Suse is a good beginner's linux

[PHiZ]

My computer lab at school uses Suse 10 and I sat through a couple installs the other day. Suse detected all the hardware (There was a weird BroadCom gigabit NIC that our XP install media choked on), and went off without a glitch.

We installed win2k3 on some machines first (partiniong the HD 50/50) and then installed Suse on the same boxes. No mucking about in a partition editor, it autodetected and installed a bootmanager. I was impressed with the smoothness of it all.

Then after we got the system running, the system managment tool (YaST?) had an auto-update feature much like windows. I haven't installed a linux in a while, and I would have to say I was impressed. I'm a little critical of the over-reliance on the GUI and the fact that the CLI is relegated to an afterthought, but hey, you go with what consumer's want, right?

So I haven't tried a recent copy of SlackWare, Ubuntu, Debian, or RedHat/Fedora. But I would like to say that I was impressed with Suse 10, and it might not be a bad distribution for someone wanting to cut their teeth/ get their feet wet.

Of course there are a number of live CDs out there that would let you dable, without committing to installing on the hard-drive. Those might be useful too, although much slower.
-PHiZ

 

[eeyrjmr]

Yup installers have come a long way.

Suse have been pushing for more use user-frendlyness (I advise it to ppl with low-Comp knowledge and FC for those that know there way around one)

that prolly why you find there is next to no need to use hte command-line (the power is still there, they havn't done a Microsoft and completely removed it)

 

[DR_K13]

that prolly why you find there is next to no need to use hte command-line (the power is still there, they havn't done a Microsoft and completely removed it)

Very true.
Network problems in windows? run-->cmd

I like using the command line.


Try Ubuntu

 

[TheDude05]

Im still a gentoo die hard and install everything by hand but I was impressed with Suse when I used it for a class.

 

[Baredor]

Our proxy at work runs Suse 10. Glad to hear about good experiences with it. I'm a total linux noob and am hoping to get a spare box set up so I can get started learning it.

 

[duby229]

I didnt really care much for suse 10. It was very buggy for me. I had a heck of a time setting up the nic. It didnt have a driver built in the kernel, and the package names are not quite clear on what is a src package and what is a binary package.