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Re: [Wlug] Re: Another distro Question

by Frank Rizzo

I agree that the install might not be quite as user friendly as a Mandrake or SuSe, but if you're thinking about using Gentoo you should also think about using Slackware. Like I said before - it's a pretty straight forward distro, you get out of it what you put into it. Great for learning, IMO. On Thu, Aug 19, 2004 at 05:39:53AM -0400, Chuck Haines wrote: > Slackware for beginners, ugh, I'd say not. If you want a good > beginners distro, go with Gentoo (though it still has a little > learning curve for installation and setup) or get one of the distro's > that does more for you like Fedora Core 2 (which I'm running and like > a lot), Mandrake or Suse. They make much better beginner friendly > distro's. Remember, you want to make the switchover easier on users, > otherwise they won't make it. IMHO, Slackware would be too hard to > learn for a beginner (but don't get my wrong, I love Slackware, just > not for a beginner). > > Chuck > > On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 05:32:12 -0400, Frank Rizzo <joe(a)crankhouse.com> wrote: > > > > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > > > > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > > > > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > > > > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > > > > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > > > > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > > > > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > > > > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > > > > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > > > > for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > > > I would say Slackware would be a good distro to show people Linux. It's simple, > > secure, and stable. It does have the tgz packages, but you dont have to use them. > > The only problem is the install is not as pretty as some of the other distros. > > > > -Joe > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Wlug mailing list > > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > > > -- > Chuck Haines > chaines(a)gmail.com > ------------------------------------------- > Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity > WPI Class of 2005 > ------------------------------------------- > AIM: CyberGrex > YIM: CyberGrex_27 > ICQ: 3707881 > ------------------------------------------- > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Aug. 19, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Linux Training

by Martin, Eric

I agree. HOWTOs have taught me the most out of everything. I'd say take the money that you'd pay for training, and get a few ORA (O'Reilly & Assoc.) books, cd rom bookshelves, or maybe even a Subscription to safari. Reading and doing is my best way. Eric -----Original Message----- From: sonnyvn(a)linus.mitre.org [mailto:sonnyvn@linus.mitre.org] Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 11:54 AM To: wlug(a)mail.wlug.org Subject: [Wlug] Linux Training Mark, In my opinion, classes are always out of date. When I first started with HPUX and Solaris, I was sent to classes. Afterward, I have found docs.sun.com and docs.hp.com has even more info than the classes (and they are free). For Linux, the www.linux.org with (www.tldp.org) website(s) have given me 80% of linux knowledge. Depending upon your distributions (mine is Redhat), I have found even more indepth documentations (pdf) from their website to do almost everything my Solaris and HP-UX can do (except Jumpstart and Ignite-UX). Hopes this helps a little. Sonny Nguyen > Send Wlug mailing list submissions to > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wlug-owner(a)mail.wlug.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wlug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Linux Training (Mark Eaton) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:54:19 -0400 > From: "Mark Eaton" <meaton(a)sterilite.com> > Subject: [Wlug] Linux Training > To: <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Message-ID: > <C410352A9903E540B8FBE58DAEDDC09147E66B(a)shomail2k.sterilite.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > We are a manufacturing firm located in North Central Mass. We're > converting our Enterprise systems from Unix/Solaris & SUNs to Linux & > Intel's running clustered servers. We are pretty proficient at > Solaris but need to get up to speed on Linux fast. I can't afford to > have people out for 2 or 3 weeks to go to Red Hat for formal training > and that's about all I've found other than "buy our > CD's...". Are there some good intermediate to advanced courses available > in the Greater Worcester area that you would recommend? Thanks for > your help. Mark - meaton1(a)earthlink.net > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > End of Wlug Digest, Vol 10, Issue 14 > ************************************ > > _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Aug. 18, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Martin, Eric

I want to structure it as a more beginners class, more desktop type stuff than shell scripting. Targetting towards regular users who are frustrated with Word, getting virii left and right, etc. Eric -----Original Message----- From: Andrew Robert [mailto:arobert@dhcp-0-7-e9-bc-5c-fc.cpe.townisp.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 9:24 AM To: Worcester Linux Users Group Subject: Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question Is this course as much about learning Unix/Linux commands or the distribution itself? I believe that virtually any Linux distribution could be a good choice if you are spending most of your time discussing how to use the command line and general administrative tasks. Once the command line basics and bash shell scripting is covered, specific distributions could be covered. I would then say that Fedora or Suse are good general choices. Slackware is good too but it is not necessarily for a new user. On Tue, 2004-08-17 at 09:04, Martin, Eric wrote: I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? Eric _____ _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org <http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug> http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug Thank you, Andrew Robert Systems Architect TS&S Infrastructure Support - OpenVMS Massachusetts Financial Services Phone: (617) 954-5882 Pager: (781) 764-7321

Aug. 18, 2004

Linux Training

by sonnyvn＠linus.mitre.org

Mark, In my opinion, classes are always out of date. When I first started with HPUX and Solaris, I was sent to classes. Afterward, I have found docs.sun.com and docs.hp.com has even more info than the classes (and they are free). For Linux, the www.linux.org with (www.tldp.org) website(s) have given me 80% of linux knowledge. Depending upon your distributions (mine is Redhat), I have found even more indepth documentations (pdf) from their website to do almost everything my Solaris and HP-UX can do (except Jumpstart and Ignite-UX). Hopes this helps a little. Sonny Nguyen > Send Wlug mailing list submissions to > wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > wlug-request(a)mail.wlug.org > > You can reach the person managing the list at > wlug-owner(a)mail.wlug.org > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of Wlug digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Linux Training (Mark Eaton) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:54:19 -0400 > From: "Mark Eaton" <meaton(a)sterilite.com> > Subject: [Wlug] Linux Training > To: <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> > Message-ID: > <C410352A9903E540B8FBE58DAEDDC09147E66B(a)shomail2k.sterilite.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > We are a manufacturing firm located in North Central Mass. We're > converting our Enterprise systems from Unix/Solaris & SUNs to Linux & > Intel's running clustered servers. We are pretty proficient at Solaris > but need to get up to speed on Linux fast. > I can't afford to have people out for 2 or 3 weeks to go to Red Hat for > formal training and that's about all I've found other than "buy our > CD's...". Are there some good intermediate to advanced courses available > in the Greater Worcester area that you would recommend? > Thanks for your help. > Mark - meaton1(a)earthlink.net > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > > End of Wlug Digest, Vol 10, Issue 14 > ************************************ > >

Aug. 18, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by frank p

> disk partitioning to make room for linux if I want to cover dual boots? > Iknow there's partition magic for windows, but I wanted something > freesoftware / opensource. I've often used qtparted for resizing winXP and win2k partitions without problem. What's also nice about it is the availability of a bootable rescue CD with this utility: www.sysresccd.org -frank p

Aug. 18, 2004

Linux Training

by Mark Eaton

We are a manufacturing firm located in North Central Mass. We're converting our Enterprise systems from Unix/Solaris & SUNs to Linux & Intel's running clustered servers. We are pretty proficient at Solaris but need to get up to speed on Linux fast. I can't afford to have people out for 2 or 3 weeks to go to Red Hat for formal training and that's about all I've found other than "buy our CD's...". Are there some good intermediate to advanced courses available in the Greater Worcester area that you would recommend? Thanks for your help. Mark - meaton1(a)earthlink.net

Aug. 18, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Martin, Eric

Awesome! Thanks! -----Original Message----- From: Brian Waite [mailto:linwoes@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2004 8:19 AM To: Worcester Linux Users Group Subject: Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:21:19 -0400, Martin, Eric <martine(a)worc.k12.ma.us> wrote: > What I'm probably going to do is have some older boxes that we can run > linux on, but the lab computers I'm going to use Knoppix (to avoid > that problem). Also, I was just thinking, are there any good free > software packages for disk partitioning to make room for linux if I > want to cover dual boots? Iknow there's partition magic for windows, > but I wanted something freesoftware / opensource. > > Eric > Eric, qtparted works great. There is a good HOWTO on the web, whose URL escapes me, that exaplains you to resize NTFS partitions and also recover if something goes wrong. I have resized 2 WinXP disks with any problems. Thanks Brian > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Andy Stewart [mailto:andystewart@comcast.net] > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 6:14 PM > To: Worcester Linux Users Group > Subject: Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > On Tuesday 17 August 2004 9:04 am, Martin, Eric wrote: > > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife > > with the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, > > but I don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something > > easy for people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the > > linux feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to > > get into a disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. > > A friend mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to > > suggestions, I want as people to enjoy this class, not think that > > linux is out of their grasp. So, the question is what distro would > > people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > > > Eric > > HI Eric, > > Are you actually going to be allowed to obliterate the existing hard > drive contents on the computers for this Linux class? If so, that's > actually a good thing! > > I teach an intro course for the Chelmsford Community Education > program, and I'm not allowed to blow away Windows on their hard drives > (shucks...). So, I stick with Knoppix and user level concepts and it > has worked out rather well. > > Later, > > Andy > > - -- > Andy Stewart, Founder > Worcester Linux Users' Group > Worcester, MA USA > http://www.wlug.org > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFBIoMPHl0iXDssISsRAjhwAJ0dy1gHGR4xp2mECx/P3QsMDVA7BgCfSlmC > 5j7MiYpm0+Hz2AHNX7gXbm8= > =yCuv > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Aug. 18, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Martin, Eric

What I'm probably going to do is have some older boxes that we can run linux on, but the lab computers I'm going to use Knoppix (to avoid that problem). Also, I was just thinking, are there any good free software packages for disk partitioning to make room for linux if I want to cover dual boots? Iknow there's partition magic for windows, but I wanted something freesoftware / opensource. Eric -----Original Message----- From: Andy Stewart [mailto:andystewart@comcast.net] Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 6:14 PM To: Worcester Linux Users Group Subject: Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tuesday 17 August 2004 9:04 am, Martin, Eric wrote: > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > Eric HI Eric, Are you actually going to be allowed to obliterate the existing hard drive contents on the computers for this Linux class? If so, that's actually a good thing! I teach an intro course for the Chelmsford Community Education program, and I'm not allowed to blow away Windows on their hard drives (shucks...). So, I stick with Knoppix and user level concepts and it has worked out rather well. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFBIoMPHl0iXDssISsRAjhwAJ0dy1gHGR4xp2mECx/P3QsMDVA7BgCfSlmC 5j7MiYpm0+Hz2AHNX7gXbm8= =yCuv -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- _______________________________________________ Wlug mailing list Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Aug. 18, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Brian Waite

On Wed, 18 Aug 2004 08:21:19 -0400, Martin, Eric <martine(a)worc.k12.ma.us> wrote: > What I'm probably going to do is have some older boxes that we can run linux > on, but the lab computers I'm going to use Knoppix (to avoid that problem). > Also, I was just thinking, are there any good free software packages for > disk partitioning to make room for linux if I want to cover dual boots? > Iknow there's partition magic for windows, but I wanted something > freesoftware / opensource. > > Eric > Eric, qtparted works great. There is a good HOWTO on the web, whose URL escapes me, that exaplains you to resize NTFS partitions and also recover if something goes wrong. I have resized 2 WinXP disks with any problems. Thanks Brian > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Andy Stewart [mailto:andystewart@comcast.net] > Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2004 6:14 PM > To: Worcester Linux Users Group > Subject: Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > Hash: SHA1 > > On Tuesday 17 August 2004 9:04 am, Martin, Eric wrote: > > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > > for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > > > Eric > > HI Eric, > > Are you actually going to be allowed to obliterate the existing hard drive > contents on the computers for this Linux class? If so, that's actually a > good thing! > > I teach an intro course for the Chelmsford Community Education program, and > I'm not allowed to blow away Windows on their hard drives (shucks...). So, > I > stick with Knoppix and user level concepts and it has worked out rather > well. > > Later, > > Andy > > - -- > Andy Stewart, Founder > Worcester Linux Users' Group > Worcester, MA USA > http://www.wlug.org > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- > Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) > > iD8DBQFBIoMPHl0iXDssISsRAjhwAJ0dy1gHGR4xp2mECx/P3QsMDVA7BgCfSlmC > 5j7MiYpm0+Hz2AHNX7gXbm8= > =yCuv > -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug >

Aug. 18, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Re: Another distro Question

by Frank Rizzo

> > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > > for beginners aside from Knoppix? I would say Slackware would be a good distro to show people Linux. It's simple, secure, and stable. It does have the tgz packages, but you dont have to use them. The only problem is the install is not as pretty as some of the other distros. -Joe

Aug. 18, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Andy Stewart

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Tuesday 17 August 2004 9:04 am, Martin, Eric wrote: > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with the > Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I don't think > that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for people to pickup, > and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux feel. I'm going to start > out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a disk install. I've only used > Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend mentioned SuSe, but I've never used > it. Very open to suggestions, I want as people to enjoy this class, not > think that linux is out of their grasp. So, the question is what distro > would people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > Eric HI Eric, Are you actually going to be allowed to obliterate the existing hard drive contents on the computers for this Linux class? If so, that's actually a good thing! I teach an intro course for the Chelmsford Community Education program, and I'm not allowed to blow away Windows on their hard drives (shucks...). So, I stick with Knoppix and user level concepts and it has worked out rather well. Later, Andy - -- Andy Stewart, Founder Worcester Linux Users' Group Worcester, MA USA http://www.wlug.org -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.4 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFBIoMPHl0iXDssISsRAjhwAJ0dy1gHGR4xp2mECx/P3QsMDVA7BgCfSlmC 5j7MiYpm0+Hz2AHNX7gXbm8= =yCuv -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: Another distro Question

by Bob George

Martin, Eric wrote: > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > for beginners aside from Knoppix? > The knoppix 3.4 hard disk install with the "debian" option gives you a very nicely configured system that should more-or-less work on most modern hardware. It is NOT debian, although based on debian, but for your purposes should be just fine. Be advised that getting it to a normal debian state is NOT trivial, although the results can be quite satisfying. So if you're going to use knoppix to start with, continuing on with the hd install will give the same features and look while allowing further customization. Just keep in mind that it's not *really* debian, and some updates can give headaches. It's not also notably secure. - Bob

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Andrew Robert

Is this course as much about learning Unix/Linux commands or the distribution itself? I believe that virtually any Linux distribution could be a good choice if you are spending most of your time discussing how to use the command line and general administrative tasks. Once the command line basics and bash shell scripting is covered, specific distributions could be covered. I would then say that Fedora or Suse are good general choices. Slackware is good too but it is not necessarily for a new user. On Tue, 2004-08-17 at 09:04, Martin, Eric wrote: > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with > the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I > don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for > people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a > disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend > mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I > want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of > their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend > for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > Eric > > ______________________________________________________________________ > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug Thank you, Andrew Robert Systems Architect TS&S Infrastructure Support - OpenVMS Massachusetts Financial Services Phone: (617) 954-5882 Pager: (781) 764-7321

Aug. 17, 2004

Installfest/bakeoff

by Brian Waite

With this talk of different distros lately, I was wondering if anyone was interested do an installfest and/or a distro bakeoff Where we can all see how each distro install, behaves, and how the HW support is. I for one would enjoy trying to install some distros on random machines. Any thoughts? Thanks Brian

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Mike Leo

Suse is a good looking distro....pretty icons and colorful screens. Mandrake 10 is also full of eye candy. Fedora Core is really dry and bland...if you want to show people cool stuff, i'd avoid it as you are. Knoppix is harddrive installable, too, if you want. Mepis has a livecd too but I forget how that looks....i think it was colorful as well. --- "Martin, Eric" <MartinE(a)worc.k12.ma.us> wrote: > I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks > for Nitelife with the > Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with > Fedora, but I don't think > that has what I'm looking for. I want something > easy for people to pickup, > and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux > feel. I'm going to start > out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a disk > install. I've only used > Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend mentioned SuSe, > but I've never used it. > Very open to suggestions, I want as people to enjoy > this class, not think > that linux is out of their grasp. So, the question > is what distro would > people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? > > Eric > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by Brian Waite

----- Original Message ----- From: Martin, Eric <martine(a)worc.k12.ma.us> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 09:04:51 -0400 Subject: [Wlug] Another distro Question To: Worcester Linux Users Group <wlug(a)mail.wlug.org> I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? Eric, Are you familair with the Knoppix hdinstall? It is not 100% perfect yet, but sometimes that the linux feel :). As it is using debain as its under pinnings, you can then show them how to migrate from knoppix to the debain stable/unstable repoistories and update their systems. If you are looking ofr more of a windows based installers where you answer some questions, install and don't touch it again, then they are all toss-ups. Why don't you think RPMS give you the Linux feel? If you are loking for the barebones to the metal feel go with Gentoo, but this I think will scare general users. Thanks Brian

Aug. 17, 2004

RE: [Wlug] Another distro Question

by JONATHAN BEALL

Aug. 17, 2004

Another distro Question

by Martin, Eric

I'm teaching a Beginners Linux course in a few weeks for Nitelife with the Worc Pub Schools. I was almost ready to go with Fedora, but I don't think that has what I'm looking for. I want something easy for people to pickup, and I don't think RPMs don't give you the linux feel. I'm going to start out w/Knoppix, but I also want to get into a disk install. I've only used Gentoo, RHAT, and Knoppix. A friend mentioned SuSe, but I've never used it. Very open to suggestions, I want as people to enjoy this class, not think that linux is out of their grasp. So, the question is what distro would people recommend for beginners aside from Knoppix? Eric

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Linux distro for older hardware

by JONATHAN BEALL

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] Linux distro for older hardware

by Brian Waite

On Tue, 17 Aug 2004 07:40:37 -0400, Joel Desrochers <joelgroup(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > I second the vote for Slackware. > Text based install and overall performance make it my favorite for older > hardware. > Unfortunately I prefer 128 MB RAM minimum for console only and around 256MB > for X. > Memory is cheap though. > > I am still quite happy with my P300/384MB RAM with Slack. > Before Slackware, I toyed with a few minimalist distros (Peanut and Grey Cat > Linux but found most of them lacking in either reliability or application > packages/support). > > Two other tips on trying Linux and picking a distributionto try: > 1) Don't rule out Knoppix, the popular CD-ROM bootable distro. You can use > it on another box (possibly your current Windows 9X or XP) without modifying > anything on the hard disk. Also makes a great PC diagnostic tool. > http://www.knoppix.com/ > I am a huge fan of knoppix. I have used it since version 3.0. I find it is the most effective to test a system for hw support. The amazing thing is I run it on 2 laptops and most , if not all, the suspend/freq scaling works well out of the box. I usually do a hard drive install after I am happy with the functionality and it works great. > 2) Consider reading up on the many distros on one of the many websites that > list information. I would also consider debian. (knoppix is based on deb). The number of "requred" packages is very small with a huge set of optional packages. ou should be able to build a nice system even with lower horsepower. The nice thing about deb also is it gives you a very nice package install and dependency tracking system with apt. Nothing against Slack and its tar.gz but deb packages are really nice because they help with dependencices. Thanks Brian

Aug. 17, 2004

Linux distro for older hardware

by Joel Desrochers

I second the vote for Slackware. Text based install and overall performance make it my favorite for older hardware. Unfortunately I prefer 128 MB RAM minimum for console only and around 256MB for X. Memory is cheap though. I am still quite happy with my P300/384MB RAM with Slack. Before Slackware, I toyed with a few minimalist distros (Peanut and Grey Cat Linux but found most of them lacking in either reliability or application packages/support). Two other tips on trying Linux and picking a distributionto try: 1) Don't rule out Knoppix, the popular CD-ROM bootable distro. You can use it on another box (possibly your current Windows 9X or XP) without modifying anything on the hard disk. Also makes a great PC diagnostic tool. http://www.knoppix.com/ 2) Consider reading up on the many distros on one of the many websites that list information. These are my two favorites and I am sure there are many more. http://www.linux.org/dist/index.html http://www.distrowatch.com Joel _________________________________________________________________ Dont just search. Find. Check out the new MSN Search! http://search.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200636ave/direct/01/

Aug. 17, 2004

Re: [Wlug] linux for older computers

by Mike Leo

well, if you want to go crazy sure...or try http://lfs-mirror.tpegg.org/lfs/news.html if you REALLY want to learn linux, and not just use linux! I am in the begining stages of lfs myself...plan on learning more than I thought possible --- Adam Keck <ghostis(a)mac.com> wrote: > Or you could roll your own distro: > > http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-lwl1/ > > I did this with moderate success last Memorial Day > break for a 486 > laptop with 16mb of RAM and a 540 MB hard-drive. > Very fun. Requires a > second Linux machine of acceptable speed to compile > on and some sort of > working bootable removable media on the target > machine. In my case I > used the 1.44mb floppy. For easy of compiling, if > you are not > comfortable with building your own tool chain, I > recommend using an > older version of uclibc which builds gcc wrappers > for you. > > > -Adam > > On Aug 15, 2004, at 8:31 AM, Andrew Perry wrote: > > > > > Hi everyone. I have some older computers, > > the newest of the bunch being Celeron-566 MHz-64 > MB > > RAM, the oldest a 486-25 MHz- maybe 16 MB RAM > > and wonder if anyone could either > > > > a) recommend linux distributions for them > > or > > b) point me to a site with minimum hardware > > requirements for linux distributions > > > > Primarily my goal is to learn more about linux. > > I would prefer something sold for a nominal cost > on > > CD's. > > > > Cheapbytes.com sells Pink Tie 7.3,Mandrake 8.2, > > Debian 2.2 and some others for around $1 only, > > but offer no guidance as to the hardware > requirements. > > > > Thanks, > > Andrew > > > > ===== > > -Dr. Andrew B. Perry > > Assistant Prof. of Mathematics, Springfield > College > > 263 Alden St., Springfield MA 01109 > > _______________________________________________ > > Wlug mailing list > > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug > __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New and Improved Yahoo! Mail - 100MB free storage! http://promotions.yahoo.com/new_mail

Aug. 16, 2004

Re: [Wlug] linux for older computers

by Adam Keck

Or you could roll your own distro: http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/l-lwl1/ I did this with moderate success last Memorial Day break for a 486 laptop with 16mb of RAM and a 540 MB hard-drive. Very fun. Requires a second Linux machine of acceptable speed to compile on and some sort of working bootable removable media on the target machine. In my case I used the 1.44mb floppy. For easy of compiling, if you are not comfortable with building your own tool chain, I recommend using an older version of uclibc which builds gcc wrappers for you. -Adam On Aug 15, 2004, at 8:31 AM, Andrew Perry wrote: > > Hi everyone. I have some older computers, > the newest of the bunch being Celeron-566 MHz-64 MB > RAM, the oldest a 486-25 MHz- maybe 16 MB RAM > and wonder if anyone could either > > a) recommend linux distributions for them > or > b) point me to a site with minimum hardware > requirements for linux distributions > > Primarily my goal is to learn more about linux. > I would prefer something sold for a nominal cost on > CD's. > > Cheapbytes.com sells Pink Tie 7.3,Mandrake 8.2, > Debian 2.2 and some others for around $1 only, > but offer no guidance as to the hardware requirements. > > Thanks, > Andrew > > ===== > -Dr. Andrew B. Perry > Assistant Prof. of Mathematics, Springfield College > 263 Alden St., Springfield MA 01109 > _______________________________________________ > Wlug mailing list > Wlug(a)mail.wlug.org > http://mail.wlug.org/mailman/listinfo/wlug

Aug. 15, 2004

Re: [Wlug] linux for older computers

by Andrew Robert

I was wondering if you had considered Knoppix? It can be run from the CD or be installed on the hard drive. Requirements for this are pretty small. i486+ processor 16MB RAM (text mode) 96MB RAM (graphics mode) Bootable CD-ROM Standard SVGA graphics card PS2 or USB mouse You can read up more on Knoppix at http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html . Thank you, Andrew Robert Systems Architect TS&S Infrastructure Support - OpenVMS Massachusetts Financial Services Phone: (617) 954-5882 Pager: (781) 764-7321

Aug. 15, 2004

Re: [Wlug] linux for older computers

by Jeff Kinz

On Sun, Aug 15, 2004 at 05:31:28AM -0700, Andrew Perry wrote: > > Hi everyone. I have some older computers, > the newest of the bunch being Celeron-566 MHz-64 MB > RAM, the oldest a 486-25 MHz- maybe 16 MB RAM > and wonder if anyone could either > > a) recommend linux distributions for them > or > b) point me to a site with minimum hardware > requirements for linux distributions > > Primarily my goal is to learn more about linux. > I would prefer something sold for a nominal cost on > CD's. The RULE project produces a redhat based distro re-configured for use with "smaller hardware" configurations. Its here: http://www.rule-project.org/ -- Linux/Open Source. Now all your base belongs to you, for free. ============================================================ Idealism: "Realism applied over a longer time period" Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.

Aug. 15, 2004