From: Wayne Stallwood Sent: 12 July 2005 23:47

Also I would consider Ubuntu, Ubuntu is essentially Debian made easy, it has a reduced package selection (although there is nothing stopping you adding debian packages) but (in my experience) has better hardware support out of the box and offers a slightly more polished initial configuration.

I was pure SuSE on the desktop from about 2001, but like you I felt that I was being insulated from the system, also I fancied a change. So I moved my main machine over to Ubuntu a few months back, One of my laptops and a machine in my office are now Ubuntu as well. Generally I am pretty happy with the changeover (the main problems I have had are AMD64 specific and therefore may not affect you)

I'd also recommend the Ubuntu distro.

I recently set up a simple system for a friend and (as they didn't have a lot of money to spend on software) set them up a Linux based system using Ubuntu 5.04. I was really impressed not only by the ease of install (it picked up all their installed hardware perfectly) but by the familiar way the desktop was organized.

My friend has a minimal knowledge of computers and their only experience was using the usual Windows set-ups at work. Their main requirement was for e-mail, and the fact that the Evolution mail client has such an Outlook feel to it was a big plus factor for them. To keep the running costs down I set them up a simple dial up connection to a pay as you go provider (ukfsn) and talked them through the modem set-up with no problem.

They made the transition, despite some initial reservations, painlessly. It just worked and in a way they were familiar with. As they said "I was worried about using a system that wasn't Windows but this is just as good as Windows" (immediately followed by "Why are you hitting me?" :o) ).

I was so impressed I bought the company... er.. no.. I was so impressed that, despite being a dyed-in-the-wool Debian purist, I am in the process of rebuilding my system using Ubuntu (OK so it's just Debian with it's going out clothes on).

If you are thinking of installing Ubuntu a couple of invaluable sites are;

The Unofficial Ubuntu 5.04 Starter Guide http://ubuntuguide.org/ (setting up Ubuntu is easy but this makes it a doddle)

Mr Bass's Ubuntu Linux page http://www.mrbass.org/linux/ubuntu/ (a good site for those with a little more than basic Linux experience - the root site www.mrbass.org is also worth a look)

Regards,

Keith ____________ The saddest thing in the world is someone who has sight but no vision. - Helen Keller