Free Linux CD

Phonix

Using linux can be quite tricky if all you've ever used is windows, even if you pick quite a user friendly distro like mandriva (formally known as mandrake)

For new users, linspire is probably the best distro to go with. It is very commercial and hence isn't free like many other linux distros but everything is a oneclick install and you don't have to worry about dependency issues etc.

I think there's even a free trial on at the moment, so you won't have to pay anything. Again there's a live CD if you don't wish to install to your hdd, althuogh as far as installations go, installing linspire is painless.

Lastly linspire operate a subscription model called "click and run" which enables users to easily install and maintain software with a few clicks. It's important to remeber that the most of the software you install is compeltely free and if you like you can get it for free from elsewhere on the web. However linspire do not charge for this software they charge you for the convienience of oneclick installs, because installation on other linux distributions is a little more difficult.

Linspire also has quite an active community which may interest you.

Stumpy

Thanks for this - decided I'll have to do a bit of experimenting with various types. Had a quick go with Knoppix live earlier today, and it seems quite good, but I want to be able to play my windows games on it as well (came across a piece of software called "wine" which apparently helps with this), together with networking and sharing with another PC running XP, at least for the time being.

I'm in the process now of downloading Mandrake and have also got the Lindows free livecd ready to download, although unless it is absolutely amazing I can't see any reason to use this one as you have to pay for it - I don't mind a little bit of work maintaining the OS!

Anyway, I've free'd up a partition on my hard drive, and will just install each for a while and see how it goes - live cd's only seem to go so far.

Phonix

If you have fairly fast hardware I'd recommend win4lin for gaming, although I heard that it may not work with the new version of linspire, so check this out first. It's in the click and run warehouse and I beleive it's just an emulator, whereas http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WINE is quite different.

It's abit pricey

There's always Transgaming and Cedega which is basically just a packaged configured version of WineX. IF you ask the guys on the linspire forums they will help you compile winex and get this for free.

Paracaine

I would say Mandrake is one the best but all round Windows XP beats Linux. You will find that many games and applications DO NOT run easily on any versions of Linux.

Trog

The ubuntu discs will eventually arrive, They took 4 or 5 weeks to come to me for the previous version of the software.

The latest version of Fedora (previously Red Hat Linux) FC4 is now available for download as a DVD or 4 CD download at:

http://fedora.redhat.com/

The Fedora Project is an open source project sponsored by Red Hat and supported by the Fedora community.

Downloaded overnight and will give it a go today.

Trog

pbirah

I received mine today. They took about 5 - 6 weeks to arrive after ordering.

lancelumpy

I got mine today too! They're great.

deebee

got a big pack with 10 copies in post today - gotta check it out and if good will give copies to mates - anyone tried it yet???

SwissToni_2

Got mine yesterday, enough for family and friends. I'd completely forgotten about it, nice surprise when they arrived. :dance:

chrisvenn

Just ordered so we will see