROM image." and wont install it.

my system hardware

ECS GEforce 6100 SM-M2 Motherboard
AMD Athlon 64 cpu
no onboard graphic card

Q/ HOW DO YOU RATE RED HAT ? AND WHAT A GOOD LOW END GRAPHIC CARD FOR MY HARDWARE ?

Linux
 

Hi!

sigiken: Welcome to the world of GNU/Linux. I read you are interested in Fedora, let me tell you that I use Fedora 7 and it is great!
The biggest problem for you is your videocard, but just if you want to have Compiz in your computer.
The best distro to start in the world of GNU/Linux in my opinion is Ubuntu. You can use a program called Automatix to install the drivers of ATI and Nvidia videocards.
Just remember that in the GNU/Linux world you have to read and learn a lot by yourself.

delboy 177: Did you burn the iso file as an iso?
By the way, you have to restart your computer with the CD inside in order to install the new Operating System.
If you want to keep Windows in your machine, you have to read and learn how to partition your hard disk.

It always comes down to what you want to do. With a recent computer I would use a recent distribution. As said, Ubuntu is very popular, but so is Fedora. Under Ubuntu I would not recommend that Automatix thingy as it will make more mess than anything else. Better learn how to use Synaptic. At first start, Ubuntu should ask you if you want to install the drivers (I think it says something about "restricted" drivers or so) and if you answer yes it should do it for you. Better leave Compiz for now. Under Ubuntu, it is getting better, but it still is cumbersome, buggy and tricky.

When installing please make sure you understand the partitioning part if you want to keep the data on the Windows partition. It can get lost very easily.

One that is supported?

Automatix
 

Hi!

I totally agree with you, I have read that it is not as good as everybody thinks but it is helpful for beginners.

I would also recommend Ubuntu for the first time.
Just a quick comment, you must realise that most 32-bit operating systems won't recognise your 4GB RAM (it'll see around 3.2), so if you want to make use of all your RAM memory, I'd recommend getting a 64 bit linux. There are some minor issues with 64bit versions ie. flash, java) but if you are determined there's almost always a workaround.


hth
regards
sycamorex

Delboy;
Rather than jump in on someone else's thread, it's better to start a new thread. (But don't do it now...)

I would not recommend starting with RedHat 9--it is obsolete. If you like RedHat, get the most recent Fedora (Your book will still be useful, but some things will be different)

The "getting started" link below might help also.

Ubuntu
 

I have had very good success installing Ubuntu on a wide range of hardware including older laptops and desktops. On my laptop, I had to use safe mode to start the live disk. That was due to video driver incompatabilities.

I've had good luck installing Fedora, both 5 and 6, though 6 installed a lot easier than 5. I would bet Fedora 7 is even easier to install.

RedHat 9 is so old that installing packages is probably a real pain, not to mention getting recent software run (the dependencies would probably force you to upgrade your whole system anyway). Better pick up something recent, like the newest Ubuntu for example. Fedora is probably as good as it, but with two "big" differences: Fedora install set is a lot bigger than that of Ubuntu's (and you won't get a live-cd of Fedora to test with before installing, with the regular install set - Ubuntu offers this in it's Desktop disc), and Fedora isn't - as far as I know - quite as user friendly as Ubuntu when it comes down to proprietary drivers, codec support like mp3 etc. For example ATI drivers; in Fedora you can probably get them trough the package managing system (or alternatively from ATI's site), but configuring might cause trouble. In Ubuntu you can launch the Restricted Drivers Manager (if it doesn't pop up automatically after install, when it detects your ATI gfx card), select your graphics card to be enabled from there (check a box) and have the thing automatically install the needed drivers along with configuring them. The same tool works for modems, network cards (especially wireless ones may have problems, again especially some Broadcom models) and such, and all you need is a click on a checkbox to make them work. Of course it doesn't work for every single device in the universe, but those that are the most painful ones at the moment for an average desktop user - namely nVidia and ATI graphics drivers, Broadcom wireless drivers (that don't at the moment work without pieces taken from the Windows driver) etc.

After learning and taking your time with the "first distribution" you can either continue using it happily, try some other distributions ('distro hopping' won't make your life perfect, but it helps deciding what works better for you than something else) or install several at the same time. Whatever route you take, you shouldn't start switching distributions twice a day right away, but patiently learn the basics with one distribution that is easy to use. It's more important to get things done and learn new things at the same time than jump between "perfect solutions", bump into trouble and run away from them, or stop the easy learning process because the current operating system feels/is said to be "for newbies only" (there is no such Linux OS that is 'for newbies only' - those who claim it just don't know better). You'll always have time for LFS later, if that's what you like :)