RE: [TCLUG:11401] distros for newbies?

["Craig, Lindsay" <lindsay.craig@firepond.com>]

I set up a dual-boot box for several folks using the Mandrake variations on
RedHat 6.0...very newbie friendly and installed cleanly both times. I
haven't played with Corel Linux yet, but heard early feedback that is pretty
darn stripped down...which could be OK depending on the users.

My $.02

- Lindsay

-----Original Message-----
From: Carl Wilhelm Soderstrom [mailto:carls@agritech.com]
Sent: Tuesday, December 21, 1999 11:18
To: tclug-list@mn-linux.org; Linux@scalug.org
Subject: [TCLUG:11401] distros for newbies?


        which stores have Debian boxed sets? is it the new 'potato' release?

        what do people think of Corel Linux? is it fairly newbie-friendly?

        I want to set up a dual-boot computer for my parents. win98/linux.
I'm having trouble choosing a distro, tho. I'm getting sick of RedHat
(downright annoyed at RH6.1); but not sure what else is good for newbies. 
        Debian (slink) was pretty solid for me; but maybe not the most
newbie-friendly. is potato a bit more newbie-friendly? (i.e. can I set up
the whole KDE shebang with a minimum of dead menu items and little
custmization time needed?). I like the number of packages available for it;
but most independent stuff is packaged in .rpms rather than .debs. (then
again; my parents might not be much into software installation anyway.)
        Caldera 2.2 seemed the most newbie-friendly of any that I've seen;
tho it was lacking a lot of packages I was used to having under Redhat. is
2.3 more complete?
        I've never touched SuSE; but the whole raft of CDs that come with it
seems a bit intimidating. (considering that I never touched anything more
than the basic install CD for RH or any other distro; it seems rather
excessive).
        I have no idea what Corel is like; I wanted to go to the meeting
this month and pick up a CD from whoever was selling them; but had to go to
a meeting at work instead. :(

I wouldn't mind buying a boxed set; it's for my parents, and the doco
included in the box is often very helpful for newbies. (it certainly was
when I first installed RH 5.1).

I also don't have a DSL line or anything of the sort (my 56K modem does
31.2K at best). so DL'ing a full distro really isn't an option for me. :)

thanks,
Carl Soderstrom


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