I've been thinking about using ubuntu (or kubuntu).

In the past I've mainly used rpm and source based distros..so I'm not very familiar with debian. From what I've heard debian is very stable...but because of this...getting the *newest* software isn't easy? With ubuntu..can you use *bleeding edge* so to speak? For certain programs...especially amarok, gaim, mplayer etc...I prefer to use the newest, because in my opinion it only gets better. I don't especially want to be installing old software.

So basically, can you install the latest and greatest on ubuntu? .

Also, what kind of package management programs does it use? Is it all command line, or are there GUI tools? I can use both...but however, sometimes prefer GUI when I'm lazy . I know it since it's debian based, it uses .deb files...but is installing software easy? Dependency issues?

I use to have dependency hell all of the time..but I've found that most newer distros have nice package management tools to get dependencies for you automatically.

Also, how is multimedia support? This is a big issue for me, since I spend allot of my time listening to music (on amarok) and watching videos from time to time.

Thanks!

-RoaCh

Well Ubuntu worked nicely for me. Offcourse you can install the latest programs. Wouldn't be much of a Linux box if you couldn't, now would it?

But you will probably have to deal with dependencies issue. Installing .deb files kicks out the dep issues, but installing from source, you might run into demands of newer programs to have newer libraries and such installer prior to the new software installation.

Multimedia worked nicely in ubuntu (out of the box for me, which was not the deal in many other distros).

Good luck!

hoary is the latest stable ubuntu. Getting the latest software IS NOT easy.

For example, if you use hoary, it is not easy to get mplayer pre7 binary. If you really need it, will have to load tons of source and compile it yourself.

When a new stable ver is released, you get latest and probably greatest STABLE. Ubuntu is "just work" type linux distro which you can install on a friend's PC without getting flamed.

Ubuntu use apt, you can use the synaptic frontend. If you have internet access, apt solve every dependencia problems. (if you don't have internet access, slackware or debian stable DVDs should be better)

For me, multimedia=mplayer. I myself have problems with mplayer pre6 but it may run well on your system.

===copy from ubuntu forums backport explications ===
What are Backports?
Ubuntu releases a new version of its OS every 6 months. After a release, the version of all packages stays constant for the entire 6 months. For example, if Hoary ships with Firefox 1.0.1, Hoary will remain at Firefox 1.0.1 for the entire 6-month release cycle, even if 1.0.2, 1.0.3, or 1.0.4 gets released during this time. The Ubuntu team may apply important security fixes to 1.0.1, but any new features or non-security bugfixes won't be made available to Hoary.

This is where Ubuntu Backports comes in. The Backports team believes that the best update policy is a mix of Ubuntu's security-only policy AND providing new versions of some programs. Candidates for version updates are primarily desktop applications, such as your web browser, word processor, IRC client, IM client, and so on. These can be updated without replacing a chunk of the operating system that would affect stability of the whole system.

What are Extras?
Ubuntu already provides you with an enormous collection of packages that you may install using the Synaptic manager or the "apt-get" command. However, some programs are still not available via this system. Mainly, legally-risky packages fall under this category. Most multimedia formats are patent/royalty protected, and some freeware commercial Linux programs, like the official Acrobat Reader, also are protected by strict EULA's.

The Extras repository holds these kinds of packages that aren't found in Ubuntu's package collection. Currently, this includes many media plugins and the FreeNX Remote Desktop Protocol, and many more.