Spring Break
Versatility of Linux distribution allows choice
By: Kevin Lynch
Issue date: 10/1/04 Section: Sci-Tech
Originally published: 9/30/04 at 11:23 PM EST
Last update: 10/1/04 at 8:09 PM EST
Originally published: 9/30/04 at 11:23 PM EST
Last update: 10/1/04 at 8:09 PM EST
The main disadvantage of these easy to use products, however, is their over use of configuration tools that make things too easy. Often is the case that these tools often assume a typical system and refuse to let you make modifications without digging through tons of configuration files if something needs to be changed. This major drawback is often a deciding factor for a Linux user. Not everyone needs or wants tools that choose typical configurations without having any say in the matter.
If you often find yourself poking around things on your computer in order to figure out how things work without feeling intimidated, then perhaps other Linux distros would better fit your personality. One such distribution is Slackware Linux. Slackware, is a minimal distro, meaning that it doesn't include all of the bloat that others do. During the install, you select only what you want to use on your system. Nothing is automatically chosen and all nearly configurations must be done by hand. However, I must admit, there is really no way to easily install applications onto a Slackware system by default. There is almost no package management for new software, so to update the system you either have to compile an application from source code or wait until a new version of the distro is released.
Though Slackware fanatics will swear by it, I would recommend either Debian or Gentoo over that distro. Debian and Gentoo are very similar distributions. Debian, officially known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a distribution focused on stability and customizability. With Debian, there is no reason to install anything that will never be used. During the installation, you simply have to type in which programs you specifically want installed and after installation you simply have to repeat the process. One simple command can install and update whichever application you want. The only downside to Debian is that because it is so focused on stability, most programs are lacking all of the latest and greatest features. However, that is where relatively young high-performance Gentoo distribution comes into play. Gentoo is focused around performance and from first glance this can be seen. Gentoo has a package installation system similar to Debian, but with a twist. Instead of downloading and installing precompiled software, Gentoo compiles everything, allowing applications to be compiled specifically for the computer system in question. Compiling an application specifically for your system allows for faster execution because it doesn't need to be compatible with other systems which could differ slightly in configuration. However, this does come at a cost. Compiling takes time and it is quite common for a Gentoo installation to take nearly two days or more. Because of this, Gentoo is recommended only for recent computers that can handle the compilations and Debian is better for slower systems.
If you often find yourself poking around things on your computer in order to figure out how things work without feeling intimidated, then perhaps other Linux distros would better fit your personality. One such distribution is Slackware Linux. Slackware, is a minimal distro, meaning that it doesn't include all of the bloat that others do. During the install, you select only what you want to use on your system. Nothing is automatically chosen and all nearly configurations must be done by hand. However, I must admit, there is really no way to easily install applications onto a Slackware system by default. There is almost no package management for new software, so to update the system you either have to compile an application from source code or wait until a new version of the distro is released.
Though Slackware fanatics will swear by it, I would recommend either Debian or Gentoo over that distro. Debian and Gentoo are very similar distributions. Debian, officially known as Debian GNU/Linux, is a distribution focused on stability and customizability. With Debian, there is no reason to install anything that will never be used. During the installation, you simply have to type in which programs you specifically want installed and after installation you simply have to repeat the process. One simple command can install and update whichever application you want. The only downside to Debian is that because it is so focused on stability, most programs are lacking all of the latest and greatest features. However, that is where relatively young high-performance Gentoo distribution comes into play. Gentoo is focused around performance and from first glance this can be seen. Gentoo has a package installation system similar to Debian, but with a twist. Instead of downloading and installing precompiled software, Gentoo compiles everything, allowing applications to be compiled specifically for the computer system in question. Compiling an application specifically for your system allows for faster execution because it doesn't need to be compatible with other systems which could differ slightly in configuration. However, this does come at a cost. Compiling takes time and it is quite common for a Gentoo installation to take nearly two days or more. Because of this, Gentoo is recommended only for recent computers that can handle the compilations and Debian is better for slower systems.
