Best Linux variety

Discussion in 'Unix, Mac, & BSD (3D)' started by zed, Sep 9, 2013.

  1. zed

    zed
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    Well my fresh windows 8 install is buggered (after 2mins of doing nothing, all 4 cores start operating at 100% and the HD goes bonkers without cessation untill I do something). incompetent programming. (similar programming logic design to my most recent laptop's BIOS).
    from searching on internet Its a very old problem with windows (since win 2000), 10,000s of people have experienced it yet no fix from MS. $170 for an OS thats pants, pity I cant get a refund.

    anyways to cut a long story short Ive decided to install linux again. I only have only 2 desires
    1. a version that just works
    2. reasonably customable

    Last time I used ubuntu, which 'just worked(*)' but Ive heard theyve gone the mac OS/win 8 path and 'we know best' the UI. Is this true?, if it is what other version shall I look at?

    (*)in fact worked better than my current windows version, where I had to go online & download at least 3 different drivers
     
  2. Blazkowicz

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    I prefer using a 2D desktop and I've only used the ubuntu/debian family, so I recommend linux mint 15 Mate edition, whose desktop is a forked and maintained version of the older desktop, Gnome 2. It's ubuntu 13.04 underneath. You mainly have to add google search engine to firefox (and flashblock if you wish), set a wallpaper and you're good to go.

    The big contender is the KDE desktop, which allows you to get into KDE oriented distros (Mageia or Suse?) and exists under Ubuntu as well (Kubuntu, Mint 15 KDE) but it's too heavy and flashy for me (and buggy, sometimes). But it's modern and customisable (which you have to do if you hate the default start menu, animations and weird stuff on the desktop)

    Xfce is similar to Gnome2/Mate and can be used as an "at least, it works and is usable", I like it on Mint 13 Xfce (which is ubuntu 12.04), less fresh but supported for many years (this is what I can give for an older computer that will run untouched for years). Xubuntu 13.04 for fresher software/drivers.

    I can give you a list of stuff I ignore : desktops based on gnome3/gtk3 (so "vanilla ubuntu", gnome 3 and cinnamon though it's not necessarily bad), the Fedora distro, Redhat/CentOS (for servers and corporate stuff), Arch, Gentoo, Slackware (for tinkerers, though I don't do them justice)

    LXDE is a great desktop but stagnating, this one makes a Pentium II or III usable even today, not so much meant for your PC.

    I don't want to give you much more info, that would be endless. Lots of competition, complexity, petty politics, great promises, flame, stuff that gets aborted or goes in a silly direction.
    Also with an Ubuntu base, you can install Steam without any work to do, but for the considerably different distros there are scripts you can find on the web, doing the work.
     
  3. Florin

    Florin Merrily dodgy
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    I like Mint as well but I've been using Cinnamon as the interface.

    Really though, Ubuntu 12.04.3 LTS and up are pretty nice also. Unity has matured and it's really not complete shit gravy anymore.
     
  4. zed

    zed
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    Thanks guys I've never heard of those before. Suse used to be my favorite distribution back in the 1990s. I'll try out Ubuntu the question now remains is whether? To choose mint or cinnamon. I'll have a s read on the internet and them decide. IIRC back in the old days it was a lot easier to change wm's. Hopefully the gfx drivers for Intel are working eell. I think there's two choices open source and ones from Intel so twice the chance. The reason I say is cause under windows they're not whenever I run unity (which is what I'm mainly gonna do on the pic) causing it to crash. Every program I run except Photoshop has a Linux version so the main problem with Linux (lack of software) doesn't effect me.
     
  5. Malo

    Malo Yak Mechanicum
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    You can turn off the 3D desktop in Ubuntu as well. You have that option when logging in.
     
  6. Davros

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    you could test out some live dvd's
    ive been using kanotix (debian) as its one of the few live dvd's that has proper nvidia and amd drivers built in. It also has wine and even steam
    I also tried live.linuX-gamers.net dvd but it wouldnt boot on my pc
     
  7. zed

    zed
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    I want to use my onboard intel not the discrete geforce which I nicked from another machine cause I want to return that.

    anyways I installed cinnamon only cause mate has listed under new features
    I mean seriously, comeon why the hell even include these, if need be include a link on the desktop to 'top desktop background images you may wish to browse' instead they force me to download this crud (even stuff like libreoffice etc which I would download I dont want I just want a bearbones dowload)
    http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_olivia_whatsnew.php#mate

    install took 10mins, start up memory is < 300MB nice

    Q/ I cant see a way to place the taskbar on the left side of the screen
    prolly more later but looking nice sofar
     
  8. Blazkowicz

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    It's 23MB out of a 1GB download (in /usr/share/backgrounds) and is worth it to me, I bet you have them as well.
     
  9. ninelven

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  10. Blazkowicz

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    Lubuntu is great, but last time I tried it it came with those "worse than Windows 3.1" games which ain't pretty.
     
  11. Npl

    Npl
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    theres really the question of what you want.

    Debian - rock stable, even the experimental branch will be more solid than Ubuntu. stable versions of the software wont change until the next release (means ~2 years). testing branch is available, as is experimental
    Ubuntu - new and wacky stuff, fine until something breaks. very "un-linux" (aside from un-windows, un-mac) in many aspects.

    If you want to tinker with different wms and other software components id go with debian as base, since most are based on it and not a derivate.
    if you want just to play with themes just test a few live cds and see what fits. KDE based distros should be reasonable close to the windows feel btw.
     
  12. Gubbi

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    I'd say anything Debian based. Ubuntu x.04 (LTS) versions are perfectly fine, and installs in two minutes from a flash USB drive.

    If you pick Ubuntu, learn to live with the Unity GUI, once you're over the initial grief (it's unlike any other WMS), you'll be perfectly happy, IMHO.

    Cheers
     
  13. Cyan

    Cyan orange
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    Pop OS
    Ubuntu
    Zorin OS
    Linux Mint
    Manjaro


    Any of those are going to give you a great user experience.
     
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