Got root?
Posted on 08/13/2002 6:14:11 PM PDT by Lazamataz
I'm putting together a Linux box. Want to run Apache and maybe a perl interpreter. Does anyone have a suggestion as to the best version of Linux? Where do I go for that best version? How about Apache? What is the best perl development environment?
Keeping in mind, of course, that Free is Good.
Bwahahaha.. M$ conforming to the GPL license? I don't think so. BillCo's avarice wouldn't stand for it.
COMPATABLE according to RedHat.
Laz, I installed RedHat 7.3 as a duel boot on my PII 300 box over the weekend. As a newbie to Linux as a desktop, I am impressed with the RedHat pkg. I downloaded the 3 disk images and burned the disks here for FREE.
Last year I purchased Suse Linux and tried it. I think the RedHat is better. One thing I really like with the RedHat distro is when using the Gnome GUI there is a automatic check for any patches available. Absolutely painless to download+install patches.
If you want to run a webserver, you can do that. If you want office-type apps, there are plenty to choose from. I just downloaded the open office package, and find that it does much more than I even need, and will happily import most MS docs unless they have weird active-x controls in them.
There are more text editors available in the open source world than you can shake a stick at. I like 'vi', but your mileage may vary.
For mail, you again have more choices than you can shake a stick at.
If you have a PIM (palm-os device), you should be able to sync up to it without difficulties.
I think I have 7 web browsers installed, but I pretty much use Mozilla exclusively. It just plain works with very little muss or fuss.
I spend a lot more time tinkering on my system than is really necessesary, because I'm a unix guy by profession. I'm pretty sure though, given the robustness of modern linux distros, that just about anyone can install it and make it work for them with less fuss than I've seen them experience on windows.
FOr newbies, it takes a bit of a change of paradigm. Slashes lean the proper way, rather than the backwards way used in Redmond.
One of these days I'm going to talk my mother into letting me wipe her box out and install linux on it. That will be a true test for the software if there ever was one!
RedHat Linux 7.3 came up rather easily (about 1 hour) on my 3 homebuilt P4s. To play with the customization and modify via source code changes one needs to know about RPMs, which seems to be somewhat peculiar to Linux at this time. There is a RPM book out (forgot title) which gives you about 80% of what one would really want to know about RPMs. For setting up a server one tends to go outside the normal RH distribution and on the net (eg for wu-ftpd).
Hardcore Linux devotees prefer Gnome over KDE. I have tried both and both are buggy, with KDE being noticeably worse to the point of being (from my point of view) unreliable for everyday use. Gnome is better. This illustrates the principle that you generally want to follow the prejudices of the Linux hackers when presented with choices within Linux, since they tend to maintain the stuff they prefer better than the stuff they don't like. Mozilla is your basic mail interface (but I prefer BSD mail for transparency and simplicity over the visually oriented GUI cr*d).
Get a low end ATI Rage for the video card, it seems to be somewhat the defacto standard for Linux. If you like to listen to music and you are running an x86 with builtin sound device on the motherboard and RH 7.3, you'll need an auxiliary PCI sound card since RH 7.3 Linux doesn't recognize the motherboard sound device.
RedHat is trying to attract "Enterprise" class business and is succeeding here and there (especially in government institutions which have to be concerned about MicroSludge audits and associated formalities). My impression is that RedHat is hanging on financially by the skin of their teeth, narrowly avoiding the fate of VA Linux. They might make it financially but in any case the Linux base will carry on in some form or another.
Also I still have a couple of boxes running W-98 for convenience and family use; I find that this is relatively straightforward and inexpensive enough rather than dealing with the hassles of a multiple-boot system.
Got root?
I'd love to see you try.
The only choice for me. But newbies beware on this one.
I see you've answered my question in your usual helpful and technical fashion.
Although Debian isn't as flashy or end-user-y as some of the other distributions, they have a better security record, and apt-get rocks!
Keeping your system up-to-date is as easy as:
apt-get update apt-get upgrade
I administer several servers, and they all run Debian.
To each his own. I use Linux with KDE 3.0 exclusively for my desktop machines.
My wife also uses Linux, except for certain games. I find Windows limiting and tedious.
You could build a new Duron based system for about $400.
Unless his last name is Vorbis.
So, when you boot it, do the operating systems face off at ten paces and fire simultaneously? ;-)
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