What Linux Version should I install and Where should I get it?

jmeysemb · 12-16-2009, 08:50 PM

An introduction: Tired of Windows Vista, etc. Moderately skilled user. I have a linux product on a eepc netbook and had a 10 day trial dual boot on this computer. I am now intending to convert an 9 y/o computer running XP and would like to see how the Linux product uses resources, handles pix, video, email and internet. The PC is configured pretty typically for that point in time. Your recommendation appreciated.

~sHyLoCk~ · 12-16-2009, 08:53 PM

Debian, Slackware and Puppy Linux are all good for older hardware.
Also there's antiX.

Regards

Tinkster · 12-16-2009, 08:58 PM

Hi, welcome to LQ!

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmeysemb

An introduction: Tired of Windows Vista, etc. Moderately skilled user. I have a linux product on a eepc netbook and had a 10 day trial dual boot on this computer. I am now intending to convert an 9 y/o computer running XP and would like to see how the Linux product uses resources, handles pix, video, email and internet. The PC is configured pretty typically for that point in time. Your recommendation appreciated.

Please post the machines specs ... should give more
targeted responses. Most important I is the size of
the RAM it has, I reckon.

Cheers,
Tink

jcdlvsrbld · 12-16-2009, 09:22 PM

Please post specs and what you use your machine for the most

vasudev kamath · 12-16-2009, 09:27 PM

Ubuntu is a good distribution to start with, but if you want all media codecs pre installed you can go for Linux Mint which is built on ubuntu or You can use Mandriva these distro comes with all media codecs. In ubuntu you need to manually download using synaptic.
Here are the links for Download
Linux Mint
Mandriva 2010 Here you can download the Free 2010
Ubuntu

jefro · 12-16-2009, 09:51 PM

I'd run live cd's before I ran installs.

Actually I'd run virtual machines if I had a newer system with 2 gig ram or more maybe.

linuxlover.chaitanya · 12-16-2009, 11:09 PM

It would more than often depend on the hardware of your machine that you want to run Linux distribution on. Ubuntu is quite friendly with the new users who want to convert from windows environment. You should try Ubuntu Jaunty 9.04. Though it is not the latest it is more stable than the Karmic 9.10.
Then there is Mint Linux that is also built on Ubuntu and should be as easy.
You can also try Dream Linux, it is small and should run on your old hardware as well. It is built on Debian. Both Ubuntu and so is Mint, based on Debian.

BlueSkull · 12-17-2009, 12:33 AM

Ubuntu Linux is a good choice to start with........

craigevil · 12-17-2009, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmeysemb

An introduction: Tired of Windows Vista, etc. Moderately skilled user. I have a linux product on a eepc netbook and had a 10 day trial dual boot on this computer. I am now intending to convert an 9 y/o computer running XP and would like to see how the Linux product uses resources, handles pix, video, email and internet. The PC is configured pretty typically for that point in time. Your recommendation appreciated.

How much ram? What cpu? What video card/chipset?

The distro and even the desktop/window manager you can use will depend on your systems specs.

stanford.dennis · 12-17-2009, 08:04 AM

There is a small script at www.linux.org/dist/ that may help point you in the right direction. For a box of that age, I'd be inclined to say Slackware, but I'm always inclined to say Slackware. Like everyone else has said, it really depends on what's in the box and what you want to do with it.