Looking for a new distro

[liquidzoo]

I am in the process of looking for a new distro for my laptop. I had Mandrake 9.0 installed on there, but I really want to try something new. I am keeping Mandrake 9.1 on my desktop, but I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations.

 

Here are a few things that I would like:

 

KDE 3.1(.1 ot .2?)- (I realize that there are other choices, but this is what I'm used to)

RPM package capability (I use urpmi way too much), failing that; a means to install or update software graphically.

Decent configuration options (I would prefer them to be graphical, I don't know enough to edit all of the config files myself)

A good partitioner in the installer (so I can create the partitions I want)

Graphical installation isn't necessary, but it would be nice.

 

Sounds like I just described Mandrake and Red Hat, but I was wondering if there were any more out there that I may have overlooked.

 

Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

edit: to update some of the things I am looking for.

[liquidzoo]

One more thing, for now at least (I keep thinking of more things)

 

ability to mount ntfs and fat32 drives automatically (like detect and create the /ect/fstab entries during install) would be nice. I know how to do it by editing the file myself, but I would prefer not to.

 

I was thinking about Slackware. Does this have what I'm looking for?

 

Some mini distros I have tried and their downfalls:

 

ArkLinux - Will only install if there is unpartitioned space on the drive, or fully destroy any existing partitions to install itself, and even then; there is no partitioning tool, it creates one giant / partition and installs everything there.

 

Alt Linux - Don't know, wouldn't install at all on my system.

 

Red Hat - Installed, but not really what I'm looking for.

 

Morphix - Runs off of a CD, so that's something new, but can also be installed on a hard drive. The thing I didn't like about it was that my mouse didn't work right off the bat. I probably could have made it work, but that wasn't a good sign for a mini distro in my mind. Perhaps for a more mainstream distro.

 

Anyway, any suggestions would be great.

[pmpatrick]

Suse 8.2 and Libranet 2.8. Neither are free, but you can do an ftp install of Suse if you have broadband. If you want graphical config utilities, Slackware is not for you.

[liquidzoo]

That's just what I'm used to. I would like it, but it's not a necessity.

 

I have looked into Suse and Libranet. I can buy Suse at Borders here in town. If I want to go Debian, there are other distros out there that are free, or at least have ISO's available for download.

[phunni]

Not at all what you described, but if you tried gentoo then you'd quickly (and fairly painlessly) learn all of the config files and how to edit them. It has the advantage of being more optimised for your system and everything should run more quickly and efficiently. The package system is much better than rpms.

 

The only downside is that it takes AGES to install. Also, whilst the install is actually very easy (no matter what anyone tells you) you do need to know how to recompile yuor kernel - also not very difficult, but it might be worth practising a few times with the mandrake sources before you take the plunge

 

It is absolutely free and so is all of the software

 

Worth putting in the effort for an excellent system and learning loads.

 

BTW - if you're going to go through the pain barrier anyway, why not give fluxbox a try insteadof KDE? Again, much faster and, once you're used to it, so much nicer.

 

I know it's tempting to stick with what's familiar, but with a bit of effort, your linux experience could be so much more rewarding

[mtweidmann]

SuSE would be worth consideration

[bvc]

Decent configuration options (I would prefer them to be graphical, I don't know enough to edit all of the config files myself)

If I want to go Debian, there are other distros out there that are free, or at least have ISO's available for download.

Debians are the hardest distro/s to set up. Libranet is the Mandrake of the debians. Just like other non rpm-based distros out of the box, you can use rpm but it'll be the barebone pkgs. You won't get mdk_rpm_tools......but why would you need or want them? ..dpkg/apt has even more options anyway :wink: not to mention over 12,000 pkgs at you disposal in .deb with synaptic/apt-get. If you want these advatages of a debian, Libranet is the only way to go IMO :wink: .....it is expensive though :(

 

Libranet-2.8 is rapidly becoming my first choice :)

[liquidzoo]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I was considering Gentoo, but the fact that I've buggered up every kernel recompile I've ever done (even when I was following DOlson's tutorial) is kind of keeping me away from that option.

 

I may consider Libranet or Suse in the future, when I have some spare cash. Right now, I think I'm going to stick with Mandrake. I installed 9.1 on there last night after I had made a few posts and I think I'm going to stick with it for now. I'm still open to new suggestions from anyone, though. So far, the only thing anyone's mentioned are the major distros. Is soneone out there running a smaller one that he/she (yes, I know there are only 2 she's here) likes?

 

I do have a problem that I ran into after my Mandrake install, but that's for the Laptop forum, though. Look for my newest post there if you're interested or may know the solution.