Linux Distros

Lummux · 21 Oct 2002 at 20:50

I am a linux/unix newbie, (hopefully not for long though) could some one tell me which linux distros are free and which you have to pay for?
I have just started using redhat 7.3 and hp-ux, red hat seems fairly easy to us, contrary to popular belief, and i want to start using it more.
Any sites on the first install would be good to!
Cheers

Richard Slater · 21 Oct 2002 at 21:01

You are using HP-UX, do you use it at university?

All Linux distros are free in one form or another, some like Suse you cant get the latest version except if you buy it off them, but you are paying for the media and the support rather than the actual linux software.

The first install of redhat is simple, put disk in drive, reboot and follow the instructions on screen, RH dosnt really let you go wrong

Lummux · 21 Oct 2002 at 21:12

Yea use hp-ux in one of the labs, on some hp work stations couldent tell you which one though.
Would it be better/easier to put it on a seperatate disk or a partion of my main disk, as I am running xp pro at the moment and would like to keep that, for a while at least.
Does it put on its own boot menu or is that somthing I have to do?

Richard Slater · 21 Oct 2002 at 21:25

Linux has its own boot loader, RH8 uses Grub some older versions use Lilo as do a lot of other distros.

You have to fiddle a little to get grub to work with windows XP but there are good guides arround the net to help you out (I saw something on here but cant find it now)

It is cool to know that HP machines are still used in accademic institutions, most have replaced their traditional UX boxes with dual boot linux boxes, personally I think that there is nothing like decent UX experence.

Lummux · 21 Oct 2002 at 21:38

Experience is certainly the word!
So far the labs I have been in have had, hp-ux in one, redhat Linux 7.3 in another (which I think is fairly common around the site) and win 2k, i didn’t use it but i believe that it is on the Linux boxes loaded through a virtual machine, if that sounds right!

Shak · 21 Oct 2002 at 22:16

Basically everything has a free version except for a couple that dont, such as SuSE, and Lindows.

The free ones also have commercial versions, some of them.

The CDs can be purchased cheaply from www.linuxemporium.co.uk

Shak

Lummux · 21 Oct 2002 at 22:22

Cheers all, all the info I needed!

Shak · 21 Oct 2002 at 22:24

Originally posted by Lummux
Cheers all, all the info I needed!

Except a decent download site...

ftp://mirror.ac.uk

Shak

Gerschwin · 22 Oct 2002 at 19:50

Originally posted by Shak
Except a decent download site...

ftp://mirror.ac.uk

Shak

ftp to above then -
/sites/sunsite.uio.no/pub/unix/Linux/Mandrake/Mandrake/iso/Mandrake90-cd1-inst.i586.iso
for the bestest distro about

Shak · 22 Oct 2002 at 19:58

Originally posted by Gerschwin
ftp to above then -
/sites/sunsite.uio.no/pub/unix/Linux/Mandrake/Mandrake/iso/Mandrake90-cd1-inst.i586.iso
for the bestest distro about

I disagree, completely.

You want http://www.gentoo.org for a list of mirrors to the best distro

Shak

jamesrw · 22 Oct 2002 at 20:08

i'd like to try gentoo, don't have broadband though which is vital so i hear

Gerschwin · 22 Oct 2002 at 20:21

Originally posted by jamesrw
i'd like to try gentoo, don't have broadband though which is vital so i hear

If you mean to download then I could oblige and forward you on a copy.....

jamesrw · 22 Oct 2002 at 20:30

If you mean to download then I could oblige and forward you on a copy.....

thanks for the offer m8 but I think you need an active connection whilst you install it. hopefully i should be getting a high speed net connection soon anyway

headbrace · 22 Oct 2002 at 20:48

im currently downloading gentoo for use on my briefcase pc.. im a total linux n00b, so it shuld be interesting

Shak · 22 Oct 2002 at 21:04

Originally posted by jamesrw
thanks for the offer m8 but I think you need an active connection whilst you install it. hopefully i should be getting a high speed net connection soon anyway

I wonder which little birdie told you that mate? I've sorted a solution mate, what you do is bring the system to me, we plug it in here, download the packages that are needed using the -f flag so we only download them, you take it home and compile them.

The service is there if you want it.

Shak

jamesrw · 22 Oct 2002 at 21:11

thank you, sir, how long would the download take?

Shak · 22 Oct 2002 at 21:18

Originally posted by jamesrw
thank you, sir, how long would the download take?

Depending on what packages you required a variable length of time, the install would have to download and compile at the same time, but any other packages can be done seperately.

Shak