jmdownloader

does anyone knows of any distro that is a user/beginner friendly?
i am new to linux and so far i wanted to try it first using my notebook.
its a samsung r45 unit. am looking for a linux that can run from a cd and if possible i can use the wifi capability of my notebook.

johnhook

jmdownloader,

Ubuntu is nice:

http://www.ubuntu.com/

I'm also partial to Fedora Core Linux:

http://fedoraproject.org/

I'm told that SuSe is very user-friendly:

http://en.opensuse.org/Welcome_to_openSUSE.org

Fedora would be my first choice.

- John

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Ixthusdan

Mandriva is the most user friendly, and I have used over 20 different distros.

Clark76

Here is a great link for a collection of Linux distro's (by no means complete) that you can run as a live CD which will run off a CD and you can try to see if they run on your laptop

http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

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mcman

I agree with Clark76. I like Ubuntu. You can download a live CD and try it without installing. Then you just click the icon to install if you prefer.

djaburg

I'd suggest ubuntu or kubuntu (ubuntu with the KDE interface) for your laptop. They both have excellent hardware detection and they update their packages regularly. Their ability to install many main stream apps automatically is a nice feature for the newbie. I've also used CentOS in the past and it's worked good for me. That one's based on Red Hat so most applications you'll download should work fine.

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Computers make it easier to do a lot of things, but most of the things they make it easier to do don't need to be done.
Andy Rooney

GrissomChii

No no..i would suggest PClinuxOS. It was mainly made for people moving from windows to linux. I'd suggest everyone have ago at pclos. They both have more then brilliant hardware detection...they update very regulary. Installs alot of main stream apps easily and very adapted for the new guy.

Oh youb can also install it onto CD...either including GNOME or KDE!

wmorri

I agree with johnhook. All the distros in his post are the best for an absolute beginner. Whatever distro you choose should be one that looks appealing to you.

The thing that you have to remember is that learning a new OS is like learning to walk. You have to be willing to take baby steps before you can run. This means that it will take you a little while to get used to your new os before you can do everything that you need to.

Cheers!

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Linux Forever!

Learning is doing, not being able to follow steps put forth by others.

patriothntr

I enjoy PCLinux, and was able to get my father to use it instead of Win 98, so it's fairly easy...the KDE version feels a lot like a windowsy desktop.

Try a bunch, and choose the one you like best!


~P

brokencomputer

many people use ubuntu, kubuntu, and xubuntu, so if you ever have a problem, you will receive support quickly
PCLOS is not as popular so solving problems will take more time.

the main thing that makes a distribution easy to use is the desktop enviroment
KDE (included in kubuntu and PCLOS) and GNOME (ubuntu) look the best and are easy to use, but they will not work on old computers.
XFCE(xubuntu) is a much lighter environment that is about as easy to use. It will work on older computers. Even on new computers, XFCE is faster than KDE and GNOME.

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af3

If one were to have a battle between PCLinuxOS and Mandriva, which distro would win?

In regards to the Ubuntu being cool because you can try it live, Knoppix has a ton of built-in apps compared to Ubuntu. PCLinuxOS also runs live... I like live discs, they save me quite a bit of time. I hate having to install a 3 disc distro only to find out that it does not support my hardware.