Please Please Please recommend me a Linux distribution.

[Monkeyspank111]

As I look at my task manager in Windows 7 64-bit. I see all these services running. One of the most consuming programs is my Antivirus/Firewall program. I am so tired of Windows. Not pleased with Windows 8 either. I have used Windows 8 on my friend's computer.

Here are the specs for my desktop computer. I have a PCI Wifi card inside that I put in. It uses a Atheros chipset.

http://www.dealigg.com/story-HP-Pavilion-p6350z-series

I'm looking for a distribution that has KDE as an option or the default. Since its the closest desktop environment that resembles Windows. I do that so my wife won't get annoyed and worst case scenario tells me to put Windows back on the machine. Although I would love to use Xfce.

This is what I am looking for in a Linux distribution and in no particular order:

1. Speed. I have a few Windows apps that don't run perfectly in Wine and I will be using Virtualbox. I just hope Virtualbox the performance is as close to native Windows. I will probably just use Windows XP in Virtualbox.

2. Has a good repository of programs that I can pick from. I just don't want to only pick from 100 programs only available to me.

3. When new Linux software gets released I don't want to wait six months or a year to download it. I would like it to be available within three months.

4. Ease of use. More for the wife than myself. I would not mind getting my hands dirty and typing in commands. I love Linux and don't mind learning. This will help putting it on my resume.

5. KDE. What I mentioned above.

6. Security. Looking for a distribution that does care about security for its end users.

7. Nice to look at. More of an option though.

8. Stable. I know Linux has legendary stability but you never know with some other Linux distributions.

I hope I can get help with this. Thank you.

[Scorbing]

As I look at my task manager in Windows 7 64-bit. I see all these services running. One of the most consuming programs is my Antivirus/Firewall program. I am so tired of Windows. Not pleased with Windows 8 either. I have used Windows 8 on my friend's computer.

Here are the specs for my desktop computer. I have a PCI Wifi card inside that I put in. It uses a Atheros chipset.

http://www.dealigg.c...n-p6350z-series

I'm looking for a distribution that has KDE as an option or the default. Since its the closest desktop environment that resembles Windows. I do that so my wife won't get annoyed and worst case scenario tells me to put Windows back on the machine. Although I would love to use Xfce.

This is what I am looking for in a Linux distribution and in no particular order:

1. Speed. I have a few Windows apps that don't run perfectly in Wine and I will be using Virtualbox. I just hope Virtualbox the performance is as close to native Windows. I will probably just use Windows XP in Virtualbox.

2. Has a good repository of programs that I can pick from. I just don't want to only pick from 100 programs only available to me.

3. When new Linux software gets released I don't want to wait six months or a year to download it. I would like it to be available within three months.

4. Ease of use. More for the wife than myself. I would not mind getting my hands dirty and typing in commands. I love Linux and don't mind learning. This will help putting it on my resume.

5. KDE. What I mentioned above.

6. Security. Looking for a distribution that does care about security for its end users.

7. Nice to look at. More of an option though.

8. Stable. I know Linux has legendary stability but you never know with some other Linux distributions.

I hope I can get help with this. Thank you.

The best there is:

http://linuxmint.com/

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Arch Linux 100% for you

Its app repositories are always up-to-date and you can use any of the linux desktop environments you want (aside from Unity for obvious reasons)

and it's fast because it only has on it what you want to have installed

it's pretty easy to set up but if you need any help just check out Arch's wiki, they have a great beginners guide. or just ask here :)

[Brandon H Supervisor]

The best there is:

http://linuxmint.com/

I can't stand mint's app repositories ....

[seta-san]

you don't know how impossible of a question you are asking when you are asking for a distro of linux. It's like asking for a recommendation of candy when half of everyone in the room is a cocoa purist and everyone else is having a battle over cheap hersheys to expensive donnelly and sometimes having someone shout out how sometimes it's okay to mix vanilla in too.

[Scorbing]

I can't stand mint's app repositories ....

Who cares about that. I hardly ever use them. What's important is the OS itself and how it works.

[n_K]

Change for the sake of change is stupid, if you know windows, STICK WITH IT, don't just change to linux because you think 'it will solve all my problems'. It won't, it will open up a HUGE security hole if you've no idea how to use/configure it and it'll be much worse for you overall.

Re-evaluate what you know, make tweaks to windows first to see if you can get it running faster.

[seta-san]

the funny thing about antivirus' is that they have been getting better since their lowest lows in the mid 2000s. Computers have been getting faster and antivirus leaner. Even if it is the biggest process running on your system on a dual or quad core system it shouldn't matter.

[Knife Party]

for what you want, i'd say have a look at Kubuntu or Mint with KDE.

[Daniel_Pooh]

Ubuntu 10.04 or Debian 6.

[remixedcat]

Debian and LXDE are the fastest and leanest.

[sanctified Veteran]

Nobody can tell you what Linux distro is the best. There's one for every need:

Looking for simplicity and speed? Elementary OS

Looking for total control and the most educative? Arch Linux

Looking for the most supported? Ubuntu 12.04

Looking for something different yet rewarding? Xubuntu

[Brandon H Supervisor]

Who cares about that. I hardly ever use them. What's important is the OS itself and how it works.

the OP does since he asked for a distro with good repositories

[blade1269]

The best there is:

+2

http://linuxmint.com/

[eccofresh]

I had to work with Linux alot in the last time and tried Ubuntu and Linux Mint. I find both interfaces horrible, but Ubuntu must be the worst GUI ever made.

Luckily, you dont have to stick to it. My solution is Ubuntu with XFCE. XFCE can be installed easily with apt-get, it has a nice clean interface. Not alot of visual goddies but very fast in my opinion and also well structured.

I can only recommend that combination!

[Farstrider]

Change for the sake of change is stupid, if you know windows, STICK WITH IT, don't just change to linux because you think 'it will solve all my problems'. It won't, it will open up a HUGE security hole if you've no idea how to use/configure it and it'll be much worse for you overall.

Re-evaluate what you know, make tweaks to windows first to see if you can get it running faster.

Seriously, what on earth are you talking about?? You obviously have no idea how Linux works!

Back on topic: My recommendation would be ARCH Linux purely because from the initial install ALL the choices from there on are yours. If you are not that clued up the ARCH Wikis are excellent. Perhaps get someone who knows what they are doing to give you a hand to getting the basics up and running.

[Max Norris]

Agree with a few of the above.. really can't ask for "which is best".. ask 100 people and you'll get 110 opinions. Get that virtual machine busy and try a bunch out, see which one does it for you. If you're going for lightweight, I'd probably go with XFCE myself. It's fairly lightweight in features too (it's like going from 7 back to XP if you get me) but if you want lightweight its a good option.

For distros, if you have the time and inclination, Arch would be a good distro to work with as well. A lot of distros tend to go with the "everything and the kitchen sink" approach and come quite heavy out of the box. Arch you build from the ground up starting with a nekkid do-nothing console, the only bloat in there is what you added. It's not for everybody but it's a tweakers playground for sure. Also not a fan of being perpetually out of date, Arch is typically 100% bleeding edge current. Usually, it goes through testing first unless its in the Arch User Repository, then you best read the comments first before installing.

That said about memory usage, it's a bit subjective. Memory used isn't necessarily bloat. Antivirus aside (and I agree, some of them are horribly bloated, get a different one..) depending on how 'busy' you get your desktop you can easily do the same thing with a *Nix OS as well. KDE 4's a good example of this, mine typically uses more memory than Windows 7 by a decent margin. Also keep in mind Windows 7 caches a lot of things, it uses memory differently than XP did, that whole "free memory is wasted memory" thing.. it'll give it up when it's actually needed.. after a heavy load and then freeing itself, mine typically idles around 330MB or so.

Stability? Hit or miss. The underlying OS itself is quite stable, think I've only seen one or two kernel panics over the last 10 years. The addons like desktop environments and such? Not so much. They can crash quite frequently depending on the DE. Some are reasonably stable, others I can make crash just by looking at it funny. Also depends on your hardware.. it can be problematic if it's not totally supported by the OS.

Seriously, what on earth are you talking about?? You obviously have no idea how Linux works!

Overly dramatic, but it's a fair point. Just like any other operating system it's quite easy to open up serious security holes in a *Nix box if you're unfamiliar with the OS.

[Haggis Veteran]

I use Opensuse i like it

i tried to install Arch but did not do very well, may try again in the future

[+Majesticmerc MVC]

As I look at my task manager in Windows 7 64-bit. I see all these services running. One of the most consuming programs is my Antivirus/Firewall program.

Viruses still exist for Linux, changing will not fix that. All it will do is reduce the need for you to have an antivirus because you're less of a target.

I'm looking for a distribution that has KDE as an option or the default. Since its the closest desktop environment that resembles Windows. I do that so my wife won't get annoyed and worst case scenario tells me to put Windows back on the machine. Although I would love to use Xfce.

All Linux distros have all desktop environments, it's just the default that's different :). Personally I'm an XFCE user. It's very easy to use and much less "bloated" than Gnome and KDE, in the sense that it does less than the others.

1. Speed. I have a few Windows apps that don't run perfectly in Wine and I will be using Virtualbox. I just hope Virtualbox the performance is as close to native Windows. I will probably just use Windows XP in Virtualbox.

Virtualbox will NEVER run as quickly as a native Windows install, and you have to put up with the quirks of running in a virtual environment. If you need Windows for gaming or anything like that, dual-boot. That's what I do. It's by no means a perfect solution, but it's the only way to get Windows running fast.

2. Has a good repository of programs that I can pick from. I just don't want to only pick from 100 programs only available to me.

Most of the big distros have massive repositories. They also all have ways of extending the repositories. Arch, for example, has the AUR and Ubuntu has PPA

3. When new Linux software gets released I don't want to wait six months or a year to download it. I would like it to be available within three months.

Arch and Fedora are better than Ubuntu in this regard.

4. Ease of use. More for the wife than myself. I would not mind getting my hands dirty and typing in commands. I love Linux and don't mind learning. This will help putting it on my resume.

Most of the popular Linux distros are easy to use nowadays. If you're looking to do some command line hacking, then Arch is probably better, since you're required to set almost everything up through the command line, and there's a LOT of guides to help you along the way.

6. Security. Looking for a distribution that does care about security for its end users.

Fedora is fairly security considerate. It comes with SELinux by default. I think newer versions of Ubuntu do now too.

7. Nice to look at. More of an option though.

By default, I think new versions of Ubuntu are very pretty to look at. Most distro's can be customized though, and for the popular DE's (Gnome, KDE, XFCE) there are lots of themes available :).

8. Stable. I know Linux has legendary stability but you never know with some other Linux distributions.

Stability isn't black and white. In some respects Linux is very stable, but if there are no/buggy Linux drivers for your hardware, then stability is obviously going to be reduced.

Overall, I'd probably go for Fedora for you. It's software repositories are big and kept up to date, and there are ISO's available tailored to specific desktop environments (although obviously you can add others from the repositories later). It also comes with SELinux for added security.

[simplezz]

As I look at my task manager in Windows 7 64-bit. I see all these services running. One of the most consuming programs is my Antivirus/Firewall program. I am so tired of Windows. Not pleased with Windows 8 either. I have used Windows 8 on my friend's computer.

I can sympathise. Even when I do use Windows (which is infrequent these days) it's just nowhere near as good or stable as GNU/Linux. Then we have to deal with all the virus/malware/rootkit crap. A complete nightmare indeed.

Here are the specs for my desktop computer. I have a PCI Wifi card inside that I put in. It uses a Atheros chipset.

http://www.dealigg.c...n-p6350z-series

Looks good. Atheros wifi chipsets usually work out of the box. What's the make and model of the wifi card? It's a good idea to look it up anyway in case you run into any hitches.

I'm looking for a distribution that has KDE as an option or the default. Since its the closest desktop environment that resembles Windows. I do that so my wife won't get annoyed and worst case scenario tells me to put Windows back on the machine. Although I would love to use Xfce.

Under those conditions, a variety of Ubuntu is probably your best bet, especially if you've never used GNU/Linux before. Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu/Mint are usually very good.

I use Arch myself, but it's admittedly more suited to seasoned Linux users who want absolute control over their system and aren't afraid to use the terminal.

1. Speed. I have a few Windows apps that don't run perfectly in Wine and I will be using Virtualbox. I just hope Virtualbox the performance is as close to native Windows. I will probably just use Windows XP in Virtualbox.

With 4GB of ram and a dual core 2.9ghz processor, I don't foresee running VB to be a problem. I use it on my system and its specs aren't that different.

That being said, the speediest distros are probably Gentoo and Arch. But they might be difficult for a first time user. If you go the Ubuntu (better for beginners) route, Xubuntu/Mint (MATE version), and LXDE are probably the most lightweight.

2. Has a good repository of programs that I can pick from. I just don't want to only pick from 100 programs only available to me.

?very major distro has thousands of apps available. There are also often third party/user repositories like PPA or Arch's AUR. Trust me, finding programs won't be a problem. In fact, that's one of GNU/Linux and FOSS' major selling points - the ease with which you can find and install apps, all from within the OS.

3. When new Linux software gets released I don't want to wait six months or a year to download it. I would like it to be available within three months.

You're talking about bleeding edge. That has a trade off. The most significant one being stability. If you're comfortable with things potentially going wrong, then you can access bleeding edge with PPA's if you're on Ubuntu, or just use a rolling release distro like Arch.

4. Ease of use. More for the wife than myself. I would not mind getting my hands dirty and typing in commands. I love Linux and don't mind learning. This will help putting it on my resume.

Once you get a DE (desktop environment) setup most distros become easy to use. A variety of Ubuntu is probably the easiest though.

5. KDE. What I mentioned above.

KDE is a good looking DE. It probably conflicts with (1) though. But give it a try anyway. That's the nice thing about Linux, you can just install multiple DE's if you want, and switch between them.

6. Security. Looking for a distribution that does care about security for its end users.

Fedora is probably the most security concious OOTB. That can conflict with (4) to an extent though.

SEL is what you're looking for.

7. Nice to look at. More of an option though.

8. Stable. I know Linux has legendary stability but you never know with some other Linux distributions.

Beauty is subjective, but another strength of Linux is its customisability. You can get the exact look you want very easily, or you can just opt for the out of box DE experience.

(8) Might conflict with (3). But generally, even the bleeding edge is okay as long as you don't mind a few minor bugs.

[simplezz]

Viruses still exist for Linux, changing will not fix that.

GTFO. There might be some proof of concepts, but there are no real viruses that are actively spreading.

All it will do is reduce the need for you to have an antivirus because you're less of a target.

Are you serious? LOL. There is no need for an anti-virus on GNU/Linux because there are no viruses. DUH! There's a reason security researchers use Linux when they analyse malware/viruses/rootkits etc.

I can't believe you're actually claiming that Linux users are at risk. I thought you were a Linux user? Has Windows and its security problems infected your brain or what?

Stability isn't black and white. In some respects Linux is very stable, but if there are no/buggy Linux drivers for your hardware, then stability is obviously going to be reduced.

Open source drivers are significantly better, as evidenced by radeon vs Catalyst. Proprietary drivers should always be avoided if possible.

In terms of OS stability, GNU/Linux and FOSS are very good. You won't have to reboot all the time or reformat every three months just to get that fresh system feeling like in Windows.

[simplezz]

Luckily, you dont have to stick to it. My solution is Ubuntu with XFCE. XFCE can be installed easily with apt-get, it has a nice clean interface. Not alot of visual goddies but very fast in my opinion and also well structured.

Or just download Xubuntu instead ;)

[f0rk_b0mb]

Ubuntu is good!

[c3ntury]

GTFO. There might be some proof of concepts, but there are no real viruses that are actively spreading.

Are you serious? LOL. There is no need for an anti-virus on GNU/Linux because there are no viruses. DUH! There's a reason security researchers use Linux when they analyse malware/viruses/rootkits etc.

I can't believe you're actually claiming that Linux users are at risk. I thought you were a Linux user? Has Windows and its security problems infected your brain or what?

Open source drivers are significantly better, as evidenced by radeon vs Catalyst. Proprietary drivers should always be avoided if possible.

In terms of OS stability, GNU/Linux and FOSS are very good. You won't have to reboot all the time or reformat every three months just to get that fresh system feeling like in Windows.

Whilst you're perhaps right in saying that there haven't been any high-risk virus incidents involving millions of computers on Linux, there have still been viruses written for the platform, and people have been infected by them. The reason why it's not as widespread? Not many people use Linux in comparison to Windows. These are not just 'proof of concepts'. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_malware

I would say the increase in browser-based exploits has increased vulnerability of the platform as a whole as well. Linux doesn't escape this angle of threat.

If you were a security researcher, you would use the host platform of said virus to look at it in action, namely Windows.

Open source drivers aren't always significantly better, you've compared 2 pieces of software (with no source to back yourself up), and taken it as gospel for the entire industry. With regards to your comment about having to get that 'fresh' system feel every 3 months, I had my Windwos 7 install for 2 years and it was absolutely fine, provided you don't install stupid amounts of crap, and that statement can apply to any OS, including Linux.

[Order_66]

This thread only serves as further proof to the reasons why linux will never get anywhere on the desktop.