This article starts out discussing Debian (the code base of about 80% of the multitude of Linux Distributions) but continues with some detail (and links) about the basic philosophy and some of the more notable personalities behind it all.
Which distribution of Linux would you recommend for everyday use? I think I read somewhere that Ubuntu were doing some dodgy data collection and selling it on to Amazon. Can't remember where I saw it.
Linux Mint with the Mate desktop is simple and solid.
It is pretty easy to install for a beginner, and you can install it alongside your existing operating system(s).
It is based on Ubuntu, and I am suspicious of Ubuntu. I think the data collection Ubuntu is known for gets cleaned out by the Mint team, but I remain suspicious.
I use LMDE (Linux Mint Debian Edition) with the Mate desktop.
LMDE is a bit different, not quite as user friendly as the mainstream version... so it may be a bit more trouble for a noob to install, but it is Rock Solid and is not at all connected to Ubuntu.
with Both you can download the ISO, burn it to a DVD or USB, and run it Live without installing it on your hard drive. It runs (but very slow) and gives you a feel for what it is like, and lets you see if your hardware is compatible "out of the box" (99% are fine). The actual installed version brings many more features and runs much faster.
http://linuxmint.com/
Some people like the Cinnamon desktop, but to me it is full of Bling that serves no purpose, and it is constantly updated (buggy).
Mate desktop is mature and solid.
http://distrowatch.com/ is a great index of distributions, most popular distros are listed there but not all.
be cautious of the "ranking" ... those are page hits (people looked) and nothing else.
********** Windows can not "See" the partition(s) that are used in Linux *****************
it is a limitation of the Windows operating system. you will see "unused" free space using windows... not true!
Linux CAN "see" and use the windows partitions and data.
Thanks must give it a go soon. Don't like what I am hearing about Windows 10 and I know I will have to use it at some point but I like the idea of a partition for windows for work software like Carlson and a separate partition with Linux for everything else.
I use Linux on occasion. One of many things I really like about it, is that it has no problem reading Window$ NTFS partitions; this can be very handy in certain situations.
I used the original BSD Unix in 95 at Stephen F. Austin University. Very powerful and robust. The Shells acted like directories and folders (now). No GUI so it was akin to DOS only it never broke. I haven't used it since but I remember being 18 and being impressed enough to read a book about it.
No way is Linux a full replacement for Windows. There are many propitiatory programs written for Windows and Apple that just don't work and no full replacement exists... Acad (newer that V14), Photoshop, and a few others... including data collector upload/download programs.
Dual Booting works seamlessly. Open Windows and NOT connect to the internet at all, Linux for all the other stuff. That has been my practice for several years.
I have read that you can install Windows in a Virtual Box within Linux, and that should prevent the infamous Windows data mining... but I have not tried that in the last few years.
