[NTLUG:Discuss] Re: New Computer -- which distro (they're all good)

[Bryan J. Smith]

On Sun, 2004-11-14 at 10:10, Kipton Moravec wrote:
> I do not know much about the differences between the different 
> distributions of Linux.

Other than branding, marketing and a few, key differences in approaches,
they are not much different at all.  I personally don't like to make it
about the branding and marketing, because that's one of the reasons why
we have issues in the commercial software world -- often buying the same
product with a different name.

I'm partial to "packages" distros, and the majority are based on Debian
or Fedora -- or forked from a prior version (e.g., Red Hat Linux). 
Others like "ports" distros like Gentoo or, going outside Linux,
FreeBSD.  And then there are many in-between.

IMHO (opinion), anything based on Debian or Fedora will open up the
widest range of software.  And the distros themselves are what I call
"Freedomware anal" -- both Debian and Fedora** are huge GPL-centric
proponents.  If you're more of a Novell shop, then SuSE becomes an
obvious choice too.  But your evaluation shouldn't be one of "which is
best?" but "what do you want to do?"

And that's when I have a general recommendation:  
  http://www.vaporwarelabs.com/linux.html  

[ **NOTE:  Unlike most Debian-based commercial distros (except for maybe
Progeny), which are developed outside of Debian, Red Hat's Enteprise
Linux based on its own Fedora Core (like Red Hat Linux before it) is
also very GPL-centric. ]

> I want to add a Linux as a workstation in a network with 5 Windows 98 and 1 
> Windows XP computer.  There is no server.

Consider a server then, even if it's an old Pentium class system. 
Centralized files and configuration are ideal.  Especially when it comes
to UNIX/Linux, the fact that it is so easy to centralize _all_ of your
user settings (even games), _unlike_ Windows, is eternal bliss.

> I liked Redhat 9 because at the end of installation it was "automagically" 
> on a windows network and I could see the shared folders on the Windows 
> machines.  And transfer files back and forth with a GUI.

Most distributions are more than capable of this now.

Probably the most "Windows friendly" distro I've seen is from Xandros,
which is the group that took over the Corel distro.  It is based on
Debian so it has a "good base."  The "Deluxe" edition is $79 and comes
with all sorts of features, including Codeweaver's implementation of
WINE.  And even without them, the "Open Community Edition (OCE)" is
pretty good too:  
  http://www.xandros.com/products/products.html  

The most "stable" release in the Red Hat Linux 9 (CL3.1) revisions of
"Community Linux 3" (CL3) from Red Hat is now Fedora Core 1 (CL3.2). 
Red Hat may be dropping support for CL3.1, currently Legacy, because the
latter is the last ".2" revision (CL3.2) of the version.  Long story
short, Red Hat doesn't want to support every freak'n revision for 3+
years and I don't blame them (after a history of 6+ simultaneous
revision support in 2001-2003) -- the last ".2" or ".3" is good enough
(e.g., Red Hat Linux 7.3/CL2.3 is still supported as Legacy, but neither
7.0-7.2/CL2.0-2.2 nor 8.0/CL3.0).

For more on how Red Hat Community and Enterprise revisions/versions map
to one another:  
http://www.vaporwarelabs.com/files/temp/RH-Distribution-FAQ-3.html#ss3.1  
The latest revision in the new "Community Linux 4" (CL4) from Red Hat is
Fedora Core 3 (CL4.1).  Both Fedora Core 2 (CL4.0) and Fedora Core 3
(CL4.1) are Current, as the last two versions are typically.  For more
on Red Hat's new support model, see:  
http://www.vaporwarelabs.com/files/temp/RH-Distribution-FAQ-4.html#ss4.2  

> In addition the XP computer and one of the Windows 98 computers have the 
> printer I intend to connect to for printing.

Again, most distributions will do well here.
Most distros come with GUI tools for connecting to a SMB printer.
And you could always run CUPS/Samba on a Linux server to centralize
printing too.

> I do not want to start a distribution war, but should I go with Redhat 9 
> knowing that it is the end of the line,

It's not, even though the IT media keeps tripping themselves up. 
Again:  
http://www.vaporwarelabs.com/files/temp/RH-Distribution-FAQ-3.html#ss3.1  

Other than dropping installation support (Red Hat(R) _never_ offered
standard, non-installation support for the RHL-line, _except_ for
6.2"E"), boxed sets and paid access to the Red Hat Network (RHN), it is
merely a _name_change_.  The name change is what really did it, which
was for 100% trademark reasons that were a major issue for Red Hat. 
People like to demonize them on this -- long story short, they were "too
giving" with a commercial name (and no one will be again in the Linux
world).  Regardless, Red Hat still _directly_ supports Fedora(TM) Core
development -- right down to the same release model -- only that whole
process is now public.  Heck, sometimes the Red Hat developers on the
Fedora lists screw up by using former, "internal-only" terminology. 
Some do it on purpose.  ;->

>From Fedora's About page:  
"Fedora Core is intended to be a logical upgrade path for previous users
of Red Hat Linux whose needs are consistent with the objectives of the
Fedora Project. It is a return to Red Hat's roots; 2-3 releases per
year, and freely-available downloads that can be called by name even
when media containing those bits are sold by third parties (within the
constraints of trademark guidelines)."

Objectives page:  
  http://fedora.redhat.com/about/objectives.html  

They match those prior for Red Hat Linux.

> or should I go to a different distribution.

It's your choice entirely.  Again, I'm partial to "packaging" distros,
so I like to deply any Debian or Fedora-based distribution.

> My main interest is to keep the system up to date easily, 
> and not have to get down in the guts of the OS to make something work.

Definitely a sweet deal for Debian and Fedora projects, as there are
countless mirrors and easily installed software (especially for Debian,
which is far more mature in this capacity).  Although other distros have
their update distribution systems too.

> Redhat 9 is the only distribution I have played with at all, and I am not 
> very familiar with it.

If you're looking to a professional role in a Linux platform capacity,
Red Hat and SuSE are the two.  Red Hat Enterprise Linux is Fedora Core,
right down to the package versions.


-- 
Bryan J. Smith                                    b.j.smith at ieee.org 
-------------------------------------------------------------------- 
Subtotal Cost of Ownership (SCO) for Windows being less than Linux
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) assumes experts for the former, costly
retraining for the latter, omitted "software assurance" costs in 
compatible desktop OS/apps for the former, no free/legacy reuse for
latter, and no basic security, patch or downtime comparison at all.