Hello All, Has anyone of you linux users either used or heard of Ark Linux? I am downloading it now from http://www.arklinux.org/staticpages/index.php?page=downloads and from the screenshots it looks really good. I am currently using SuSE and getting bored with it so i needed a change! Opinions would be appreciated. AT and PenguinCometh, i know your out there!
I haven't used it in a while, but I wasn't very impressed with it at the time. I've heard a lot of other Linux afficionados say something similar. As for the screenshots, they look like any other KDE desktop to me. I mean, I'm running Mandriva 2006 beta3, and this is how it looks ...not too different to me. But hey, there's nothing wrong with trying a new distro; I've tried more than I can even recall. If you like Ark better, more power to you. If you want a recommendation from me, I'd say Mandriva, Kubuntu (if you prefer KDE) or Ubuntu (if you prefer Gnome). I'd bet ThePenguinCometh would probably suggest Slackware, which is also a good distro, albeit n00b-unfriendly. Yoper and Symphony OS are both quite a change of pace. But if you wanna try something really different, there's always OpenBSD, FreeBSD, or NetBSD. -AT
Thanks alot for your comments and advice AT! SuSE is pretty muchthe first linux i've used since Red Hat 8 and as i said i'm getting bored with it. I found about Ark from DistroWatch and did a search for desktop linux and it looked promising, although i have been highly considering Kubuntu or Yoper as i've heard they tons of packages, more so then Ark any many others! If Ark is'nt for me then i will surely grab a copy of Mandriva, Kubuntu or Yoper! Thanks again for your input EDIT: Is there any particular reason why you were'nt impressed with Ark? If i know that i will know what to watch out for!
yeah mandriva LE2005 is the first linux distro i've used, now i've got linspire i shall try that as well...
Slackware is the King of distros, Slackware is God! All these other lesser distros are for kids and n00bs, Real Men use Slackware. Some distros are good for servers, some are good for the desktop, some are good for old hardware - Slackware does EVERYTHING. Are you a Slackware user or a mouse? Seriously though, I don't actually know much about other distros as I used Slackware once and liked it so much that I didn't need to use any others. However don't fall into the (all too common) trap of getting a distro just because it has nice screenshots. Those screenshots are NOT of the distro, they're of the window manager - KDE, Gnome, Fluxbox or whatever. I don't know any reason why you couldn't take SuSE, Debian, Red Hat, Mandriva, Slackware, etc., etc., and have them all looking exactly the same as they all use the same window managers. How the distros differ is primarily in their file structure, their preferred package manager and what packages they choose to install by default. Some may offers newer programs that offer cool features at the expense of stability and security while others prefer stability at the expense of the lack of features. Which is best for you really depends on what you need the computer for, how well you know Linux and how much time you are willing to spend configuring your system to your needs. The real beauty of Linux is that you can easily pick and choose one without having to spend and money as distros that are only available for a price are in the minority. Also, if you understand the concept of partitions and multi-boot, you could run several distros on one machine while keeping your user files visible to all of them so there's no reason, unless you're not willing to invest the time needed, to not download several distros and try them all out and see which you like best. As for which is the best distro? Simple! Make your own!
Thanks for your advice/comments Penguin! i'm not really smart enough to make my own linux however i did'nt download it purely on the screenshots, i read on other forums and FAQ's and thought it sounded good but like i said previously if it is'nt for me then i'll get a different distro! If you think Slackware is king of all distros then which distro of slackware do you use and do you think it will suit my basic internet surfing, picture editing, music playing, DVD watching and CD/DVD burning habits? I am very willing to spend all the time needed to learn it as i'm determined to get away from windows, i know how to configure most of my hardware and software in linux, i know how to install packages, drivers and updates, i know how to get around the file systems and have some small experience with the shell console etc... so i'm not really a complete n00b! If you think Slackware is worth it i will grab a copy! Opinions would be great, Thanks!
hey join the club! heh i'm a complete noob as well...hopeless and i've already messed up my first install...must do it again, i tried linspire and it didnt work...strange...it wouldnt install from the cd :x:
Linspire Live CD has caused me numerous problems of freezing, rebooting etc... so i just stay away from linspire now! So far i have install versions of red hat 8 & 9, SuSE 9.0 ,9.1 and 9.2, college linux and live cd's of SuSE, Knoppix, Overclockix, DSL and Linspire!
Slackwares main selling point is that it generally only includes tested, stable programs by default so is well-suited as a server OS rather than as a desktop. However, it also has a very clean design and is very tweakable so can be used for practically anything if you know what you are doing. I have a dual-head system, can watch DVD's, play CD's and music from my hard-drive, can play Neziux (a 3D FPS game), burn CD's and browse the 'net with full javascript and Flash support so yes, it can be done. On the other hand it took me some weeks to get it configured in this way as I had to figure out each step of the way by hand so it's not for the faint-hearted or for those with short attention spans. Very glad to hear it, your efforts will be rewarded! If you want to give Slackware a try then do so, you can download the ISO's for free so you've not got a lot to lose really. Another thing I could advise is locating a copy of the magazine Linux Format which usually ships at least one major distro, and often several smaller minor ones, with its cover DVD each month so you could try out whatever distro they include and see how it goes. By the way, you don't need to be a genius to create your own distro. In fact, one of the main reasons for doing so is to learn how Linux works. If you have a LOT of time to kill and/or fancy a career in Linux then rolling your own distro is probably the best education you could get.
Once again your reputation shines I will absolutely positively give Slackware a fair go after i get Ark downloaded (i'm on dial-up ). I am unbiased when it comes to Linux and won't judge them without reason so once again thanks for your advice! Is there any resources you could point me to to learn some slighlty more advanced stuff like compling the kernel etc...? Is'nt linux fun
Yes, you can learn absolutely everything you ever need to know about Linux right here! LinuxQuestions.org isn't bad either!
Great site (http://www.linuxquestions.org/), i will read more when i get back from work! Thanks again.
It's very good to try a variety of distros, so you really understand what Linux (and indeed all Unices) have in common and what makes them unique. I've run every mainstream distro and a whole lot of minor distros, and I ended up gravitating towards Mandriva (then "Mandrake"). The reason for this is that it takes a pretty small amount of work to get a stock Mandriva install tuned to the point I want it, because their design philosophy is pretty similar to my own. Slackware is cool because it's more like a traditional Unix than any other Linux distro I've used, but what makes it good is also its biggest downside. It takes a lot of work to make Slackware a functional and modern desktop OS, since it really is designed similarly to the older Unices in structure and principle. -AT
Thanks AT! I have tried a few like SuSE, Knoppix, Simply Mepis, Linspire, DSL and Overclockix. Which are all great OS's but Linspire sucked, was buggy and felt too much like windows. I think i've narrowed the choices down to Mandriva or Yoper for a permanent install as they seem more n00b friendly which appeals to me because of course i am a n00b when it comes to linux! While i'm still continuing with the Ark download i'm going to download or buy Mandriva or Yoper very soon! pelvis_3
I've been having troubles installing it. It crashes when preparing a partition for install. Well not using that again....
You're more right than you realize, TPC. From what I understand, they have it set up in "Single User Mode" by default, i.e. the user runs as root full-time. Talk about carrying over Windows design flaws!
ahh well my lindows cd doesnt even allow me to start the install, it says it cant load a certain file :swear:
