Linux users help here

hi everyone, so i am a long time windows user contemplating the switch to linux. i am going to college next year to study computer science. so i am thinking i will either transfer to linux entirely or at least dualboot on the laptop i will be getting.

my question for linux users is how user friendly is it really? how quickly will i pick it up? are there real benefits to using it for programming? basically describe your experiences with it. thank you

I've always had positive experiences with any Unix platform I use. Whether it was Ubuntu, Fedora, Red Hat, Slackware, etc. The learning curve isn't that substantial, its a matter of whether or not you are willing to take the time to figure it out. Unix platforms as of late, especially something like Ubuntu/Fedora, have made integrating things such as wireless Windows drivers and adding programs (without terminal use) a synch and besides that, there is much more for someone like yourself to touch on. There are a substantial amount of tools that can be used for programming, web development, server administration, etc. and they are relatively simple to install. I used a dual boot of XP and Fedora/Ubuntu/Slackware (depending on what year) during College and I never felt myself slipping behind my classmates because of my choice. Understanding the basics of any Unix OS prior to entering the workforce is very valuable. It will give you a stepping stone for future learning once you are out of school and open up your job opportunities substantially.

Oh, and get to know the terminal well, it will become your best friend verrrry quickly :P

my question for linux users is how user friendly is it really?cliff122316

Depends on the distro. Ubuntu is one distro that focuses on user-friendliness..it's very easy to install, has a nice, simple package manager and a pre-configured desktop environment.

how quickly will i pick it up?cliff122316

Well, if you just stick with something like Ubuntu..not very quickly. If you're interested in actually *learning* how Linux works, you'll want another distro. What I would recommend is first getting your feet wet with Ubuntu..install it and get familiar with some of the applications (especially the package manager), then maybe play around with the terminal enough that you can get to understand how to navigate in the command-line interface, and so that you know how to do basic file manipulation. Once you've done that, I'd suggest taking the plunge in to something like Arch Linux (my personal favorite distro.) Arch is probably the absolute best learning distro, good for beginner and advanced users alike, as it allows you to set up and customize every major component of your operating system. It's alot easier than it sounds though, as there's detailed documentation on the Wiki to assist you, and you'll learn a great deal in the process.

[QUOTE="cliff122316"]my question for linux users is how user friendly is it really?Velocitas8

Depends on the distro. Ubuntu is one distro that focuses on user-friendliness..it's very easy to install, has a nice, simple package manager and a pre-configured desktop environment.

how quickly will i pick it up?cliff122316

Well, if you just stick with something like Ubuntu..not very quickly. If you're interested in actually *learning* how Linux works, you'll want another distro. What I would recommend is first getting your feet wet with Ubuntu..install it and get familiar with some of the applications (especially the package manager), then maybe play around with the terminal enough that you can get to understand how to navigate in the command-line interface, and so that you know how to do basic file manipulation. Once you've done that, I'd suggest taking the plunge in to something like Arch Linux (my personal favorite distro.) Arch is probably the absolute best learning distro, good for beginner and advanced users alike, as it allows you to set up and customize every major component of your operating system. It's alot easier than it sounds though, as there's detailed documentation on the Wiki to assist you, and you'll learn a great deal in the process.

thanks guys. it all sounds good, since i am the kind of person who finds exploring an OS enjoyable.i think i am going to install ubuntu (or possibly kubuntu. recommendations either way anyone?) first in a dual boot on the computer i use now. once i get comfortable with that i will probably make the change to another distro like the one velocitas recommended. i see it as always being a dual boot really. no reason not to have them both handy right.cliff122316

[QUOTE="cliff122316"]thanks guys. it all sounds good, since i am the kind of person who finds exploring an OS enjoyable.i think i am going to install ubuntu (or possibly kubuntu. recommendations either way anyone?) first in a dual boot on the computer i use now. once i get comfortable with that i will probably make the change to another distro like the one velocitas recommended. i see it as always being a dual boot really. no reason not to have them both handy right.hajimejoe

thanks guys. it all sounds good, since i am the kind of person who finds exploring an OS enjoyable.i think i am going to install ubuntu (or possibly kubuntu. recommendations either way anyone?) first in a dual boot on the computer i use now. once i get comfortable with that i will probably make the change to another distro like the one velocitas recommended. i see it as always being a dual boot really. no reason not to have them both handy right.cliff122316

Yeah, there's no reason to not dual-boot, and I prefer to have Windows handy. For the most part, Linux has awesome open-source applications for just about everything. There's a couple areas where Linux applications are a bit lacking imo, though..mainly in the way of disc-authoring software, as well as a decent Office suite (I personally dislike OpenOffice)

Also..I wouldn't recommend bothering with KDE unless it's in the form of KDEmod (an awesome trimmed-down and modded version of KDE customized for Arch.) I'd go for Ubuntu or Xubuntu personally, but that is, of course, completely up to you :P

Before you switch completly to linux i would advise you to get your hands on some live cd distributions of linux and try it on. If you still like it and you would like to keep windows do the dualboot. But if you don't need windows for anything like games or other stuff windows related, go for HDD complete linux installation. I would suggest that you find a older comp and full install linux on it, believe me it will work better then newer computers.

I sugesst that you try:(from my personal experience)

mandriva

puppy linux

dsl

(and from others sugesstions):

ubuntu