[CLUE-Tech] information

[Adam Bultman]

Eek, line-wrap.  

OK. I might start to rant here, but as with my normal posts when I'm 
tired, if you dig through, you'll find a piece of coal in the rough. (You 
can take that coal and with time and pressure, turn it into a diamond).

For the most part, the different linux distros are the same. They all have 
the basic GNU software, cli utils, etc.   The differences lie in what 
extra packages, how many packages, and how the pages are installed.  

Run down:

Red Hat:
Package management: RPMs.   Installs: quite a bit of software.  Desktop 
oriented.   Easy to use.

Mandrake:  
Pkg Mgmt:  RPMs.  INstalls:  a boatload of software.  Desktop oriented.  
EAsy to use.

Slackware:
Pkg. Mgmt: some 'packages', mostly source.   Installs:  Fair amount, but 
with 9, you can install more desktop stuff.   Somewhat harder to use, more 
advanced users typically use it.  

Debian:  
Pkg. Mgmt: .debs, installed with apt-get.  Installs:  Fairly bare bones, 
but apt-get will install a lot of cool stuff.   You need the unstable 
version to get 'newer' versions of software.  Somewhat harder to use, more 
advanced users typically use it.

Suse:
Pkg. Mgmt:  RPMs.   Installs quite a bit of software (I haven't used it 
recently, either).  Desktop oriented, easy to use.

Gentoo:
Pkg.  Mgmt: Source via the portage tree.  Installs: Bare bones, but easily 
expanded via 'emerge'.  Oriented towards power users and tweakers. Easy to 
use once you get the hang of it (install process is kinda hard to wrap 
your mind around at first).


Those are the distros that I can think of at the moment.  I've used 
MAndrake, Red hat, debian, slack, gentoo, suse, turbolinux, and a few 
BSDs.    RH and Mandrake are easy to use, and (personally) oriented 
towards newbies and people who don't want to worry about compiling to get 
things installed.  Suse is sort of the same way, but very popular in 
Europe, I hear.   Slackware and debian are very good server distros, and 
are usable as desktop distros (I use them as desktop distros).  Gentoo... 
how to describe it... 'the bomb'.  That's all I'll say.   I currently run 
(at work and home):  RH 6.2, RH 7.2, RH 7.3,  Turbolinux 6, Slackware 8, 
slackware 8.1, slackware 9, debian woody, gentoo 1.2, gentoo 1.4_rc2, 
gentoo 1.4_rc3 (4, maybe?).  I like gentoo, hands down.  Then slack, then 
debian, then RH, the Turbolinux.  I'd personally recommend diving into 
gentoo.

Alas, There's the rant.  

Adam


-- 
adamb at glaven.org
[ www.glaven.org ]

On Thu, 29 May 2003, Bill Hanzel wrote:

> I'm "CLUE"less about LINUX.  I see "Red Hat", "Mandrake" and other LINUX offerings.  What is the difference, advantages or other things I should be looking for in an operating system.  I have been a Microsoft user since MS-DOS.  I am currently using Win2K pro.  What am I missing.
> 
> Bill