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Top Linux Distros?
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Dec 2005
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Hi,
I'm thinking of installing Linux on an 800Mhz G4. Could anyone tell me which are the most popular PowerPC Linux distributions? I know that Yellow Dog Linux seems popular on Macs but I wondered if it was worth considering anything else.
Supplementary question: For open source Linux apps for which there isn't a binary PowerPC download available would I need to 'just' compile them from source on a Mac or would the little-endian/big-endian difference preclude this?
Regards,
Jules.
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Fresh-Faced Recruit
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Massachusetts
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I would highly recommend Ubuntu, they've got a PPC distro. I only have an ubuntu system installed on my Intel PC, but I have run the PPC on my powerbook and it seems to run great. The ubuntu install process was quick and easy and only took about 45 mins.
http://ubuntu.com
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
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YellowDog is a great distro and they have been in it for a long time with PPC. They were one of three available back in the latter nineties. LinuxPPC, YellowDog and MkLinux from Apple.
They are a great distro that's a little more set up for servers (although all the packaging and such are available for word processors and such).
Unbuntu is designed to be easy to install and use straight from the box. It is IMHO the best set up distro for a desktop linux to date. Try Unbuntu first and see how it goes with their live bootable disc.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: 127.0.0.1
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Ubuntu - if you prefer GNOME by default
Kubuntu - if you prefer KDE
It is possible, however, to swap desktops once installed.
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Posting Junkie
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Houston, TX
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Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2005
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Originally Posted by mduell
Gentoo!
Agreed.
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Mac Elite
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: Minneapolis, MN
Status:
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Gentoo is also a great distribution. I'm fairly technically minded and have installed many linux versions since about 1994. Gentoo is really slick when its installed and has made a lot of improvements, but for someone's first distro and trying out linux, I still think Unbuntu or Kunbuntu has a minor leg up on the other distros.
For the original poster, the distributions mentioned ALL have their merits.
Gentoo takes longer to install (patience), but will likely be the faster for most tasks and running. It has great package management and can update its software with real ease. Its really slick once installed and would make a great performance server (or desktop), but will likely take a little more configuration than the other two mentioned below. You'll learn a little about linux while installing this distro (which is a good thing IMO).
Unbuntu has good installation of packages and updating and a desktop that by default is fairly straightforward with minimum configuration can be a useable 'desktop' os. It *can* be used for server functions, but I believe its best targetted for desktop use.
Yellowdog, is great for installation and has a long history with PPC. They have supported Linux on Macs for the longest and remained up-to-date with their packages and installation on Mac hardware.
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