Best Distro for FB

Linux specific questions.
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

I just installed Linux Mint 18.3 "Sylvia" XFCE 64bit on a 3 GHz Dual-Core with 4 GB ram. It works like a rocket. Now i would rate this Linux Nr.1.

1. Mint XFCE 18.3
2. other Mints (Cinnamon, KDE, Mate)
3. Kubuntu

The difference between the four Mint-Versions is not very big, but seems XFCE is the fastest.

Naturally i installed FB first.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# install_freebasic64.bash

# download freebasic64 from:
# https://www.freebasic-portal.de/downloads/aktuelle-compiler/freebasic-1-05-0-fuer-linux-x86-64-377.html

# install FreeBasic 1.05 64bit
cd ~/downloads/FreeBASIC-1.05.0-linux-x86_64
sudo ./install.sh -i

# update system
sudo apt-get update

# install dependencies
sudo apt-get install gcc libncurses5-dev libffi-dev libgl1-mesa-dev
sudo apt-get install libx11-dev libxext-dev libxrender-dev libxrandr-dev libxpm-dev

# install geany and  kchmviewer for use with geany
sudo apt-get install geany kchmviewer
Works like a rocket.

What do you think is the best Distro for FB and why?
Dinosaur
Posts: 1478
Joined: Jul 24, 2005 1:13
Location: Hervey Bay (.au)

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by Dinosaur »

Hi All

I have 18.3 Cinnamon installed both on my laptop and Industrial Fitlet pc, and I really can't fault it.
Some of the pre-loaded items are missing (Like Gedit) but they are easy to install afterwards.
I love the TimeShift application.
But the default for not ignoring touchpad whilst typing is still a proper Pain.
Must look where to set that again.

The hardest job was to safeguard Cinnamon from "well intentioned" operators in factories.
These use Touchscreens and a Mouse pad as a backup.
In the end I used CryptKeeper and moved all the Icons into the protected area, then removed
the Taskbar and Menu and disabled Right Click on the touchpad.
So now they can only use the Icons that I leave on the screen for them.

From all the reading I have done I don't think I would touch KDE, as it seems to have more difficulties
handling certain applications.
Still, their claim that you should never have to go to the "Black Screen" is a bit ambitious.

Regards
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

Dinosaur wrote: Still, their claim that you should never have to go to the "Black Screen" is a bit ambitious.
The "Black Screen" is Terminal, i suppose. Where it would be questionable if it is really an advantage to do everything with a GUI. Somethings are still quicker and easier done at the prompt, like the installation script with apt-get above. While Windows has thrown out DOS long ago, short after the Millenium, AFAIK, Linux will always stay with its Terminal.

Although today it is possible to to almost everything menu-driven without ever go to the prompt.

The only annoyance at installation would be with the drivers for Nvidia graphics cards which always must be installed manually. But this is hardware dependent and the same with all distros.
jj2007
Posts: 2326
Joined: Oct 23, 2016 15:28
Location: Roma, Italia
Contact:

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by jj2007 »

lizard wrote:While Windows has thrown out DOS long ago, short after the Millenium, AFAIK, ...
DOS prompt works as it always did on current Win10.
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

Yes, as "command prompt window". What i mean is, before DOS was base-layer, like in Win 3.1, one had to install DOS first and then Win on top of it. At one point DOS was thrown out as base-layer. :-)
speedfixer
Posts: 606
Joined: Nov 28, 2012 1:27
Location: CA, USA moving to WA, USA
Contact:

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by speedfixer »

My choice is Lubuntu.
Fast, lightweight, fairly minimal on install. Very few junk 'features' and programs. Access to full Ubuntu repositories. Works with almost any system. I have many old and new systems. (Just retired some 12+ year old systems - not for performance, only because I had free/retired mutli-core systems available.)

You CAN do everything in gui, but where is the fun it that? You can't be afraid to learn if you use Linux and FB - unless you hate MS that much.

If you are only on touch laptops, a more touch freindly Linux would be better.

The compile/test/re-edit process works faster for me with geany to edit/manage files(projects) with a console for compiling and testing.

Drivers for Nvidia can be installed from the synaptic gui, no problem. At least five years for me. Granted, multiple, stable monitors have never been easy, but I have it all worked out, now. 3 monitors on one machine. There are many things that took a LOT of digging to learn/relearn. (tears of ... joy? frustration? relief?) But easy now. Just ask.

david
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

Now i have installed Lubuntu 17.10.1 64bit on another partition. First impression is, it is similar like Mint XFCE, although Lubuntu seems to be a tick faster.

To replace office with Abiword and Gnumeric seems to be a good idea. They are quick and lean, no need for a bloated Libre- or Open Office. I only used writer and calc, never the others.

Installed Pinta as replacement for windows Paint.net and Geany.

So far there is all i need. Would be interesting what is the difference internally.
speedfixer
Posts: 606
Joined: Nov 28, 2012 1:27
Location: CA, USA moving to WA, USA
Contact:

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by speedfixer »

For most of the 'buntu's - the difference is mostly the desktop and helper apps. Server versions are 'tuned' completely differently and don't count for this discussion.

I have not found a difference in the kernels.
While Lubuntu usually starts with an older kernel, most newer kernels have always worked. While my system says 16.04, my kernel is 4.13

If you like Lubuntu (or another distro) I recommend that you stay with the previous or recent LTS.
With the non-LTS, you probably won't get anywhere near the updates, especially on the apps. Nobody cares. non-LTS versions are test versions for the coming LTS. About the only time you might choose a non-LTS for a reason would be if you have very new, as-yet-unsupported hardware.
Nearly every non-LTS 'buntu in recent years had major broken pieces that weren't fixed before the next LTS was very stable. If you want to work on Linux stability and learn more that way, then stay with the non-LTS. (Lubuntu stays a little more convservative than Ubuntu, usually.)

Currently, especially with the Spectre and Meltdown keeping everyone focused on what are thought to be unfixable flaws, I would only want to have updates that reflect a more tested, sane approach.

Lubuntu especially is intended to work on much older hardware and still deliver performance.
My 'cluster' at home are all donated, retired systems; I can bring 17 systems online at any moment. 48+ cores at the moment. (My son takes care of systems for a wide circle of friends.) We only worry about keeping his(8 core) and my(6 core) desktop current, along with the TV computer(12 core). We sometimes act as a render farm for some of his friends. He also has a website and some services he hosts.
I have never had to search for a driver.

The desktops and apps are the biggest differences all in the distros.
Personally, I want the system to be quick. The shift in attitude and performance from everyone, including Linux, as WinXP was retired has been terrible. Everyone wants the next hot thing in/on their desktop. They all have a cost.
My son feels Lubuntu has too many things left out.
I feel: if I want it, I can get it.
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

Thats my opinion, too. What is the purpose of an OS if not speed and staying in the background itself? Better not to have to much installed as default. Later its easy to choose the needed from repository.

Then you end up with a minimal installation with 4 - 7 GB on HD. Problems often arise from not enough RAM. With Cinnamon i had problems with 2 GB after a while. It slows down and maybe completely crashes. I suppose XFCE or LXDE will work better on that machine.

Here with 4 GB everything is fine. But i stll don't want to wait seconds for an office to fire up.
Dinosaur
Posts: 1478
Joined: Jul 24, 2005 1:13
Location: Hervey Bay (.au)

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by Dinosaur »

Hi All

Have some empathy with beginners to Linux.
When you first start looking (if you weren't a Dinosaur from the Dos era) the Terminal reminds you of the Blue Screen of Death on Windows.
So, you go looking for the most user friendly, cover everything , prominent easy to install.
Then as a last resort before you make your mind up you go looking at the Forum's.
What a difference you see there, Mint gets tons of replies lots of questions to browse through, and then the killer. It is based on Ubuntu.
So, you can go to Mint Forum OR Ubuntu.

I am not defending Mint , but rather looking through the eyes of a beginner.
Perhaps when I get a lot more comfortable with Terminal commands, I will use a really minimized Linux on my Industrial machines.
But at the moment having the same environment on my Laptop makes it easy to learn on one and implement on the other.

Regards
badidea
Posts: 2586
Joined: May 24, 2007 22:10
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by badidea »

I started using Linux with Ubuntu 10.04 (LTS), which used Gnome 2 for the desktop / user interface. It was awesome.

Then Gnome 3 happened, which was not so awesome, Ubuntu switched to their own Unity user interface, which did not start awesome either.

Bad times. I kept trying both and alternatives. Even tried 'non-buntu's' with KDE and non-LTS buntu's. Both bad experience for me as well. I settled on XFCE (for LTS 12.04 and 14.04).

Now I have been running Ubuntu MATE (16.04 LTS) for the last ~2 years. I like a lot, but not sure how it performs on older hardware. One of the main reasons I use Ubuntu MATE is the default graphical file manager. Other file managers (except what KDE uses), seem made for idiots. (Others probably say the all graphical file managers are for idiots).

Soon (April) LTS 18.04 will arrive, that will be a time for re-evaluation.
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

I remember long time ago in computer-stoneage last millenium i used to try a few distros from time to time. Slackware and Suse already existed, but many others are gone or changed its name.

In one distro it was possible to change the windowsmanager. One of them was "enligthenment" which i remember because of the name. So i ask myself why this is not possible anymore? Then all these distros could be reduced to a few or even one. Because the Kernels are always the same.

In the .iso files and the burned dvds there is always a lot of space free, more than 50%. On the other hand it seems to be diificult to get a installation disk below 650 MB so that it fits on a cd. All this squander almost hurts. :-)
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

In the above FreeBASIC installation script i have forgotten the automatic download:

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# freebasic64.bash

# install wget if not already done
sudo apt-get install wget 

# download freebasic64, unpack and install:
wget https://www.freebasic-portal.de/dlfiles/674/FreeBASIC-1.05.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
tar -xvzf FreeBASIC-1.05.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
cd FreeBASIC-1.05.0-linux-x86_64
sudo ./install.sh -i
cd ..

# update system
sudo apt-get update

# install dependencies
sudo apt-get install gcc libncurses5-dev libffi-dev libgl1-mesa-dev
sudo apt-get install libx11-dev libxext-dev libxrender-dev libxrandr-dev libxpm-dev

# install geany and kchmviewer for use with geany
sudo apt-get install geany kchmviewer
Saved as freebasic64.bash and made executable, you have Geany ready to compile and execute the result on Mint XFCE 64.
marpon
Posts: 342
Joined: Dec 28, 2012 13:31
Location: Paris - France

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by marpon »

@ lizard

thanks for the script, unfortunately a bit late for me, i've installed freebasic on mint xfce 64 ... 3 weeks ago!

that kind of script can help a lot people like me beginning with linux (coming from windows)...
at list it gives a good tutor to understand how to do these operations


More generally i'm also testing a nice distribution porteus, very light less than 250Mb iso file, can be installed on disk or ubs stick,
work in memory only also... no application, even no webbrower, but easy to install firefox

very minimal modular system, i'm using the mate 64 version
if app module not existing , a system tool can convert debian or unbuntu or others to that .xzm module

i've just installed gcc ,freebasic and geany all i need for c and freebasic
lizard
Posts: 440
Joined: Oct 17, 2017 11:35
Location: Germany

Re: Best Distro for FB

Post by lizard »

marpon wrote: that kind of script can help a lot people like me beginning with linux (coming from windows)...
I believe no one gets FreeBASIC installed so quick on Windows. :-)

While googleing i found this page were ubuntu-isos are ready to be burned even on Mini-CD (these small cds with 8 cm diameter which are seldom used):

https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Insta ... /MinimalCD

They have reduced image size to 58 MB! But a Mini-CD has 210 MB. Then we end again with a Mini-CD with more than 50% space unused...
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