Posted by Migo on Dec 29th, 2007
A couple of days ago, I came across an interesting article. In it the author talks about how Ubuntu is overshadowing Linux as a whole. I’m torn about this, as I see any positive exposure for Linux as a good thing. On the other hand, and I currently use Ubuntu myself, I’d like to see people get out there and get their hands dirty with some other distributions of Linux. Linux is more than just Ubuntu, there are hundreds of other flavors out there for you to choose from, some specialized and some more suited for everyday use.
As an old-school Linux user when I think of Linux I don’t automatically think of Ubuntu. I usually think of SUSE, Red Hat, Slackware, Mandriva (back when it used to be Mandrake and Conectiva), or any of the big three BSD distributions (NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD). That’s not to say Ubuntu isn’t a great distribution, but there’s an entire world out there that I suggest you explore.
If you’re new to Linux and a little scared, that’s all right too. Ubuntu is good to get your feet wet with, but so is Mandriva, or SUSE. You no longer have to be fluent with command lines in order to get your computer to do what you want it to do. Most distributions now have point-and-click interfaces for the less than Linux-savvy users out there.
Confused as to where to start? Well, lucky for you that we put out an article last year about a quiz that can help you choose a distribution available from polishlinux.org. That might be a good place to start. Just answer a few questions and have your options laid out in front of you. There’s also another quiz available from zegeniestudios.net, both are great options to get you on your way.
All right, I think you get the point. Ubuntu is only a flavor of Linux, not Linux itself. So if you’re looking to get down with the penguin, hit up one or both of those quizzes and find out which flavor is right for you. The hardest part is getting started.
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Interestingly enough, both tests suggest Fedora as their first choice for my own needs… Not *my* first choice, but I do understand Fedora’s improved by leaps and bounds since it last nearly drove me to insanity (back in the Core 4 days), and from what I’ve heard yum has started to come into its own as a suitable substitute for apt-get.
Maybe, if I get enough time to myself, I’ll try it out on a spare computer…
I tried that polishlinux quiz (aka Distro Chooser), and hitting the “finish” button only took me back to the questionaire. Not really helpful. :(
Try one of the other quizzes. That would be my first suggestion, but both of them worked fine for me. Not sure what the problem is/was, the might have been undergoing maintenance or something.