Trying some other distros

[codeking]

Hello!

I switched from Ubuntu to Windows 3 years ago, and never looked back. I love linux. However, I figure I should try out some other Linux distros.

I'll give you a quick overview of what I use Linux for: I do most things via the terminal (Lots of Vim), and the only time I'm not using the Terminal is when I'm a) using Firefox, b) using Chrome, or c) using GNUCash. I much prefer GNOME to KDE, but I haven't had a chance to try out other window managers like XFCE.

Any suggestions on a good distro to try?

[Johnsie]

Puppy http://www.puppylinux.org/

[snowpine]

These ten should keep you busy for a while: http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major

[codeking]

Snowpine -- Thanks for the list. It's a good resource. I think I'll start off with Fedora, and then move on to Linux Mint.

[snowpine]

Snowpine -- Thanks for the list. It's a good resource. I think I'll start off with Fedora, and then move on to Linux Mint.

Fedora is a good one. I have Fedora 13 (Gnome desktop) running on my Asus EEE netbook. Good luck! :)

[RiceMonster]

I personally would start off and stay with Fedora :p

[SmittyJensen]

I personally would start off and stay with Fedora :p
geeks only. :P

[Sporkman]

For xfce, you could try Xubuntu, Zenwalk, and Jibbed.

[cascade9]

Snowpine -- Thanks for the list. It's a good resource. I think I'll start off with Fedora, and then move on to Linux Mint.

Why bother with mint? Its just a ubuntu variant (and even uses the same repos IIRC). It will look different to ubuntu, and there are some minor differences here and there, but its much of a muchness really.

There is much more difference between debian and ubuntu than there is between mint and ubuntu.


For xfce, you could try Xubuntu, Zenwalk, and Jibbed.

Zenwalks not bad, I havent tried Jibbed.....but Xubuntu is not a good way to experience Xfce IMO.

Xubuntu is to slow, fat and is just made to look and feel as much like gnome ubuntu as possible.

I spose its better than PCLinuxOS Xfce though, that...thing...is just awful.

[Sporkman]

Xubuntu is to slow, fat and is just made to look and feel as much like gnome ubuntu as possible.

No.

[cascade9]

Well thought out response there Sporkman. ;)

The 'made to look as much like gnome ubuntu as possible' is debatable, but slow and fat isnt IMO. I recently tried Xubuntu10.04 and its just as bad as the earlier versions I've tried. Debian Xfce (stable, testing and unstable) runs rings around it on the low-end machine I tested them on, using a bit over half the memory xubuntu uses at startup, and overall feel they lot 'snappier' than xubuntu.

Minimal install Xfce ubuntu is much, much better, it actually keeps up with debian.

[samalex]

I suggest sticking with the classics: Slackware, SuSE, Fedora, and Debian. Many of the other distros are based on these guys.

Sam

[Simian Man]

If you want to try Fedora and Xfce (http://spins.fedoraproject.org/xfce/), they actually go together very well :).

[rwthelegend]

Fedora 13 is awesome, you should like it.

[BrokenKingpin]

Sabayon... Gentoo made easy.



Fedora 13 is awesome, you should like it.
I have always found Fedora great for advancing and testing the latest technology, but not that great for general desktop use.

[RedSquirrel]

Fedora, Debian, Slackware, and Gentoo are worth a look.

In addition to trying other distros, I would recommend trying out the Xfce desktop environment as well as running window managers on their own (openbox, fluxbox, icewm, jwm, dwm, ...). It's a good way to kill time. ;)

[Greg]

I suggest playing with configurations and WMs more so than playing with distributions. After a while you'll find all the distros are essentially the same, with the exception of package management and a little configuration. Play with XFCE, the boxes, a few tilers, and see what happens.

[RJARRRPCGP]

Puppy http://www.puppylinux.org/

Pros: Included CD and DVD burning support is unbeatable! MD5 checking is superb! Uses less than 1 GB of HDD space.

Cons: Everything runs with the highest privileges.

[RJARRRPCGP]

SliTaz

http://slitaz.org

Pros: Uses only around 256 MiB of HDD space!

Cons: Intel drivers not installed by default, uses generic video driver (vesa) by default, similar to Windows.