Choosing a version of Linux
 

Hey all, I am looking into switching over to Linux but I don't have any experience with it what so ever. Right now I am trying to figure out what would be the best version of Linux for me to go with.

I have been checking out a link from another forum that referenced a Linux Chooser test. The article went on to list a couple versions of Linux.

http://www.pseudorant.com/what-versi...-right-for-me/

The ones they mentioned were Ubuntu, Kubuntu, OpenSuSE, Freespire and Mandriva. I was checking out some of the screenshots for those and they all looked pretty similar.

Since the chooser is supposed to rule out a lot of the big considerations when choosing a version of Linux, are there any other major differences between these versions.

If it has been narrowed down to a graphical consideration I will probably go with Ubuntu, or Kubuntu but I wanted to check if there are any other things I need to be looking at. Any advice is appreciated.

I think that you have put enough effort into deciding which distribution to use. The next step is to try a few. I recommend that you try both Kubuntu and Ubuntu from their live CDs (keeping in mind that LiveCDs run slow). Then install whichever you like best and try that one from the hard drive.

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Steve Stites

I second that notion. Don't be afraid to try a few, or a bunch, in your own good time. At a glance, Linux is Linux, the most outwardly obvious differences from one distro to another being the included software, the configuration dialogues (or lack thereof), and the package manager. Inside, there are of course differences here and there, but until/unless you like/want to get into the inner workings of the system, many of the technical differences are irrelevant at this time.

Welcome to Linux, and nice going re: doing a bit of research and/or taking that quiz to get you started. Enjoy!

Sasha

Try ubuntu first.

Go to http://distrowatch.com/ and on the right are the top hits of linux distros.

Alright, so lets start from the top.
You are new to linux and wish to know which version will make you feel most comfortable and right at home.

The best idea and suggestion is not to look at screenshots because most of them are submitted by experienced users that changed the look and feel of the distro.
The best way to get a grip on things in my perspective is the LiveCD option, which is available in most well known distros.
This will give you the option to experience a default installation of the system without actually changing information on your harddrive.

I have been working with RedHat from 4.10 until 7, after that switched to Fedora Core and right now I'm running Ubuntu 8.04, I chose Ubuntu for the ease of use and the extreme manipulation available in it.
Ubuntu will give you a well needed "welcome aboard" feeling that new linux users might look for.

So keep reading about Ubuntu and other distros you might like.
Have a great day.

I'm a linux newb and have been looking at different distros. The difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu is either gnome or kde desktop. Which one you like best is a personal preference and you might want to download both, have a good look and figure out which one you prefer (don't ask anybody else - the "which is better? Gnome or KDE" threads litter every forum I've looked at).

Ubuntu has a reputation as being newbie-friendly (I seem to be the only one who didn't find it particularly so) and its forum is said to be well-frequented. I think you need as many sources of help as you can get when you are a newbie, so an active newbie-friendly forum is a must.

Freespire is very "glossy" and seems to have a lot of installed packages (music players and the like). I only looked at it briefly - it had a bit "too much going on" for my taste.

Mandriva's forum is well-frequented, there's a permanent "Mandriva guy" there who answers questions and I found it newbie-tolerant and friendly. It has what I thought was a quite newbie-friendly setup "control centre". I think it's worth a look.

As everyone has said, grab one and give it a look - or download them all and see if anything "leaps out at you" to make you love it. Only you can decide what you like.