Linux Distribution Recommendations

For Beginners

Selection

One size does not fil all. Some key differentiators to evaluate include:

1. the functionality/style of "Control Panel" and that is best asssesed by trying various live CD from the suggestions below
2. look-and-feel of the various Desktop enviroments
   • Unity
   • KDE
   • Gnome
   • LXDE
3. Applications
   • this should not be a "show-stopper"
   • whilst > 700 MB won't fit on a CD, most Distributions have large, on-line repositories from which many applications can be installed quite simply

Suggestions from PCUG's Linux SIG depend on perspective:

for best support from the SIG

1. Linux Mint
2. openSUSE
3. Ubuntu

for Windows/MacOS like experience

1. KDE variants of the above

uncomplicated/mobile computing

1. Peppermint

for netbooks and low spec hardware

1. Peppermint
2. PC Linux OS LXDE
3. Puppy
   • limited network security

for PCUG members having a dearth of download quota, the following are unmetered download from TIP

1. Ubuntu
   • an Ubuntu download should be redirected automatically to TIP server - but check your usage stats before & after

Distribution Specific Notes

All distributions have some "quirks" which might not be covered in installation & usage guides

openSUSE

Locale

• essentilal that this be set correctly at installation stage
• correct settings for Australia are UK language plus US keyboard
  1. first select via F2 on the opening installation screen
  2. verify & correct if necessary on final pre-installation summary scrreen
• following installation go to Start->System Settings->locale
  1. set to Australia and language EN-GB

Repositoiries

openSUSE handles differently from many other Linuxes

• has hundreds of online repositiories
  • only "installation media", update, oss and non-oss are set by default
  • change last three to local mirrors (preferably unmetered)
  • additional repositories should not be required by beginners
  • any that are set require a higher priority (lower number) than the defaults

Printer Setup

• several of the printer setup routines are broken
• http://localhost:631 in a browser gives the most reliable for initial;y setting up each printer
  • printers must be powered up and connected to the local PC or network
  • root password is required
• Start->System->Configuration->Print Settings provides good control of parameters after initial setup

For Intermediate Users

for continual upgrade to latest software releases

1. openSUSE with Tumbleweed repository enabled
2. Ubuntu with Universe repository enabled

for fewest upgrades

1. Ubuntu (& derivatives) based on Long Term Support (LTS) core

for PCUG members having a dearth of download quota, the following are unmetered download from TIP

1. Ubuntu
2. Debian
   • an Ubuntu/Debian download should be redirected automatically to TIP server - but check your usage stats before & after

for netbooks and low spec hardware

1. Peppermint
2. PC Linux OS LXDE
3. the new razorqt desktop
   • www.qtdesktop.org
   • available for most major distributions

Specialised Distributions

utility CD

1. PartedMagic
   • small fee payable online
2. SystemRescueCD

firewall/gateway/router

1. Smoothwall Express
2. IPFire
   • only one supporting ARM-based hardware
3. IPCop no longer recommended
   • release 1.4.x is stable, but no longer maintained
   • release 2.x less reliable

For Geeks

the following are generally regarded as not suited to beginners.

1. Arch
2. Gentoo
3. Slackware

Arch Linux

Advantages

• continuously updated
• robust
• tailerable to compact installations
• usable on low-end hardware
• supports many ARM based devices

Disadvantages

• requires much additional, manual setup

--Rod 13:59, 19 August 2012 (EST)