Before I ever install a distro I research it to make sure im not wasting my time. Everyones ultimate goal when distro shopping is something light, good looking, user friendly, usually its best to have something with some kind of community and something you like the feel of!

For a long time i didnt think about steering away from gnome, and I didnt like kde cause normally it was more ugly but when i saw kde distros they looked more complete and I just liked the feel. I tried mandriva and it was a lot faster than ubuntu and I like it a lot. I looked at other distros like it and the top distros that I find that were very similiar were

mandriva
openSUSE
linux mint

I think i have decided those are my favorite three kde distros and Ive been liking kde better then gnome so my favorite distro is...

Linux mint!

I like the look and feel and its fast and comes with codecs(doesnt really matter) preinstalled and even though in the end many distros are so similiar I just decided I it was my favorite!

I understand if you say "tldr". Just tell me your current favorite distro.

So, clean in terms of appearance? I can see what you mean. Ubuntu is also my favorite, but for different reasons. It's the only linux OS I can install on someones computer that won't leave them feeling aggravated.

Ubuntu. But Kubuntu as well... I like both honestly

But I've used Ubuntu much longer.

I'll try out Linux Mint when I read more about it. Something put me off about it a while ago... but things could have changed by now.

I forget what she did to my computer. I put that thing through hell anyway. It needs to go blue screen sometimes, but it's never unexpected. Crisis on Enthusiast will make my computer cry sometimes.

Ubuntu is nice. I guess it is easier since if you wanna find something out ubuntu is much more googlable. Like almost all linu tut's are for ubuntu. its like photoshop and gimp. Both are great but photoshop is better because its the industry standard, everyone uses it and it has a massive community. Ubuntu is always prob more customizable. But i dont think it looks as nice.



Also mint is faster.

Linux Mint IS Ubuntu with just a few preset desktop effects and modification to the general appearance. It's Synaptic Package Manager, Ubuntu Repositories, and, well, the Ibex kernel.

Meh... Mint doesn't have too much of a nice GUI. It looks too 90s to me. Maybe Mint will get a little face lift then I'll be willing to install it on my machine.

The computer I'm on right now is using Mandriva 2009. It flies on this machine, which normally can't even run XP.

^I think mandriva is the fastest distro ive used. I like how mint looks! And I like it cause it is ubuntu but it has a different feel that I like. And its faster.

I have a question? Of all the distros you have used what seemed to have to use the least terminal/cmd? In linux youll eventually come across a time when you have to use code. Usually theres another way but thats what i mean when i say the most complete distro. The one that has the most stuff and like a control panel like windows and what not and ways to do stuff that dont involve command line.

I dont care if its 4Gb distro but what would you say is the most complete as I described it above.

The least? lol... Uh ubuntu/kubuntu... That's why the latest versions (8.10) are a bit heavier, because the Linux community is getting lazier.

Just get used to scripts... back in the day I used to compile my own applications and my own drivers. Lazy people are killing the core of Linux with their laziness

So linux is dying now?

What? I dont understand that post.
But yes. What would be the best linux distro for the laziest person.
And what would be closest to a os that you pay for. like windows. Im not saying I want to duplicate it I just want something that ia more filled with features that save time like windows.

It's not dying... it's just progressing more to become like windows. Maybe you should read the full context.




I don't even know how to answer your question other than Ubuntu/Kubuntu are the only distro closest to Windows, in regards to noob-friendly. And I'm willing to pay for Ubuntu...

Ubuntu is free? There are many distros that are just ubuntu but have many additions and have been modified for the better.

Is there a dvd version you can pay for?

I'm getting the impression, you're calling people who don't have time to learn how to make scripts and create custom drivers... lazy. If everyone did that, you and I would be out of job. :/



You can probably buy the dvd, or burn it for yourself. I don't think the distro costs anything.

No one gets paid in the Linux community for developing drivers unless they work for a company who personally pays him/her to develop such things. So yes, I'm calling people who don't have the time to learn how to use terminal commands or compile for that matter, drivers, lazy.




All Linux distros are downloadable and free. There's a couple or few that you actually have to pay for because they're primarily for commercial/server use. If Ubuntu is much larger than 700MB, then yes, of course you can purchase their DVD. Which I can imagine, would be no more than $15 per copy.

I don't understand what you mean that there are many distros that are just Ubuntu but have different additions or have ben modified for the better.

In general, Linux is installed, and you, the user, are supposed to build the rest of your Linux box for your means. Unlike Windows which comes with everything installed which causes the operating system act very slow.

Compiling drivers is a pain in the ass. It's not difficult or anything. It's just so tedious. I could be doing much more entertaining things with my time.

That's the beauty of Linux though... it teaches you many things

Many people who don't understand these things aren't lazy. They just don't have the time to learn because they're busy specializing in other areas. Maybe they're auto-mechanics, firefighters, plumbers, heating and cooling experts, graphic designers, musicians, or accountants. Who knows what they could be. They just don't have the time to learn how to build drivers or use the terminal.

People don't have time to learn. This is the vary reason linux has not taken control of the market and you're criticizing the developers and/or users for acknowledging the problem and attempting to fix it. Linux is not user friendly, and that is its flaw. Why should Joe, who's been using Windows XP for years, switch to Linux? I'm sure you could give him a host of reasons, but moment he realizes he'll need to re-learn everything he knew about computers is the moment he'll turn away from it.

An operating system needs to make itself available to the novice user that doesn't have time to learn about its unique ins/outs yet be customizable enough for the power user to make any adjustments he or she desires. As it stands, Linux is for power users. Linux devs need to change that, and to change that they'll need to develop an easy way for novices to use them. A so-called "lazy" way.

No thanks. Linux should not progress itself into another windows environment. I highly doubt they'll ever do that to themselves. What you're asking for is too much work for not getting paid. Linux was not meant to make and keep people stagnant, Linux was meant to create ideas within the community and to share those creative ideas, then build together. Not to make a group of people work 40 hours a week, who have a life outside of the Linux community, only to develop a windows like operating system and not get paid for it.

You have the wrong idea about Linux.

The Libs are even getting into computer engineering.

The must have all day to browse the web. After all, they only need get up to collect their welfare checks.

Huh? You can customize linux? You mean like the internal coding.

And yes exactly. I dont even understand what you guys mean by compiling drivers and programs although Id like to learn how but most people just dont have time. most computers have enough ram to power the os it comes with so theres no point for most anyone to use linux. If you like linux so much then mac os x is the best os cause it has all the features that people like about linux but it is the most user friendly os there is.

You get what you pay for with linux. pun.

And i what i mean by the dvd is I know mandriva has a dvd version that is the same as the cd version but has some extra features that couldnt fit onto the cd.

facepalm
Wrong
You get more than what you pay for, and that's not a pun.

I realize you can customize everything about how it looks.