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Linux Format CoverDisc: Arch vs. Ark


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I've been wanting to replace FC3 with something else, other than FC4. The new LF mag has a coverdisc DVD with arch & ark linux on it. I may want to install one of them on top of my FC3 (OR alongside, I don't know yet).

 

I don't know the big diffs between these 2 distros, or even if there is much diff. I just want to do normal "home user" stuff - browse the web & email (firefox & tbird), watch dvds (have never done that under linux), rip & burn CDs with grip & k3b, play any audio files such as mp3, mp4. I also need to use Eclipse for a course I am currently taking (I don't know how to install it under FC3).

 

I'd prefer a distro that does everything (ie mp3s) from the get-go. I know how to fix FC to do all that, but I'm tired of it.

 

Is Ark linux a mickey mouse distro, or is it a full-blown distro? I browsed the Arch thread in this forum, but it quickly got "off topic"...

 

so Arch vs Ark... what's good to replace FC3... for a non-geek...?

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so Arch vs Ark... what's good to replace FC3... for a non-geek...?
If you ask me... to be honest: neither of the two. Arch is way more refined than Ark Linux and it is basically for experienced Linux users. You will have to configure (almost) everything yourself, much like Slackware. Ark tries to be a newcomer friendly distro but they fail miserably IMHO. I tried it once and it first refused to install on an old test machine (750MHz Duron). After some hacking I got it running and then the next surprise: Ark was and still is unable to install alongside ANY operating system. It will erase your whole harddisk! No chance to get past this bug.

 

Both systems are completely different and you should take a look at their sites at distrowatch, where you will find links to reviews, too.

 

If you are into some hacking, use Arch. If not, stick with Fedora or try e.g. Mepis, Yoper, SUSE or ... use Mandriva :P

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Arch is....basically for experienced Linux users

 

yeah, I sort of got that impression from going thru the Arch thread Pinned in this forum. Looks like I wasted $15 today, just to get those 2 distros on DVD...!!!

 

sheesh, maybe I'll put FC4 on then... I've been using FC for the last couple years exclusively. I thought I'd try something else, just to gain more experience with other distros...

 

When's the next version of mandriva coming out...? Where can I get a full DVD of mandriva LE2005? I don't want to d/l it.

 

One thing I read about FC4 that I DO like is that it comes with eclipse.

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arctic there isn't much to configure, except xorg and even then arch comes with a tool to basicly give you a working config. Then there is the /etc/rc.conf file that's basically just timezone and internet there isn't really that much stuff to configure and surprisingly most stuff just seems to work. I will agree it's not for people who dislike cli and the initial install can be a bit scary if your used to the distro setting everything up for you. If you don't mind editing a couple of config files then it should be no problem if you don't fancy that then go with something easier like ubuntu.

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The release dates of all major distros are listed at the distrowatch site.

 

Lowe, don't you have to enable all services through the cli or config-file hacking? I thought that it comes running with almost no services after a fresh install. :unsure:

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Are you talking about stuff like fam, hal and what not? If so then yes. I do see what your getting at, but once it's set up you should never have to change it again. They are easy to manage in the rc.conf file, but yeah if you want something that just does the job with no tweaking then arch isn't for you, if you don't mind some tweaking it's worth it.

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Id say fc4 since your used to fedora core and want eclipse, all the other stuff is easy to get on fc.

 

Knowing you for the last couple years now, i would say arch isn't were you want to go. Not saying arch is bad (arch users) Its pretty good, a lot like slack, but null isn't looking for a distro like that.

 

I would either stick with fedora, replacing with fc4 so you can have eclipse or jump to something like ubuntu/suse/mandrake and either install eclipse after that.

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I may buy a cheap mandriva LE2005 DVD from somewhere, just to see what I think.  what does "Limited Edition" mean anyway?  I want a full distro.

Limited Edition is an interim version for those who can't wait for the 2006 Official Edition, which is scheduled for 15 September.

 

You can get a cheap LE2005 DVD for $6.49 at www.elucis.com (found at distrowatch).

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Since I didn't see it mentioned anywhere else...

 

Ark, as of the last time I used it, was basically a Mandrake clone. The installer still had Mandrake's name and logo on it (did have tetris that you could play while it was installing...that's kinda cool), but it was very limited. There was no disk partitioning (was broken in the installer), so you were stuck with 1 partition and swap, I couldn't get X to resize at all (had the same problem the last time I tried RedHat. I'm sure I could now).

 

Granted I have not used Ark in a few years, so I'm sure it's better now, but it was (and most likely still is) heavily based off of Mandrake.

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Give SimplyMepis a try, so far it's the best "out of the box" experience I have ever had under linux. browsing flash/java and windows media sites in firefox worked out of the box. To play DVDs you do have to install the magic decryption library though (for legal reasons). It's debian based so it's easy to find and install software through kpackage or synaptic.

Hardware support has proven to be outstanding (including ndiswrapper wireless card and lucent winmodem working out of the box!)

 

It's KDE centric however (fine by me), so if you're a Gnomie, you gotta look somewhere else.

 

The nice thing is that since it's a liveCD, you can get a pretty good feel for whether you like it or not without commiting to it, then simply install to harddrive if you decide it works for you.

Edited by papaschtroumpf
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Ark is supposed to be a (very) user-friendly distro. I tried it once, but the (graphical) installer was plain awful, and I ended up to a quasi-usable Linux.

Arch Linux is (IMHO) the best Linux flavour available today: Extremely simple system structure, for people that aren't afraid of doing things via console and a plain text editor, the BEST package manager out there by far - named pacman... it won't swallow any dots out of your system though, believe me! -, bleeding edge packages which may not be bug-free, but in general of very high quality, and a very good community at the official forums (although some old members do tend to react a bit snobbishly towards newbies).

I will disagree with Arctic: Arch Linux just needs a user WILLING to learn one thing or two, but it definitely is NOT a geek distro. Once you toy around with it a little bit, its manipulation/maintenance is downright easy. Since you consider migrating from Fedora (which is not an 'easy" distro as well), I think you "might" get in love with it. Surely enough I AM hooked on it, since it does all that I want, leaving very little (if anything) to be desired.

You can also add to the above Arch praise that it is not "friendly" to any desktop in particular (KDE, Gnome, XFCE, E17, Fluxbox, IcewM etc are all there, in their latest and greatest reincarnations), and due to it's "rolling" nature you just have to install it ONCE- after that you can upgrade to the latest and greatest (if not using the experimental "testing" and "unstable" repositories) by a simple "pacman -Syu" without the fear of breaking your system to pieces.

Edited by scarecrow
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Heavily disagree with the bleeding edge statement, it's not bleeding edge, it's pretty fresh but definetly not bleeding edge. Firefox 1.0.4 and thunderbird 1.0 that is NOT bleeding edge, they're very popular software and many of the REAL bleeding edge distros (Fedora) have the latest firefox and thunderbird. That was just an example, but a lot of the rest is the same. Unless your running testing, but of course you could go to any distro and use testing and have the latest and greatest so that's nothing special.

 

I use archlinux but it most certainly is NOT bleeding edge.

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'Bleeding Edge' is all in how you set up your packages.

 

Mandriva wouldn't necessarily be considered Bleeding Edge, unless you compared it to a distro that is behind it (Debian Woody, perhaps).

 

Arch is more current than the release versions of Mandriva, but less current than others. Even cooker is behind some things.

 

If you're looking to be the most current (that your distro of choice allows), you just need to set up the repositories to the correct spots.

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Knowing you for the last couple years now,

 

you mean, like, always complaining about stuff... ? :D

 

I admit, I get tired of making the same old stuff work every time I install FC. But FC is the only thing I've used since 2003 I think. I thought I'd try something where everything works right off. Expand my horizons.

 

SimpleMepis sounds ok. I haven't used kde in a few years though. Guess I'll take cybr's advice and put FC4 on. According to the new LF mag, yum has been updated to work a little different, and much faster.

 

Later I'll put on something else alongside FC4, where everything works right off, just for comparison purposes. I've never had 2 distros on one machine... would they share the same /home ?

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