I have tried a few distros (Red Hat, Mandrake, Suse, and Corel), and I chose Red Hat and Mandrake. My former NAT box was running Red Hat 6.1, my workstation uses Mandrake 7.0, and I just installed Red Hat 6.2 on my laptop (which I will bring if I make it to the meeting, I have a few questions for it). A good online reference I frequently use for learning besides this list is: http://www.linuxnewbie.org Books I have purchased include: Learning Red Hat Linux by O'Reilly Red Hat Linux 6 Unleashed by Sams Linux Network Administrators Guide by O'Reilly Teach yourself C++ Programming for Linux in 21 Days (Yeah right) by Sams, it is a good book, but in 21 days? Puh-leeze ----Original Message Follows---- From: "Alan Dayley" Reply-To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us To: plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us Subject: Re: Linux distro diffs Date: Wed, 13 Sep 2000 14:57:50 -0700 My question may require to long of an answer but I will try to make it easy. Here are my applications, real and possible. 1. I want to learn Linux so I am setting up a box as a workstation to learn Liunux and Linux programming. 2. I am setting up a firewall (eventually proxy server too) for my home DSL connection. 3. It is possible I will be doing driver and/or kernel programming at work, if the powers finally decide to go with Linux. 4. Maybe (this is a BIG maybe) we will embed Linux into our products. This would be in the far (> 1 year) future so I am not too concerned about it now. [MontaVista maybe, if and when the time comes ;^) ] 5. Again, based on a decision by the powers that be, we could be setting up a Linux database server for production and test data input from a network of stations. 6. Production and test workstations mentioned in 5 above would be used by personel through product assembly, test and shipping. (TCL/TK apps perhaps?) So, those are the possible "uses" or environments for Linux boxes. Knowing the strength of each distro may dictate that one be used over the other for each of these uses. For continuity, maybe only one distro should be deployed in all uses, even if that distro is not as good for a particular environment. Maybe the different uses are so varied that I should just pick one distro and stick with it throughout because it is too much to learn so many distros. That is my question. A full answer might need an entire book! I don't expect anyone on the list to write one. (But a recommendation to one would be good!) Alan At 01:59 PM 9/13/00 -0700, you wrote: >You need to divulge a bit more info about yourself and what you are looking >for. Personal preference plays a big role in your distro selection in my >opinion. Also, what are you going to do with it? Going to run it on >PowerPC? if so, you are then limited in your choices. I would be glad to >share my personal experiences with you concerning this topic. > >- Joel > >----- Original Message ----- >From: "Alan Dayley" >To: >Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2000 1:24 PM >Subject: Linux distro diffs > > >> What are the technical differences or pros and cons of the various >> distributions? (By this question, I reveal my newbie status) >> >> RedHat seems to be getting the US "commercial" nod but I am not arguing >the >> good or bad of that right now. I just wonder what strengths each one >> brings to the party. X is best for security/firewalls. Y is best for >> desktop/non-tech users. etc. >> >> I haven't researched at all, perhaps there are articles or websites with >> this comparison already out there... >> >> Maybe a presentation on the topic at the meeting tomorrow? ;^) >> >> Alan >> >> /------------------------------------------ >> |Alan Dayley www.adtron.com >> |Software Engineer 602-735-0300 x331 >> |ADayley@adtron.com >> | >> |Adtron Corporation >> |3710 E. University Drive, Suite 5 >> |Phoenix, AZ 85034 >> \------------------------------------------- >> >> >> ________________________________________________ >> See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't >post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. >> >> Plug-discuss mailing list - Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us >> http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > >________________________________________________ >See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. > >Plug-discuss mailing list - Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us >http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > /------------------------------------------ |Alan Dayley www.adtron.com |Software Engineer 602-735-0300 x331 |ADayley@adtron.com | |Adtron Corporation |3710 E. University Drive, Suite 5 |Phoenix, AZ 85034 \------------------------------------------- ________________________________________________ See http://PLUG.phoenix.az.us/navigator-mail.shtml if your mail doesn't post to the list quickly and you use Netscape to write mail. Plug-discuss mailing list - Plug-discuss@lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss _________________________________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com. Share information about yourself, create your own public profile at http://profiles.msn.com.