| What flavor of Linux do you use? |
| Ubuntu (or variant) |
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58% |
[ 37 ] |
| Debian |
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1% |
[ 1 ] |
| Slackware |
|
3% |
[ 2 ] |
| SUSE |
|
6% |
[ 4 ] |
| Mepis |
|
6% |
[ 4 ] |
| other distro |
|
23% |
[ 15 ] |
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| Total Votes : 63 |
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| Author |
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freebird73717
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: Buckle of the Bible Belt
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| jpconard wrote: |
| I've added package managers and many other apps to Freespire 2, and plan to upgrade to Ubuntu 7.10 (if it is worth it) without re-installing. I may not get far but to me it makes more sense to take this approach than re-starting. It seems like so many of these Ubuntu distros are for the most part the same. Am I wrong here? |
Check out disturbed1's responses to this thread for some good info on various distro testing. He is pretty much our resident goto linux guy here so you can give his statements good credit.
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disturbed1
Member
Joined: 22 Apr 2001
Location: init 4
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| freebird73717 wrote: |
| jpconard wrote: |
| I've added package managers and many other apps to Freespire 2, and plan to upgrade to Ubuntu 7.10 (if it is worth it) without re-installing. I may not get far but to me it makes more sense to take this approach than re-starting. It seems like so many of these Ubuntu distros are for the most part the same. Am I wrong here? |
Check out disturbed1's responses to this thread for some good info on various distro testing. He is pretty much our resident goto linux guy here so you can give his statements good credit. |
Thanks for the kind words. I don't think I'm any more of a guru than the next guy  . Most of what I've learned is from other people.
Most of the *.buntu's are pretty much the same. Kubuntu, Xubuntu, Ubuntu, Fluxbuntu are all exactly the same, just one uses KDE, XFCE, GNOME, Fluxbox. You can install Ubuntu then add KDE to it, or any mix and match. They all share the same Ubuntu software sources. Distro's like Mint and Freespire take Ubuntu's base system, and add their own spins to some software, like Mint's menu and MintInstall.
I've wondered the same thing about so many different distros. What eases my mind is to think about Linux Distros like Music. Linux is an expression of creativity much in the way of music. Great bands of today take inspiration from yesterdays artist. Linux shares, or at least has the option to share, all of it's code base with everyone. Some people like pure Debian, while others like the extra spin that Mepis puts on it. Underneath, they are exactly the same. But do we really need 300+ distros? Wouldn't it be better to join forces and make something great? Maybe, maybe not. It seems to work pretty well the way it is now. Keep in mind, some ditros are more or less time wasters or hobbies for some people, while other are a way to pay the bills. It doesn't mean one is better than the other.
Ubuntu also gets it's roots from Debian, but adds quite a few spins on it. So much so, that it is becoming it's own Distro, rather than a based on Debian distro. Much in the way Madrake (Mandriva) evolved from Redhat, and Suse from Slackware.
I like and use Ubuntu because it works for me, so of course I'd say give it a shot. But don't stop there. There are far too many other distros out there to limit it to a select few. I'd start with some of the "big" name distros, Suse, Fedora, Ubuntu, Mandriva, to get a feel of how things work. Don't forget the smaller Slackware distros like Zenwalk, and even Slax. Most distros are based off of, or operate similarly to one of those. Steer clear of the "advanced" distros, unless your not afraid to RTFM, and except a challenge (for the new(ish) to linux). Slackware, Gentoo, Arch, and of course LFS are great teaching distros. Slackware and maybe Arch are notably easier than LFS or Gentoo. Spend some time at www.distorwatch.com.
Community is very important for when, not if  , you run into problems. Be sure to stroll through distro's forums to check the friendliness, and amount of activity. There are also generic forums like Linuxforums.com. And just because you use distro X doesn't when you won't receive help from a distro Y forum. Gentoo's forums are most likely the most helpfull for advanced, tough and niche questions, Ubuntut's are most likely the best for new people, and average stuff. They'll attempt to help you no matter what distro you're using. Plus there's always IRC.
Linux is all about choice, which can be a bad thing when there isn't one set clear winner, instead we have many, many great choices.
If you're having issues with FFMPEG, post a new thread, GMaq could most likely answer it.
As for Dr. Divx, if you're just looking to load up a video file and output a Xvid, look at Avidemux as well. www.getdeb.net - works with Ubuntu and it's clones (Freespire, LinuxMint......)
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FulciLives
UNDEAD OVERLORD
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA in the USA
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The thing I like about Linux Mint 4.0 is that it takes Ubuntu 7.10 and adds some stuff to it to make it even better and easier to use.
For instance with Linux Mint 4.0 they have tweaked things like installing a nvidia or ATI driver. They have also tweaked the fonts (most Linux distros have horrible fonts by default) and you also get all your multimedia codecs pre-installed etc.
Also don't forget that most distros have a LiveCD version that allows you to test the distro without installing it. This is a great way to try out different distros. Granted a LiveCD is much slower than a true install and you are limited to what you can do (to an extent) but it allows you to very quickly try out a bunch of different distros.
- John "FulciLives" Coleman
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mats.hogberg
Modded Morloc
Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Sweden (PAL)
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FulciLives
UNDEAD OVERLORD
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA in the USA
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I've used VirtualBox under Linux Mint 4.0 so that I could run Windows XP Pro and I also used it once to test an install of PC-BSD which I thought was kinda neato but limited in the package listing dept.
- John "FulciLives" Coleman
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"The eyes are the first thing that you have to destroy ... because they have seen too many bad things" - Lucio Fulci
EXPLORE THE FILMS OF LUCIO FULCI - THE MAESTRO OF GORE
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GMaq
Linux Member
Joined: 17 Mar 2004
Location: Canada
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Great info guys!
Sorry to post again but this week I picked up a cheap AMD 5400+ 64x2 Mobo bundle (My first AMD!). Although on my older Linux test "Frankenbox" I was quite happy with AntiX I thought I'd see what this 64 bit stuff was all about.
I installed Ubuntu 7.10 AMD64, of course there are many distros offering 64 bit, but Ubuntu (and derivatives) seem to have it fully realized and ready to go.
With 2 gig of RAM I can effortlessly run Ubuntu with Compiz and XP in Virtualbox with 512Mb of RAM. I really applaud Ubuntu for having the whole package together. I agree with John that Mint is tops too, but I'm really digging how well the 64 bit architecture is supported. I cheaped out and bought last years technology but I can only guess how fast Gnome and the smaller desktops will run on Quad Core machines with 2Gig+ of RAM.
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oldcpu
Member
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Location: Europe
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I left Win95 for Red Hat Linux in 1998. I used Red Hat from 1998 to 2001. Then I switched to SUSE-7.3 in 2001 and have been with SUSE since. Currently using openSUSE-10.3.
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16mmJunkie
Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2008
Location: United States
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I'm a "New" convert to Linux. I'm using Ubuntu at this stage and loving it. I have a hobby of film collecting and I find it fits perfect for me. I can surf forums, websites I like and work on my film projects. Still getting wet with this OS, but I'm here to stay. Just got plain tired of driving the "Gatesmobile"....it was always getting repaired ! 
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Nitemare
Throbbing Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: United States
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Lately I've been hearing a LOT about Ubuntu and I decided to try it. Doesn't work so good on Virtual PC.. gets to loading the GUI on the LiveCD and shows me nothing. (It's a virtual PC issue) Now, (a week ago) my kid decided to use his PS3 for his internet full time so he gave me back his computer. I tried Ubuntu on it... it gets to the GUI and dies. This annoys me because I used to do command line linux but it was so many years ago that I forget EVERYTHING. So I tried Kubuntu... hits the GUI and dies. I heard good things about OpenSuse and wanted to download the LiveCD ISO. Every mirror I tried took FOREVER so I abandoned it. I had good results with Mandrake once upon a time so I decided to try Mandriva (formerly mandrake) ... it hits the GUI and dies.
Not a quitter, I had good results with RedHat back in the day but it annoys me to pay for linux. Then I heard about Fedora so I downloaded version 8. It's installed and running flawlessly. I was amazed/pleased/annoyed that everything was autodetected and working from the install. I used to spend hours configuring, testing, optimizing, and praying that my network crap would all work. Now I install it and BOOM! I'm on the internet and I can even see my windows network. Cha-ching!
Now is the time for Linux. I agree with others that the appearance of Vista has changed everything. Microsoft released it. It had the unnerving effect of boosting Windows XP sales.  People hated Vista. Shortly afterwards, Microsoft announced that they will stop supporting XP soon, essentially telling their customers to get with the Vista program or else. This leaves us windows users with only a few choices.
1) Comply with Microsoft's Vista push
2) Stick with XP and have no support
3) Try something else.
Linux and Mac are poised to kick the sh!t out of Microsoft right now. If they play everything right, all they need to do is give MS enough rope and they'll hang themselves with it.
Seriously. Most people use their PC for internet and that's it. They could easily use Linux for that. Apparently the old days of configuring your connection for hours are over. Like others, I think I'm going to linux for good this time. For years it was "Close, but no cigar!" with linux. Now it's pretty much there. All it needs is serious vendor support, which they'll get if they suddenly rule the market.
[edit] I am downloading MINT now using the link that fulcilives provided... no reason to get complacent. That's one of the cool things about Linux... you can try them all!
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ronnylov
Member
Joined: 29 Aug 2002
Location: Sweden
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I just installed ubuntu 64-bit on my new intel quad core xeon X3350 machine and it feels very fast and solid. Still dual booting with XP and also Vista x64. Video apps still seems to be mainly for windows, like I am an avisynth user so I will miss that in Linux (if I can't make it work there).
Many years ago I tried mandrake but did not understand a thing what to do. A few years later (like in 2003) I tried Red Hat and used it a little bit but did still not understand how to install software and the support suddenly just stopped from redhat so I stopped using that too. But now with ubuntu they promise free support and everything feels good so I may continue use it.
By the way do you have a link to the mentioned 12 page Linux thread?
I think I have missed that...
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freebird73717
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: Buckle of the Bible Belt
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Nitemare
Throbbing Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: United States
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Hey, FulciLives (and the rest of the gang),
Mint kicks butt. I am totally crushing on it. I now have a dual-boot Mint/XP machine and a fedora8 machine on my network. Thanks for the tip on Mint.
I'll try other distros from time to time, but I think I may officially be a Mint user now. Most of the software I needed was right there from the install. I had to donwload very little to be fully functional.
Now if only linux had something as robust as DVDFabHDdecrypter...
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freebird73717
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: Buckle of the Bible Belt
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FulciLives
UNDEAD OVERLORD
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Pittsburgh, PA in the USA
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DVDFabHDdecrypter works in Linux Mint thanks to WINE. So does AviSynth. So does HCenc. I've also used FitCD and DGIndex. I can't get CCE SP to work but seriously HCenc is really just as good most of the times ... only annoying thing is a lack of a true CBR video encode mode. Sure I mostly do multi-pass VBR but there are times I do and want CBR. Another "essential" for me that I can't get to work is TMPGEnc DVD Author although I've been told that DVD-Lab works. I haven't tried VideoReDo nor MPEG-VCR but would be nice if they work.
I suppose the "easy" way to get around this is to run WinXP in a virtual window. VirtualBox works pretty good with Linux Mint as the host and WinXP as the guest except I can get my CD/DVD ROM to work but can't get my DVD Burner to work. Also I can't seem to get any USB stuff working (although supposedly it is possible). Basically I do my authoring in WinXP and create an ISO file then copy it over to Linux (using a "shared folder") to do the burning. As for burning in Linux I use ImgBurn which works fine thanks to WINE.
In fact I got a PAL 2 NTSC project I need to do now ...
- John "FulciLives" Coleman
_________________
"The eyes are the first thing that you have to destroy ... because they have seen too many bad things" - Lucio Fulci
EXPLORE THE FILMS OF LUCIO FULCI - THE MAESTRO OF GORE
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mats.hogberg
Modded Morloc
Joined: 17 Jul 2002
Location: Sweden (PAL)
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Nitemare
Throbbing Member
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: United States
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Everything I seem to run in WINE is either extremely slow or it crashes. I'm assuming it's a configuration thing, but I don't know.
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Even a broken clock is right twice a day.
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freebird73717
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: Buckle of the Bible Belt
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You might try running your wine programs from terminal. That way you can see any error messagaes if any that might pop up.
Like this in terminal
| Code: |
wine "/path/to/your/wine/program/program.exe"
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buzzqw
FFmpeg fanatic
Joined: 10 Jun 2004
Location: Italy
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Number Six
Member
Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Location: United States
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I got adventurous yesterday and installed Ubuntu 8.04 on a spare computer. It went very smoothly and everything works properly. I used a 13GB hard drive formatted with NTFS, but since I told Ubuntu that it can use the whole drive without sharing, it reformatted the drive to it's own file system - I'm assuming some sort of UNIX file system. The drive properties shows the physical 12GB size, but the disk usage analysis shows 24GB available - so I am assuming that it is using compression.
The system has a Celeron 3.06ghz CPU, 256MB DDR Memory, CDRW Drive, DVD ROM Drive, and the 13GB Hard Drive. It is not connected to the Internet - but it can be if necessary.
The GUI looks good, and it has some very nice programs installed. Now I'm not trying to be cute - but I live in a WINDOWS world - so for all practical purposes, what can I do with Ubuntu? Is it better than Windows for certain applications? Are documents and files that I might create under Linux compatible with programs under Windows?
Thanks for any help that you can provide!
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freebird73717
Member
Joined: 09 Dec 2003
Location: Buckle of the Bible Belt
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| Number Six wrote: |
| I live in a WINDOWS world - so for all practical purposes, what can I do with Ubuntu? |
For an average user...yes you can do most stuff the same as in windows.
| Quote: |
Is it better than Windows for certain applications?
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Can't really say it's better or worse for certain applications than windows so no... it's just different ... but it is more secure due to the fact that most virus are targeted towards windows. That doesn't mean there aren't any linux virus out there...but the percentages are much lower.
| Quote: |
| Are documents and files that I might create under Linux compatible with programs under Windows? |
Yes there are programs that exist for both linux and windows (like open office = linux version of microsoft office) that can produce files that can be read by either platform. If you have some windows software that you can't live without or are more used to running it is very possible that you can run it with the help of wine.
Please understand that linux is not windows. It will be different look and feel. But if you give it some time you might just come to like it. If you have any questions regarding linux you can post them here or at www.ubuntuforums.org
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Number Six
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Joined: 18 Mar 2008
Location: United States
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