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Solo Ace - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:40 pm
Post subject: Linux distro for (non-geeky) girls?

What would be a good Linux distribution for girls who only know enough about "computers" to be able to use (actually I'd call it abuse, heh) Windows, but are trying to switch to Linux?

I really mean the type of girl who can't do more than use an instant messenger, Kazaa-style p2p client, a web browser and well just some simple things like shutting down, creating a new directory etc.
A graphical installation/desktop would be required, manual installations or commandline interfaces would be a disaster.

Some of the options I added to the poll are pretty stupid, like Gentoo, which has no graphical installer.
But whatever, maybe some of you think "they'd actually learn about the OS", too bad that'd cause most to give up.

Please vote and post your comments.
Please don't vote if you only vote because you like the distro, and please don't post things like "girls shouldn't use Linux anyway" or whatever.

If you vote "Other...", please post which distro you'd give, also include the reason in your post.

Maybe some of you think this is a silly question, but since I "need" some advice, it isn't silly to me at all.

Poll runs for 7 days.

Dr Brain - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:44 pm
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Scratch gentoo, debian and slackware.

I'd say either Mandrake, SuSE, or Fedora. NOTE: I have never used Fedora.

Linspire would be my first choice, though, if you can get access to it.

Solo Ace - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:45 pm
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Ew, that got nasty.

All those MySQL resource errors, and it says "(No ending time set)", but I'm sure I put a 7 in the textfield.

Dr Brain - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:46 pm
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It was broked before I posted, I swear!

EdTheInvincible - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:47 pm
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Doc Lies

Suse is a good distro

Solo Ace - Tue Feb 22, 2005 4:48 pm
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Yeah, I'd never give any of those three.

What's Linspire? Never heard of it, but because of your "if you can get access to it" I guess it's not free.
I'll check later.

Edit: Yeah, I know, I was typing that post while you were typing yours.

I think I would've taken SuSE too.

Mine GO BOOM - Tue Feb 22, 2005 9:08 pm
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I'd go with Ubuntu, because it is the best looking default setup out their right now for Linux. Its installation is also very simple and easy to follow with few options.

As for the SQL part, I have no idea why its fucking up like it is. I'll look into it some more shortly.

SuSE - Tue Feb 22, 2005 10:58 pm
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It sounds like someone who'd be better off just left on Windows. She'd probably get really frustrated on something else.

Now, if you're going to be setting stuff up _for_ her and making sure all the good stuff is functional so she doesn't wig out, the question really becomes "Which desktop environment?" - I suppose Gnome would be the simplest, best-supported, but that's a real tough question.

I'd say RPM-based, so Whitebox or Ubuntu.

D1st0rt - Wed Feb 23, 2005 3:12 pm
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Ubuntu is slow as hell

SuSE - Wed Feb 23, 2005 5:03 pm
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no, Gnome is slow as hell - which should be fine for someone who can't tell the difference

Muskrat - Wed Feb 23, 2005 11:23 pm
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I liked Fedora, and it was very easy.

i88gerbils - Thu Feb 24, 2005 12:03 am
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Just setup any linux distro you prefer for her, and set it up with all the things she needs. This works for mothers as well (i think there's a linux 4 mothers movement out there where I read that). Then slowly introduce the console as you would do in OS X.

I might actually reccomend getting a Mac. *shudder*

Solo Ace - Thu Feb 24, 2005 9:12 am
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Meh, how well supported are webcams?

Also, I haven't seen Kopete with a webcam feature, any other Linux IM software that supports MSN webcam conversations?

CypherJF - Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:12 am
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I tried Ubuntu but it was, as others said, slow. So I rely on Fedora Core 3 when I'm at home messing around with linux.. although I haven't quiet gotten to the point of not using X... *shrug* perhaps, one day..

Mine GO BOOM - Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:09 pm
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Want to learn Linux without using any X servers? Install Gentoo, without a monitor. I edited the ISO so it ran the sshd once it finished booted, and did it completely from putty. I've since tried to setup an x11 server on it, so I can do remote X11 programs on any of my other machines, but so far not too much success.

Took me around 16 tries or so to get a stable enviornment. Since then, I've done about 40 some kernels or so to try and figure out what is the best optomization (hey, its a VIA C3 Samuel2 processor, -Os alone increased the speed by a good 20%) and to try and get an unsupported old crappy TV tuner working. So far, I've gotten it to either record sound or video, but never both at the same time.

Rarely had to plug in a keyboard/monitor into the machine. Once when I upgraded SSH and didn't notice that it reset the login defaults to disabled, and once when the power went out and took the crappy 128meg generic RAM stick with it. Couple more times when kernels failed and needed to select a different one.

SuSE - Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:39 pm
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Cypher, why would you not use X? You either need it or you don't.

Dr Brain - Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:02 pm
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Installing via ssh isn't hard. Fixing dyndns without a monitor and without knowing your IP, that's hard.

I almost never use X. I don't even install it most of the time.

Solo Ace - Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:55 pm
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Mine GO BOOM wrote:

I edited the ISO so it ran the sshd once it finished booted

Eh, could you tell me how?

The Gentoo install looks pretty complicated if you aren't used to working with a commandline.
Now I find it easy, and almost stopped using X completely.

Mine GO BOOM - Thu Feb 24, 2005 3:55 pm
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Use any good iso editing software, and add /etc/init.d/sshd symbolically linked inside /etc/runlevels/default if I remember correctly. There was some help site that told me how to do it. For the first couple of times, I just hooked up a keyboard/monitor and typed it out. I then later just typed it by hand blindly, and then just went and fixed the ISO.

My router (m0n0wall) shows up all the new DHCP leases, so I was able to find out the IP address easily that way. Well, the second time I did it, I set my router to give that MAC a static IP address, since it made it much simplier in the future.

CypherJF - Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:03 pm
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SuSE wrote:

Cypher, why would you not use X? You either need it or you don't.

Well, being I just kinda got into the linux deal over winter break; with limited experience w/ it at PSU for compiling C++ programs. I haven't had a chance to go non-X.

I'd be completely lost methinks haha..

. Over time I'd imagine getting rid of it but for now. heh.

SuSE - Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:31 pm
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Like...there's nothing wrong with windows. I'd hate to do graphic creation without them...along with a ton of other things.

It's not like you can't use a commandline inside just about any environment.

The only reason I'd do a box without X (apart from the obvious like...say, not having any monitors anywhere

) would be for a server - and then only if those using it had no use for X (and it can certainly be useful even on a server).

i88gerbils - Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:03 pm
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How is plain X useful on a server unless you mean running it a remote x server? I guess maybe for the include fi--, no not even then.

Solo Ace - Thu Feb 24, 2005 5:59 pm
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I'm wondering about that too, heh, what are ya gonna do on a server's X?

Dr Brain - Thu Feb 24, 2005 10:05 pm
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Run graphical admin tools, for one.

Mine GO BOOM - Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:06 am
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Spim for one thing. That was a shitty application, but every so often, I come across random shit applications I have to use for crappy classes, and running them from the Solaris machines on campus to here isn't very responsive. Well, I guess it would be better to just use Virtual PC, but its mostly for the experiance.

All admining is done via command line. If I do have to edit a large config, I'll do it via a local text editor, otherwise I'll use nano/vi.