Which Linux Distro (64 bit) would be the best for people which used only Windows?

The Linux should work like Windows.

E.g. I would like to install software/tools like in Windows.
Just click with the mouse on the icon (and maybe click through the installer), without to write commands somewhere.

BOINC/SAH should run also... ;-)

BTW, x41zc_cuda** (maybe cuda23) is also available for Linux?

Thanks. :-)


* Best regards! :-) * Philip J. Fry, team seti.international founder. * Optimize your PC for higher RAC. * SETI@home needs your help. *

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I am using SuSE Linux, but since BOINC for Linux is compiled with Ubuntu maybe that is the best choice for a Windows user. You don't have to install additional libraries, as I have to do. There was a project for a Standard Linux, but I never heard from it in recent times. Linux is going the UNIX way, so that every vendor is adding something or deleting something to be unique. Bad choice.
Tullio

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I am using SuSE Linux, but since BOINC for Linux is compiled with Ubuntu maybe that is the best choice for a Windows user. You don't have to install additional libraries, as I have to do. There was a project for a Standard Linux, but I never heard from it in recent times. Linux is going the UNIX way, so that every vendor is adding something or deleting something to be unique. Bad choice.
Tullio

Umm Tullio does this version work with XP 32 bit ? I didn't read this before posting the other post sorry .

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Sorry again Tullio but In stead of a VM can I load Ubuntu on the system with Windows and have a multiboot system with the windows boot loader or do you need a different boot loader , if I need a different boot loader then i'll have to just use a VM . Not very experienced with Linix only used it once with a VM but I did not like it , but that was a long time ago .

Reminded me of Apple , not a big fan of Apple......hehehe

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...
BTW, x41zc_cuda** (maybe cuda23) is also available for Linux?
...

Not yet, but will be as soon as a Linux Guru decides to build one. There is one in alpha tests for Macs, and not much tweaking was needed there, so a Linux build shouldn't take much.

I'm not setup for that, though if the situation gets desperately close to V7 release on main without contribution, I would look into the options for providing suitable stock Linux builds, built here, time permitting.

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"Living by the wisdom of computer science doesn't sound so bad after all. And unlike most advice, it's backed up by proofs." -- Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions.

As I wrote on the other thread, you don't have to install Linux if you want to join the Test4theory@home project. Just install the VirtualBox for Windows and then register to the project. Most of its volunteers are Windows users. I am using SuSE Linux but CERN uses Scientific Linux which is RedHat plus some scientific libraries.
Tullio

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Sorry again Tullio but In stead of a VM can I load Ubuntu on the system with Windows and have a multiboot system with the windows boot loader or do you need a different boot loader , if I need a different boot loader then i'll have to just use a VM . Not very experienced with Linix only used it once with a VM but I did not like it , but that was a long time ago .

Reminded me of Apple , not a big fan of Apple......hehehe

Yes Ubuntu will dual boot with Windows, as will most Linux distros. My laptop dual boots Windows 8 and Linux Mint and can be set to auto boot to either.

For Ubuntu go here and follow the instructions. http://www.ubuntu.com/

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Thanks Bernie I will check it out

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I had a dual boot PC with Windows 98SE, which I used for the MS Flight Simulator, and Linux. Then Windows went to XP, Vista, Windows7, etc. and I gave the whole PC to my son so that his son could learn to fly.
Tullio

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Unless you are very familiar with PCs and the quirks of Windows, I'd caution against 'dual booting'.

So far, I've had one experience with multi-boot on a UEFI system and... Although everything works fine, getting everything to work fine was a surprise for the extra little twiddles needed and the very specific partitioning needed.


That said, many Linux distros can be tried by running 'live' from a CD/DVD or memory stick. Performance is abysmal, but hey that's to be expected for running off such slow media rather than from a HDD!

Some good first look ones to try are:

Kubuntu (but note the Amazon tie-in)

Mint

Mageia

and if you really still want the "Windows look", then there is Zorin.


As any good IT person will always tell you: Back up all your data FIRST.

And for feeling your way around for the first time, try the helpful forums that come with each of those Linux distro versions. There will be all the familiar features there on the desktop and menus, only that some of the names will be humorously or punningly different (often for the sake of the threat of legalities from the proprietary world). And really, there is no anti-virus and sometimes no firewall (none needed for normal use).


You get a monthly selection of distros to try on DVD from the Linux Format Magazine. You should be able to find one in your newsagents (newspaper shop).


Good luck,
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I've used various versions of Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, and Linux Mint Debian Edition over the last few years with BOINC and, for now I've standardized on Linux Mint. The reasons are that it is a very user-friendly distribution and it does a very good job of keeping its repositiories up to date. That becomes very important if you're processing GPU WU's and your project makes a change requiring the latest driver for your graphics card.

Debian and Linux Mint Debian Edition, being very conservative seem to fall far behind in this area and while there are workarounds, they require you to start installing drivers,etc. outside of the normal update process. I found that a major headache when it comes to BOINC.

Something that I've taken to doing since periodically I like to try out new distributions without the deep commitment is to get a second small HD, put it in the machine, disconnect the existing HD and then install the distro to the new drive and try it out. It avoids having to invest in the rest of a new machine (MB, RAM, PS, etc.) and removes any risk to the existing OS.

If you like it you can make a more permanent switch. If not, just reconnect the old HD and you're back the way you were.

Regards,
Steve

Martin thanks for the warning but before I upgraded I had a mulitboot system I had XP pro ,Vista ultimate and win 7 Ultimate all on the same machine so I know all about mulitboot systems I just haven't used Linix much . I also had VM's of win 3.1 ,win 98se ,Win xp , Win vista , win 7 and Apples snow Leopard 10.3 on that system .

If anybody wants to know to have a VM of Apples Snow Leopard or there latest version you need VMware player to run it , it will not work with Java Box or win XP mode or Win virtual machine only VM Player is licenced to run it and you can licence VM player for home use but have to register it as being used for home use
good luck if you wish to do that . IM me if you need help

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I am running VirtualBox on my Linux system and one of my Virtual Machines is Solaris 11.1 running a BOINC client and a SETI@home app by Dotsch. The BOINC client is a line command edition, no GUI. I think Solaris is vastly superior to Linux, but since it used to cost a lot of money, developers preferred Linux and so there are very few BOINC projects using it.
Tullio

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I am running VirtualBox on my Linux system and one of my Virtual Machines is Solaris 11.1 running a BOINC client and a SETI@home app by Dotsch. The BOINC client is a line command edition, no GUI. I think Solaris is vastly superior to Linux, but since it used to cost a lot of money, developers preferred Linux and so there are very few BOINC projects using it.

There is an "OpenSolaris" that was formed to keep Solaris alive.

For the purists and 'geeks', Plan9 is the only way to go! ;-)


All good fun freedom!

Happy freedom fast crunchin',
Martin

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See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)

I would also like to interject that the KDE interface is a lot more like windows than the Gnome

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In a rich man's house there is no place to spit but his face.
Diogenes Of Sinope

Scott McNealy, the former SUN boss whose Onyx computer with UNIX I have used from 1981 to 1985, said that had Solaris been free Linux would not even exist. I am using a free Solaris 11.1 with its ZFS file system. I am using KDE on Linux and Gnome on Solaris.
Tullio

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Another distro that deserves a mention is PCLinuxOS. The long awaited 64b version has finally been released and it looks good.

I have used PCLOS64 RC on a test cruncher that ran both CPU and GPU apps and apart from some rough edges in the 41g Linux app it worked very well.

T.A.