Fully Featured Linux Distro???

[tifc8lraz]

I am looking for a distribution of linux that is featured (like xp or vista) graphically and is easier to install. I have seen a few from a website www.linux.org suggested, but it doesn't really tell me much. Thanks in advance for answers !

 

[tifc8lraz]

Found something! "Dream Linux"

 

[zacbraak]

ubuntu is probably the most user friendly free distribution on the market. SUSE is also proclaimed as being user friendly, however it was too friendly for me to even be able to use it.
Linspire is a paid for distribution which is said to have good support and easy to use, however i have 0 experience with it

 

[LNCPapa]

I second Ubuntu. It's very easy to install and get started on right away. It also includes support for many devices right out of the box. I believe Linspire is now free - at least I downloaded a full version from their site for free and it worked without a hitch, but I'd still recommend Ubuntu.

 

[zacbraak]

looking back at the original post "featured (like xp or vista) graphically" if you are wanting eye candy check out xgl, particularly using the beryl manager. It is still beta, with many flaws, however it is fairly simple to install in ubuntu using the plethora of walkthroughs available online

fyi, this should work on any distro, however I know it is simple to get installed with ubuntu

 

[agronick]

Ubutnu sucks. I tried it and I found it ugly. I got rid of it because I liked the interface on windows better and I already knew how to use it. About four months ago I picked up openSUSE. I can do everything I can in windows and it looks a lot better then windows. Beryl makes it 1000x better then windows. If you install it use kde. Heres a video of beryl: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gQ-cjKUowT0

 

[SNGX1275]

I got Beryl installed on my ubuntu system, I can't figure out how to turn that zig-zaging shape when a menu is opened, I looked through the options and I guess I don't know what its called, or there is a bug preventing me from turning it off.

 

[agronick]

Look under the animations plugin. Make sure you have beryl-manager installed.

 

[Jesse_hz]

Ubutnu sucks. I tried it and I found it ugly. I got rid of it because I liked the interface on windows better and I already knew how to use it. About four months ago I picked up openSUSE. I can do everything I can in windows and it looks a lot better then windows. Beryl makes it 1000x better then windows. If you install it use kde. Heres a video of beryl: http://youtube.com/watch?v=gQ-cjKUowT0

Don't badmouth ubuntu just because you don't like the look of it. If KDE is what you want you could've got kubuntu, which is ubuntu with KDE.
Not everyone switching to linux, wants something that looks like windows. I don't and really hope the people making the distributions will stop making them so windows like.

 

[Nodsu]

As you said yourself, one can always change the window manager. If you don't like the Windows look, try any of WindowMaker, FVWM2, blackbox, openbox, fluxbox and the list goes on..

 

[agronick]

I tried kubuntu too. I liked openSUSE the best. Ubuntu was brown and ugly. I never said I liked openSUSE because it reminded me of windows. It was just the easiest to use. The whole OS seamed more seamless then Ubutu. System administration is tied together with yast.

And why can't I badmouth Ubuntu. I didn't like it and I can't say I didn't?

Oh wait sorry. Ubuntu is the ABSOLUTE BEST LINUX DISTRO EVER. I now need to seek penance from the god of the ubuntu cult.

 

[Jesse_hz]

Really dumping a distribution just because of the look of it?

If you want to say something bad about a distribution, fine, but hating a distribution just 'cause you don't like the look just sounds weird to me.
All of that can be changed.

 

[agronick]

Well that was the main reason. But I really liked the look and feel of openSUSE better.

Here is the ubuntu desktop:

From http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop

And the openSUSE 10.2 desktop with KDE:

From http://en.opensuse.org/Screenshots/Screenshots_openSUSE_10.2

 

[Nodsu]

You are comparing KDE and Gnome, not Ubuntu and SuSE here.

And looks is a very personal preference - it would be more fruitful to compare the overall features of distros.

 

[Jesse_hz]

WMs, wallpapers, icons, themes can all be changed after install, and therefore I don't see the reason to compare distros on looks.

Ubuntu may be a bit dark, but I don't find it completely fugly.

 

[agronick]

No, I am comparing Ubutnu to openSUSE.

Fine, heres kubuntu:

and openSUSE with Gnome:

I have used ubuntu, kubuntu, and openSUSE with KDE and I have to say I like openSUSE more. The system feels more tied together. All system administration can be done from yast. From installing packages to changing the resolution, to patitioning. If the system breaks you can use the repair function on the disk to automaticly diagnose and fix it.

Don't belive me? Try it.

Linux.com wrote a review titled "openSUSE 10.2: the best Linux desktop yet?" The conclusion they came to:

If your choice of distribution is driven by philosophy, religion, or politics rather than functionality, you might pass on openSUSE regardless of how good it is. That's a shame, too, because this is probably the best Linux desktop distribution I've ever seen: it's easy to install, look at, and to use.

http://enterprise.linux.com/enterprise/06/12/11/1526210.shtml?tid=23

 

[tifc8lraz]

As you said yourself, one can always change the window manager. If you don't like the Windows look, try any of WindowMaker, FVWM2, blackbox, openbox, fluxbox and the list goes on..

I have tried a few, although they take up memory and one of them almost corrupted my windows default themes by keeping the themes process in msconfig off and it would not turn on until I restored my system a few times. I have had good experience with Alienguise (no matter how much I don't like Alienwares).

 

[Jesse_hz]

How did your window manager in Linux screw up your msconfig in Windows?
--
EDIT: Never mind. You're clearly confusing Linux window managers and Windows "window managers"

 

[agronick]

How did your window manager in Linux screw up your msconfig in Windows?
--
EDIT: Never mind. You're clearly confusing Linux window managers and Windows "window managers"

Ha thats fuuny. I didn't understand it either.

 

[tifc8lraz]

How did your window manager in Linux screw up your msconfig in Windows?
--
EDIT: Never mind. You're clearly confusing Linux window managers and Windows "window managers"

whoops , my mistake