Choosing the Distro

I will continue on talking about Linux Distro today.

As a new would be Linux convert, how to pick the "right" distro? My personal point of view is since the launch of Ubuntu, most distros are slowly catching up and are moving towards the ease of use and installation direction. There are definitely differences behind the desktop screen, however, if you are just a normal user from Windows environment like me, you will not notice the difference and whether it is a Fedora core, Debian base, or Mandriva doesn't matter to you. All you want a general purpose distro which is easy to install to run your applications.

You can try this link to help you decide which distro is suitable for you.

What I personally think is more important for a new convert (especially from Windows & Mac) is the GUI desktop that you will feel comfortable with. There are quite a number of GUI desktops available and the most popular being GNOME, KDE, and xcfe.

Let me explain a little on what is a GUI desktop. You see, Linux OS and the desktop interface are 2 entire separate entity. You can have the same engine, and load different Desktop on it. In the example of Ubuntu, you can have Kubuntu using KDE desktop, Ubuntu running GNOME, and Xubuntu on xcfe desktop-- all are having the same Ubuntu engine but different interface, and you can even switch from one to another if you want to. If you have used computer long enough, just imagine DOS + Windows 3.11 where the 2 things are separate.

I do not want to start World War III by commenting which desktop is better, and the followings are ENTIRELY my personal opinion:

1. KDE. This is the preferred desktop of Linus Torvalds. It looks nice, and have arrangement very similar to Windows XP. It uses an application called Konqueror to explore the system files and internet just like the Windows Explorer in MS Windows. I have very limited exposure to KDE, and couldn't comment much, but I do find it a very powerful desktop that allows many hardware configurations to be done from a GUI environment. I have read that new users from Windows environment are generally more comfortable with KDE as compared to the other desktops, especially the power users who like to tweak and tinker with the OS.
   


2. GNOME is suitable for users who prefer a simple Mac-like desktop. It may look plain in its barest form, but is highly configurable to make it an eye-candy like a Mac. Power users from Windows environment may not like it, as many functions are hidden or not available from the desktop environment. If you find Windows is full of things you hardly touch like control panel & system management, and prefer a simpler approach, Gnome is for you. I personally am using Gnome and xcfe most of the time and I do not find it difficult to adjust to after 15 years of Windows.


3. xcfe. I have used xcfe desktop (Xubuntu--> xcfe + Ubuntu) for quite awhile on an old P3 system and currently Mythbuntu on another PC. It is a lightweight desktop and usually bundles with fully functional lightweight applications as well. It is also a very simple desktop just like GNOME. If you like to have fast boot/ load/ shutdown, or running Linux on a very old computer, xcfe maybe the way to go.


4. Others. There are a few other desktops available, like Fluxbox, Enlightenment, and etc., I couldn't comment on any as I have not tried them personally.

So, remember to research into which desktop the distro is bundling by default as well to ease your transition from your current OS. Anyway, frankly, if you are the adventurous type and familiar with using mouse clicks, all desktops are easy to use and need less than a week to get accustomed to.