well i have a virus on my comp that my virus scan wont pick up and it pretty much fucked up being able to get on the internet (using another computer). my windows disc is at home so i cant reinstall windows for a few more weeks so i was thinking about installing linux. i dont know that much about linux except from using the computers in the daniels lab. basically what i am asking for is where is the easiest place to get and download linux.

thanks in advance

4/27/2006 7:59:38 PM

pick a distro that you'd probably like, go to their website, download it

If you're comfortable with the Redhat you've been using at Daniels, give Fedora a try
http://fedora.redhat.com/

4/27/2006 8:12:46 PM

one more question...

how do you format the HD to get it ready to install Fedora if i dont have my windows disc?

i have formated my computer at home a hundred times or at least it seems that way but that was with windows 98 not xp

4/27/2006 8:21:24 PM

you dont need to format the whole HD, all you need is an independent partition.

most linux distros come with their own partitioners that are built into the installers. I know Ubuntu does, since that's what I used, so fedora should come with one too.

4/27/2006 8:28:46 PM

depending on the circumstances, ill be the asshole to say: "if you werent bright enough to not get a virus, linux probably aint for you"

4/27/2006 8:31:24 PM

someone else was using my computer when it got the virus but yeah i get where you are coming from

i dont know all that much about linux and all that good stuff yet but it cant be that hard to learn so i figure this is a perfect opportunity to figure it out

4/27/2006 8:39:38 PM

Linux generally isn't as easy as "install and go" as Windows.

And um ... why can't parents/siblings snail mail you the Windows CD? Priority is $4 and gets there in 2-3 days?

4/27/2006 8:43:52 PM

ill be home in a couple weeks so its not really worth it

and all i need the linux for is to get online....im not gonna be doing much else for the rest of the time im gonna be here

[Edited on April 27, 2006 at 9:01 PM. Reason : .]

4/27/2006 9:00:57 PM

Out of curiousity, is it the Darkmoon virus? That's what I have on mine and I'm having the same problems you are.

4/27/2006 9:13:46 PM

SuSE 10

http://www.novell.com/products/suselinux/

Installation is very easy.

4/27/2006 9:15:22 PM

^^ I couldnt tell you....my virus scan wont pick it up

4/27/2006 9:17:07 PM

I only know what it is because they took away my network access in my room. I know my mistake was not having Service Pack 2 but everytime I used it my internet would be screwed up and work unbelievably slow if at all.

4/27/2006 9:20:00 PM

my favorite? kubuntu (ubuntu with kde instead)

http://www.kubuntu.org/

4/27/2006 9:31:25 PM

I would recommend one of the "live" Linux distros. You run them off a CD or a DVD and you don't have to install it, although you can if you feel up to it. All you need is to be able to boot off your CD/DVD drive and you're set. 2 of the live distros you might can look at are Slax(Based on Slackware) and Knoppix(Based on Debian).

You can get Slax from slax.linux-live.org
and Knoppix from http://www.knoppix.org

4/27/2006 10:17:35 PM

was playing with the ubuntu dapper beta (flight 6?) livecd a few days ago
looks nice

suggust slax over knoppix for a livecd.. knoppix is fine, just ugly.. least last time I tried it it was
SuSe has a livedvd as well

The Mandrake (now Mandriva) installer had one of the better disk partitioners, it resized my ntfs fine.. if you have partition magic just make a fat32 partition and ask your distro's installer to format it

ubuntu is supposed to be one of the easier distros for beginners
wouldnt touch linspire

4/27/2006 10:43:16 PM

kubuntu (ubuntu, whatever) is the one i finally stuck with...worked in the leazar unix lab for two years, too...i just couldn't be happy until i had a pretty gui

4/27/2006 10:47:35 PM

The latest Fedora Core (5) has a great install. It's got all they basic apps you probably will need, and has a partitioning program as part of the standard install. Link to Fedora

Knoppix also gets major props if you're wanting a live CD.

4/27/2006 11:12:43 PM

I also would recommend Slax over Knoppix. Mainly because of the modularity... You can download modules and put them in the /modules directory and they install on boot. So you don't have to really know how to install linux packages to install programs. I've been using Slax for different projects for a few months now so if you need any help with it let me know.

4/28/2006 1:49:12 AM

I've got TONS of Ubuntu 5.10 cd's. I'll hand deliver you one tomorrow if you live on campus, too.

It comes with a live CD and an install CD, so if you just want to get online, the Live CD will do that for you and you don't even have to install.

PM me if you wanna give it a shot.

4/28/2006 2:58:25 AM