Dows - > Ubuntu

I've been a Windows user for a while, but now that Ubuntu came out, I decided to try and make the switch to 'nix.

Is Ubuntu all that it's cracked up to be? And will I be able to learn the nix commands so I can eventually switch over to something along the lines of slackware?

ubuntu is pretty cool
of course you'll be able to learn unix commands
why would you want to switch to slackware?

Ubuntu - the Linux that Linux snobs look down upon. "What? Now mere mortals who don't spend sixteen hours a day in front of the screen can use my precious operating system? That means it's shit!". Fuck 'em, it works, and works pretty well too. A good place to start.

>>1
Ubuntu is good. I don't know what you do with a computer, but in my case Ubuntu covered just about all my needs. I was a windows 2000 user, then in September 2005 I tried Ubuntu out of curiosity. By the end of October 2005 I didn't use Windows any more.

And there's no need to switch from ubuntu once you get used to things. If ubuntu fits the purpose, why switch? I've even seen stories of devoted Gentoo users trying Ubuntu out of boredom or whatever, then ending up switching their main computers to it.

i'm not the op, but can anyone here elaborate pros/cons of ubuntu and gentoo? i can't decide between those two (yes, i know there's probably better stuff, but it will get me started).

The main difference is in software delivery. Ubuntu uses APT which fetches and installs pre-compiled binaries. Emerge, as with Gentoo, will build the application up from source leading to a more heavily optimized system but will take a good chunk of your time. Both have excellent documentation and a good community behind 'em.

>>6
Just a minor correction, the name of the packaging system in Gentoo is Portage, Emerge is simply a command-line tool for it.

>>5
If it's your first time with linux, I'd suggest you go with Ubuntu rather than Gentoo. But if you do decide to use Gentoo, don't give up.

I say go for Gentoo.  And stick with it until you get a complete, working system.  If you have the devotion to stick with it and read all the docs, you'll be able to switch to any other distro with ease.  Hell, you may even decide to try LFS before actually picking a sane desktop distro. :P

I actually started with Fedora Core, but I didn't really learn anything about Linux until I tried to install Core 2 (which failed hard) and instead plowed through a Stage 1 (lol) Gentoo install.  But you know, I was a high school kid with way too much time to kill.  YMMV.

/Three-year Gentoo user

I've heard some say Kubuntu is better because of KDE. Is there a big diff. between ubuntu and kubuntu?

>>10
No. Just the DEFAULT Desktop is different. You can still install Gnome on Kubuntu and KDE on Ubuntu.

>>3
Linux Snobs don't look down on it, because it is so easy to install and handle. There are other reasons:
1. Ubuntu prevents the user to learn what to do when X fails
2. Ubuntu's number of packages in their main-repository is small (compared to Debian, SuSE, etc.)
3. The developers claim that they made the best distro, intentionally not mentioning that they just take the preconfigured packages from Debian. They just don't take all of them, and change the Style of Gnome and KDE so that they look quite unique.
4. They take, but do not give - they always claim, that they give all changes they make back, but that's just not the case. The nly real thing they developed was Upstart. Unfortunately it doesn't really make a difference if you use Upstart or the "old" SysVinit.

Ubuntu is a leech. Have fun with it, Ubuntu-users.
BUT FUCKING STOP TO SAY THAT YOUR DISTRO IS BETTER THAN OTHERS. PROTIP: IT ISN'T!

>>11
Jesus, someone call this guy a waaambulance.

Ubuntu is cool shit if you stick with it and learn how to use it. It also helps if your hardware is widely supported. Your best bet is to download, burn and run the live CD and see how it goes.

>>12
Ubuntu is cool shit if you stick with it and learn how to use it.
What the GUI? cool.......

It also helps if your hardware is widely supported.
That's not Ubuntu's doing. The drivers are in the Linux-Kernel.

Your best bet is to download, burn and run the live CD and see how it goes.
I have a Live-CD of Ubuntu. I kept it as a bad example.

FUCK UBUNTOOB, GO STRAIGHT IN FOR SOEM SLACKWARE (its fine too)
version 11 is on DVD setup is fucking easy, within a week you'll know enough about linux to be comfortable at compiling your own kernel.

or alternatively install mandrake ubuntu nonsense and post here in a months time when you realise you've learned next to nothing about *nix

>>8
actually i installed both once, but gentoo was like 6 years ago and even though i managed to compile the kernel myself and shit (only took like 3 days to get a clean, working install) i lost all my knowledge.
i also checked out ubuntu's live cd and it was neat, but i'll probably go with gentoo again, i guess.

http://www.archlinux.org

>>16
I was going to post that you son of a bitch ;_;

Anyway, Arch Linux is the way to go.  It's simply superior in all ways (except AUR perhaps, but there are tools that make it easier).

>>11
Linux Snobs don't look down on it, because it is so easy to install and handle.

Handle?  No, Ubuntu sucks at handling.  In order to do anything, you have to:
1. Find documentation (there is no official documentation and not even an official discussion forum, there might be mailing lists though)
2. Add 100000 package repositories
3. Copy pasta commands
4. ????
5. Anything but profit

While in Arch all I'd have to do is this:
1. pacman -S package

And I'd be set.

>>17

installpkg whatever.tgz

WIN!