Linux-What do you need to know before getting it?

I'm thinking about getting Linux and wonder what everybody's opinions of it is. I need to know where the best place to download it is. Also, if I am going to get Linux I need to know a few necesities for a new user who'll be using C++ (I heard the compiler is probably included) and some image editing. I am also wondering if the programming is different when using Linux (besides no windows.h ).
Thanks to anyone who replies,
fuh

I need to know where the best place to download it is.

People are going to differ on what is the "best" flavor but I recommend gentoo, from gentoo.org

you might want to check out linuxquestions.org that community has helped me numerous times. Theeir main page links to detailed descriptions of various linux ditros as well as a download page - my adivce, start your research there.

You would want to buy it online I'd say. The CDs are free, but the shipping/handling is about $15 usually.
http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.c...ogle_linux_buy

Downloading would take forever! Depending on the distro of course...

www.linuxiso.org

mandrake

um downloading takes 15 minutes tops for me per distro cd

OMG RoD has broadband he's so sexy!

An easy one to start with is SuSE - you will see it if you go to the link Darkness posted. I am of mixed opinions on Gentoo - their handbook is first rate, and so is the distro, but I am not sure how it would go for someone with zero Linux experience. If you do want to give it a try, just be sure to read the handbook thoroughly before you begin (and have it open when you are installing), and you should have little trouble.

edit:

I am not bashing Gentoo BTW - I use it myself, and I *really* like it a lot.

Originally Posted by RoD

um downloading takes 15 minutes tops for me per distro cd

If I had that speed, I'd be playing online games 24/7.

Check out this thread on LinuxQuestions.org:
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...5&pagenumber=1

If I were you, I'd wait until the polls close and choose the one that wins at the polls, that way you'll be more confident with what distro you get. The polls end I believe February 3rd or something like that.

Heh,

Slackware in my opinion is my favorite. I get to build everything by source. Just built GCC by source two days ago, kind of fun. Anyway, I use VMware so I have Gentoo, Mandrake, FreeBSD, Red Hat, Slackware, and Debian installed. Thanks to broadband I spent two days downloading them all. After a while, I found Slackware to be my favorite, but everyone has their flavors.

If you like installing with binaries, I wouldn't suggest Slackware. Slackware isn't perfect for the beginner I might add. SuSE, Mandrake, and a few others are more user friendly.


- Stack Overflow

Originally Posted by Stack Overflow

Heh,

Slackware in my opinion is my favorite. I get to build everything by source. Just built GCC by source two days ago, kind of fun.

heh - I have an old K7 700 - building KDE takes a loonnng time. But yeah, building everything from source is cool.

Originally Posted by Darkness

OMG RoD has broadband he's so sexy!

OMG broadband is the standard now. I don't play games on-line. The only ones I could see doing that with are the old street fighters, mortal kombas, and super hero VS fighter games through an on-line game playing spin-off of the MAME emulator.

My friend and I, both like 9 miles apart, were using a friend's gaming servier like an hour and 30 minutes away from us in the same state. We were usually the only guys playing in the room. 20-30ms ping.

Still wasn't good enough. For street fighter, mortal kombat, and versus fighter games you need lightning fast reaction time. If there is any sluggishness at all, it screws up those precision combos and counters, which is what all of our matches are filled with. We're skilled and a good match for each other.

Thanks for all the replies. I was gone for a couple of hours, and look at all this! I'm going to spend some time deciding on which Linux to get, but still feel free to add your favorites. It would be the best if someone could tell me all the pros and cons of each one, or sum up which one is used for what. Also, I need to find out about what to get programwise and how programming is different in a Linux enviroment. I still don't know why I would get Linux (as in why I wouldn't just stick with Windows) but am extremely curious and am definitetly getting it.
fuh

For the new linux user, Mandrake, SuSE, and perhaps Fedora Core, (in that order) are what I would recommend. They are all built very well for the new user. I would normally rank SuSE as first choice, it's integrated YaST (yet another setup tool) is a godsend to new users, however I am only familiar with the commercial paid for distribution and have never tried to use the free downloadable ISO's. Mandrake and Fedora also both have rock solid installation GUI's which leave little question as to what each step is doing and makes decision making rather simple for the new user.

Gentoo, while is a very good Linux distro I would NOT recommend to a person with little to zero linux experience. It requires too much 'hands on' knowledge, otherwise you will become so frustrated with linux you're prone to give up and go back to windows.

One piece of advice...become familiar with partitioning your HD if you're going to be dual booting from the same drive. Then do all your partitioning BEFORE installing linux. While most linux installers handle repartitioning themselves, none of them seem to make it obvious to the new user exactly what they are doing and often the new linux installer finds themselves destroying their Windows partition as well.

As for partitioning, screw it man, remove all Windows, then you're forced to use Linux lol (don't EVEN get that Xp install disk! grrr)