Slashdot Mirror

If the user really want to learn and don't mind reading and experimenting, slackware is a perfect distro!

unlike ubuntu, where you have almost everything configured and hidden in GUIs and several mysterious layers of "user-friendliness", slackware is simple and direct.
there is no hidden config and the few user-friendly menus are just plain bash scripts, easy to read and understand. for a user that wants to learn, this is precious, as the KISS principle makes things isolated and easier to learn, step by step
Even the package manager is just a script to execute tar, you only have standard unix tools, and so, you will learn the unix way: do one thing, do it well

slackware is ready to use after install, but everytime you need something, you have simple scripts, good and commented config files and a great community.
missing a program? great, grab the sources and compile... you dont know how? great, you will learn (usually its just wget url/program.tar.gz; tar zvfx program.tar.gz; cd program; less README; less INSTALL; ./configure --any-option-you-may-need-or-like && make ; su ; make install).
in slackware there is no -dev packages, everything is there, ready to compile everything.

yes, one apt-get install program is faster, but you dont learn anything with that, and you learn a lot by installing a program by hand.

Everytime you hit a problem, stop and research, learn about it and you will understand why are you doing it instead of "copy&paste" a new ubuntu PPA repo

After learning slackware, you will do well in all other distros... learning ubuntu, you still dont know anything when using other distros

you have a working system, just like you want? fine, start thinking in new things, like web server, database, firewall, proxy, etc
in each idea, you will learn more.

After playing with slackware, you can jump forward to debian or arch (or using sbopkg on slackware) to have a easier system for day to day usage, or jump to LFS (Linux from Scratch) to learn the lower level of a linux system.

Documentation, you have the slackware book: http://slackbook.org/ and the foca linux (Portuguese, but is very complete and you can use the translator): http://www.guiafoca.org/

After playing with slackware, you not only will understand how many things work, but also learn how to think about and solve a linux problem, how to search for logs and errors messages and read man pages and howto's

This is a difference between a desktop user (ubuntu) and advanced user or linux administrator (slackware, but also gentoo and arch).

but hey, take the test: http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/

I love the Linux Distribution Chooser. I've recommended it to all my friends. It's great!

Actually i think he was complaining that if you search for that you get a quiz :s IMO its the best way to get people to the rigt distro (its just a shame they dont favor ubuntu as much as they should)
http://polishlinux.org/choose/quiz/
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/
http://www.tuxs.org/chooser/

The main problem is the install, most people just cant be bother, until something like wubi becomes worthwhile. Or something like KDE4win gets people using linux apps the sameway itunes did for mac

D00d, don't buy new hardware or software. Just install GNU/Linux.

Here's a distro picker for you:
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php?lang=en

Doesn't work by choosing hardware specs, but http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/ claims to help you find a distro based around what features you need.

The Creative Commons website is not someone randomly pulling a "form contract" and using it as you state. Creative Commons website asks the user questions about what he or she wants in a license as surely as I would were that person sitting in my office. Then, Creative Commons generates a license to fit the person's apparent need.

From the Wikipedia page regarding Linux distros, the paragraph 'Choosing a Linux distribution' you will find the following helpful links:

Linux Distribution Chooser 0.4
http://www.tuxs.org/chooser/

Linux Distribution Chooser
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/

A good GTFG would have brought those same links:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=linux+distro+ chooser&btnG=Google+Search

[wink wink nudge nudge]

To help people install Linux, for the first time, the following was targeted at this, keeping a dual boot system:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-5982893. html

for those that say Ubuntu is great, my own take on it:
http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_11-6066271. html

a better option for helping people pick a distro:
http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/index.php

Distrowatch offers information on and reviews for many different Linux distributions. It does not really classify them, though. The distro chart at Linux.org classified distributions using several categories, but it has not been updated in a while. Also, there is a test to determine which Linux distribution is right for you.

Nice online tool for n00bs to see what flavor of linux they might like.

http://www.zegeniestudios.net/ldc/