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Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyman (Post 1086619)

Had Kubuntu 10.04.3 64bit and Ubuntu 10.10 64bit running in dual boot with no problems. Installed openSUSE 11.4 64bit and it wiped out all partitions except "swap" even though I went through and set a new partition from "free" for it. After killing off the other two distros it didn't install the Gnome GUI I selected leaving me with only command line. Re-installed it, giving it the whole drive, this time choosing KDE and it still didn't give me a GUI. Command Line only. I may need to download the ISO from a different server and create a new DVD and try again. In the meantime I'm giving Debian 6 64bit a try.
Debian 6 seems to be the most reliable so far but if you make a change to the drivers for hardware (specificaly Nvidia GeForce 9600M) you cannot eaily undo that change, even if it has a serious negative impact on the system (resolution dropped from 1920x1080p @60 to 1260x720 @0... well, it claimed 0 for the rate). Better mail program but doesn't work with Hotmail for sending mail... I like Thunderbird as it just works (I'd like to find how to set it up for "Read" receipts though) but isn't available for Debian (or Gnome perhaps).
Tried Ubuntu 10.04.3 32bit but my box was very slow with it. A surprise as you'd expect it to be more stable than the 64bit version.
Think I'll stick with Debian 6 and add Ubuntu 10.10 in dual boot.

Would still like to know what went wrong with the OpenSUSE installs. Tried twice - once with Gnome and once with KDE and neither provided a GUI. Command line only.

Monkeyman, you seem to be installing every distro known to man. why? If it's simply to test it out it's far better just to do a live boot off a DVD or USB. You seem to be using a DVD, I suggest using a usb stick for two reasons, one, you don't keep creating coasters, two, OS persistence. This means that you can make changes in the booted OS and it is saved, without having to install the OS on your HDD at all. Here is a tool for you to create the USB sticks in around 3 clicks.

http://www.linuxliveusb.com/en/download

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cue (Post 1086761)

Cue - I have the HD space, I have the time, I have the CDR's/DVR's and I have the bandwidth. Why wouldn't I try them all? A bonus is it gives me something to do while my girlfriend is talking about "window treatments" and I pretend to listen!

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyman (Post 1086860)

lol, OK, fair enough. Just seemed a waste to me especially since KDE can be installed on Ubuntu so installing both Kubuntu and Ubuntu seemed like installing Windows twice to try both MS office and OpenOffice, it's highly inconvenient for the user and a waste of space IMO.

If I ever wanted both Kubuntu and Ubuntu I would just install the packages in Ubuntu and keep everything in one place.

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/kde

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cue (Post 1086761)

I suggest using a usb stick for two reasons, one, you don't keep creating coasters

Use DVD rewritables. I keep a bunch around specifically for liveCDs and "recovery" CDs - systemrescue, grml - so they can be updated to latest version without having to waste a normal DVDr.

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by kureyon (Post 1087214)

Use DVD rewritables. I keep a bunch around specifically for liveCDs and "recovery" CDs - systemrescue, grml - so they can be updated to latest version without having to waste a normal DVDr.

I use to do this too until my computer collection started to include Nettops with no drive. So I started using microSD cards instead, in a USB reader. The added bonus was that any changes I made to the LiveOS were saved for next boot. It also meant that I can boot from my N900 :D

Sorry if this is off topic, good luck in your quest for Linux monkeyman.

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cue (Post 1087314)

Thanks. Cue. Having been through many of the offerings (except openSUSE which never installed with a GUI even after downloading from three different sources) I'm sticking with Ubuntu 10.10 and Debian 6 in dual boot. Debian seems to work a bit better in my machine but Ubuntu offers a bit more for enjoyment sake. So for code I'll boot Debian and for enjoyment I'll boot Ubuntu. In the future I may give Fedora 15 another go but for now it doesn't seem to like dual or multiboot setup. So the primary suggestion made by everyone here turned out to be the one I am staying with (Ubuntu).
Thanks everyone, you've been a great help and I'm happy with the results. Now I've got to go learn BASH and this version of C (if different)!

David

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Quote:

Originally Posted by monkeyman (Post 1087617)

Glad you found the distros which suit your needs David. The problem with openSUSE is most likely not a bad download but openSUSE becoming confused with what chip to use. My guess is that you have both onboard graphics and a graphics card? If you ever wish to try openSUSE it might be worth trying

Code:

sax2 -p

at the command line to see which chips are listed then selecting one with

Code:

sax2 -c X

where X is the number corresponding to your GPU, given by the sax2 -p command.

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Cue - I'll give that a try if I attempt to install openSUSE again in the future. I'm surprised there could be such a problem because all of the distros are using the Linux kernel which contains the drivers and all of the others I've tried work with my PCIe NVidia GeForce 9600M GT (I only have the Nvidia with dedicated video RAM - not shared) you would expect that the kernel included with openSUSE would do the same.
I ran sudo lshw in Ubuntu 10.10 and it's only showing the "Nvidia GeForce 9600M GT" under "*-display" and the "Intel PCI Express Graphics Port" (what the second listiing was) under "*-pci:0". The pci:0 listing is only the controller for the PCIe as graphics port. Only the Nvidia card shows for graphics.
Some other problem for OpenSUSE (it may be that I'm making a mistake in my selections on install).
Maybe I should try a 32 bit version of openSUSE... could it be a bug in the 64 bit version of openSUSE 11.4 causing the problem? 11.4 is supposed to be a stable release and the Linux kernel is the same as Ubuntu so the problem of openSUSE not booting with or loading a GUI (Gnome or KDE) is odd.

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

linux mint 11 +1. I'd choose this and then stick with it. Every linux at the time needs you to learn some things, so there's not any perfect distro for beginner imo.

Re: Which Linux to use on Windows 7 64-bit as dual boot?

Debian became problematic with my sound card. I wiped the drive again and installled openSUSE 11.4 clean and alone. It went in with no problem and I found the source of the problem with it = Me. After the basic install it gives a message that I needed to eject the DVD and reboot. It rebooted on its own without the DVD being removed and it entered a secondary install which required the DVD. That was why I had a problem on my first two install attempts. It's in now and working just fine.
Added Ubuntu 10.10 in dual boot and no problems.

I'm going to try Kororaa 14, PC-BSD and Gentoo 2011 later this week.

I wish there was a way to copy the entire contents of a partition so I could easily re-install it as a whole rather than having to install from scratch.