Best Linux Distro

[Spynx]

I have a Laptop with a Dual Core CPU (T2450) and 2 GB memory. It runs Windows 7 Ultimate perfectly. This weekend I'm getting a new laptop and I want to put Linux on this one.

Which is the best (and easiest) Linux distro to put on it? (I used OpenSuse and Ubuntu before)

 

[Grim147]

Expect a bunch of personal opinionated answers , most people have a good thing going with ubuntu though , if you looking for somthing that will let you learn abit go with archlinux , in the end you will find yourself pretty productive in arch , probably why so few people leave once they have hopped on. if you looking to waste alot of time and issue a bunch of mindless commands install gentoo

 

[DrJohnZoidberg]

Well, asking this question is like asking what the best food is. There is some really lousy food, but some people seem to like it. Then there is popular food thats easy and convenient and then there is food that takes a long time to prepare but is really satisfying. Tell me what food you like and I will tell you which distro to get

 

[ponder]

There is no best linux.

But if you want simple/easy then try Mint or Ubuntu.

For me I've been having a 3yr love affair with Arch but it's not for everybody and you have to 'build' your own.

 

[durbandave]

Best Distro

Hi

If for Desktop purposes I would reccomend Ubuntu

For server platform I reckon CentOS is the best server platform by far.

 

[macxsanity]

Hi

If for Desktop purposes I would reccomend Ubuntu

For server platform I reckon CentOS is the best server platform by far.

PLease let us not start with this agument again i use both ubuntu and centos for most servers for my client Ubuntu has also its won advantage over centos .......

 

[MyWorld]

I have had some minor niggles with Ubuntu on the wife's PC in the last couple of weeks, small things, but irritating none the less.
* Wifi no connecting anymore or just dropping the connection
* Gnome just keeps logging out for no apparent reason
* Samba suddenly stopped working, etc.

Easy fixes, but Arch has never given me any such problems. If this continues I'll have to try something new for the wife. I tend to lean heavily towards the distros that give you more flexibility (Gentoo, Arch, Slackware, Debian (although I never used it), etc.)

 

[Bismuth]

See my sig!

This site might also be of help, to check compatibility etc: LinLap

B

 

[Cruelty]

My preference is for (Open)Suse. Why? Because when it comes to LINUX, I've used SuSE most of my life so I'm used to it.

 

[SlickNick]

Well, see MY sig It rocks more than Bismuth's.

It all depends though. Ultimate edition is good, though it looks horrible and you'll need to spend some time to make it look purty, and it has a whole lot of things going for it.

If you want ease of use without the need to fiddle much, then go for Linux Mint 10. Hassle free and purty right from the get go. It's basically Ubuntu that's made even more user friendly.

Seriously though, what I would recommend is that you do some research on which UI you would like more. Gnome, KDE, XFCE, etc.
Then have a look at the major distro's out there and what they offer, Ubuntu, Mint, SuSe, Fedora etc.
Then decide on what you actually want to do with the distro/computer.

Thus you should end up with an educated decision and will have an excellent experience. It's better than relying on the biased views of others, and then ending up with something you don't like and then get discouraged from trying Linux.

 

[Jab]

Suggest you download a few live CD's to see which distro suits you.

 

[avert]

ftp://ftp.mcc.ac.uk/pub/linux/mcc-interim/

have never looked back

 

[Bismuth]

Well, see MY sig It rocks more than Bismuth's.

It all depends though. Ultimate edition is good, though it looks horrible and you'll need to spend some time to make it look purty, and it has a whole lot of things going for it.

If you want ease of use without the need to fiddle much, then go for Linux Mint 10. Hassle free and purty right from the get go. It's basically Ubuntu that's made even more user friendly.

Seriously though, what I would recommend is that you do some research on which UI you would like more. Gnome, KDE, XFCE, etc.
Then have a look at the major distro's out there and what they offer, Ubuntu, Mint, SuSe, Fedora etc.
Then decide on what you actually want to do with the distro/computer.

Thus you should end up with an educated decision and will have an excellent experience. It's better than relying on the biased views of others, and then ending up with something you don't like and then get discouraged from trying Linux.

How rude, where is that ignore button.....

But yeah, have Mint on a dual-boot setup, just see what it's all about (KDE Mint for something different), it isn't bad at all, my preference is Ultimate Edition. Like has already been stated in this thread, get a bunch of various distro's LiveCDs, and see which one you prefer. You can tweak any distro even more to your liking once you've installed it, if you want.

B

 

[riscbroker]

I have a Laptop with a Dual Core CPU (T2450) and 2 GB memory. It runs Windows 7 Ultimate perfectly. This weekend I'm getting a new laptop and I want to put Linux on this one.

Which is the best (and easiest) Linux distro to put on it? (I used OpenSuse and Ubuntu before)

I've tried a few distros, just downloaded Puppy Linux for a trial, actually to load on USB stick to boot sick machines.

 

[Spynx]

Thanks for all the replies. I downloaded a few distro's and loaded into a virtual machine in my desktop. Will decide on one.

Thanks again.

 

[john6504]

I dont think ist a best distribution for everybody. But if you are not a "linux power user" I must say Linux Mint, PCLinuxOS or Pardus 2011 is among the best one.
Mostly because they work directly and its not necessary to search for media codecs for DVD movies etc..

 

[milomak]

There is no best linux.

But if you want simple/easy then try Mint or Ubuntu.

For me I've been having a 3yr love affair with Arch but it's not for everybody and you have to 'build' your own.

agree with this.

i run 4 different distros and interchange.

though if i had to rank, i would go : debian > arch > fedora > gentoo

and then i would have to admit i have been meaning to replace gentoo with another distro for some time.

 

[axelblue]

The easiest linux is not just the one that is easy to use, but offers good support as well. This is where Ubuntu and Fedora are way ahead of most distros. They have great online communities and you almost always find someone who had the same problems you are experiencing.

 

[w1z4rd]

Ubuntu is simple and easy. I use it all the time for my desktop (I run it on decent hardware, so it runs great). I use CentOS (ClearOS) for servers and BackTrack for my job

 

[milomak]

The easiest linux is not just the one that is easy to use, but offers good support as well. This is where Ubuntu and Fedora are way ahead of most distros. They have great online communities and you almost always find someone who had the same problems you are experiencing.

don't know why you would exclude the other major distros when their online communities are just as helpful.