Inasmuch as Redhat is getting out of the desktop linux market
I find myself in need of a living, maturing desktop linux.
I use linux, as my desktop at home, primarily for java development,
email, web, music, and mudding. So... I really need something for
which the latest and greatest versions of the JDK are going to be
available. I have very modest hardware requirements, being
on the cutting edge is not important. I do have a dual head
monitor card, but second monitor is still lacking :-). I connect
to the internet via a router, so modems(and ancillary software)
are not important, I never print anything, so printers are not
important. In fact, pretty much the ONLY important thing, is
that the JDK be latest and greatest. Oh, and copy and paste would
be nice, as well :-).
Background, if it helps, and you're interested: I've used unix
since 1983, starting with BSD, on VAXen, going through SUNs, to
SVR4 on ICONs, Solaris on SUNs, then Linux on whatever :-). I've
been using C/C++/Java during this period of time, and have done
everything from compiler/debugger internals, to tty code in a
SVR4/BSD hybrid kernel, to tcp stack code, to web servers, to
web services, to... Anyway, I'm pretty experienced, but, have
come to the point that it's more important to me to have a system
that gets out of my way and just let's me work, so long as it's
not windows. I don't mind some tweaking, and I've done my share,
but, I want something I can set up, and not have to continually
fiddle with it. Redhat was pretty good in that regard, and I'm
now hunting for its successor.
Oh, and I'd prefer to stay with KDE, but, that's not cast in
stone.
Tom Kimpton.
tkimpton@gooberdude.com
Thomas R. Kimpton wrote:
Anyway, I'm pretty experienced, but, have
You are the perfect candidate for Slackware. I've been a Linux user for
about 18 months, started with Mandrake 8.2. About two months ago I went
with Slackware.... actually just to see if I could "do it." While it was
not as easy as installing Mandrake or RH, it was really not all that
difficult... if you can read and follow simple directions. And the "after
install" configuration was easy as well. The installer is text based, but
it's functional and seemed bulletproof.
Slack does not have any GUI utilities to manage the Kernel, but there is not
much management you have to do. I run KDE exclusively and there are a bunch
of KDE utilities that covery your butt if you don't want to get down and
dirty editing /etc files (which I find easier.)
The only thing I didn't like about Slackware's install is that they turn
everything "off" by default. Thus, for example, Apache does not work with
PHP until you edit the php.ini file... and no one tells you this!!!
Anyway, if an idiot like me can install Slack (I even re-compiled a kernel
to get Win4Lin abilities (just follow the W4L instructions.... piece of
cake) YOU at your level will have the whole thing up and running in fifteen
minutes.
Gentoo is all the rage, but if you want something stable, go with Slack. And
there are some new apt-get-like tools that have come out for Slack and that
has everyone more interested in Slack right now.... you get at modern
distro (unlike Debian's 'stable') with a slam-dunk package management
system (if you choose to use it.)
Finally, you get the Slack newsgroup. Yeah, some of them are pretty
hard-boiled and need a refresher course in manners, but by and large the
community is helpful and they really, really know their stuff. It's not
like on the Mandrake group where everyone answers your questions, but no
one has the right answer!!! :-) With Slack they KNOW the answer and give it
to you... but they might beat you up for asking it without first doing your
"homework." But if you can show them that you give it a try, they will come
to your aid and fix any problem you might come up with.
Just my 2 cents. YMMV.
Al
