Re: [TCLUG:5603] RedHat 6 vs Caldera 2.2

[Michael Hicks <hick0088@tc.umn.edu>]

> I have never run Linux before and would like to install it on an extra HDD I
> have here.  I have been asking some people about what I should install and
> they all told me slackware, but it seems you guys aren't big slackware fans?
> I don't really want to buy anything yet, till I get stuff figured out at
> least.  So what is the best distro for a newbie, and where can I download
> the ISO from?  I have no probs with a large download.

Well, I started out with Slackware 3.0, which I ran for way too long (my box
ended up getting broken into through a daemon I didn't even know I had..)  When
I started using Linux, I got a book ('Linux Secrets', IIRC) -- that was
_extremely_ helpful..

Slackware wasn't a huge problem for me, since I felt pretty comfortable back in
DOS where I needed understanding of IO addresses, IRQs, memory management, and
how to edit files.  If you never want to touch a configuration file, don't go
with Slackware.  Of course, if you are more comfortable tweaking everything by
hand, Slackware would be a good choice.

When I started using RedHat, I was happy to learn that the RedHat Package
Manager would check for requirements before installing software that might or
might not work.  The binary tar files for Slackware would just plop files onto
your hard drive, and they often wouldn't work quite right (I remember fixing
symbolic links for shared libraries by hand after un-tarring files, since tar
usually wouldn't overwrite existing ones..)

As for Debian, I know it has package support that is similar to RPM (and many
people say that it is superior).  I've never used Debian myself, so I can't say
much about it.  My understanding is that the automatic hardware detection during
installation isn't quite as good as RedHat's, but that's about all I know.
 
On a semi-side note, Slackware originated in the Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN
area, so there might be a bit of a bias around the region..
-- 
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|               Mike Hicks | Linux User Since: 1.2.13
: http://umn.edu/~hick0088 | mailto:hick0088@tc.umn.edu
`              icq:6883760 | Current Kernel: 2.2.5