[nmglug] Linux Distributions

[Tim Emerick]

Dave,

I switched from RH to Debian (www.debian.org) some years ago.  The
testing/sarge release of Debian has darn near every package under the sun. 
With the apt system you can add different repositories for software that
doesn't appear in the standard system.  The apt system really is a dream to
keep updated.  The only thing that you might miss is RH's up2date web
application where you could remotely do all the updating from their website. 
But, I guarantee that once you experience Debians two (sometimes one) command
routine to update all of the software on your system you'll be a convert.

apt-get update
apt-get dist-upgrade

That's it!!!!

I've heard that Ubuntu (www.ubuntulinux.org) works real well on Laptops.  I
haven't had the opportunity to try it myself though.  It is based on debian
but with a prebuilt desktop/environment, etc.  There is a Live CD that you
can download that will allow you to check out the Ubuntu experience without
sacrificing your current setup, and since you already have linux the LiveCD
will use your current swap partition for a better experience.  I'm sure that
Ubuntu, like SimplyMepis, uses the standard debian apt repositories as well
as some of their own.

Hope I was able to sell you on my distro of choice.  You may have heard of
the difficulties of the debian installer, but the new testing/sarge installer
is pretty much a walk in the park now.  Re-reading my post here makes me want
to go home and check out the Ubuntu distro that I downloaded a few nights ago
and haven't checked out yet.


Good luck!

Tim Emerick
--- wdn at lanl.gov wrote:

> I have been a Red Hat user for several years but lately have been
> interested in considering the use of another Linux distribution.  Right
> now, I am using Red Hat Enterprise Linux 3.0.  Here is what I am looking
> for:
> 
> 1.  A distribution that provides a really large number of prebuilt
>     packages so that there is a good probability of my finding anything
>     I might want already prebuilt in the distribution.
> 
> 2.  A decent installation procedure.
> 
> 3.  Good package management and installation.
> 
> 4.  Staying close to the cutting edge on the software packages.
> 
> I've been trying to do some research on my own - looking at Mandrake
> and Debian.  I'm also interested in Fedora but have not been able to
> find much information on it yet.
> 
> I'm wondering what advice people on this list might provide given the
> above criteria for choosing a distribution.
> 
> BTW, I will be running the Linux distro that I choose on a laptop.
> 
> -- 
> Dave Nystrom
> LANL X-2
> Phone: 505-667-7913
> Fax:   505-665-2227
> Email: wdn at lanl.gov
> Smail: Mail Stop T085
>        Group X-2
>        Los Alamos National Laboratory
>        Los Alamos, NM 87545
> 
> 
> 
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