After many years of using Microsoft Windows, I started to learn other operating system (Linux) in year 2007. Most people mindset about linux is tough to learn, so why I choose to play and spending my time with Linux?
Linux is always associated with open-sourced software, and my understanding is that open-source software are not as good as commercial software and lack for support for software bug updates..etc. Until one day, I was introduced my friend who likes FireFox very much, and then I started to try it - immediately I started to love it. Yes, Firefox is a free and open source web broswer. Since then I started to believe that open-source software is also as good as commercial software and this browser seem to be better then many other browser. And then I started to read more articles and other websites and blogs related to open source software and slowly I discovered that Operating system do have open source (as an alternative to Microsoft Windows) - the Linux.
But there are so many linux distributions, in short it is called "linux distro", so which one should I choose to play with it, and many of them do have some differences, which is better? After reading a few internet websites, I decided to download and install FreeBSD (unix based) on my old Pentium II computer, this O/S is very stable and good for old system - that why I choose it for my start. Yes, it is not linux but it is open source and unix based free O/S and very stable. But... after a few try - and then I gave-up. Why? Main because there are many hardware are not support and I have a hard time just to make my GUI (Graphic User Interface) - I took many days to make it work - it need to set & define many hardware configuration details and I need a lot of time to do readings and involvement in internet forums and the community communication (IRC chat and newsgroups). Yes, it is tough for me as a newbie choose to learn it.
Then, I switch to use SuSE linux. at that time they are still on their own, before Novell bought-over SuSE, and before they join-venture with Microsoft. Yes, OpenSuSE is an open source O/S and it is very easy to use and the only think that spent my time a lot is about familiar myself to play with some restricted formats and software and I started to involve to ask questions in forums....etc.
After about 1-2 months, I get to know about Fedora (open source RedHat based Linux). Yes, it is free, and the community have members are paid to support Fedora, in which those feedback will then as an input for Red Hat in their commercial Linux. You may also refer to this blog (http://tech.wk2u.com/2008/05/080502a.html) for details and why it is also another good linux distro.
After another few months, I found that the SuSE & Fedora/RedHat linux packaging is not as good as the Debian-based packaging, and many other reasons. So, then I started to use Ubuntu Linux. This is a top 1 linux distro, and very popular and very user friendly, just that iI am not comfortable as it is backed by a commercial company, Canonical Ltd. At the very first I did not choose it also because their server edition is not available until recent years, and they are not being use is server-end, until recent year, they annouced the long-term support (5 years) server version, so many persons are started to confident to use their server-based products.
And today, I started to love Debian, after reading my article about how great of this O/S. It is not backed by a company like other Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, and Mandriva. However, the stable & recent release is Debian 4.0 etch (dated 2007/04/08), and the new release is coming very soon. I am waiting this new release - I am very eager /exciting to try it, ever though it is rather not as easy and user friendly than Ubuntu, but it is a very popular - many TOP linux distro - the below are the statistics for Page Hit Ranking - one way to measure the popularity (as at Feb-2008)
Linux is always associated with open-sourced software, and my understanding is that open-source software are not as good as commercial software and lack for support for software bug updates..etc. Until one day, I was introduced my friend who likes FireFox very much, and then I started to try it - immediately I started to love it. Yes, Firefox is a free and open source web broswer. Since then I started to believe that open-source software is also as good as commercial software and this browser seem to be better then many other browser. And then I started to read more articles and other websites and blogs related to open source software and slowly I discovered that Operating system do have open source (as an alternative to Microsoft Windows) - the Linux.
But there are so many linux distributions, in short it is called "linux distro", so which one should I choose to play with it, and many of them do have some differences, which is better? After reading a few internet websites, I decided to download and install FreeBSD (unix based) on my old Pentium II computer, this O/S is very stable and good for old system - that why I choose it for my start. Yes, it is not linux but it is open source and unix based free O/S and very stable. But... after a few try - and then I gave-up. Why? Main because there are many hardware are not support and I have a hard time just to make my GUI (Graphic User Interface) - I took many days to make it work - it need to set & define many hardware configuration details and I need a lot of time to do readings and involvement in internet forums and the community communication (IRC chat and newsgroups). Yes, it is tough for me as a newbie choose to learn it.
Then, I switch to use SuSE linux. at that time they are still on their own, before Novell bought-over SuSE, and before they join-venture with Microsoft. Yes, OpenSuSE is an open source O/S and it is very easy to use and the only think that spent my time a lot is about familiar myself to play with some restricted formats and software and I started to involve to ask questions in forums....etc.
After about 1-2 months, I get to know about Fedora (open source RedHat based Linux). Yes, it is free, and the community have members are paid to support Fedora, in which those feedback will then as an input for Red Hat in their commercial Linux. You may also refer to this blog (http://tech.wk2u.com/2008/05/080502a.html) for details and why it is also another good linux distro.
After another few months, I found that the SuSE & Fedora/RedHat linux packaging is not as good as the Debian-based packaging, and many other reasons. So, then I started to use Ubuntu Linux. This is a top 1 linux distro, and very popular and very user friendly, just that iI am not comfortable as it is backed by a commercial company, Canonical Ltd. At the very first I did not choose it also because their server edition is not available until recent years, and they are not being use is server-end, until recent year, they annouced the long-term support (5 years) server version, so many persons are started to confident to use their server-based products.
And today, I started to love Debian, after reading my article about how great of this O/S. It is not backed by a company like other Linux distributions such as Ubuntu, openSUSE, Fedora, and Mandriva. However, the stable & recent release is Debian 4.0 etch (dated 2007/04/08), and the new release is coming very soon. I am waiting this new release - I am very eager /exciting to try it, ever though it is rather not as easy and user friendly than Ubuntu, but it is a very popular - many TOP linux distro - the below are the statistics for Page Hit Ranking - one way to measure the popularity (as at Feb-2008)
| Top | Distributions | Hits/Day |
| 1 | Ubuntu (Debian-based) | 2072 |
| 2 | OpenSuSE | 1688 |
| 3 | Mint (Ubuntu-based) | 1501 |
| 4 | Fedora | 1425 |
| 5 | Debian | 1145 |
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