Which OS to use?

[dark]

Ok I am getting sick of Windows, just a hassle.

I need advice at which Linux based operating system would be good to install on my laptop. I am more importantly concerned with doing school work, games I couldn't care less about. Also I want something that should be workable with some stupid hp drivers, that I seem to not be able to down grade to Xp to solve the Vista problems...

So the list of musts:
1. Linux
2. Good for school work - such as comes with good open-sources to replace MS office.
3. Compatible with Laptops
4. Drivers must be decent to good.
5. Has to look somewhat nice, don't want to be running a dos looking system :P

Any suggestions would be helpful, thanks. It has been about 3 years since I ran a Linux and I don't know what is best to use right now.

 

[Anthile]

Mint Linux.

 

[Latro]

There are a lot of flavors of Ubuntu. Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Xubuntu are all made by Canonical, and differ in their choice of desktop environment. A few others that are not affiliated with Canonical are Lubuntu, Mint, Peppermint, and Crunchbang. These are generally the easiest distros to set up but also generally the ones that are the most difficult to really customize heavily, because the configs are generally somewhat....cryptic.

If you want a distro with some more involvement, there are others. One is Arch Linux, which in its standard form is a little extreme, especially for a newbie, partly because initially it does not come with X installed, which means you do not start with a graphical interface at all. It is not especially difficult to install, but you do have to pay attention to the guides, which fortunately are really fantastic on wiki.archlinux.org. Another, similar option is Archbang, which is constructed on top of a standard arch system but comes with more installed, including X and the desktop environment LXDE.

I personally have only used Ubuntu, Xubuntu, a little bit of Arch, and Archbang.

Your criteria, by the way, are really not criteria at all. Any Linux system can fit those descriptors very quickly once it's set up even if it doesn't immediately on install. (You might have to actually install Open Office, but that's not a big deal by any stretch of the imagination.)

 

[dark]

Ah sounds great.

My experience with Linux was great, I used Suse 9 back in the day, had Slackware 10, Xandor (I am sure this is what it was called, or something similiar) and I want to go back since I don't think I will be playing games anymore.

I never lived Ubuntu much, I never used it but others I knew did, and I didn't like the looks compared to my systems.

Think I will start investigating the ones you guys mentioned and thanks, will post update on what I choose.

 

[₲uardian]

Primary: OSX
Secondary: Windows 7

Experimental Desktop
Ubuntu (VM)

Experimental Server
OpenBSD (VM, no GUI)
FreeBSD (VM, no GUI)
Windows Server 2008 R2 (Discontinued)
Ubuntu Server (Discontinued, no GUI)

I don't want to waste my time finding every pro and con of each, so i will be brief.

OSX is my primary OS these days because it's intuitive, task-focused, consistent, easy to get from point A to B. The main thing i like is that things just work, and it normally does so the way you think it should. What I hate is that it has shitty window management (jesus christ, figure out how to maximize a window properly)

Windows 7 i mainly use because my career requires it. It used to be my primary OS because you can basically get whatever software there is. It has superior window management, but most of all, I am most proficient using it. I find it easier to work with the keyboard in Windows.

I am torn between OpenBSD and FreeBSD as my primary experimental server. I have invested time in OpenBSD, so i am proficient enough to do what I want. I like its tidiness and security. It has a more understandable structure that is closer to the metal with more transparency in how it operates. What I don't like is that it has a considerably small package repository. FreeBSD on the other hand, has a huge repository which is its main appeal.

Ubuntu Server is appealing because it's damn easy to install what you want. aptitude is by far the best package manager I've used (yes I am aware it sits above apt).

Windows Server 2008 R2 is pretty damn amazing. It's perfectly suited for a corporate environment. It's easy to manage without sacrificing security. It's pretty much what a server with a GUI should be.

Ubuntu is a nice desktop OS. I dont' have much against it, but OSX and Windows already meets my desktop needs. I would prefer Xubuntu if only it were as stable as Ubuntu.

Grips about *nix:
Installing on *nix very frequently can be a horrible experience. As much as I like learning, I'm older now with different priorities. I usually just want to get things done, not go on missions nor side missions nor read inefficient tutorials on how this one guy did something. I can't help but to suspect that there is probably a better way.

As a side note, don't ever install OpenSolaris. FAIL!

 

[dark]

I downloaded Mint, but am unsure if it is supposed to be this small of a file... 500-600 mg? Confused I thought an OS would be bigger in the ISO especially for the DVD ISO download. Should I re-download it, it only shows a 800 mg file on the website, so I is confused still.

Before I install this I want to know if it will erase my current files, and also will I be able to get back to the things I am doing, like school work and messaging fairly quickly.

 

[₲uardian]

I downloaded Mint, but am unsure if it is supposed to be this small of a file... 500-600 mg? Confused I thought an OS would be bigger in the ISO especially for the DVD ISO download. Should I re-download it, it only shows a 800 mg file on the website, so I is confused still.

Before I install this I want to know if it will erase my current files, and also will I be able to get back to the things I am doing, like school work and messaging fairly quickly.

Maybe the ISO has packages you haven't installed, or languages you dont speak.

You could check the hash of your ISO if you want to be certain before downloading again.

 

[dark]

Checked the MD5SUM and it wasn't the same so looks like I will need to re-download it. Stupid windows.

Also I don't like the idea of using a Mac OS type thing.

 

[₲uardian]

Also I don't like the idea of using a Mac OS type thing.

I'm almost positive it's biased, and has something to do with disliking people who use it, and you probably think they're dumb. Then it's probably justified with ideas that simplicity is just another word for dumb in disguise.

Maybe you hate Apple.
Maybe you hate how expensive they are.
You'll figure out on your own what you like one day.

 

[dark]

Yeah there is no way I am going to spend that much for a Mac, and there is no way I could afford one right now.

I don't like the idea of capitalism. Open-source is a nice idea. And I feel it shouldn't be required people give money for something like technology that should be shared. Of course it is nice to give the developers donations for their efforts. That is kindness for giving something for free.

I dislike the people at the top who horde all the fancy things and make people pay for them if they want them. That is evil. Of course this doesn't belong on this thread so apologies.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

Hmm I say go PCBSD/Free BSD if you really want to be radical. Although they aren't really for people who favor GUIs.

 

[dark]

Hmm I say go PCBSD/Free BSD if you really want to be radical. Although they aren't really for people who favor GUIs.

They seem to have a GUI, I couldn't live without one, I like to click. I did spend a semester once on a non GUI OS but I always had to switch to a GUI when I actually needed to do something.

 

[dark]

Ran into some trouble, got the Linux Mint dvd iso downloaded, checked the md5sum and it is right on, file is about 836MB in size.

Problem is this: The iso will not allow me to use a dvd to place it on, couldn't even put it on as data, it keeps asking for a cd, says dvd format is wrong. I am using a DVD-R disc on two different computers, and yes they are dvd burners and I make dvds often on it.

Why would the iso file not allow me to burn the iso on dvd? Also is there a better program one of you may know about that is free to use for windows to make an iso dvd?

 

[Anthile]

Ran into some trouble, got the Linux Mint dvd iso downloaded, checked the md5sum and it is right on, file is about 836MB in size.

Problem is this: The iso will not allow me to use a dvd to place it on, couldn't even put it on as data, it keeps asking for a cd, says dvd format is wrong. I am using a DVD-R disc on two different computers, and yes they are dvd burners and I make dvds often on it.

Why would the iso file not allow me to burn the iso on dvd? Also is there a better program one of you may know about that is free to use for windows to make an iso dvd?

CD Burner XP.

 

[James Black]

I'm almost positive it's biased, and has something to do with disliking people who use it, and you probably think they're dumb. Then it's probably justified with ideas that simplicity is just another word for dumb in disguise.

Maybe you hate Apple.
Maybe you hate how expensive they are.
You'll figure out on your own what you like one day.

Just saying, I hate Apple and I hate how expensive Macs are, but I still suggest OS X. The company may be a horrible company and their products may be overpriced, but the OS and hardware have merit.

 

[TheHmmmm]

Just saying, I hate Apple and I hate how expensive Macs are, but I still suggest OS X. The company may be a horrible company and their products may be overpriced, but the OS and hardware have merit.

Hardware? Hardware in a mac isn't any better, and is CERTAINLY not any cheaper.

The quality of the operating system is debatable. I have none of the issues with windows that mac users gloat over, so I don't think MacOS has anything special to brag about.

Windows does have DX though, which is a plus.

 

[dark]

I tried Mint, it was nice, but I couldn't seem to get it to dual boot my current windows OS, so I had to re-write the mbr and bring back windows and just removed Mint, I have downloaded Ubuntu but haven't gotten the chance to install it but now that school is over I will be able to. I do give it credit for looking nicer than Mint, but Mint did have some really nice features I hope Ubuntu also has.

Also to you who use the OS X stuff from mac, is it possible to install that on a pc or does it require an actual mac, which if it could be installed on a pc, I would definitely try it, you know try before you buy stuff.

I am a firm believer in trying before buying, really wish there was a legal way to do that with software. I just don't see the point in buying something if I can't try it, like say a car, I wouldn't want to buy it because it looks cool or it has good reviews, I want to drive it, and if it is a drivers car, I will get it. Now if I can only persuade grocery stories to let me do this...

 

[James Black]

Hardware? Hardware in a mac isn't any better, and is CERTAINLY not any cheaper.

The quality of the operating system is debatable. I have none of the issues with windows that mac users gloat over, so I don't think MacOS has anything special to brag about.

Windows does have DX though, which is a plus.

By Hardware I mean the unibody laptop, the standard chiclet keyboard, the unibody monitor/computer iMac: not the cpu, gpu, ram, etc, as those are all the same parts available for any other computer. A Macbook Pro is different from any other laptop on the market and the only company to come close is Sony with their Vaio (the original powerbook design was by Sony, which may explain this similarity) the look and feel is not duplicated by any other computer: and to some, thats important. As for me, I need Windows. However, I can get that on a Mac, and I want the keyboard, the trackpad, and some of the mac only software. Oh, and I'm a developer who thought it'd be fun to learn to program for the mac. A few weeks of learning Objective-C and the XCode IDE and, well, I was wrong... But I'm finally comfortable with it.

As for issues with Windows, I never had any. There was never anything about Windows that made me think to myself "Gee, I need a new OS." Its not that Windows is bad: OS X is just good. And thats exactly the issue...both platforms have their up sides (I still chose to run OS X even though I have Windows on my mac--although it helps that you can run Windows in a VM on OS X in "coherence" or "seamless" mode, but not do the opposite) and neither is any better than the other. But, if Windows is bothering you, try OS X. If you intend to game, stick to Windows. If you want to do anything on your computer that isn't running a server, stay away from Linux. Can you do a lot of cool things with Linux? Yeah. Is it worth it? Not when you can run Windows or OS X instead. I feel its more for "geek cred" than anything else.

Oh, and on DX: I'm not too bothered by OpenGL, but I can see how DX could be important for some people. Then again, OS X is not an OS to run if you intend to game a lot. (at least get Bootcamp + Windows then) Interestingly, I always opted for DX 9 over 10 anyway. Still to this day I still have more bugs in 10 than 9.

Also to you who use the OS X stuff from mac, is it possible to install that on a pc or does it require an actual mac, which if it could be installed on a pc, I would definitely try it, you know try before you buy stuff.

Theres a project to bring OS X to PCs (OS X86 I believe? Google InsanelyMac) and I've tried in the past with an old Dell of mine. Its hit and miss, and will give a little taste of OS X, but your mileage may vary depending on what hardware is in your computer: it could work really well, as intended, or be a crappy shadow of what the OS is meant to be. Unlike Linux and Windows, OS X is only written for very minimal hardware possibilities, and you may find certain parts of your system incapable of working with it. (Although the community is rather skilled at creating kext files [kernel extensions, consider them the mac version of drivers] for otherwise unsupported hardware)

 

[walfin]

I feel its more for "geek cred" than anything else.

Why? Linux is really as good as Win/Mac for general productivity. It's only for specialised stuff that it has a problem (like video editing, since there's only cinelerra, or 3d modeling, since there's only blender that's a real option), or for games. But because there are few really good must-play-now games, there are less distractions.

It's really very much more customisable than Windows or OS X. You can truly make it look totally different from every other linux user, without having to run stuff that runs "on top" and wastes RAM. Maybe you think that is a waste of time but I care about the look & feel of the desktop.

Sure, Macs are shiny and look nice, and that's a good reason for buying a mac, but they all look nice in the same way.

 

[pjoa09]

Ubuntu
It's gone way past Linux and Windows.

Pros:
- Easy to use.
- Beautiful.
- Still easier to customize compared to Windows.
- Got the stuff you want pre-installed.
- Got Synaptic Package Manager (no compiling).
- Communicates with other devices pretty damn good (I was able to view everything in my iPod Touch (Jailbroken) and browse through the entire collection (Before Jailbroken).

Cons:
- Not as easy to customize as before or compared to other Linux distributions.
- Get's pretty slow when you do.
- No learning curve at all which could be a pro but i consider it as a con because well face it why use Linux if it isn't going to shock you or confuse you.
- Doesn't make you feel like much of a geek or tech-superior but rather just some average curious bloke.


In general, go for it if you want to say you are on LINUX. or HATE FUCKING WINDOWS.

BUT.

If you are very keen on personalization or anything like that.
You have to go hardcore:
-Slackware
-Arch
-Debian (Synaptic here)

They aren't pretty or damn easy to use but they are easily the ones that you can customize till the point that you actually feel like you made an OS completely by yourself even though you actually didn't

If all else fails to achieve your desired spot.

How about 3 months of making somewhat your OS?

Linux From Scratch

Yeah just Google that.

Damn I am really enjoying the text work here.

 

[Zero]

In my experience, you will want to have windows for school work. Especially if you think you'll ever need Microsoft office, including Power Point and especially Access. If you take any computer classes, if you need to use remote desktop...

I'm using windows 7 and easypeasy at the moment. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I think ubuntu has been more stable, but 7 more compatible.

In the past I've used Open Office as my office programs. They do the basics. Now-a-days I pretty much use google docs in replacement. I don't feel there is a REAL replacement for Microsoft office 2010 when it is required in classes.

TBH, I like Android's system, it's open, but it's not a total pain- I mean when it comes to apps, multimedia and games. I can't make due with the proxies. It takes a lot more techie knowledge to deal with, but Android is pretty well fleshed out for user-friendliness. I believe there is an Android OS these days. I'm not sure how it works though. I guess I might give it a go.

*I know there are a lot of Windows haters among Linux, probably because Windows is its own sort of monster. Personally I can't hate anything useful- unless for some reason I'm not able or allowed to use it. Then I'm pissed off.

 

[Madoness]

Arch linux

 

[Dimensional Transition]

To be honest, Mac.
Just download Office for Mac if you're worrying about work/school.
I've always found Windows to be extremely buggy and slow. The way Windows works is infuriating. And if you're such an avid gamer you want to choose for Windows over Mac, just download bootcamp or something so you can play Windows games on your Mac.

However, if you're extremely keen on customizing everything about your operating system, go for Linux. I don't know too much about Linux for the rest, but since it's also based on Unix like Mac, I trust Linux.