Linux OS selection
July 26th, 2016
Mine need for this system is programming and some little entertainment(i.e. internet,music and movies).
I want a light weight ,stable,fast and secure OS.
I have googled and come across some :-
1.Mint
2.Elementary
3.Zorin
4.pepermint
5.Debian
Mind that I am new to linux.
Lubuntu 14.04.01 is what I’d recommend. it’s lightweight, not hard on resources and it’s based off Ubuntu with LXDE desktop. it’s amazingly fast, even with old systems.
Yes, Lubuntu is my recommendation also. And Lubuntu is far more user friendly than the ones you’ve found.
I have downloaded it and trying it….it is lil different than windows but thats to be expected…..
You might want to look into Manjaro as well. It’s an Arch based, and so, is a rolling release distribution (in the simplest terms, you won’t have to reinstall to upgrade and all you have to do is run an update. Plus, the softwares will always be current). It doesn’t have the complexities of Arch and is simple and lightweight.
http://manjaro.org/
WattOS for sure
ok,but I am trying lubuntu and elementary right now…Will try those after these…
You seem to be competent so I suggest the current Debian release…..I have been running Debian as PRIMARY OS since 1997 and ONLY OS since 2002. Always does everything I ask of it with no fuss (and i ask a lot from it) It’s speed, stability and security are legendary. My personal preference for a Desktop window environment for this system used to be Gnome until this current release, now I alternate between KDE and XFCE only because Gnome now make it harder to customize and seems to be more restrictive to me.
My personal pros vs cons…
Pros Fast, stable, secure, Literally many thousands of open source programs (many better than commercial equivalents) available for apt-get install.
fantasitic community, perfect education to the Linux system
Cons
Packages are rarely current versions (the focus is on stability)
Stuff like driver installs/updates can be a pain in the behind, because of open source ethics…….the community can assist here
Some cutting edge hardware has no Linux drivers available…….again the community can assist here.
EDIT
Also many of the recommendations here are based on Debian anyway, so I think “may as well go for the real McCoy” The best OS bar none……and for a price that can’t be beaten
You seem to be competent so I suggest the current Debian release.....I have been running Debian as PRIMARY OS since 1997 and ONLY OS since 2002. Always does everything I ask of it with no fuss (and i ask a lot from it) It's speed, stability and security are legendary. My personal preference for a Desktop window environment for this system used to be Gnome until this current release, now I alternate between KDE and XFCE only because Gnome now make it harder to customize and seems to be more restrictive to me.
My personal pros vs cons...
Pros Fast, stable, secure, Literally many thousands of open source programs (many better than commercial equivalents) available for apt-get install.
fantasitic community, perfect education to the Linux system
Cons
Packages are rarely current versions (the focus is on stability)
Stuff like driver installs/updates can be a pain in the behind, because of open source ethics.......the community can assist here
Some cutting edge hardware has no Linux drivers available.......again the community can assist here.
EDIT
Also many of the recommendations here are based on Debian anyway, so I think "may as well go for the real McCoy" The best OS bar none......and for a price that can't be beaten
you just suggested that because it’s your main OS, not because it’s good.
I just installed debian wheezy 7.6 and let me tell you, never again. none of my drivers worked, searched the Internet for just over an hour and gave up. my graphics didn’t work, the only thing that did was my Internet. it looked absolutely horrible. OP: if you’re after a good, lightweight OS, Lubuntu 14.04.01 is what you need.
you just suggested that because it's your main OS, not because it's good.
That makes no sense…..why would I be running it for 17 years very happily if it was not good ? (mostly as my ONLY system)
I just installed debian wheezy 7.6 and let me tell you, never again. none of my drivers worked, searched the Internet for just over an hour and gave up. my graphics didn't work, the only thing that did was my Internet.
What ? you based your experience on 1 hour of failed setup ? This means you will never know the power of a good running Debian system…..hardly qualifies you to sit in judgment here on anything other than failed quick install issues.
it looked absolutely horrible.
That’s why I commented about Gnome and changing Desktop environment, simply illustrates the endless possibilities……OP appears to me to be a very competent operator who doesn’t mind a bit of a learning curve.
Linux …
The best distribution is the one that fits your skill level with linux unless you want to use one for learning purposes.
You can get any one to look the way you want – but it takes customization. You need to consider the support level if you want to install additional packages (and drivers) – less popular ones generally tend to need more work to get working. That’s why Ubuntu and the like are near the top of lists – they include almost everything you need out-of-the-box.
With Lubuntu for example – when running in Virtualbox – you need to add a few things from a repository to get the Extension Pack to install. This isn’t necessary with Ubuntu as it comes with these as part of the initial setup.
You started out with:
Mine need for this system is programming and some little entertainment(i.e. internet,music and movies).
– programming version: The standard C/C++ toolset for Linux is GCC. Much of what people think of as “linux” is built using these tools. Every distro will come with them or have them easily added; they are fundamental to the building the distro itself.
– programming environment: you’ll have to add to almost any distro you pick
– games / entertainment: all of the main distros will include what you need; but in all, you will need to download and install certain codecs that cannot be freely redistributed (Lubuntu presents a separate screen where you must accept a license before it will install them).
In summary, there is no “best” version for everyone. It is highly personal.
@ Thanks,will download debian,but wanted to ask as you are using it,will it work good for my config?
@ I am new to linux so I am asking for recommendations,then its for me to chose between them.
@ Thanks,will download debian,but wanted to ask as you are using it,will it work good for my config?
I can definitely say that as long as all correct drivers are installed, your system will do anything you want, not just your wish list above….. altho in your case, I think a lot of stuff will be auto installed when your hardware is probed during initial install. The graphics on my system is Nvidia, a company that has always been very good with it’s Linux support. The stock Debian auto installer will install the open source video driver by default which is not desirable for stuff such as 3D gaming so a visit to the NVidia website quickly solves this. I think ATI has also made some moves into the Linux world these last few years.
Remember, if you run into trouble, the Debian community is among the very best.
: makes no sense? really? so I’m not allowed an opinion? anyway, I did install debian wheezy, the install took 15 minutes on an i7 16gb 660ti. windows install faster than that. everything you have to tick etc, it’s way too complicated for a new Linux user. sudo didn’t work, deb command was not found and no driver worked except my Internet driver. it’s crap, end of. it may have been your OS for so many years but you know what you’re doing, us new Linux users don’t.
Lubuntu 14.04.01 installs all your drivers, works straight out of the box and with it’s “software” center you can pretty much find anything. meh, I’ll stay with Lubuntu 14.04.01. Debian is too complicated for a new Linux user!!!!!
@, I can tell you that many newbies who install Debian for the first time do so totally successfully. I am sorry you had issues but the OP’s requirement is “I want a light weight ,stable,fast and secure OS” perfectly fits Debian and your unfortunate experience with this only qualifies you to say about Debian something like “watch out for newbie install issues” NOT “it’s crap” thus your comment about not being “good” OS or “looked absolutely horrible” is also totally out of order because you NEVER had a perfect running Debian system (I feel very sorry for you). Further….. “deb command was not found” is because deb is not a command and sudo must be installed before you can use it.
i have tested almost every distro and can write so much about each distro that you will get lost.
just try netrunner ROLLING release , blazing fast , install and forget , manjaro behind it , yet to find problems with it.
Since you have amd card , most distro will make your laptop heat,like an owen.