thanx

I recommend Linspire. It's designed for the non-techie who doesn't want to tinker with a command line, configuration, dependency, etc. issues. It has it's own simple package manager. One click to install or uninstall apps from their on-line library. Very clean, easy to use GUI. You can try it out with a bootable CDROM and see if you like it. It comes with a ton of apps, including an MS compatible office suite. It think it costs about $50.00 plus an option for support, automatic updates and additional apps for about $5.00 per month. I'm not sure but I believe they keep a current mirror of your configuration on their server and can reinstall if you crash or get a new computer.

I don't work for Linspire nor have any financial interest in the company. I don't use it since I prefer to mess around with the system. I've used RH9 and currently run SusE9.0

Doesn't Lindows/Linspire run in root?

If so then that's why it comes with antivirus, totally insecure.

SuSE is the way to go, especially if you are doing support. You can run YaST from a console so you can work on the system from anywhere with a UI.

I have set up a couple of newbie boxes with Mandrake, but I have always chosen the software and modified the menu, but then I downloaded Xandros (open edition)

Xandros will now be my distro of choice for people who do not want to tinker.
The file manager is newbie friendly and the integrated cd-burner is nice, all the programs are re-labled to represent what they are, rather than some obsure name.
An apt-get based program manager is ready to run at the click of your mouse,
java plugins install by default and the nvidia driver installed on my system as well.

Hey I was impressed, If you want clean and easy, it's not a bad choice.

How do you get apt-get to work out of the box?

I assume what he refers to as "apt-get" in Xandros must be similar to what Linspire calls "CNR" or "click-and-run." That's Linspire's way to update the kernel automatically, and the way you can add new software. Pretty slick actually. Just look through the software catalogue, pick something, click it, and it installs automatically.

After runing Suse 9.1 for a long time, I'd pick Linspire every time for non-nerds, and Windows converts.

RP

apt-get is I believe the underlying technology for both "xandro networks" and "linspire CNR"
Xandros does have a database of programs that you do not need to pay for (and one you do) the database is setup the first time you run xandros networks, and are online of course.

I have come across an howto that shows how to add generic debian sources so you can butcher up that nice integrated feel, nice, I was missing firefox.

I do like the way that xandros handles "administrator" tasks, I do not feel that Lindows approach to running as root all the time is the best approach.

I kind of like running as root. After all, it's my machine and I'm the only one running it. So I can screw it up if I want to.

Running as user was a pain. Everytime I wanted to mess with the guts, I had to log out, log in, mess around, log out, log in. Seems like root-user, as was picked up by Windows XP Pro as well, is overkill for a single user machine.

RP

Running in Root for normal activities is never a good idea, this is what makes M$ windows insecure, because a lot of programs have to be run in root. This allows a virus or cracker to easily modify system files, when run as a user only the files in that users Home can be modified.

Most Distro's solve the problem of this by either prompting for the root password or allowing a console to be run in root. Also you can use midnight commander in a root console, or use a file manager in super user mode. In SuSE 9.0 unfortunately the super user file manager only works in KDE ( which I can't stand because it is too M$ looking) so I do have to switch from Gnome, but I am hoping this is fixed in 9.1. Alternately you can hit alt control F1 and you will get to a console where you can log in as root , you can't open a GUI though, then press alt control F7 to get back to your original login. KDE also allows you to log in as another user as the same time as you login.

I was recently surprised at how easily I just installed azureus bittorrent client as a user only. I consider file sharing to be insecure and it is just a matter of time until bittorrent exploits to show up.If I do get hit only my home file will have to be rebuilt from backups, the system will remain clean.

I will not let something as insecure as a web browser run as root, and doing so will probably result in a rooted box.

I think what makes Windows such a target for virus and hackers is that it's such a big fat target with 95% of the market. We who use Linux are such a minute target that it's hardly worth writing code to attack us. Linspire users, running in root, are an even smaller sub-target.

But if you're really worried, Linspire offers a non-install version running on a CD-ROM. Every boot is a reinstall.

So I'm happy running Linspire in root. I think odds are more likely I'll get hit by lightening than hacked.

RP

Yes, that is partly true, but Linux could have 100% market share, the fact still remains, a Linux virus can only mess up your home folder unless you are running as root. Plus, typos can make a mess out of things at the command line as root, for instance

trying to type rm -rf /blah/blah/blah and accidentally hitting enter after rm -rf /

That probably doesnt happen often but it is possible.

Also, exactly what distro is it where you have to log out and back in to do anything with root privaledges??? Just wondering cause I haven't come across one to date

Mac had a pretty large market share, though not as large as Windows, but I cant recall a major virus on it and, someone correct me if I'm wrong, Max OS X runs as Root.

lol, do what you want, if you are not willing to follow common sense and having to click a couple extra things to have temporary root access is too much work for you, then you deserve to have something happen. I personally don't find it that bothersome having to type a root passwd once in a while. Of course I'm not a lazy person like most people are.

Also, my little brother likes to tamper with things and he can no longer do that on my pc because I am never in Windows and he doesn't know my root password.

I never sign on as root, but my point was even if Linux did have a large market share, I still think that the attacks on it would be a lot less then those on MS products.

Sorry, misunderstood what you were driving at. Anyways, ya, probably cause everyone hates MS so much and because Windows is an easy target as Microsoft is less worried about security than they are about making everyone else look worse than they do.