[SOLVED] I'm not sure what Linux I should install

momo741 · 05-23-2014, 10:25 PM

So, I've decided to install linux on to my laptop but I'm not sure what version I should use.
Its a Acer Aspire 5515 32 bit.
My question is, what version should I install?

Ztcoracat · 05-23-2014, 11:34 PM

Hi:momo741

Welcome to Linux Questions.

Depends on what you are looking for really.

Is this for home use or in the workplace/enterprise?

I recommend Debian or Linux Mint if your new to Linux.
Both of these are available for 32-bit architecture.

If you have experience with Linux I highly recommend Slackware:-

Watch a few videos and read a few articles at distrowatch.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dzjyvc1HgbM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA6dR_feBws

Aside from that you can download a few .iso images and either burn then to a CD/DVD and try them out
or try them on a usb memory stick (pendrive)

https://www.debian.org/distrib/
http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php

momo741 · 05-24-2014, 12:05 AM

It would be for home use. If I choose Linux mint, what version of it should I pick?

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 12:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momo741

It would be for home use. If I choose Linux mint, what version of it should I pick?

The latest is "Linux Mint 16 Petra"

I hear that the 'Cinnamon' desktop is very nice but other people like 'Mate'.

The XFCE desktop is nice but somewhat basic-

Before you download your new Mint look at the different types of desktop environments to decide which on you want.
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
http://mate-desktop.org/
http://www.xfce.org/about/tour46

momo741 · 05-24-2014, 12:30 AM

Thank you so much for your help!

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momo741

Thank you so much for your help!

Your Welcome; my pleasure.

k3lt01 · 05-24-2014, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by momo741

So, I've decided to install linux on to my laptop but I'm not sure what version I should use.
Its a Acer Aspire 5515 32 bit.
My question is, what version should I install?

Are you sure it's 32 bit? It may have had Windows 32 bit installed but I think that model had a 64 bit CPU using the AMD Athlon 2650e. If it is 64 bit you have the option of using a 64 bit version of whatever distro you choose.

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 01:30 AM

I looked online and did several Google searches on the specifications of this Acer & those searches did not provide the architecture.
The best I found was this:
http://www.cnet.com/products/acer-as...-gb-hdd/specs/

If you already burned your Mint CD,momo741 use it to run this in the terminal.
The uname -m command is handy for checking in on the architecture.

k3lt01 is right you should make sure of the architecture first.

SandsOfArrakis · 05-24-2014, 02:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k3lt01

Are you sure it's 32 bit? It may have had Windows 32 bit installed but I think that model had a 64 bit CPU using the AMD Athlon 2650e. If it is 64 bit you have the option of using a 64 bit version of whatever distro you choose.

Been Googling the laptop. And I also found that CPU to be used. It does indeed appear to be a 64-bit laptop.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztcoracat

I looked online and did several Google searches on the specifications of this Acer & those searches did not provide the architecture.
The best I found was this:
http://www.cnet.com/products/acer-as...-gb-hdd/specs/

If you already burned your Mint CD,momo741 use it to run this in the terminal.
The uname -m command is handy for checking in on the architecture.

k3lt01 is right you should make sure of the architecture first.

uname -m shows x86_64 here in the terminal. Means my laptop is 64-bits. If the OPs laptop gives the same answer, then his computer is a 64-bit as well

But I guess with the computer specs I have found on Google it would seem that the laptop has 3 gb of RAM. A 32-bit OS should run just fine. I don't think the computers total memory will be bigger than the 32-bits maximum supported of 4 gb.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ztcoracat

The latest is "Linux Mint 16 Petra"

I hear that the 'Cinnamon' desktop is very nice but other people like 'Mate'.

The XFCE desktop is nice but somewhat basic-

Before you download your new Mint look at the different types of desktop environments to decide which on you want.
http://cinnamon.linuxmint.com/
http://mate-desktop.org/
http://www.xfce.org/about/tour46

I'm running the Cinnamon desktop on my Mint 17 RC laptop. Mint 16 "Petra" will reach end of life in July. If the OP wishes to use Mint, I'd recommend to wait for the final version of Mint 17 "Qiana" which should release soon. They are just bugfixing atm, and it's nearly ready. Mint 17 is an LTS version and will receive 5 years of updates.

273 · 05-24-2014, 06:24 AM

Just to clarify -- uname is not a reliable way to find out whether a CPU is 32 or 64 bit as if run using a 32 bit distribution it may well return as if the CPU were 32 bit.
The best way to determine whether a CPU is 32 or 64 bit is to run "cat /proc/cpuinfo" and look for "lm" in the output (or run "cat /proc/cpuinfo|grep lm") if the "lm" flag is present then the CPU is 64 bit.
Sorry for being pedantic but it's a common error to rely upon uname or longbits for CPU identification.

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 11:49 AM

Thank you SandsOfArrakis; for finding out it's 64bit-

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 273

Just to clarify -- uname is not a reliable way to find out whether a CPU is 32 or 64 bit as if run using a 32 bit distribution it may well return as if the CPU were 32 bit.
The best way to determine whether a CPU is 32 or 64 bit is to run "cat /proc/cpuinfo" and look for "lm" in the output (or run "cat /proc/cpuinfo|grep lm") if the "lm" flag is present then the CPU is 64 bit.
Sorry for being pedantic but it's a common error to rely upon uname or longbits for CPU identification.

Thank you 273.

No need to be sorry determining a pc's architecture is important.

I've heard about members; by accident install a 32-bit OS on a 64-bit machine and make a few coaster.

Ztcoracat · 05-24-2014, 12:04 PM

I ran that on my Fedora machine to see what you mean.
I see the "lm" listed in "flags"

Code:

[localhost ~]$ cat /proc/cpuinfo
processor	: 0
vendor_id	: GenuineIntel
cpu family	: 6
model		: 58
model name	: Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3210M CPU @ 2.50GHz
stepping	: 9
microcode	: 0x19
cpu MHz		: 1196.875
cache size	: 3072 KB
physical id	: 0
siblings	: 4
core id		: 0
cpu cores	: 2
apicid		: 0
initial apicid	: 0
fpu		: yes
fpu_exception	: yes
cpuid level	: 13
wp		: yes
flags		: fpu vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx rdtscp lm constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm ida arat epb xsaveopt pln pts dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid fsgsbase smep erms

273 · 05-24-2014, 12:12 PM

Unless you're running the OS in a virtual machine the presence, or not, of the "lm" flag seems to be the best indicator of whether you are running on 32 or 64 bit architecture.

touch21st · 05-28-2014, 03:49 AM

I'm enjoying OpenSUSE. It's perfect