Easiest form of linux to use.

What is the simplest (i mean in figuring out) form of linux out there? Which one is the most similar to windows?

 

I think its called Linspire. Its not free though. There's a free alternative called PCLinuxOS. Sorry I can't be of any more help.

 

How bout one thats free too.

 

Simplest? Probably Mint or one of the Ubuntu's or maybe PCLinuxOS? "Simple" meaning what? There's going to be a learning curve, but it's mostly unfamiliarity, not technical stuff way beyond your ability to pick up. What's not simple is when your wireless chip doesn't work. Figuring out the file system, stuff like that, is just a matter of spending time with it, asking some questions, maybe picking up a book or two.
I don't consider "like Windows" to be a goal worth striving for. The way things are set up in Linux by default often make more sense than Windows. It could be argued that KDE acts more like Windows than Gnome.

 

If you mean simplest to install for somebody new to Linux, then I would say Ubuntu, MEPIS, maybe Mint too, and PCLinuxOS. Usually, well mostly, I've heard that these distros will configure your wireless out of box.

 

Good post, and especially agree with highlighted quote. LOL

Am using Ubuntu as I type, but think PCLOS 2007 is probably as easy a Linux distro to learn as you'll find. Which one suits your needs best, I suppose, depends on your plans for Linux.

 

I think that PCLinuxOS and Linux Mint represent some of the top efforts out there, with PClinuxOS showcasing KDE and Linux Mint showcasing Gnome (sure, you can use the KDE and Gnome with each other, or a different environment altogether...but as far as out-of-the-box stuff goes...)

 

Using Mint and I like it.

It takes NTFS OTB too (already mounted).

KDE for Mint is a different ISO (1.1GB rather than 700mb) but it's in beta right now.

 

Most similar to windows? Vixta. Looks a lot like windows vista. Not sure about any other details though, proceed with caution.

 

I can't imagine anything is easier to install than Ubuntu...but that is the only Linux OS I have installed (completely) before. It was easier than XP, that is for sure.

 

After some researches, it's based on Fedora Core so it should be good enough

 

I thought it would be fedora based. Didn't look like KDE or GNOME to me.

 

Mint or SimplyMEPIS would be my two recommendations.

I'm using SimplyMEPIS right now and I love it. It was easy to install, and it has been easy to administer.

 

Hey scooby. Mind trying out Vixta to tell if it's easy to use or not? Then make a thread to tell us how your experience was. I don't think anyone has tried out vixta here yet...

 

I don't like RPM/Fedora based distros, and I'm really happy with my SimplyMEPIS install; not sure when I may want to try another.

If it is indeed Fedora based, then it should be very easy to install and maintain. I've used Fedora in the past, and found it to be so.

 

Fedora Core or FreeBSD!!!!

Just kidding. Just stick with Ubuutu. I personally am a Fedora Core fan.

 

Ubuntu/ Linux Mint. I had problems with Mandriva/PCLinuxOS but that was hardware related I think....there are some pretty cool distro's out there....I liked Mandriva, but prefer the debian based distro's like Ubuntu.

 

SimplyMEPIS is Debian based as well.

 

Does someone know why some distros like Fedora Core 8 do like 2GB while Ubuntu only does 700MB? What more is packed with it?
ach

 

Usually just extra programs and install options. For example, the Fedora DVD includes both KDE and Gnome, where as Ubuntu just includes Gnome by default.

 

I remember at the time when Ubuntu was at 6.x, or was it 7.x, or was it feisty fawn (where the wireless wasn't configured automatically out of the box - not even by Ubuntu), I tried MEPIS on my Latitude, and they configured wifi out of the box. Of course I figured out later that at the time MEPIS was based on the next update for Ubuntu that was beta at the time (but MEPIS put it in, configure it, and made it work, roll it out under MEPIS 6.5)

Surely one of the easiest distros to install and configure..

 

Xandros 4.0, one of the easiest to use, looks a bit like vista, to the un-assuming but is really a debian based linux distro..
works good once installed but not a live distro...
only problem i found was getting vpn to work even tho wireless worked great with wpa an wep encryption...
sabayon is sweet and i do love the layout they have used, suse sled10 and suse 10.3 are both good distro's and easy to find your way around...
avoid fedora as a newbie, but it has its features..
debian itself is full on and good for experienced users but can be a nightmare for the newbie...
mandriva needs a lot of configuring like rhel, centos or fedora...
ubuntu, and the other distro's based upon it, can be easy to use as well...
one thing most users want is to be able to watch movie files and i have found that i usually have to configure peoples distro's for the win media codecs, this is where people have problems, but if they follow the install procedures correctly and use the right app to use these codecs, then it is quite easy to not only watch them on web pages but easy to even watch your movie dvds with most of these distro's...(country laws permitting)..

 

But Xandros isn't free, is it? $40

RH based ones seem to be less of an hassle in term of softwares though. Since most of the softwares I saw were in .rpm. Of course I convert them in 20 seconds with alien but still

 

EDITED by moderator

 

Is that even legal?

 

If it's not legal, the poster should remove the link immediately, as this would be a violation of NBR policy.

 

And they will be banned.

 

It's not.
You should remove that link wraithe.

 

I edited his post quote out of my post. I don't want to get in trouble along with him.

 

He's a she, actually. She replied to one of my posts.

 

Please do not post links to pirated copies of software.

If you would like to try Xandros, then try the 30 day trial on their website.

The pricing info for Xandros is located here.


Thx
Kdawgca

 

Where's it say that Calvin? curious.

 

Thanks for telling me.

 

Well, you can't link to that kind of stuff and in the rules it says there is a possibility to be banned. Not always though.

 

The point is that is why we need moderators, as 'banning' a handle will just result in someone creating a new one. that's all, it's fruitless without moderators to edit posts. But I regress...

Anyway, Mint is about as easy as you'll find I think...and it _is_ free Plain ol' Ubuntu is just as easy IMO.

 

Man, I'm out of the loop. I thought Xandros had a free version...

Either way, just like theZoid said, I'd rather use Mint. I think the MintMenu that they have is fairly windows like, and is very easy to navigate.

Of course I gave it some Mac OS X styling (What I'm used to), so it's not so Windows like anymore

 

I love my ubuntu with compiz fusion enabled. Man, looks AMAZING!

I have used a ton of other distros though, Fedora core, mandriva, puppy, a bunch of others too. But my fave for ease of use is ubuntu. The synaptic package manager is great.

Oh, and anyone with a dell inspiron 1420, Vostro 1400 or the 15 inch variants, get the dell version of ubuntu, its downloadable from a good deal of sources, just do a google. It includes the notoriously hard to work in anything but vista sigmated drivers, as well is wifi and others.

 

wow, i wish i was online yesterday...
Xandros, along with any gpl licensed product, allows distribution...
I dont break laws, but i will continue to use linux..
Xandros is linux(licensed under the gpl)..
That link was to a bittorrent, not Xandros's server, and as with a torrent, will download easier without needing a download manager....
you can download xandros from there server if you wish, the home edition is what the link was to....
Registration applies to xandros networks which is there update/installer, like yum or apt-get, once the trial period finishes then you require payment to access updates....

Sorry mod, but i wouldnt put a link up that would conflict with legal requirements like gpl, i fully support gpl and any other laws implemented to protect the author or end user....


xandros license http://www.xandros.com/products/home/home_edition/license.html