So much Linux, So little time

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 2:55 pm

Alright here's the deal. I have a PC built almost entirely out of spare parts I had laying around and I have no idea what to do with it beyond making it my Linux box.

First I tried loading Fedora 5 on it. But, I could never get the video card to work properly. (Something about nVidia drivers couldn't be loaded because xserver was running, I don't know.) Then I tried loading KnoppMyth so I could make it into a MythTV box. But, I couldn't figure out what protocol Verizon is using for their cable so I couldn't get the channels to display which is pretty much the point of MythTV. Plus, for some reason it doesn't see my DVD drive as a DVD drive.

There's a very good chance that my failures with this system are due to the fact that before May I hadn't so much as looked at Linux since Solaris 2.5.1 about 5 years ago (beyond the occasional screwing around with a Knoppix CD).

That being said, I'm looking for suggestions on which Linux distro to try next in my continuing endeavor to scrape the rust off of my Linux knowledge.

There's a shit-ton (I like that term... "shit-ton"

) of distros out there and for me try loading all of them would cut in to my beer drinking time.

I've been cosidering giving Fedora another shot or trying Debian, Ubuntu, FreeBSD, SuSE, GNU (I know, it not Unix), or Gentoo but if yu guys know of anything else worth checking out let me know. I know I'm not the only Linux user out here.

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:26 pm

What's Linux?

Post by **Sabre** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:42 pm

I'd suggest Ubuntu or FreeBSD, depending on what level you want to get to. FreeBSD is going to force you to learn a lot, but Ubuntu will get you up and running quickly so you won't get fustrated.

Post by **complacent** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:46 pm

What Sabre said... Ubuntu is probably one of the easiest distros to get started with. The way the root user is handled is more than a little weird and not the safest implimentation (su can be invoked with a non-root password!) but it's fast and easy.

That being said, look into freebsd. Good stuffs

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:24 pm

YEAH SUPER USER!

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:37 pm

Well I've never been one to take the easy route so FreeBSD it is.

"Frustration is ingorance leaving the body!"
-- Chuck III

Grassy ass amy goes.

sirwilliam · Post by **sirwilliam** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:49 pm

Libra Monkee wrote:Well I've never been one to take the easy route so FreeBSD it is.

You have chosen...wisely

Post by **Sabre** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:24 pm

Welcome to the Dark Side, I'll be your case worker...

Cereb Daithi · Post by **Cereb Daithi** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 10:43 pm

ahh ubuntu.... if there was an award for the most excessive startup procedue.. the award would go to ubuntu..

Post by **Sabre** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:07 am

I've only played with it a little... It started pretty quick on a test machine that I had (Athlon 2500, 512MB)

Cereb Daithi · Post by **Cereb Daithi** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:19 am

i was refering to the hugely excessive startup "note"... the single epic... WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM

Post by **Sabre** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 1:20 am

lol, oh

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:15 pm

Alright Mr. Case Worker, I tried installing FreeBSD now can you or anybody tell me what the

this means:

Post by **Sabre** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:58 pm

Ignore it

Post by **Sabre** » Mon Jul 17, 2006 8:58 pm

BTW, since this is a workstation and not a server, your first partition should be / and be most of your disk. You will also need to create a swap partition about equal to the amount of RAM that you have.

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:47 am

Okay I hit another snag. I got through the set up and everything okay but when it was starting to actually install the OS it says it cannot write to the the disk ad0 AND DIDN'T TELL ME WHY!!!!1 So I thought it might have been a jumper things (grasping at straws) thinking maybe FreeBSD isn't as forgiving as the other 3 OS's that have been on this machine. Tried it again, still nothing. So I tried putting Fedora 5 back on here, yes it's the machine I'm using now so obviously it worked. So now I'm thinking my copy of BSD is pooched. Even though I downloaded it directly from the FreeBSD.org site. WHY DO THESE THINGS NEVER WORK FOR ME!?!?!?!?!

Post by **Sabre** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 12:58 am

Sounds like it didn't destroy and recreate the partitions properly. One of these days, you should bring your machine over and we can get BSD loaded on there real quick!

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:08 am

cool!

gsx-lex · Post by **gsx-lex** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:49 am

Burn knoppix to a cd, you'll never need a HD again

Libra Monkee · Post by **Libra Monkee** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:56 am

I have Knoppix on CD. A couple of them actually. But I want something little more permanent then that. I usually that just to break into machines I've locked myself out of. Running the OS off of a CD-ROM is a tad slow and makes harder to add programs.