Linux

[Hornet]

Anyone use it?

I've been using SuSE on and off for quite some time, but I'm pondering migrating to Ubuntu...  but then again Sabayon looks good too, and has excellent hardware support, which no doubt my laptop will appreciate.  I don't suppose anyone uses either of those, and can drop a review or two?  (I seem to recall Smi playing with Ubuntu a while ago, did anything come of that, or...?)

[mole]

i put that paragraph into babel, but im still not sure what hes saying

[SS]

It's about Linux. Which is a very flexible and nigh on impossible to use operating system that some people manage to poke their way around and eventually claim is better than Windows, except as soon as you want to use it for something useful and ask those people how to do it, all the replies dry up because nobody actually understands it, but usually doesn't want to admit to their lack of knowledge and so says nothing.


Hornet: I haven't really found much differences between the distributions I've [briefly] used - the different window managers tend to have more significant (visible) differences, so maybe try one that has a selection of different ones to see if you prefer any of them.
You could try looking at DistroWatch's summary of the top 10 ( http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major ), but ultimately the answer always seems to be "suck it and see", which is irritating, but that's unfortunately how it seems to be.

[Hornet]

Which is a very flexible and nigh on impossible to use...

I haven't really found much differences between the distributions I've [briefly] used...

Try spending a bit more time with it and you'll soon see the benefits.    Don't forget, you've spent years learning to use Windows.  If you're used to using non-mainstream software then you shouldn't go too far wrong with Linux, really...  There's Linux software to do everything that can be found on Windows, and usually a lot more to choose from. I'm surprised at you.

Whilst a lot of Linux users don't fully understand it, that's actually a good thing, an indicator that you no longer need to be a penguin-smoking lunatic before you can even install the stuff.  Most problems can be fixed with a Google, and if not IRC's always stuffed with people who can help.

Distrowatch is somewhat useful... apparently Sabayon isn't the most stable of distros, but then that review was for an older version.  Hmm.  I'll probably just get LiveCDs of both and see what happens; not the best test, but bandwidth is at a premium at the moment, so I can't really give both a proper spin.  (Another point against Sab - good though it may be - is that it has a fairly small developer base.)  Someone else has also suggested Mint, to add more confusion to the issue.

[SS]

Don't forget, you've spent years learning to use Windows.

I've spent years learning to use computers, not specifically Windows, and I'm good at picking up how to use things even when they're novel to me. It was just a matter of hours with OSX before I started getting used to it. I shouldn't have a problem with Linux, but every time I try doing anything beyond the basics, I find that: (1) things don't work logically; (2) Google contains either no information or a multitude of varying answers on things that aren't quite what you're asking; and (3) asking on forums and newsgroups generally results in the afforementioned blank replies after the first round of posts.

Whilst a lot of Linux users don't fully understand it, that's actually a good thing, an indicator that you no longer need to be a penguin-smoking lunatic before you can even install the stuff.

And that would be fine, if this didn't mean a million different but indistinct distributions, each with a multitude of websites diluting the Internet and masking the places where the helpful penguin-smoking lunatics might be able to tell me how to setup a versioning file system, discuss inotify and dnotify, explain properly how to use iptables, the real difference between hubs/switches/bridges/etc, how to setup the appropriate one, and any of the various other questions I've never managed to get a satisfactory answer for.

:cry:

[Hornet]

I've spent years learning to use computers, not specifically Windows, and I'm good at picking up how to use things even when they're novel to me. It was just a matter of hours with OSX before I started getting used to it. I shouldn't have a problem with Linux, but every time I try doing anything beyond the basics, I find that: (1) things don't work logically; (2) Google contains either no information or a multitude of varying answers on things that aren't quite what you're asking; and (3) asking on forums and newsgroups generally results in the afforementioned blank replies after the first round of posts.


And that would be fine, if this didn't mean a million different but indistinct distributions, each with a multitude of websites diluting the Internet and masking the places where the helpful penguin-smoking lunatics might be able to tell me how to setup a versioning file system, discuss inotify and dnotify, explain properly how to use iptables, the real difference between hubs/switches/bridges/etc, how to setup the appropriate one, and any of the various other questions I've never managed to get a satisfactory answer for.

:cry:

I do agree that there are too many distros... hence why Ubuntu has managed to become the best in such a short time - there's no serious competition to one that's managed to snag enough developers to rise to the top of the heap.  That's why I've used SuSE for so long, it's got Novell planning it, rather than a vague aim and fragmented developers.  To explain why I like the other three: Ubuntu's just very stable and generally well developed, with a huge amount of compatible software; Mint's an 'elegant' form of Ubuntu, to borrow their description, and Sabayon's essentially a rapid-installation, bleeding-edge Gentoo distro.

Regarding the topics you mentioned: you ought to read Wikipedia for a basic grounding on them, and the 'external links' section for the in-depth info.  It's a fantastic resource.   If that still doesn't help, I can furnish you with the e-mail address of a genuine lunatic who wouldn't mind lending you a flipper.

[SS]

Already spent ages reading about many of those things.
Looks like the Wikipedia VFS article has been improved recently, but it's still quite poor.

Anyway, I think I managed to get both my machines connected to the NAS, but not able to talk to each other, and after that I was going to start trying to figure out Samba stuff, followed by CopyFS. If you know a tame penguin that can help me with any of that I'd love to have their email.

[Hornet]

In that case, try IRC - if general Linux help channels aren't any use, pester Slackware or Gentoo users, they generally know more about the system internals than is healthy.  :miffed:

Regarding the tame penguin: if both Google and the above fail, then I doubt he'd mind being disturbed.  (E-mail address sent in PM.)

[SS]

Thanks.

Haven't done IRC in a while - are there any fancy new clients out, or should I go get mIRC?