Some nice GNU/Linux distros to consider!

[swarfendor437]

Hi swarfendor437, I'm currently using Ubuntu (latest one -is it 12.4) but after reading about Zorin Lite I thought that woul dbe perfect for me to switch to because I am using an old P4, 500mb memory and 80gb HDD (scruff, stop laughing with your new swanky set-up!).

As I use it 95% of the time just to surf the net I thought the switch would be sweet. Only one problem - my CD writer doesn't work! Do you know of another GNU/Linux Lite OS which isn't dissimilar to Ubuntu that can be installed off a flash drive or the HDD?

Cheers

Hi northwales4u,

I don't currently have a swanky setup - that is still in the wings! I am writing this using Opera 12.01 on Zorin 6 Ultimate which is running on an Asus A7V333 Motherboard purchased in 2002, with an Athlon XP 1700 (1.4 GHz) with 1 Gb RAM (PC2700 running at 333 Hz), and an ancient (by modern standards) AGP nVidia FX5700 128 Mb RAM!

As for another Lite version I would try Qelitu - it is supposed to run on as little as 80 Mb RAM, is based on Lubuntu and 12.04. It uses the LXDE desktop which is a bit like KDE3 (Or Win2K type menu for want of a better description. The only slightly annoying thing is that it espouses green credentials - even down to font colour in the menus! If you are not going to use it for anything special other than browsing. If you have got a machine with Ubuntu on already, I would highly recommend downloading and installing MultiSystem - I prefer it to Unetbootin - as it will instantly tell you if it is not going to 'run' inside of MultiSystem which places GRUB on the MBR but leave your Flash Drive formatted to FAT32 if memory serves me correctly. Currently I am using an old Play.com drive (16 Gb flash drive) using MultiSystem, with the following distros and utils on it:
1. BackTrack 5.1
2. Ultimate Edition 3.4
3. PearLinux 4
4. Zorin 6 Core
5. Hiren's Boot CD

So if there is an iso that MultiSystem can handle, and the distro's you choose are known to have 'live' and 'install' options from live, it should cope with it.
Other lightweight distros to consider are Slax, VectorLinux, DreamLinux (this one is good in that if running on a flash drive you can add packages without having to reconfigure anything), PCLinuxOS (but it is disturbing that they have kicked out their lead dev after a sabbatical! - Linspire and Mandriva all over again!). Slitaz is supposed to be another good one but never got it to work!
My comments about SuSE is that there may well be some stalwarts out there, but I am no longer one of them partly because they sold out to Microsoft FUD but also way behind in its support for Canon printers compared to Ubuntu. There is a lite version of PearLinux made for netbooks.
One of the issues that Linux has had (not sure if it still is an issue) is that after a certain kernel number, notebooks and netbooks would overheat after a certain kernel number had been reached!
I was shocked to learn that M$ had contributed a large number of lines for the GNU/Linux kernel last year - so you never know if their coding caused the overheating issue!

BillyGoat is quite correct in his 'each to their own' statement. But it would be unfair to let M$ get all the limelight wouldn't it? Also people need to be aware from a desktop perspective that not everyone is needing specialist software - I would expect that the average Joe Bloggs would just want to browse the internet, email, and some word processing - all viable under GNU/Linux - one of the big issues GNU/Linux has are the Gaming clan - not surprising as it produces more revenue than Hollywood Blockbusters!

Please don't hesitate to contact me for any further advice!

Don't fear the Penguin!

PS Check out my wallpapers (Windows users - feel free to add them to your backgrounds!

http://gnome-look.org/usermanager/searc ... n=contents

PPS All wallpapers created using Gimp on this ancient rig!

[swarfendor437]

Forgot to mention another lite distro based on Gnome3 and that is Linpus Lite 1.7 available for download from here:

http://linux.softpedia.com/get/System/O ... 3667.shtml

and how to update from no apps to a fair few here:

http://www.linuxbsdos.com/2012/03/20/ho ... sktop-1-7/

You could also try Mageia or Rosa - both based on Mandriva, and how could I forget CentOS based on Red Hat - http://www.centos.org/

[lagi]

Tried a few over the bank holiday and it seems they all don't like my nvidia card. Mangaged to get puppy linux up and running eventually, so moved on to try zorin as suggested. Finally got zorin working with card (not easy when screen is flickering and computer is running really slow). Then had issues with card not displaying the whole screen. According to zorin forums this seems a common problem, i need to change my nvidia display settings. As there were no settings to change i done what others had done and deleted the driver to reinstall. This took me right back to where i started and now have to designate about an hour to get this back on.
Before i spend any more time on this, i have a wireless keyboard that would need to work with this os. I did have this plugged in but it didn't work. If i get it back to being useable will the wireless keyboard ever work?

(Must say, they definitely have some way to go. The fact that most nvidia graphics drivers won't play ball from the start, pretty heavy work for beginners.)

[joinerjohn]

Nvidia does seem to have quite good support for Linux these days (depends what video card you have) and Nvidia themselves have said they will support Linux. There are usually some problems with proprietary drivers (more so with laptops), but Nvidia do have Linux drivers on their website (not always the easiest thing in the world to install the beggars though)
Wireless stuff can be troublesome, but all depends on which flavour of Linux your trying and even more so, which version. I know someone who downloaded Ubuntu 12.10, then complained about issues, when 12.10 isn't even at Beta testing yet.
Main problem I have with Ubuntu is the total lack of support for usb floppy disk drives, so mines consigned to the cupboard, until I get a Win xxx computer again

[lagi]

As i have the zorin on there, will stick with that at the moment. Will see how the wireless bit goes once i get the graphics back.

[tombarry]

Well I found a puppy -which was nice
very handy when windows did a big do do

[Icm76]

Nvidia does seem to have quite good support for Linux these days

Having used nvidia and ATi/AMD I would say it's going to take a lot of persuading for me to consider having AMD ever again for a PC that runs Linux. Nvidia is far less hassle.

[joinerjohn]

Nvidia does seem to have quite good support for Linux these days

Having used nvidia and ATi/AMD I would say it's going to take a lot of persuading for me to consider having AMD ever again for a PC that runs Linux. Nvidia is far less hassle.

+1 for that Icm76. Nvidia are providing fairly good support for their graphics cards for Linux OS's . It certainly is easier to install the Nvidia drivers than the ATI ones.

[captain_pugwash]

Looking through this thread, it seems to me that the people here who are prepared to give Linux a go want it to be as much like windows as possible. All GUI and mouse clicks. All well and good if you want a system that only allows you to do what the os writers think you should be allowed to do (al la Windows and Apple).

The great strength behind Linux, and especially so with the likes of Slackware (which I use btw) is that you have complete control over what you do with your computer. So if you want to break it you can do, your not relying on MS to do that for you. You also, as a result, learn how to fix it when it goes wrong to, which is pretty much rarer than a rocking horse depositing on your carpet.

It's highly configurable, for those that like that sort of thing, but it is also highly productive. After all, when you just look at how many devices are out there that run a Linux derivative, you would be surprised. And remember, it looks like even this site (like approx 65% of the internet in it's entirety) is running Linux, so that can only be a good thing:)

[BillyGoat]

Looking through this thread, it seems to me that the people here who are prepared to give Linux a go want it to be as much like windows as possible. All GUI and mouse clicks. All well and good if you want a system that only allows you to do what the os writers think you should be allowed to do (al la Windows and Apple).

The great strength behind Linux, and especially so with the likes of Slackware (which I use btw) is that you have complete control over what you do with your computer. So if you want to break it you can do, your not relying on MS to do that for you. You also, as a result, learn how to fix it when it goes wrong to, which is pretty much rarer than a rocking horse depositing on your carpet.

It's highly configurable, for those that like that sort of thing, but it is also highly productive. After all, when you just look at how many devices are out there that run a Linux derivative, you would be surprised. And remember, it looks like even this site (like approx 65% of the internet in it's entirety) is running Linux, so that can only be a good thing:)

65 % of the sites YOU visit.

Microsoft do not intentionally break any product. If you think of how many systems have Windows installed and then take into account the combinations of packages, software and drivers then you will sensibly realise that there will ALWAYS be an incompatibility SOMEWHERE and to think otherwise is plain old stupid.

Comparing a hosting environment is like p*ssing in the wind - what has it got to do with ANYTHING relating to the casual user? Why would they care if it's Linux, Windows, Unix or anything else? It might be the hosting company that prefers it - I don't understand the point you are making.

It's like saying most people drive grey cars, so they must be the best.

I've also got no interest in breaking my computer, so therefore I don't need to be able to learn how to fix it. From the recent spate of posts that have popped up with links to various crapware that changes core system components and the UI for inane reasons, is it a wonder people have broken systems?

There are businesses that run linux/unix with backend systems and even desktops. Free alternatives will always serve a purpose and make sense. However, I'm quite convinced that these 'homebrew' relatively unsupported solutions have a higher TCO in the long run.

I regularly visit companies who rely on one person for their wonder setup. I often ask the question "if person X, who writes your apps and maintains the 'free' system decides he wants more money, is offered a better job or gets hit by a bus, where is your company?" The answer is quite often dead in the water after a week, unless someone can come and decipher the cobbled together mess left.

Horses for courses - people use what works, so why the need to bash people that chose the MAINSTREAM option?

BG

[captain_pugwash]

Whoa boy, got up your and died. First of all, you will probably find that 65% of the sites you visit run on a LAMP stack.
And nowhere did I suggest that MS deliberately or intentionally broke their product, that I feel is a seperate discussion. I said if you want to break it you can do.
I also didn't run a comparison of a hosting environment with a casual user. Neither was I bashing anyone, unlike yourself here

You might wanna get off of your high horse and stop
You being paid by M$ btw

[BillyGoat]

So if you want to break it you can do, your not relying on MS to do that for you.

You said it there.

I wish I had a high horse....a grassy knoll at best.

Ironically, most of the sites I visit are more than likely hosted on an MS platform, or Azure or somesuch. Believe it or not.

Paid by Microsoft.....that would be living the dream!




Edit: I am a grumpy arse too, I'm ill today.....so I'm off back to bed to

[captain_pugwash]

Can't see where it says deliberately or intentionally. Have a nice time in bed and get well soon.

[joinerjohn]

Looking through this thread, it seems to me that the people here who are prepared to give Linux a go want it to be as much like windows as possible. All GUI and mouse clicks.

For the home user (probably brought up on the various incarnations of Win xx ) a good GUI that works in a similar way to MS Crapware (without the viruses etc ) , complete with mouse clicks is what they want. When I moved over to Ubuntu (11.04), I was pleasantly surprised with the similarity between this Linux OS and Windows.
It's not until you come to try installing , certain programs/drivers etc that the similarity ends (rather abruptly) I've managed to install a printer recently, using the terminal, and freely admit that whenever I have to press Ctrl +Alt+T, I get bloody nervous (even more so when the commands start with sudo.
Linux assumes that you know exactly what you doing. A couple of wrong key presses and there's either months of work lost, or the OS to be re-installed. Even using the compiz config manager, I've managed to blugger up my computer (twice now), but at least I'm learning from my mistakes.
I must admit though, that with the software manager, a lot of program installation is very straightforward, quite literally taking a few clicks of the mouse , before entering your password, and letting the software manager download and install the program.
It's only when I have to open the terminal, that dread starts to set in. However, I've been using Ubuntu for over a year now and the dread lessens every time I have to use the terminal. (but I still look on various forums and tutorials before using unfamiliar commands.
I mean,, how many Win users ever have to use the MS Dos Prompt to install anything? Yet Linux users have to learn how to use the terminal.

[BillyGoat]

I mean,, how many Win users ever have to use the MS Dos Prompt to install anything? Yet Linux users have to learn how to use the terminal.

Why would you WANT to use a DOS prompt is a more valid question JJ?

If I have a printer - I plug it in, wait and it's ready to go.

A command prompt is an interface as such - if you wanted to use it. If one was more inclined to do anything of interest, then I'd guess they would be using powershell.

That's not to say it's not a good idea to know how a system works.

I've always thought the next gen of kids that grow up are going to be snapping at our heels and know tech inside out, when I think it's going the other way.

My friends kid who started to attend some school level (I don't know what it's called, early one...) and had computer classes. The teacher said the kid had very bad co-ordination with the mouse and couldn't understand why touching the screen yielded to results!!!

Great for folks in IT....jobs are safe unless servers and the more techie stuff goes the phone/touch way.

BG

(who is still in a rotten grouchy mood - no one take offence)