Any Linux users out there?
 

I'm thinking of trying out SUSE 9.1 Linux, in addition to considering others such as Redhat. As I write this, I'm also downloading Koppix, though I've got about 17hrs left to obtain the full version. :(

I don't know; a trip to Fry's and a purchase of a retail version might be more economical.

Anyway, for any Linux guys out there, which version do you use?

My concerns are minimal: office-like software, wireless web connectivity and ability to scan and print are all I care about.

Is there a good version of Linux for what I need?

Thanks.

SmileWavy

Give Knoppix a try first, before you put anything on your HD or spend any money. All you need to know is your IP config information: address (if not using DHCP), gateway (if using a cable modem), DNS. You'll be up and running in 3 or 4 minutes...then just play around and see if you like it.

OpenOffice 1.1 is damn good. I don't use wireless from my Linux box, so I can't say anything about that--though I'm sure it's pretty easy to set up. Scanning and printing can be done through The GIMP (PhotoShop-like softward) or plenty of other methods.

The good thing about Knoppix (sorry for the misspelling), is it allows a "test" feature, where a user can play around with it before installing it.

Blue; have you tried Knoppix?

mandrake and vector linux user here. haven't tried knoppix.

I don't use wireless but check to see if your wireless card has linux drivers

open office and star office both work very well.

Printing should be just fine. Never tried scanning on a linux box. I use mine mostly as a web host but I did run mandrake as a desktop for over a year, before I got back into PC games.

DD, I've booted up Knoppix once or twice to play around or as an emergency recovery method. But I run Gentoo on my main box (rates very high on the PITA scale for initial setup, but once it's setup updates are a snap).

Mandrake and Xandros I've heard are easy for newbies to install. There's lots of doc on the web...

I used to like to recommend whatever version comes with the big fat book you're gonna go out and buy. Get O'Rieley's (sp? the animal book...) books that are based on Debian, or Slackware and a copy of the Slack book available online free (I think the Debian one is available too).

In the US, RedHat is the most popular distro. In Europe, particularly Germany, SuSE is the distro of choice. The "new" SuSE is actually United Linux, an amalagamation of smaller distros. In Japan, TurboLinux seems to be king, if you care.

SuSE *used* to have a demo install; try http://www.linuxiso.org/

RedHat is the "microsoft" of distros, so you'll have better luck getting drivers or help for it than others.

I haven't played with any of the Fedora core offshoot stuff (free bits after RH9) but I have a little experience with a lot of different distros - I manage all of the non HP-UX systems at HP's OpenView lab in Roseville.

Thanks for the help, guys. Thom: that's a great site. Thanks for the information. I don't know what I'm getting myself into, but I do like a challenge. :)

Try Fedora, it's the free Redhat as Redhat is no longer "free."

I use Redhat for my servers at work and I have no real complaints. I wuse XP on my desktop but I'm trying Fedora, I just have to get the wireless working... I didn't care for Redhat WS at all.

Speaking of wireless linux...anyone had any success with this?

Well, after 18hrs,2mins, I successfully downloaded Knoppix. It came as an .iso file, so I had to go online to get software to convert it to an executable that can run on a CDR, which I did. However, my laptop won't boot off the Knoppix CD I created. Okay, so my options are:

1) Go into the BIOS and enable a CD-only boot - which is something I've never done. How does one do this?

2) Raw write a bootable floppy, which I have done. However, I can't find the file on the Knoppix CD that I have to write to the floppy. Blue, Thom or anyone else, would you guys know what file I should be looking for on the CD?

I'm running XP pro if that helps.

Thanks.

SmileWavy

Er, eh? What?

And .iso file is one that you burn as an image to a CD. No conversion necessary. Any CD-writing software should let you write it. Look for "write an existing image to CD" or something.

Then you should be able to boot directly from the CD.

Think of an .iso as an "image" of what the raw bytes on the CD would look like if it were read off the CD one bit at a time into a huge file. Then when you burn the image to a CD, it duplicates the file structure (etc.) on the CD exactly as it was put in the image.

(edit)

Looks like you may have already done that....I just misunderstood the way you stated it.

To enter the BIOS setup you may have to hold down DEL (or F2, or something) while the the machine is starting (before Windows starts loading). Then there is usually an option to change the boot sequence (like 1.HD 2.CD 3.Floppy or something). Just change it to boot from CD first, then HD second, then Floppy 3rd.

Great. Thanks, Blue. No, the software did not download as an .iso. Windows could not open it, and so I had to use some freeware to convert it and then burn it onto a CD. I don't know; XP is a virulent and vigilent beast. At least 98 and 2000 could be manipulated somewhat more.

You can probably download any number of shareware programs to burn the iso image to the CD-R...you only need to do it once. Afterwards you can use XCDRoast in Linux, which is much better. :D

Yes, I did that. I downloaded ISObuster, and it was successful. Since then, I've changed the BIOS order, but to no avail. My machine still wants to boot up on Windows XP. Hmmm...I think I need to make a boot disk - but how. In Mandrake, there is an icon which reads "rawrite" that enables one to make a floppy boot disk. "Rawrite" is nowhere to be found on Knoppix. Would you know where it is, or how I might be able to make a bootable floppy with the Knoppix CD?

Thanks.

From the name of it, it sounds like ISOBuster breaks up the iso from an "image" that you can burn to a CD to the actual file structure. You won't be able to put this "exploded" image on a CD and boot from it. There's boot data on a bootable CD (and buried in the iso) that won't make it on there from a simple copy. You *must* burn a new CD using a utility that will burn the iso image to the disc.

A search for "burn iso to cd" on Google yielded the following link:

http://members.home.nl/lsnoek/iso.htm

You have to burn the ISO image directly to the CD via a "Burn image to CD" choice.

If you want to try this software it burns isos real well

http://www.cdburnerxp.se/

Then after you've done that boot to the CD directly.

Knoppix is a fixed filesystem Linux - it runs directly off the CD.