Topic: Which Linux today? (Page 1 of 4)

Okay, I am fed up.

I hate Windows, and Windows hates me. It's not a software aimed at users anyway : it's painful to configure, intrusive on the simplest windows updates,
slowing down to a crawl when I relocate several files at the same times.

I like Mac OS X. It's user friendly and ubber geek friendly. It's what I pay for : a stable software that lets me control my computer, and makes things easier to me,
not the other way round.

I want a Linux on my non-Mac-OS compliant devices.

But which flavor? I would like to run XGL on it, possibly get decent ATI/Nvidia drivers, play video, develop, keep my Windows in some angles for times when I feel suicidal.

Ubuntu? Suze? A Debian? Which one should I opt for?

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But which flavor? I would like to run XGL on it, possibly get decent ATI/Nvidia drivers, play video, develop, keep my Windows in some angles for times when I feel suicidal.

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All of that's going to be the same on any distro - some might make it slightly easier to set up, but if you know how to read, it's not going to matter.

IMO Debian, Gentoo, and Slackware are the only distributions worth using. Virtually all other distributions fall into two categories: (1) they suck (this includes distros that have RPM package managers, & distros with lame commercial tendencies [Red Hat, SUSE]), (2) they're derivatives of other distros.

For a new person, I recommend Debian, but it's pretty easy to do your own research and choose one yourself. In the end they're all the same, it's mostly going to come down to the community, and the package manager.

If you do end up doing some research, don't overlook the BSDs.

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but if you know how to read, it's not going to matter.

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Errr... no, I don't. What did you say already?

Wow, bad antialiasing.

Hmmm... I may sound wack, but since I can't read I am pretty safe posting away newbie questions.

>> & distros with lame commercial tendencies

Ok, why are they lame, style concerns aside? Suse sounds sexy, it is named after a known beverage, and opensuse has the noble goal
of making it simple.

Ubuntu and it's derivatives are my recommendation, Although I've not tried the Linux distros mentioned by Reisio, Ubuntu has been the most new-user-friendly than any other distro I have tried.

Comes with all the software, hardware detection is usually straightforward, will work with XGL/Beryl whatever. The only thing you'll have to set up pretty much is getting some Microsoft fonts and mp3 playback, and that's dead easy the support forums tell you everything you need to know.

Ubuntu is based on Debian however, so Reisio is probably giving you the best advice, I'd compare them both and see which suits you best.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers,

I am a bit stubborn in addition. Just a tad.

POSIX compliance sounds good. But how good exactly? Does that posix thing bake toasts for me?
BSD sounds very safe, very academic, a total bore.

...The concept here is "pluck your cd made from iso, start install, have 80% of your devices recognized and installed, and use right away" or as close as I can get. Now what happens to which distro in the field of high end hardware like gfx adapters?

What happens to killer video codec packs?
What happens to wine?
Which one is a pain in the behind to boot (long boot times)?

In other words, reisio's core know how is interesting here, why would you favor a distro more than another?

Ubuntu:
put cd in drive ..install..find 80%-90% of hardware boots relativly fast and i was surprised of how nice it worked from the start. we had world of warcraft running on it ..worked fine so graphics should not be a problem. wine should be set up rather easy.

so as a beginner i'd choose ubuntu

I'd hafta raise another flag for Ubuntu, it really easy outstanding for beginners. It *is* based on Debian so things will be- well, Debian rocks, even if it is like a brick wall sometimes. If you need any help, hop on over to UbuntuForums. I often hang out on their IRC channel #ubuntuforums on Freenode (if you need help with IRC, that's a whole 'nother thread).

Trust me, once you see how drop dead easy the install is on Feisty, you'll never think of Linux the same. It has its quirks, but you knew that.

If you tell me what hardware ya got, we can find out how compatible you are. I'll affront you that NVidia *always* trumps ATI on the Linux driver front.

The codec thing is not really a problem. When you load a video in some codec, Totem will automatically ask to download the codec. Some are bitchy (WMV), but time will tell.. everyone having all the codecs is a pretty new thing on Linux.

Wine is, well, Wine. Many things will run just fine, some after some hammering, and some will not even get close. For some things, CrossOver Office (for office apps) and Cedega (for gaming) will make things easier (both are 'for pay'). I've some details on Installing Photoshop on Linux with CrossOver Office 5.0.3

Ubuntu takes its time to boot, mostly because of all the services it loads on startup. I've heard it's trivially easy to configure for faster booting, but I've never gotten around to actually doing it. My stopwatch on my cell phone says 2:56 for Ubuntu vs. 0:35 for WinXP (both from GRUB). Thing is, with WinXP you can use hibernate and stuff to make it load even faster, ACPI on linux (it controls things like hibernate and suspend) is a bit of hit-or-miss depending on the hardware (the board, right?). One of the many reasons it takes a while to boot? It takes *forever* to load CUPS (the print server)- I don?t even have a printer!

POSIX Standards are basically the API that linux is based on. It's the standards interfacing that Unix uses and Linux has always aimed for total POSIX compliance. It has to do with the kernel APIs and commands that are available.

BSD is cool, but it's a little less open than Linux. As a result fewer apps are actually written for the BSDs (but most will work) but the system is super-stable.

When I get a little more time, if you decide on the flavor, I'll post some of my initial config and package stuff. I suggest you use PartitionMagic for partition work, it is the best app I've ever seen for that.

What kinda connection you got, or is the machine a laptop?

On the prehistoric intel front, I have two comps. Both 4-5 years old.

Respectively :
One on Nvidia (GeForce - one of the PCIxpress/AGP models, one on ATI Radeon mobility 9600)
One desktop, one laptop.
One on pentium 4, one on Centrino (don't know the frequency).
Both on motherboards forged by Neanderthals.
Both on deluxe displays.
Both on 500MB Ram.
HD's are probably Sata, 60GB vs 100GB.
Sound cards are cheap.
Connectivity is excellent, usb2 and plenty of internal/external adapters, mostly broadcom, and a wireless buffalo card (G54 I think)
and a wireless d-link usb device, some realtek probably, and a dreaded wireless intel R Pro.

What did I forget? The dvd drives of course! One floppy, two dvds, one rewritable, one read only.

In no particular order.

I'll give ubuntu a shot, I actually am a developer and accustomed to gcc under cygwin or mingw,
I understand POSIX compliance in theory, what I don't understand is the impact... but my guess is that is has an impact
when developping portable device drivers or other software that requires low level operations, or when desigining a file system.

My question about POSIX was more in the vein of "when do I really get to give a damn about POSIX compliance?"

Professional Linux friends seem to shout "Debian" or "Gentoo," I think I will opt for Ubuntu. Feedback about gentoo anyone?
(and thank you everybody).

gotta go- quick answer:
POSIX is important because applications generally work in every operating system... so apps work on every linux distro, on unix, on BSDs, and (sometimes) on Mac.

It's just the interfacing layer between apps. If the interfaces are the same, then I can run Stellarum on all linux's, Unix, and on Mac (and even on Win).

That's why it's important, because everything will work everywhere (everything with POSIX)

Get to the rest of your concerns later...

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argo navis said:

Ok, why are they lame, style concerns aside? Suse sounds sexy, it is named after a known beverage, and opensuse has the noble goalof making it simple.

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SUSE is Novell's Red Hat (and Fedora Core), which would be lame enough (Red Hat basically betrayed its entire user base by jumping from a free distro to a commercial one), but on top of that Novell is also allied with Microsoft. Also both lean towards RPM, widely accepted as a shoddy choice.

Sounds good enough to me - about POSIX, indeed, I had experience with simple libraries that strangely enough, worked on linux, unix and osx
- the code was relatively small though.

Thanks all, will try ubuntu. XGL looks quite cool. I will pop back to ask for interesting Linux software,
which will make for a nice knowledge base about Linux for beginners.

...Oh, yeah, ONE piece of software that I absolutely need is worms world party. Anybody is aware of a Linux version compatible,
network-wise, with Windows/DOS versions?

Quickie : since all the above sounds true and is useful, I chose ubuntu with KDE on top, in a Kubuntu bundle.

Now, once I have repartitioned my laptop for multiple boot drvies, I will install it and :

How to install XGL on Kubuntu on ATI gpus
Some of the best Linux applications

Feel free to add tips and stuff. First apps I will install once I am ready are FireFox, Java (not sure which VM and how),
OpenOffice and Wine.

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argo navis said:

Oh, yeah, ONE piece of software that I absolutely need is worms world party. Anybody is aware of a Linux version compatible, network-wise, with Windows/DOS versions?

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http://www.google.com/search?q=%22worms%20world%20party%22%20site%3Aappdb.winehq.org
http://packages.ubuntu.com/cgi-bin/search_packages.pl?keywords=dosbox&searchon=names&subword=1&version=feisty&release=all

quick note : if you go with Ubuntu, use the box with the nVidia card. using ATI with ubuntu (and maybe other linux distros) has been a nightmare for me.

Later,

C:\

Nah, my little kubuntu worked and works a threat, simply. Reisio, lovely.

Install went this way (maybe due to the partnership between Dell and ubuntu) : burn iso, dvd autoruns on Windows to offer testing of some famous opensource apps (Firefox, Thunderbird..).

Reboot on dvd (or cd, basically it is a 700MB cd image), ubuntu starts fine. One icon on the desktop : "install".

Only 3GB non partitioned space available, I click "install". The installer asks me five questions, one being "how do you want to partition..".
I leave it up to the installer to decide, I am a bitch at times (at the risk of losing some existing files).

I have yet to understand HOW it did that, I think it resized an NTFS partition or something, in order to create it's 3 partitions.
Anyhow, 10-15 minutes later, the install is over.

I reboot : ALL my devices have been identified, my external wireless adapter still has a couple of difficulties but..

ATI drivers installed great, those that work with XGL in addition. OpenGL screensavers are shiny. Some tweaking with the display,
I find my display in the "by constructor" hardware list and...

I am done.



I wish any Windows install would be as professional, transparent and confortable. Now I have to :
- setup XGL
- tweak and test my wireless drivers
- install Wine and move a couple of apps over
- install FF, Java, and some web stuff
- install codecs for divx and xvid

Then I can quietly redo the partitioning to have a common FAT partition (but I may simply define some Samba shares or something).

All in all, this thing ROCKS. Will keep you posted.

your experience is quite the same as my one whas. good to see your liking it

keep us up to date

cu

I have a fat32 partition for sharing- I find it easiest to settle the partition stuff and then reinstall both OS's. By the way, the maximum size of a fat32 partition is about 196GB- learned that the hard way...

Question: Why do you need wireless drivers on a desktop?

"maybe due to the partnership between Dell and ubuntu"- what are you talking about? The OpenCD Project has been around since at least early 2005.

This is my little laundry list whenever setting up Linux:

Enable metaverses

Add the Medibuntu repositories
Medibuntu is a packaging project dedicated to distributing software that cannot be included in Ubuntu for various reasons, related to geographical variations in legislation regarding intellectual property, security and other issues.

Can't compile anything without this package: build-essential
Contains gcc, make, etc...

My wifi chooser was this: Wifiradar, but the stock Network Applet (I believe that's what it's called) is pretty good about it nowadays. It's what's running on my laptop...

Install these for movies:
vlc
mplayer and mencoder

NVIDIA drivers and Envy
If you're not an NVidia boi, don't worry about the NVidia drivers. However, take a good long look at Envy. Don't know anything about ATI except some bad Juju- good luck.

All this stuff and others used to give me this huge line to run as root:
apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras vlc mplayer mencoder w32codecs build-essential xchat frozen-bubble chromium xmms banshee libdvdnav4 libdvdplay0 libdvdread3 libxine1-ffmpeg xchat-gnome libdvdnav4 libdvdplay0 libdvdread3 libxine1-ffmpeg envy generic-mouse-server

more visualizations for totem- apt-get install libvisual*

frozen-bubble and chromium are games, but the old version of Frozen Bubble was much better. I use Chromium to test out if my video card is giving me love.

I perfer xchat-gnome to xchat, but YMMV- especially on KDE.

Banshee is an iTunes-like music app.

I explained Envy above- look at the page to see if you need it.

That w32codecs is all of the codecs, though Totem will prompt you to download decoders for anything you don't have. Totem is for Gnome, however, but there'll probably be some similar function in KDE.

Add k3b to that for CD/DVD burning. It rocks, but I've never had to use it (well, recently- used to use it a lot).

After all that is set up, I will probably spend 6 weeks at http://www.kde-look.org/ downloading every theme, icon pack, wallpaper, window decoration, and other misc. crap I don't need...

You need to go to Really Slick Screensavers and download the "Helios" screensaver. You'll never take your eyes off of the screen again...

Other fun packages include:
Stellarium - Look into the night sky
Celestia - Navigate the universe
Open Arena - Quake ]|[ Arena clone
Blender - though I would kill for 3D Studio Max
Look at my earlier post about installing Photoshop because the GIMP never quite did it for me.

Keep in mind that all of these packages can be installed by checking the boxes in the Synaptic GUI, but I perfer typing all of that and going out for some nachos while it works. Also keep in mind that you can only run apt-get as root- so either type "sudo apt-get blah blah blah <return> password" or type "su <return> password <return> apt-get blah blah blah". Note that some people frown upon the second one, but it's the only way I do it.

Get XGL and Beryl or Compiz working and it will blow your screen away. Though I must admit it gets old really fast and I don't have it on right now.

Welcome to Ubuntu, argo. Ask any other questions right here or email me at petskull in the gmail-ness..

P.S. Isn't that installer to die for?

Thank you, I will post the questions here "for further reference".

>> Question: Why do you need wireless drivers on a desktop?

Basically, it's a laptop. But the desktop is on wireless as well : cable modem = expansive and not very practicle wiring. Wireless is much better.

>> what are you talking about? The OpenCD Project has been around since at least early 2005

I am talking drivers. Last time I installed a Suse, some 2 years ago, it was whining about drivers. Support for that is much better now.

For ATI, I am confident, XGL has been tested on ATI as well, and tested to work with my GPU, I *will* need to read but really, that's ok.

And thank you for the application list, will be useful during the few nights I need to make this new OS my home.

And yeah, the installer is completely stunning, by far the best piece of software I've seen in a while.

I got Beryl (XGL) up and running on my Xubuntu installation on an ATI card without any trouble what so ever, I didn't even have to install drivers, I used the defaults that Xubuntu detected for me.

The Ubuntu forums gave me everything I needed to know.

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Blaise said:

I got Beryl (XGL) up and running on my Xubuntu installation on an ATI card without any trouble what so ever, I didn't even have to install drivers, I used the defaults that Xubuntu detected for me.The Ubuntu forums gave me everything I needed to know.

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Glad to hear you all didn't have any issues with ATI and Kubuntu. I finally just gave up and put the nVidia card back in. I have an ATI Raedeon if anyone would like it hmmm....it could be because it was PCI Express?

Later,

C:\

A very timely thread for me, thanks argo navis and a belated welcome too.
I've just built, or more precisely, watched a friend build my new computer (Dual Core AMD 64bit loads of gigs - not raided). and during the whole process I debated what OS to install. After reading this thread I'm going to make a big Partition and install (probably) Ubunto to take it on a trial run.
Excellent heads up Petskull, if I wasn't persuaded by the sheer enthusiasm and humour in your post (and I was), then the "blow your screen away" link had me drooling.
I'm off for a more detailed search of all the links provided.

::tao:::: ::cell::
[flippin' 'eck] My typing skills plummet when using a laptop[/flippin' 'eck]

(Edited by Tao on 07-25-2007 22:51)

Glad this thread is helping make enthusiasts.

I am having my first problems though But will it discourage me? Naaaah.

When configuring the xorg.conf file for fglrx drivers, I got to reinstalling the system a couple of times because I basically killed my x server,
and wasn't able to restore it to a working config easilly, didn't make backups - my bad.

It seems that there are several approaches to getting the fglrx drivers to work properly, and in spite of the original speed
of my OpenGL screen savers, it wasn't working well or at all earlier.

It still isn't.

But I have few more approaches on those real nice ubuntu forums on my hands to help, plus feedback from all around the world
that my gpu may be made to work, so, for further reference.

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=191944
edit : FGLRX wikki and compatibility chart

While we're at it, Wine installed beautifully as it is integrated in the systems control, and the visual package manager (upgrades)
is very nice too.

(Edited by argo navis on 07-26-2007 09:44)

Ok- I've just read your post 6 times and I don't understand-

Are you saying that you X isn't booting? or that it's not running fast?

Did you look at Envy? It's not just for NVidia drivers anymore. I wouldn't set up my drivers without Envy, 'cause I'm lazy like that.

Failing that, what I would do is ask on the #UbuntuForums IRC channel (Freenode). They will demand a feeling that you've done your homework, but they're lots of help. If you don't know what IRC is, let me know (Not an insult, lots of people have lost touch with IRC nowadays).

Petskull, you've been my guardian pet-angel all through the issue, I am sexy but I don't have
an ego large enough to overlook good constructive advice - no offense taken, even us youngsters know good old farts IRC ,)

For some reason, my X serv crashes mysteriously after updating the drivers and rebooting, but something went very wrong while updating the drivers - now how to get it right is the current question, and there are methods for this allover the web.

Anyway, off to continue, the more I see video of Compiz, the more I want it.

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argo navis said:

the more I see video of Compiz, the more I want it.

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It wears off

Later,

C:\

Maybe yes, maybe no, it's SO fast as a windows manager.

Good news : some struggle with the fglrx drivers and I am there.
It turns out my setup had all the quirks mentionned here : https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BinaryDriverHowto/ATI

So step by step, I followed the guidelines and finally got the dri module to load - so now my Windows wiggle.
But I am having a couple more troubles, this is, after all, expected.

Wine works great, xgl and opengl too, internet too, so far, so so good. In the process of setting up xgl, I set up xmodmap to remap so keys, following given guidelines
from one of the links above. But I can use my shortcuts to some xgl features, for example Alt+Tab, but I cannot get the cube desktop for example, it won't start, seemingly independently
from the key combination I use.

It's a Beryl/Compiz merge I am using, the latest version of both being a fusion.

Anyone, any idea on what may be going on here?

I want to play with the cube not only for the sake of playing, but I really do find it useful to be able to quickly switch desktops and glance at one while working on another,
this also connects to the thread about GUI, I like my desktop GUI to be 3d, it seems I can use that.

Ok, the experience is a *BLAST*.

@Tao : thank you for the welcome, and just install both OS's, you may end up using Kubuntu
as the primary OS and emulating apps from the old 'doz through Wine or some other solution,
and booting in Windows every once in a while.

What I have to say about Ubuntu in an almost ordered way :
1) The installer is amazingly simple, installation is so sexy I would reinstall just for the fun of it.
2) I had early issues with ATI drivers but now everything is perfect, I just followed step-by-step guidelines
to solve it - took me two evenings, but it was the only quirk.
3) Multitasking is wonderful : I kill 20 apps, the system remains stable.
4) All wizards and monitoring tool are at the same time complete, and simple.
5) XGL makes Windows sexy and too fast to handle.
6) I was able to run PHOTOSHOP CS 2 using Wine with the default config. Worms still has major issues.
7) I am on Firefox right now
8) All my IM accounts are now integrated in ONE IM agent
9) Security is far superior, I am user all the time except the few times I need root privileges and the system prompts me for a password.
10) Downlads and moving files is transparent.
11) All my NTFS partitions are listed and I can freely go pick a Windows app and start it using Wine, and the likes. WITH FEISTY FAWN I DON'T EVEN NEED A FAT PARTITION.

Don't know why or how, but it reads/writes NTFS beautifully.

I am completely stunned. I am 90% of the time on Feisty Fawn now, I don't need Windows anymore,
I had little difficulties installing, and everything is far more flexible and usable and stable
and powerful than it was on Windows XP.

So long Microsoft - I see the same gap between IE and Firefox as between Windows - any version -
and Ubuntu.

This thing rules, I am in love with my OS again - it finally FEELS like I am using my computer parts fully.

Thanks a lot everybody.

(Edited by argo navis on 07-28-2007 14:41)

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argo navis said:

I had little difficulties installing

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that's part of the fun Is this your first experience with Linux? If so, sounds like yours went a lot smoother than mine. I started with Slackware 8 way back when. That was a pain to install and get running but when you did, it stayed running.

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argo navis said:

I was able to run PHOTOSHOP CS 2 using Wine

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I'm a bit surprised to hear this. I was never successful in getting CS2 to run on Edgy. I still haven't upgraded to Fiesty yet though. Did you get Compiz running? I used Beryl for a while and loved the cube and the Emerald window manager. all that other stuff I disabled though. Took a toll on my piece of poo poo graphics card.

Glad you are having fun with it. Don't know if you are a web programmer of sorts but if you are, check out Quanta. It is one of the best editors out there IMHO. Just jammed packed with features.

Later,

C:\

Not my first experience no.
I am a developer, mainly in C/C++, but I am proficient regarding web technologies as well.

I tried Suse two years ago and it sucked. Big time.

Feisty is not running yet 100% as I want it, it seems I broke one of the sun java packages and this is now getting
in the way when I try to install other apps. XGL is installed and working, but a bit unstable still.

When I tried to install Compiz, probably due to the recent merge of the two, it's Beryl that came, so I get part of the juice and effects, I get the very fast display namely and wobbly Windows, but not the cube yet. Have added that to my "to make stable" list

As for Photoshop CS2 9, it is slow, sometimes it crashes, but it works, gotta love that :
Photoshop CS2 on Kubuntu/Wine

More of that funky stuff. Spooky. I overcame the Java package issue easily. I don't know what to say,
Windows XP feels awkward right now.

Some more pictures...
http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/photos_public.gne?id=10699946@N08&lang=en-us&format=rss_200

This is downright scary. The way this OS works, and since I cared to "read" and didn't bail on small
problems, the more I go, the better it gets. I am a total believer.

I am really under the gun and I will be for several days. Just wanted to let you know that I'm reading this thread intently. Please keep posting all of your experiences exploring the OS and its apps.

By the way- you try "Right-click-on-Titlebar > Always on Top", yet?

... And change your desktop names, noob! I only have 2- 'Alpha' and 'Omega'.. just in case, "Ctrl+Alt+Left" to change desktops

Noticed the wifi icon, but what's that icon next to it with the exclamation point?

seriously- 4AM? (Step 1) Find a woman (Step 2) Keep her

Hmmm... step 1 is covered, eventhough I still cannot read, not even the freaking manual,
I am getting married in October this year - so don't get me started on Step 2 (actually Ms. Navis is abroad right now).

I got all of the early quirks fixed : mainly, I was using a bad blend of gnome dedicated control panels,
and parallel versions of compiz/beryl. Reverted to the latest version of Compiz which fixed almost
all the problems I had previously - but will probably try the unstable "compiz fusion" soon.

Sooo....

Right now, Worms world party works on Wine, thanks to reisio - gotta patch it further myself to fix a couple of minor quirks.

All Compiz classics work like a charm : cube, water, and the various flavors of application switchers, which I find so useful - really, several desktops, two keys to switch, a dream with style. Wobbly windows are so useless... but so sexy, still.

NTFS works, but read only - my bad, I was wrong when I thought it worked in write mode as well.

All my usual dev tools work.

Divx, Xvid, Windows Media everything, MP3, DVDs, ogg.. work like a charm in VLC media player.

Firefox works perfectly - as well as Flash 9.

Several Java VM run smoothly side by side, and I tried some extreme cases of Java applications that ran
faster than in XP, like, a LOT faster - rendering complex fractal sets for instance.

The alert you see is my "adept package manager", an update avail. notification, for the synaptics packman is broken, for some reason.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

My impressions :

* multitasking is now something REAL to me, run 3 videos side by side, push the system, push further, it remains stable, all videos remain there, I can cube-rotate my desktop all the way and videos remain fluid, as well as sound.
SYSTEM LAGS DO NOT EXIST IN THIS KIND OF OS.

* There is nothing that I could do in Windows and cannot do here - aside a couple of game quirks. And there is nothing that does not feel better here.

* updating or installing is so easy through the package managers or utilities : I *wish* add/remove app in Windows would prompt me with 12'000 installable apps, among which Eclipse, Firefox, etc..

* Search (locate) options work instantly in Linux, or almost.

* One of my main concerns, parallel files moving, is now FAST.

* Everything I/O is fast : downloads, bittorrent, file copying, burning...

* Everything feels secure, and in a non-intrusive way : when I run sensitive tasks, I am prompted for the root password. Bye-bye spyware.

* I am watching some youtube demos of Beryl right now for instance, have loaded "Usual suspects" in VLC.

* Pet's tips make for a great reference.

So, I got something way more powerful than Windows XP, more robust and faster, I wasn't really accustomed to Unix/Linux five days ago, this one is free, and the user interface blows "Aero" and Vista away - as well as early driver detection, with the exception of the ATI drivers.

All this happens on a computer which did not pass the "Vista compliance test"

...Actually, Billy and his attempts at software are forever marked Z-- at my "customer respect-o-meter" and "human beings compliance test", for no version of Windows that I tested is anywhere near a match to
how my computer feels right now - it's as if I had plugged 1GB additional Ram or a brand new motherboard.

...

But as far as "Alpha" and "Omega" are concerned, I am mixed : what do you think of "Tinky Winky",
"Laa Laa", "Po" and "Dipsy (king)"?

cool. got it running nicely I'd say. A couple days late, but here is a guide on getting Compiz-Fusion running in 10 minutes on Fiesty.

Saw it on Digg

Later,

C:\

Better late than never, just an update before I hop over to the burning man thread :

- I added the repositories linked in your tut, Cprompt, upgraded from them while removing some useless compiz packages (compiz-gnome namely)
and guess what? I have flames, expo, etc.. all compiz-fusion plugins active and working. It fixed a couple of minor glitches also, with plugins load order, which I previously had to specify manually.

While 50% of compiz is eye candy, some features are so useful.

- I have probs with Envy, although my drivers are working like a charm. Have to dig into system logs, but Envy and Synaptics manager do never start, go figure.

Please keep this thread alive!

I will probably be needing it soon, as I switch.

There is no way I am going to install Win Vista on my PCs!

WebShaman | The keenest sorrow (and greatest truth) is to recognize ourselves as the sole cause of all our adversities.
- Sophocles

Okay. I will try to collect a bunch of good how-to's in an upcoming post, and will fill up my flickr space
with snapshots of my so sexy desktop.

Sooooo.... for the sake of keeping this thread alive and documenting lots,
here is a "fresh Ubuntu installation guide for the noob (like me)".

PICKING A LINUX
============

In favor of Ubuntu :
- designed to be user friendly
- supported to an extent by Dell
- based on Debian and the .deb packaging model

Unix/Linux basics, you get a kernel (OS core), a filesystem (drives), and a shell (text-type interface) with each version.
On top of that, GNU distributions include a set of basic apps.
On top of that, recent Linuxes offer graphical interfaces, among which the popular KDE and Gnome.

Knowing some shell commands is useful, but not required.

My general and basic understanding of Linux distinguishes three major "branches" to the family :
- deb / Debian based (Ubuntu, Kubuntu, Xubuntu..) - packages are fast to download, easy to install, and result in stable stuff that works.
- rpm / Red Hat based - less stable when I tried it, a couple of years ago.
- BSD, Berkeley software license, they go under a very heavy review process between each new release.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PICKING A DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT
=========================

KDE vs Gnome is a matter of choice / philosophy.
Gnome tends towards less redundancy. KDE tends towards Windows like windowing,
contextual menus with options available in several places.

Interesting comparison of KDE and Gnome

Theory says there is not such a thing as a Gnome only app or KDE only app, in theory they can be exchanged,
BUT I have seen Gnome made apps refuse to start on my KDE, and generally,
it seems better to stick with one or the other, as settings and config files and locations may vary a bit namely.

With this in mind, if you opt for KDE, then opt for Kubuntu : it is the distro I chose, and it works a threat so far.

INSTALLATION AND PARTITIONNING
==========================

Ubuntu and Kubuntu, and other flavors of Linux, generally come as iso images of bootable CDs/DVDs.
These will take care of installation as transparently as a Windows CD would do (at least). They allow repartitionning,
and seemless resizing of partitions.

However, if you can afford pre-partitionning your HD, keep in mind that Linux reads NTFS but does not write it,
reads and writes FAT, and that Windows does not read Linux partitions (let alone writing them).
So if you go for dual boot, try a partitionning scheme like :

20GB Windows OS
20GB Linux OS
xxGB Data formatted as Fat
a few MB Linux swap

Again, the installer will assist you when doing this, and you can repartition/remount your drives later on, but the easy way to dual boot seems
to be this. There are plugins in both worlds to extend capabilities, but more software may mean other difficulties, so sticking
with the default sounds good, and preparing your partitionning correctly sounds even better.

(end of part 1...)