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Linux comes in many "flavors" called distributions, each geared
towards a different type of user. Below is a list of distributions
available. For more information about the various distributions, try
the following outside links:
Note: If you know what distribution you want, and have access to
a CD recorder, you may want to download and burn the ISOs for the
distribution before arriving at the InstallFest.
Listed below are links to where you can download the ISO
files, where available.
The versions for the following distributions are actually old, and
newer versions probably exist. We will hopefully have a server at the
Installfest with the most recent distributions' isos on it to be burned
as needed. Feel free to do research beforehand as to what the newer
versions are, although this is not necessary. Also feel free to burn the isos
yourself, especially if you would like to keep the CDs. We might not
be able to give out our burned copies to those who visit.
BTW - If you require
Linux for a class, most likely you will need RedHat 9, although it is
old and not supported (Fedora is its replacement). Please make sure
which version will be officially supported by your Prof and TAs before
you come, if necessary.
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Red Hat 9
Red Hat Linux is considered by many to be the best distribution for
beginners. It is designed for those who simply want to get Linux
working on their system with a minimum amount of effort. The advantage
is that Linux can be learned from the top down rather than the bottom up as
with many other distributions that require prior knowledge of the
workings of Linux and Unix.
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Fedora Core 1
Since the recent changes Red Hat made to the structure of their development
team, they have handed over the maintenance of Red Hat Linux to the Fedora
team, and their first release, Fedora Core 1 maintains the same look and feel
of Red Hat 9 but with some new features, and up to date software packages.
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Mandrake 9.1
Linux-Mandrake was once known as the "better Red Hat." This is because
they used to wait a month or two after a major Red Hat release and redo the
things that they thought Red Hat did wrong. But now Mandrake has evolved
into its own fully developed distribution. Mandrake now competes with Red Hat
for the easiest to install and use. Mandrake also touts itself on being
one of the first to support new hardware and software. Mandrake is a
good choice for someone is who is just starting Linux
and wants all the new hardware support. The best thing about Mandrake is
that is still Red Hat compatable so support is as plentiful as Red Hat
support from the Linux Community.
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Debian 3.0
Debian is a distribution for those who wish to dig deeper into the inner
workings of Linux, yet still want the ease of maintenance provided by a
package management system. Debian lacks many of the friendlier features
of distributions like Red Hat or Mandrake, yet doesn't share the minimalist
philosophy towards software management found in Slackware. Though Debian
has a more strict interpretation of what constitutes "free" software,
there are a wide range of packages available, and dependencies and upgrades
are handled in a user-friendly manner through apt. Prior knowledge of
Unix and Linux is recommended.
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Gentoo 1.4
Gentoo is a relative newcomer amongst Linux distributions, but offers
fresh new ideas for installing, running, and maintaining a Linux system.
Through the "Portage" system (which draws its inspiration from the
FreeBSD "Ports Collection"), intermediate and advanced
users can keep their system up-to-date quickly and easily. Like Debian,
prior knowledge of Unix and Linux is recommended before
trying this distribution. Note: Since much of a Gentoo system is
compiled from source code, we highly recommend that you arrive early!
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Slackware 9.1
Slackware is one of the oldest distributions of Linux. It lacks many
'user-friendly' features that can be taken for granted with many other
distributions. However, for those who want to get into the guts of Linux, there
is not a better choice. This gives the system administrator more power
and control to make Linux exactly what he wants it to be (assuming he
can wield all that power). To see how it used to be done back when Linux
was still young, give this distribution a try.
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SuSE 9.0
Originally begun as a German Linux distribution, SuSE is a popular distribution
in Europe. Focusing on completeness, SuSE boxed sets include just
about every application you may need in the base distribution (at the
expense of lots of disk space). The YaST system configuration system
centralizes many system maintenance tasks into a single user interface.
- SuSE does not offer installation ISO images for download.
However, we will try to have an install CD available at the
InstallFest.
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Yellow Dog Linux 3.0
Yellow Dog is a PowerPC port of Linux based on Red Hat 7.0 components,
designed to be easy to use and compatible with a wide range of PowerPC-based
hardware.
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FreeBSD 5.1
FreeBSD is a "Linux-like" free Unix operating system based on the BSDlite
source code. Its main focus is for servers, but it can also function as
a workstation OS, supporting most Linux applications. The extensive
"Ports Collection" makes installation of software simple and relatively
painless, and the "Linuxulator" system allows compiled Linux
applications (such as Netscape, StarOffice, and VMWare) to run without
modification. However, hardware support tends to lag behind Linux.
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OpenBSD 3.3
OpenBSD is another free Unix operating system based on the BSD source
code. The goal of OpenBSD is to be as secure as possible, and they
are the primary developers of the OpenSSH secure shell project.
- The OpenBSD project does not currently offer ISO images for download
(More Information).
However, we will try to have an install CD available at the InstallFest.
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