The *nix cat fight thread. No, I really just want opinions ;-)

[Tomas]

I recommend ubuntu. It is pretty userfriendly and use the debian apt packet manager, which is superior to yast in my opinion. The install cd is also a live cd, which means you can see how it works before deciding to install it. For me it found and configured all my hardware correctly.

There are 2 flavors of ubuntu.. The one called ubuntu is a gnome centred distro while you have one called kubuntu which is centered around kde. They are identical with the exception of what window manager they mainly support.

[Tomas]

Almost everything is compiled from source code making it very stable and fast, and you get to decide exactly what gets put onto your system; you can fine-tune it very easily. I have a very nice setup of Gentoo running at the moment; I'm using it for 3D games, higher-end audio work, and general productivity.

And it takes literally days before the whole systems is compiled, which really does not make it a good desktop distro for most people.

[Tomas]

I still think Gentoo is a good choice for someone wanting to learn more, instead of being thrown to a desktop with the all-important console being hidden away. Still, that's the beauty of Linux, you get to choose your poison.

I do not know a single distro where the console is hidden away. I compile stuff with my ubuntu box as well. The difference is that i only compile when needed as a last option.

And i have actually heard alot of horror stories about gentoo systems falling to pieces during a software upgrade..  A newbie going through all that hassle, will most likely turn away from linux and give up.

[Tomas]

You can eat all the horror stories you like, I'm not pushing Gentoo on anyone, all I am saying is that I have had great experiences with it, and I'd recommend that you guys give it a whirl sometime, no need to bite my head off.

It's not Like I'm trying to sell you Windows or something...

Fair enough

[Tomas]

@redrumloa
So what did you end up choosing?