linux

I have a netbook, and I want a linux distro that is super easy to use and super easy to install, since I'm a bit of a beginner. I've already tried Ubuntu and found it just okay.
Between Xubuntu and Mint, which is better for a beginner like me? Also, do both have a wubi-like installer?
As a side note, does anyone know anything about Zeven OS?

JoliCloud

I'm pretty sure Wubi is available for any Ubuntu distro. Just download the distro you want, mount it and you should see the Wubi installer in the root.

If you're a GNU00b, you should just stick with Ubuntu for now since it will make it easier for you to find help online. Once you're more familiar with GNU/Linux you'll know what to look for when shopping around for a better distro.

Satisfaction with distros, editors and programming language is a matter of personal preference and asking random people which you should use is like asking what kind of porn you should watch.

I just installed Ubuntu yesterday, and I've never installed a new OS before. Following the Ubuntu website, I made a USB installer. Shut down my computer, entered bios, rearranged the boot order to boot from the USB, and Ubuntu loaded up just fine. Ran the installer, and I was good to go.
I'll add in though, that if you plan on installing it on an external (like i did), I strongly advise removing your hard drive before running the installation (after you shut your computer down, before you go into BIOS). There is a chance that the master boot record on your hard drive could be overwritten. Easily fixed, however, it'd just be 'one more thing' to deal with.
Good luck!

>>4
If I remember correctly, you can tell the installer where to install the bootloader.  But yeah, ubiquity is annoying at times.

>>1,4
Here's a script that will install a shitload of useful packages and will remove a few shitty ones from a clean 11.04 Ubuntu install.  It's up to you to find out what each one of these packages does.  Warning: it assumes that you've enabled your universe and multiverse repositories.
#!/bin/bash
set -e

A(){
    apt-get --yes --purge "$@"
}

A remove \
    empathy empathy-common \
    transmission transmission-gtk transmission-common \
    totem totem-common totem-mozilla \
    gwibber gwibber-service gwibber-service-facebook gwibber-service-identica gwibber-service-twitter

ufw enable
ufw default allow
ufw deny ssh # use "ufw allow ssh" to temporarily allow ssh (port 22/tcp),
             # then "ufw deny ssh" to turn it back off
ufw deny 1:999/tcp
# if you want to whitelist a port in the 1:999 range, use "ufw insert 1 allow PORTNUMBER/tcp"
# for further information, consult the ufw manpage

A install \
    pidgin pidgin-otr libotr2-bin kvirc ekiga \
    ktorrent lyx texlive wireshark seahorse seahorse-plugins \
    smplayer mplayer x264 vlc \
    gstreamer0.10-alsa gstreamer0.10-gnonlin gstreamer0.10-nice gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad \
    gstreamer0.10-plugins-base gstreamer0.10-plugins-base-apps gstreamer0.10-plugins-good \
    gstreamer0.10-plugins-ugly gstreamer0.10-pulseaudio gstreamer0.10-tools gstreamer0.10-x \
    gstreamer0.10-fluendo-mp3 libx264-106 libavcodec-extra-52 ffmpeg \
    gimp hugin djview4 dia k3b kate \
    htop powertop gpm acpi lm-sensors dos2unix dc bsdgames gnuplot \
    openssh-client ufw lvm2 cryptsetup gparted parted network-manager-vpnc-gnome \
    build-essential gcc-multilib nasm gdb valgrind manpages-dev \
    llvm-2.8 llvm-2.8-doc llvm-2.8-runtime clang \
    git git-doc git-gui git-man gitk \
    qemu qemu-kvm qemu-system syslinux mtools mbr \
    unrar unace-nonfree \
    fpc lua5.1 liblua5.1-socket2 liblua5.1-filesystem0 python-uncertainties python-numpy \
    unison-gtk sshfs rsync kexec-tools \
    xfsprogs apparmor-profiles apparmor-docs multiboot-doc lilypond lame

A install --no-install-recommends \
    rosegarden smartmontools

apt-get clean