What distro of linux is best for my computer?

Question

I just bought a pc of of ebay. Its an HP DC5700 running at 1.86ghz with an intel core 2 duo proccessor. and 1 gb of ram. I really want an easy to use distro of linux thats light, and easy to use. And that will use both cores in the computer. Could someone please give me some suggestions, ima kinda new to this linux stuff.

Answer 1

I recommend you to "Puppy Linux". It is an amazing distribution for older machines.



There are over three hundred Linux distributions that you can choose from. The choices can be overwhelming. There is no agreement as to what is the best linux distro. We know that Linux Ubuntu is the most popular on the desktop and Red Hat Enterprise Linux is the most popular in enterprise settings. But popularity does not equal best fit.



So what is the best linux distro? It depends on your needs and what you are looking for.



1. For newbies:



If you are new to Linux, I suggest you use Linux Mint or PCLinux. These are the most user friendly distributions.



2. Everyday Linux:



If you are looking for a distro that is going to be around a while and is relatively easy to use, then I suggest Fedora or Ubuntu. Fedora is based by Red Hat and Ubuntu is backed by Canonical.



3. Light and fast:



If you have an older system Puppy Linux is the choice for you. It is an amazing distribution for older machines.



4. Server:



CentOS is simply an unbranded and free version of Red Hat Enterprise Linux. Debian is also an excellent choice, being well known for its stability.



5. Music Production:



Ubuntu Studio is the most popular music and recording solution out there.



6. Multimedia :



If you are interested in turning your computer into a multimedia station, Mythbuntu is the distro for you. The learning curve is a little high, but worth it.



7. Power User:



If you really want to learn Linux, then Gentoo or Slackware is the way to go. Slackware just happens to be the oldest Linux distribution still in active development.



8. Netbooks:



If you are think of using Linux on a netbook, EasyPeasy or Jolicloud are both good choices.



9. KDE Desktop:



For those who like the KDE desktop enviroment OpenSUSE or Kubuntu are probably the best.



10. Kids:



If you have kids the best option for them is Edubuntu.



Hope you"ll get idea which linux distro is best for your PC.

Answer 2

You might also want to try Debian. It is the more stable version and Ubuntu and Linux Mint are built on Debian. To be Honest I have tried them all and Opensuse is not so much for beginners but Ubuntu is pretty good, but the up and coming Distro for some is the Linux Mint Distro. Good for someone just starting out. It is really a personal choice ounce you get into it and find your footing. it is so easy to change your choice later. LOL I remember one day I ran through 5 installs because I was bored. Just wanted to check the systems out I guess. They will all run fine with your machines specs. Maybe stay with the 32 bit for starters, some third party software you may want will give you some trouble with 64 bit as a beginner. Opensource stuff always requires you to do some tweaking. Thats were the Support Forums come in. What ever you chose check out the forums to make sure it has decent support to back you up. They are usually a helpful bunch.

Answer 3

I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 11 which is based upon Ubuntu 11.04 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled



Linux Mint 11 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=81



Linux Mint 11 Release Notes/Installation Guide/User Guide

http://linuxmint.com/rel_katya.php



You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 11 then you need to create a Bootable LiveDVD

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BurningIsoHowto



Linux Mint 11 can also be run straight from the LiveDVD without touching your Hard Drive







LUg.

Answer 4

Ubuntu is great for beginners. Try it :)