Advice Linux distro?

[old.user4556]

I've got my missus' old laptop which had wanky partition issues with the hard disk. It was on its way out anyway so she got a new one for her birthday (tasty spec for £399).

Anyway, I wanted to setup a basic sofa-surfing laptop for me to dick around with, so promptly downloaded the most up to date version of Ubuntu which simply refused to install a bootloader onto the disk. It seems to be a regular occurence and a lot of dicking around with partitions manually to get it working.

I cannot be fucked dicking around with Linux.

In lieu of Ubuntu which isn't playing ball, I did some digging around and Linux Mint got a good thumbs up, but wondered what other recommendations there were out there?

 

[Moriath]

redhat ?

 

[Kryten]

If there are issues with the drive and Ubuntu won't install a bootloader, why would any other distribution?
I'd side with Mint too if I had to, but I would almost certainly rather go for an older version of Ubuntu (don't like the new ones)

 

[old.user4556]

I wasn't sure if the Bootloader wasn't installing because of the dodgy drive or the software, so wanted to rule it out.

I didn't have much hope for Linux Mint, it's a Ubuntu rehash and the installer looked almost exactly the same, but it installed first time with no issues with the bootloader. This laptop (Dell Inspiron 1525) is a cracking little sofa surfer now, the OS feels light and slick, boot times are rapid and now that I've got Google Chrome installed and access to my ALAC library on the NAS, I'm all sorted.

My only issue during install was the missing wireless firmware, but a quick run of the system updates thingy soon sorted that out. Also, when this laptop was running Vista, the battery seemed to be knacked, but I'm wondering if the OS had something to do with it because there hasn't been a single problem running off the battery yet. Infact, this is the sweetest I've seen this laptop run.

 

[Tuthmes]

Fedora, Kubuntu is what I usually choose. Did instal Mint on the gf laptop aswell, with the same satisfaction as Big G above.

 

[MYstIC G]

Mint is Ubuntu with all the new Ubuntu crap removed from it in reality.

Glad you got it sorted, the other one worth doing if you want something super nippy is PeppermintOS.

 

[Wij]

Mint xfce Debian rolling edition is super-quick.

However I'm not using any Linux at the minute as the installers don't like my laptop :/

 

[MYstIC G]

Even if you use an old school text based installer?

 

[old.user4556]

Just nuked Linux Mint and installed.....








......









Mac OS X , which unsurprisingly is just like a really sexy Linux install.

 

[MYstIC G]

Sexy BSD install actually

 

[old.user4556]

No, I mean a really sexy Linux install. The installer almost looks identical, the functionality almost looks identical - it's just Apple branded.

 

[MYstIC G]

Yeah but OSX = BSD not Linux.

 

[Wij]

Even if you use an old school text based installer?

Yes.

 

[MYstIC G]

Yes.

That's weird. What model is the laptop?

 

[Wij]

AMD fusion based. It was new tech when I tried it so the distros may not have supported it.

 

[old.user4556]

Yeah but OSX = BSD not Linux.

What is your point? Or are you being pedantic as usual?

I'm saying that OS X (the look, feel and install procedure) is unsurprisingly like an up to date Linux install. I'm not saying it's not BSD, Mach, GAY, FAG or whatever . I'm alluding to the fact that it's clear that the Mint / Ubuntu crowd have modelled it to be that way, to make it as 'sexy' as possible because lets be honest; OS X is great to look at.

 

[MYstIC G]

AMD fusion based. It was new tech when I tried it so the distros may not have supported it.

Needs Kernel 2.6.38 or above from what's floating about on the net.

What is your point? Or are you being pedantic as usual?

My point, as usual, is that you're comparing apples and staircases. The "sexyness" of Linux is entirely based on the shell running on that particular distro.

Also, note the next time, i.e. there is a *hint hint*

 

[TdC]

you're all gays! the only way is crunchbang!!!

 

[old.user4556]

My point, as usual, is that you're comparing apples and staircases.

Now you're just making no sense at all.

 

[Jeros]

Xunbuntu is great, as soon as you get away from Unity things become ok with Unbuntu imo.

Sadly Gnome3 is not compatible with my GFX card

 

[Tuthmes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuduntu

Name wise it should be perfect!

 

[Killswitch]

you're all gays! the only way is crunchbang!!!

I'm generally all about Gentoo, but I will give Crunchbang a big thumbs-up for a nice, clean home install. I like Mint as well, but I tend to steer clear of Fedora and Ubuntu.