# Which distro is easiest to use?



## Ben Clarke (Aug 12, 2007)

OK, so I have a little experience on the Linux front now. But I still have no idea how to do most of it. I'm looking for a disto as easy to use as Windows.l I was considering Ubuntu, but in the virtual machine, I coukd'nt figure  out how to install an app (F@H).

Any suggestions on what would be easy to use?

It also must have support for my Wireless Adapter, the D-Link DWL-G122 rev C1. Thanks.


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## InnocentCriminal (Aug 12, 2007)

Unfortunately Linux isn't as simplistic as Windows yet (we've all been brainwashed) - I suggest you try Googling reviews for each distro you'd like to try out. Look on Linux based forums to see if anyone has written a driver for your adapter.


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## Zero Cool (Aug 12, 2007)

Somewhere I saw this thing which would List Distros from the Most User friendly to the most difficult to use ones and Ubuntu was first


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## InnocentCriminal (Aug 12, 2007)

Zero Cool said:


> Somewhere I saw this thing which would List Distros from the Most User friendly to the most difficult to use ones and Ubuntu was first



That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. Ubuntu really is the only Linux distro making the biggest waves in my opinion.


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## Oliver_FF (Aug 12, 2007)

Ubuntu is definitely one of the most user friendly distro's around, purely because of the Synaptics package manager, which is kinda like the windows add/remove utility, only you can type in some key words and hit Search, and it'll find all free software that matches your query, you can then tick the box and it'll automatically download and install it all for you 

If your not sure about partitioning and going hardcore linux, you should consider WUbI ( http://wubi-installer.org/ ) which basically installs ubuntu into a big file on your NTFS partition and runs it from there so when your done with it, you can simply delete the file instead of removing the partition, expanding your XP one back over it and reconfiguring the master boot record.


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## Zero Cool (Aug 12, 2007)

yea, dont some dells ship with ubuntu these days?


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## InnocentCriminal (Aug 12, 2007)

Zero Cool said:


> yea, dont some dells ship with ubuntu these days?



They do indeed!


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## Zero Cool (Aug 12, 2007)

InnocentCriminal said:


> They do indeed!



Big step for Linux  

Doesnt Ubuntu pay Microsoft for something? cant remember what it was thou


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## Dandel (Aug 12, 2007)

I also Recommend Ubuntu, although it is worth noting that some text file editing is required when you need to install a few things, which are mainly related to sensor readers, and some of the linux drivers ( Graphics drivers primarily),


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## Wile E (Aug 12, 2007)

I gonna chime in and offer an alternative. Fedora is a very nice distro, and is also easy to use.


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## Dippyskoodlez (Aug 12, 2007)

Wile E said:


> I gonna chime in and offer an alternative. Fedora is a very nice distro, and is also easy to use.



Yep, fedora is pretty cool a little more "linuxy".

If you're willing to learn how to use it rather than wanting a windows band-aid transition, fedora is the way to go.


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## Wile E (Aug 12, 2007)

Dippyskoodlez said:


> Yep, fedora is pretty cool a little more "linuxy".
> 
> If you're willing to learn how to use it rather than wanting a windows band-aid transition, fedora is the way to go.


Yeah, it's my preferred distro. You can make it even more user friendly by adding a couple 3rd party repos. 

Here's a good link to get you started, if you choose to go the Fedora route.

http://www.diffingo.com/blog/content/view/33/33/

I primarily use Livna and ATrpms. I find that Livna and FreshRPMS often have conflicting packages. I use Livna the most tho.


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## InnocentCriminal (Aug 12, 2007)

Zero Cool said:


> Big step for Linux
> 
> Doesnt Ubuntu pay Microsoft for something? cant remember what it was thou



I freaking hope not - got a link to this blasphemy? I know Microshaft had to ask for permission of Mozilla for the RSS feed icon, but that's a different story completely.


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## Oliver_FF (Aug 12, 2007)

InnocentCriminal said:


> I freaking hope not - got a link to this blasphemy? I know Microshaft had to ask for permission of Mozilla for the RSS feed icon, but that's a different story completely.



It was Novell that paid Microsoft loads to avoid patent issues or whatever, I think Novell got the better deal out of it as in return MS had to give out millions of $'s worth of Novell subscriptions or something. If the truths known MS probably stole some code from them and tried to pay them off XD


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## InnocentCriminal (Aug 12, 2007)

Oliver_FF said:


> It was Novell that paid Microsoft loads to avoid patent issues or whatever, I think Novell got the better deal out of it as in return MS had to give out millions of $'s worth of Novell subscriptions or something. If the truths known MS probably stole some code from them and tried to pay them off XD



You know what, that wouldn't surprise me. They've stolen most of their ideas for Vista from OS X so what would stop them doing it to a Linux distro?!


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## kha1i1 (Aug 12, 2007)

im going to agree with ubuntu.  its the shit. easy to use, easy to setup.
i run ubuntux64 in a vm on vista 64 no issues.


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## DIBL (Aug 14, 2007)

Kubuntu is probably the least traumatic Linux distro for a Windows-user's first try.  I would not go so far as to use the "E" word to describe it, but if you are willing to invest some time and patience, there's a lot of capability there, in most domains OTHER THAN games.


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## Ravenas (Aug 14, 2007)

Oliver_FF said:


> It was Novell that paid Microsoft loads to avoid patent issues or whatever, I think Novell got the better deal out of it as in return MS had to give out millions of $'s worth of Novell subscriptions or something. If the truths known MS probably stole some code from them and tried to pay them off XD




Wouldn't be the first time!


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## 7mm (Aug 25, 2007)

I'm Ubuntu Fan My Self Too, As Tried It For Some Time Now. So It's Worth a Try, Kubuntu Also Won't Be a Bad Idea. Though Recently I've Used Many Stuff With Linux, From Heavy Weights of Fedora 7, OpenSuSE & Mandriva To New Kids Like Slax, Gentto & PCLinuxOS 2007. Even I'm Surprised To See PCLinuxOS 2007 Is THE BEST Linux Distro For Switch Over User. OK, Mandriva, OpenSuSE & Fedora Are Fully Loaded With Stuff That Can Beat These Minnows Damn Eas'ly, But For Fresher To Linux..........I'd Suggest PCLinuxOS 2007. Read Some Stuff B4 You Make Something Out.........Good Luck.

http://www.pclinuxos.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=68


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## Zero Cool (Aug 27, 2007)

Oliver_FF said:


> It was Novell that paid Microsoft loads to avoid patent issues or whatever, I think Novell got the better deal out of it as in return MS had to give out millions of $'s worth of Novell subscriptions or something. If the truths known MS probably stole some code from them and tried to pay them off XD



hmm, I somewhere heared that M$ sued loads of Linux Distros for stealing microsoft's ???? which was patented, EXCEPT Ubuntu which pays Microsoft to be able to use this something...


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## Zedicus (Aug 27, 2007)

M$ has NEVER sued a linux distro.
Ubuntu has NEVER given M$ money.
novell and xandros and linspire i believe all have given M$ money.

M$ wont outright sue a linux vendor, it goes against there best interest. M$ does however, heavily invest in SCO, and as we all know, they have been trying to sue random linux distros for ages now.

Debian pure is the easiest to use, eventually.

for beginers i recomend
Mepis
Elive


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## NinkobEi (Aug 29, 2007)

Sabayon is kinda cool, if you can figure out how to work the damn thing


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## devguy (Aug 29, 2007)

I like Damn Small Linux.  It is the first distro I ever used (because it's the only one that runs well on the Xbox).  It runs even better with 128mb of ram or more and it can even be loaded off a memory stick and into ram.


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## clinux (Oct 3, 2007)

Try Linspire , Freespire


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## Ongaku (Oct 3, 2007)

Ubuntu is the easiest IMO, I use it as my desktop solely, buh bye Windows


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