Hey, I me total newbe whit Linux, so I want to here from you, what Linux version will you mean are the best to begin whit, Mandrak, Red hat, SUSE ore a another on??
And where can I Download the Linux version??

I will be glade if you will tell me that

I went with RedHat when i first started it was pretty easy to get along with if you will. you can dled any of thoes you listed on www.linuxiso.org i belive.

I tried out mandrake for the first time and its a great start, i suggest you wait for 9.2 if your going for mandrake, its got the latest gnome, kde, and all the neat devel stuff. I cant say anything about redhat because i havent tried it, just look at all and see which one is bette for you. but after you go mandrake if you want to learn how linux really works i suggest you go gentoo = ). but that will take some months of experience... i'm using gentoo now and have learnt ALOT. but since your starting go with mandrake, it took me 4 tries to install gentoo, and lots of moments of frustations.

i'd go with knoppix (for starters...) . www.KNOPPIX.org - knoppix is a version of linux that runs completely from RAM (using a bootable cd) . so basically you just boot with the knoppix, 0 to Linux in 5 minutes

I tried for the first time with Mandrake 9.2 and..... after 3 days it wont boot even
then i tried with slack 9.0 and i removed it only because one of my HDD worked in PIO 4 mode instead of ultradma and it affected whole windows performance
but i think about second attempt and I think I'll make it because there're a lot of sploits out there specially for linux what i miss are good scanners but that's not what topic is about
I also heard that Mandrake's most buggy distro

greetz

Thanks for all you answer it was a grate help… I haw try Mandrak 8.2 but I haw problem whit me driver to the network card… but right now I beginning download Red Hat 9.0 so I think its maybe Red hat I want to use…. But thanks to you all its was at good help

(Sorry me bad English!!!!!!)

I start with knoppix and yet I use Debian

Knoppix=debian on CD.

Well, debian is definitly the best distro out there without any doubt but it does still have a somewhat painfull install. Thats why I would recommend one of the debian based distros like Knoppix which you can boot up into a full Linux distro on their CD and then you can actually do the install of Debian to your HD from there with a nice graphical install an everything.

But my absolute favorite one is Libranet by far. It is Debian based so it has apt which is the best package manager of all time, it automatically downloads packages, figures out the dependancies and if you dont have the dependancies it also downloads those. It then installs and configures the program. An example: "apt-get install nmap" once you type that it it takes a minute or two (depending on your Internet connection or quicker if you are going off of CD) and once it's finished you are ready to go.

Plus Libranet has something called adminmenu which makes administration of the whole machine (even recompiling the kernel) easy for a newbie and convinient for the experienced. I love it. The only drawback is that it costs a little money. But for that money they also provide you with support to get you up and running.

Ok ok, I've said this probably twenty times before but Debian/Libranet is definitly the best distro of all time.

--j

Hey, I used SUSE, REDHAT, MANDRAKE linux and KNOPPIX too.. Start with KNOPPIX., It is pretty good.. I am new to this, but very good to start, Just boot from Cd and enjoy..
Manu

i started with redhat and i foud that it was fairly user-friendly, so that my recomendation.

i use gentoo right now but the installation might be kinda confusing for some ppl but slackware is nice

Well, if ya want, you can get SuSE 9.0 now. My copy of SuSE 9.0 Personal arrived today, and it rocks in my opinion. I've used slackware, FreeBSD, Red Hat (about 3 versions) another 3 versions of Mandrake, and SuSE 8.2 Pro. I found SuSE to be the best for me. Um, if you need lots of server tools and admin stuff, you may want to go for the SuSE 9.0 Pro version, but personal was all I really needed. You really need to try out a bunch and see which feels right for you. Just DO NOT download and run Mandrake 9.2 if you have an LG CD-ROM drive! I dunno if its been fixed, but it totally messes up the firmware during the install. Just a heads up!

My two cents, take care,

Dave

Redhat does have the best hardware driver support between RH, Mandrake and SuSE just expect no install support with the free versions or one that is bought. They say they offer it, but in reality its like pulling teeth to get it.

Have to agree with FLW, but there is so much advice on the internet that should help you to solve any problems you might come accross during an install.
Also, once installed, RHs up2date system is so easy to work with.
You are notified when kernel updates, security patches, updated system tools etc are available for download and all are automaticly unpacked and installed (gotta love RPM)!

So, I would recommend a RH distro if you are going to go all out and parition your HD, or go for a fresh install on a dedicated HD, and knoppix if you want to get a taste before committing to a linux install.

since this is a security forum, and there were recommendations for knoppix, I might as well throw in a plug for Knoppix-STD. It's knoppix but with all sorts of security tool goodies thrown in. definately give that a shot.
there's also PHLAK which is supposed to be good. I'm going to give PHLAK a shot actually since it comes with xfce4.

[mytwocents]
i started out with RedHat 6.2. it's pretty userfriendly as far as linux's go. i used it all the way till version 7.3. but since RedHat has stopped making free versions of its OS, i would probably go with SuSe or Debian. now i am using Slackware though and i love it. it's so much cleaner and more streamlined than RedHat.
[/mytwocents]

For beginners i would recommend Red Hat or the SuSe distro, they're a very easy to install.

Try your luck at linuxiso.org

Good lock m8

I rlly think u should start with Linux RedHat, or with Knoopix Linux is a open operating system with wich u can do several things, is very popular because of it estability and security. Linux is 70% secure without any firewall so as is estable and secure is most used by ppl who got servers on the internet.


U should use linux because is very cool man u can edit it as u want it only takes time .


READ READ AND KEEP READING...

People who know me know that I'm a GenToo and Mandrake guy.

if you want to get a full blown *nix i would suggest SuSE, its got many 'newbie' features but once they are disabled its got all the real tools you'll want.

Mandrakes easy to and it comes with ntfs read/write so you wont need to recompile you kernel if you require that, but if you want to use KDE as root DONT pick this.

Redhats got an easy installer, most things will compile/run on it without issue (its the closest thing to standard linux).

Debian is very stable, but you may have issues getting it to install, it only features an old version of LILO for a bootloader which can cause problems. but if you get it to install and there arn't to many issues, its very stable.

pick what you want most outta that.

I recommend White Box its basicly red hat but the enterprise edition and its FREE!

http://whiteboxlinux.org/

installed easy has good server options

have fun

I started w/ a shell account on solaris 2.5. That was the best place to start for me. After that RedHat 6.2, and after about 2 month Mandrake, Me and one of my friend get into the mandrake. We built up incredible servers w/ mandrake 8.2 they work great and stable. And recenlty I got a Shrike of Redhat as another server in a corporation.

I suggest u to do so, start w/ a free shell account. And after getting familiar w/ csh or bash, Mandrake.

my first try was a mandrake, it had an easy gui installn, was fun for a while... next was redhat, I stopped using redhad that time when there was that fuss about a registration of some kind, tried debian just because it is garanteed free, and I fell in love with it. debian rules!! heard som good things about gentoo as well, but I'll stick with debian for a while I guess.

I've also had a lot of fun with clarkconnect, a linux router that has dhcpd, proftpd, apache, mysql, php, snort ... and fits on a PI with al least 1GB hdd and 64MB ram. if you need to set up your first linux webserver/mailserver/ftpserver this one is worth taking a look at >> http://www.clarkconnect.org

If you're new to linux, some live distro will do great for getting that first feeling (especialy if you only have 1 machine) knoppix, knoppix-ftd, or even phlak has a nice gui.

lol

debian for a noob which to use some multimedia applications is a real pain ass

i m trying to install x windows on a terminator box (deb 2.4.18)

the eth card - sound card - mb graph chipset - (and certainly over devices)

can't work

i'm trying to install manually and recompile the kernel

but each time, after recompile it, i get kernell panic

anyway i m trying for the 6th time and i'll try until i get it

lol

I wouldn't go with redhat now seeing as they've stopped making extras, but like others have said mandrake or knoppix are good to start with.

Prefix

@bonarez

thanks for the link

the eth card is a sis chipset

i install the kernell then i re compile the kernell with some changes

i don't know why but it seems to affect the bios as i have a prompt on reboot giving an hardware error

bypassing the prompt i have a kernell panic
couldn't load socket

as i can't get norton floppy starter disk to work properly on the box, i'll try a linux rescue disk to reload the install image more quickly than installing woody each time

so

real pain ass

lol

I started out with Rad Hat, which was easy to install and easy to use. Then i recentlly tried knoppix which is also really easy without having to install. I would have chosen knoppix had i know about it sooner. I would suggest knoppix for anyone just wanting to try out linux, and then if they like it they can move on to the full install distrobutions.

I started right on gentoo. It's really a great way to learn linux but you'll need some intricate computer know how to get it to work.

Anyway Debian is a great distro for n00bies (and proffesionals).

@roger_girardin

if you need to get into your linux installation you need your linux bootdisk, in debian install you are asked to make your bootdisk..

silly question? did you make it? guess no..

not really sure where it went wrong, probably you compiled something in the kernel that went wrong.. but what...

about the realtek networkcards > use them!! they only cost about 5-10€ where I'm from (really cheap) they are automaticly detected when installing linux/debian win2k/winxp... and you neeeeed network for a good debian feeling (in short words you need apt to install the goodies)

I hope this doesn't get off topic too much, if you got more questions you can always pm..

Ive tried RH, Mandrake, Suse, but I like Slackware the best. The only prob I have now is that I cant get it to install on my Serial ATA HD. For some reason, it doesnt support it. So I will have to find a new distro.

@bonarez

thanks for the tip

i have already 2 debian servers

- a box router (3 realtek) eth0 = lan - eth1 = lan - eth2 = dmz to webserver
- a webserver (realtek)

as they are server, i have not installed x-windows

the comp i'm trying to install is for multimedia purpose (i want to test vmware for linux lol) and it's really a waste of time

i'have booted on the cd and mounted again the partition configuring a new lilo but it didn't resolved

i don't understand why the recompilation seems to affect the bios and i think the problem is not from lilo as the hardware warning is before its launch

the real kernel panic object is about the socket
as it couldn't load, it stop the fs mounting

to solve the prob, i could rebuild a new install cd i could customize better

but i am trying the knoppix cd and it worked fine (just an ssh and samba server) so i will install it on my hd comp

lol

thanks for the interest

I've been using gentoo for about a year now, went from redhat --> mandrake --> debian --> gentoo.

And I'm definately staying with gentoo

The installation isn't incredibly hard, but it's not really for a first-timer that's not used to consoles

SLACKWARE RULEZ!

I agree slackware controls your base.

slackware offers good stable system easy to setup and ofcourse pkgtool .

easy update system:

swaret

and ofcourse slapt-get apt-get like system for slackware.

My best friend used Mandrake and said it's excellent after he worked through the video compatibilty probs. I am about to begin using Linux, and will start with Suse based on what my friend told me about it. Said it had a pretty user friendly GUI.