best linux for beginners

[Coldgunner]

whats the best distro for the beginners, I'm very used to windows and I'd like something easy to use and straightforward as I have no experience with unix

[binkgle]

ubuntu 5.04 "hoary"

ubuntulinux.org

[markwolfe Veteran]

It depends on what kind of "beginner" you are. Do you want to jump in and learn Linux? Or do you want to use it and never see or use a command prompt?

This thread

https://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=314058

may help with some general comments and preferences Neowin users have already expressed.

[Coldgunner]

I wanna use it for gaming and to be like windows, but I want the option to use the prompt when I get a little more into it

[ZenPirate]

While you can play some games on Linux distros, Linux isn't for gaming. Try Xandros 3.0 OCE, it's easy to install, easy to use, and a lot like Windows. OCE is free.

[kyro]

gentoo.org. ....

:p kidding.

[Fotix]

Quoting myself:

I tend to think of

Beginners users' distros (not marketed toward upgrade-aholics who need the latest and greatest Xorg, the newest KDE the minute the developers finish it, or the newest kernel):

Xandros

Linspire

Intermediate users' distros:

Ubuntu

Mandrake

Fedora

Suse

...a whole bunch of others...

Advanced users' distros:

Slackware

Gentoo

This is just one man's opinion. :book:

And before you make a committment to anything, you might want to check out some Live CDs where you can boot into Linux running off of the CD.

[subpt]

I disagree when you say gentoo is an advanced user's ditro. Sure, its a living hell to get it running, but the handbook is an exceptional guide! It makes it look kinda easy! I must confess, after using Fedora Core 3 for a while (and i rely a bit on the prompt) i confess i learned more on 2 or 3 gentoo installs (failed or not) than on the time I used fedora. Still, you gotta want to get it running, or you'll give up when X.org gets installed :D

I'd say gentoo is for the mid-user that wants to learn the hard way :ninja:

[.calibre]

I jumped straight in with Gentoo a few months ago, glad I did too... The best way to learn :yes:

[subpt]

I jumped straight in with Gentoo a few months ago, glad I did too... The best way to learn :yes:

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Yeah, you either learn or learn (.. or go back to windows :laugh: )

[markwolfe Veteran]

I disagree when you say gentoo is an advanced user's ditro. Sure, its a living hell to get it running, but the handbook is an exceptional guide! It makes it look kinda easy! I must confess, after using Fedora Core 3 for a while (and i rely a bit on the prompt) i confess i learned more on 2 or 3 gentoo installs (failed or not) than on the time I used fedora. Still, you gotta want to get it running, or you'll give up when X.org gets installed :D

I'd say gentoo is for the mid-user that wants to learn the hard way  :ninja:

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While some people may learn best this way, this particular thread starter wants it to be as "Windows-like" as possible, so later he can play with the command prompt.

Gentoo is not the proper distro for this person. :no:

[binkgle]

i almost never have long periods of free time to fiddle with my computer in, but does the gentoo installer have to be done all at once? once i have used ubuntu for a while i might look into it, but it'd take me many a 1/2 - 1 hour session to do it.

[subpt]

i almost never have long periods of free time to fiddle with my computer in, but does the gentoo installer have to be done all at once?  once i have used ubuntu for a while i might look into it, but it'd take me many a 1/2 - 1 hour session to do it.

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nope,after having the system installed you can shutdown and continue anytime because the part that takes most time (compiling Xorg and a window manager) can be done whenever you wish but it takes a big while (as the handbook says: "Go pick the books your mother gave you and u've never read").

[binkgle]

about how long is this "long" compile? i have an a64 3000, 512 mb ram, a 10k rpm hd.

[Toastyone]

gentoo.org. ....

:p kidding.

585924331[/snapback]

:rofl: :rofl: That was one of the first distros I tried.....I spent an hour trying to figure out what the commands were before I realized there was a guide online :argh: IMO, and I am a linux n00b the ones I have found to be the easiest to set up and get running are Ubuntu, and Mandrake.......

[thechitowncubs]

Ubuntu BY FAR.

My sister uses it, enough said.

[snowlan]

I second that. For you, ubuntu will do the trick.

[CaKeY]

I'll put a vote in for Mepis. Great installer, includes nvidia/ati drivers.

[Lasker]

SUSE 9.3 :D

[skybl4ck]

;) ubuntu or fedora

[Jon 5]

Xandros is definately a good beginner distro. No one can deny that. I used it as my first distro and loved it. It was what caused me to swtich to Linux full time. It setup all my movie and music codecs so I didn't have to fool with them (which was good since I didn't know Linux that well). Since then I have moved on to Kubuntu which is the KDE version of Ubuntu. But be warned of Kubuntu as it has a lot of bugs and 5.04 was its first release. I would have chosen (the less buggy) Ubuntu but I got used to KDE from using Xandros and so I chose Kubuntu. I have also tried Suse 9.2 and it was ok but it wasn't great I guess. And neither is Ubuntu/Kubuntu except for they have a huge following the and ubuntu forums are wonderfull. They provide all the answers you need.

[sebflipper]

Tomorra I am gonna format my laptop (as its full of crap again) and just have Ubuntu on it, just to see how long I can last without Counterstrike :laugh: which will probably be about an hour or two.

[MateoGWJ]

Tomorra I am gonna format my laptop (as its full of crap again) and just have Ubuntu on it, just to see how long I can last without Counterstrike :laugh: which will probably be about an hour or two.

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That's no excuse. Cedega runs both HL, Hl2, CS, CS:S......now, whether or not you can get it running on your system, that is a different story.

:pinch:

[sp0rk]

VidaLinux is a good distro for someone new to Linux. It's a very easy install, and having Portage is a very convienent thing for someone new to Linux. You can also learn a lot of things in the VidaLinux environment if you choose to do so, becuase they don't cripple it as bad as some other newbie distros.