Where to get Linux from?

[Water Cooler v2]

I have been a MS technologies guy for the last eight years and have no idea about Linux more than the fact that it is modelled on Unix and is or at least was FREE of charge.

For a long time, I've been thinking of downloading it and using it on my computer. My computer has 256 MB RAM and is currently running Windows XP. I want to install Linux also on it. Where can I get Linux from - one that will install on my system without a lot of memory hogging and that will be FREE of charge?

[Dillinger4]

MEPIS. Cander turned me on to it.

[Dillinger4]

http://www.mepis.org/

[Water Cooler v2]

Are there different versions of Linux - some of them FREE of charge and the others not?

[Arrow_Raider]

there are tons of different companies and people that make their own versions of linux. most have free versions and pay versions. The free versions usually lack drivers and some software. Linux is the most confusing world if you have never experienced it before.

I have only used 2 distros:

Fedora - Redhat's free linux thing. It works best with the gnome interface. Usually user friendly.

Mandrake - Works best with KDE interface... includes lots of very good system settings tools. I would recommend this if you are new to the world of linux. However, mandrake doesn't always like laptops...

There are a lot of different desktop environments for linux... unlike windows, you get to have the pleasure of chosing what environment for gui you will be working in with linux... KDE and gnome are the most popular ones. I believe most would agree with me in that KDE is better than gnome. However, both have their own weaknesses and strengths.

If the reason you are wanting to leave windows is because things just don't work.. don't switch to linux. Linux is infamous for being a pain in the ass to get working on computers. Installing packages on linux is a joke. You download a package, go to install it, then you get a huge list of package dependencies you don't have. Then you have to find all of those packages which have their own dependencies that you have to download... and so on and so on. Then once you get your software finally installed, it may just not work at all... or it just sucks and you have to go find an alternative. Some software comes as source code instead of packages, which is much much worse than packages. You have to attempt to compile the code... which doesn't work. You will most likely get a long list of errors, which then you have to google to see what you have to do to get the program compiled.

Nothing on linux is organized in anyway. There is no central place to go for help, some programs work on some distros and not on others. Some packages are only available for some distros and not for others. Some hardware components work on some distros and not on others.

If you want to get something based on unix, go buy a mac. Mac OS X is built off of unix. Unlike linux, you will get customer service with a mac, and thus have a place to go rant when something isnt working. The problem with macs are since apple is the only company that does the main software and all the hardware, their prices are quite high...

[agmorgan]

The other question is what will you actually do with it?
I saw a thread several days ago emulating my thoughts exactly
i.e. I thought I'd give it a try but ended up just dual booting and never using it!

I think if you already have Windows you will find it harder to convert.
People have a go at MS a lot, but when you get down to it their stuff does work.
MSOffice is still streets ahead of Open Office (ever tried to add multiple lines to a graph in OOo?)
The MS development environments are good (plus you feel comfortable with them)
Most hardware has drivers easily available.

And like Arrow_Raider said, software packages are simpler and easier.

Lycoris do a good package if you come from a Microsoft background
www.lycoris.org
Xandros is quite nice too http://www.xandros.com/

Both have easy OS installers.

[Dillinger4]

Im running JDesktop on my other box. http://www.sun.com/software/javadesktopsystem/

[VBD]

I'd recommend Ubuntu. You may find the partitioning a little confusing, but besides that, just think it through. It shouldn't be too confusing. Once its finally installed, its a great easy system for you.

[visualAd]

I like Debian - the initial install is a pain but thereafter it requires very little maintenance.