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I want to switch to Linux. Which distro should I use?

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  • I want to switch to Linux. Which distro should I use?

    My laptop is now pestering me every five minutes to switch to Windows 10, it seems like. I don't want to switch to 10. I would really rather use Linux, but it's been a long time since the last time I used it and I'm sure a lot has changed. I need some guidance.

    I used Red Hat for something like a year or so about 10 years ago. The reason I switched back to Windows was because I wanted to play games and there was either no emulator available for the games I played at the time or it was convoluted, difficult to use, and/or unreliable.

    I am now at the point where I want to give Linux another shot. It has to be less annoying and more secure than Windows. The only game I would really like to be able to run is modded Minecraft, and that runs natively in Linux. It would be nice if I could also play Portal (1&2), The Sims 2, and Mount&Blade so an emulator would be nice. I currently have a desktop running XP (I know, I play ooooold games!) for those so it's not the end of the world if I have to keep a separate computer. I would probably not leave that one connected to the internet.

    Basically, what I want to use the laptop for:
    Browsing the internet
    Using a text editor
    Using an image editor
    Playing Minecraft
    Watching movies
    Downloading music and putting it on my phone or iPod/backing up pictures on my phone (Samsung Galaxy S4)

    When I first started using computers, the command line interface was all there was so I am no stranger to it. I know that nowadays most Linux distros have GUIs but if the setup involves having to use the command line interface that's no big deal. I am reasonably competent when it comes to computers but I am by no means an expert so I need a little help picking which distro to use. I have no idea what's out there anymore, let alone the relative merits of each.
    Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

  • #2
    It's been a while however I used to like to use Ubuntu on my dual boot laptop. Also, you can try some live cd before committing to install a particular distro.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_live_CDs

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    • #3
      Dear Quantafile,

      So there is a moral issue here. Most distros you can get for free do not support movie watching unless u install a small program which is technically illegal. Now, you can buy a media player which legally lets u watch movies via linux, but you would have to google it . YOu can also use a simulator such as openbox and run windows in that and use windows media player. If you have windows media player, you might be able to run it in linux using WINE.

      Two systems to consider are PENGUY OS and CRUNCHBANG! linux. Penguy is designed for ease of use. It even has the program I talked about already installed (still illegal). The downside is it's huge since it comes preloaded with a bunch of cool stuff, even changing desktop backgrounds.

      Chrunchbang is a much much much smaller system which might be more up your ally. It's good a really good small support community and works well on older computers, if I'm not mistaken.

      Heero Yuy

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      • #4
        I'm seeing stuff online about Ubuntu for phones but I'm not finding anything on whether I can install that on my S4. Can I ditch the AT&T bloatware Android that came on my phone and install Ubuntu on it instead? That might make it easier to transfer files to/from the phone if I used it on the laptop as well, wouldn't it?
        Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

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        • #5
          I played around with Red Hat and Debian several years ago; I preferred the latter.
          Enter the Church and wash away your sins. For here there is a hospital and not a court of law. Do not be ashamed to enter the Church; be ashamed when you sin, but not when you repent. – St. John Chrysostom

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          • #6
            Give Linux Mint a look. It's a fork of Ubuntu but, imo, it runs better. It also has a "live environment" to check things out and see if you like it. Installation is a breeze; a bit more complex if you want to dual boot Linux and Windows, but not inordinately so if you're familiar with partitioning hard drives.
            We know J6 wasn’t peaceful because they didn’t set the building on fire.

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            • #7
              Xubuntu is another good option. It's basically Ubuntu but lighter and uses the Xfce desktop environment instead of Ubuntu's terrible Unity.

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              • #8
                I'm going to have to download the live version of a bunch of these suggestions and try them out. I like the idea of something streamlined, with none of the fancy features and such. Utilitarian is what I'm after.

                I'm not that familiar with the different desktop environments. Back when I used Red Hat before, I think (but am not certain) that I used the K desktop environment after trying Gnome. I think. My memory is a bit fuzzy. I had friends at the time raving about how awesome Enlightenment was but I never tried it. Is there really that much of a difference between them? CMD, why do you say Unity is terrible?

                Alaskazimm, I really really don't want to partition my hard drive. If I was going to dual boot, I'd have an external hard drive and boot Windows from that. I've seen Windows self destruct and take a whole hard drive with it. It would be simpler to keep everything separate.

                I really appreciate the suggestions, everyone.
                Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by QuantaFille View Post
                  Is there really that much of a difference between them? CMD, why do you say Unity is terrible?
                  I haven't used Ubuntu in awhile so maybe some things have changed, but the overall lack of customization (most annoying to me was the left-sided app launcher/dock that you couldn't re-position) as well as the "Dash" feature and its various privacy issues come to mind. The launch bar also had various bugs when I last used it, such as the option to auto-hide it until you move your mouse to the left edge of the monitor not working consistently.

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                  • #10
                    I am downloading Xubuntu as I type this. I'll burn it onto a DVD sometime this week and try it out. If I like it, I'll install it. If not, I'll probably try Mint next.
                    Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

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                    • #11
                      It's just a thought for you, but have you considered trying out different operating systems in a virtual machine? If your computer supports virtualization technology (VT), then that's an excellent way to test them out non-destructively (without actually installing them in place of your current OS). Also, you could install in a virtual machine via the ISO file; no need to burn to a disc first. Personally, I like VirtualBox for my virtual machines, but that's only a suggestion.

                      In any case, hopefully that helps you out.
                      ~ Russell ("MelMak")

                      "[Sing] and [make] melody in your heart to the Lord." -- Ephesians 5:19b

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                      • #12
                        OK, so I've got Xubuntu on a thumb drive but it won't connect to the internet. The first time I booted it up, I went into network settings and put in the WiFi password and made sure "automatically connect" was checked. It won't connect. So I shut it down and rebooted, and it still won't connect. Then I started getting a lot of error messages when I tried to open other settings and programs. The error message was that the program could not be opened. Then I tried to shut it down, and when I clicked the icon I got an error that the logout program could not be started. I had to do a hard shut down. I suspect that some crucial bit of data was lost or corrupted in the download process, or possibly when it was transferred to the thumb drive. Like an idiot I did not check it after download and before using it.
                        I am going to try again, and if it doesn't work this time, I will try Mint.
                        Curiosity never hurt anyone. It was stupidity that killed the cat.

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