[Tfug] Linux? Debian? Kubuntu?

[Anthony Hess]

Well Im sure a few others on the list have a much broader experience with
different distros but out of the three you mentioned Id probably go with
Kubuntu for desktop use.  Its a bit easier of an install than Debian, and
less buggy than Fedora Core (again, in my experience - YMMV).

Just doing a comparison I felt that the Debian install required the most
knowledge, the FC install was maybe the most user friendly but also the most
likely to fail (seems like Ive had problems maybe 10 percent of the time so
far), and the Ubuntu install was right in between (not too hard, not too
likely to fail :) ).  I prefer the native debian/kubuntu/ubuntu package
management system (apt) and its corresponding GUI (synaptic) to the rpm
system on Fedora - just seems less troublesome to me.  Since apt makes
software installs pretty easy, and the kubuntu installer isn't bad, that's
probably what I would recommend in your case (out of my limited distro
experience - I havent tried a lot of them - at least not recently).  Some
people prefer rpm because of the various features but I consider apt to be
simpler and better at basic package management.

(I havent really addressed your hardware speed and what you should run in
that case mostly because I never deal with machines that slow)

I think you could take a class at Pima, and after a few months that might
help.  You might also just attend a meeting and have someone help you
through some of the issues you run into.  Going to Linux from a Windows or
Mac environment takes some adjustment though (mostly depending on how deeply
familiar you are with those Oses - on the surface they are very different
obviously).  I think taking a class is a nice intro - but really you just
have to spend time with the OS to really "get it".

Tony

On 2/2/06 1:44 PM, "Richard Rohrdanz" <rrohrdanz at gmail.com> wrote:

> When it comes to Unix I'm a newbie. When it comes to computers I'm and
> oldie or oldbie or whatever -- since I've worked with computers since
> 1966.
> 
> I have started experimenting with both Linux (Fedora core 4) and
> Debian. They have given me enormous headaches due to the steep
> learning curve and problematic installations. I am trying to learn
> enough to install a non-Microsoft operating system on about a dozen
> older (486 and Pentium class) computers that have been donated to a
> non-profit organization. The users are all OK in a GUI environment but
> would avoid a command line like a scorpion.
> 
> I am volunteering my time and the organization has limited resources.
> Can someone tell me the strong and weak points of the various Unix
> incarnations in this environment?