UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

IM SOOOOOO EXITED. I've decided to the Unix operating system on my computer. Here are my computer spex
15 gig HD
550 mHz P3
192 Meg 133 mHz ram
FAT 32 Partition
Win 98

Couple questions now...
What is the best type of Unix/Linux? Why?
I have heard that FreeBSD is the best? True, not true? Why?
Why is your fav. better than FreeBSD
Can I run Unix/Linux on a FAT32 Partition w/ Windows 98?
If the above is possible, will it cause problems?
I run a 56k modem, is there a place to buy Unix/Linux? Where?

Thank you very much!

KyPeN

Answers:

1) There is no "best type of unix". Take your pick. We all have our favorites.

2) FreeBSD... never used it, couldn't offer an opinion, but I've heard both sides on it, both good and bad.

3) My favorite... Mandrake, currently 7.2. Suse is also excellent in my opinion. For starting out, I'd recommend either of these, and I'd recommend buying the distro off the shelf... (it'll run you around 70 US dollars)

4) You cannot run it on a FAT32 partition. Linux/Unix doesn't work with that type of formatting. However, you can set up your machine to dual boot with Win 98. I'm sitting here typing on a machine with that setup right now. With nearly the same specs as yours.

5) Most distros can be downloaded from their producers... Mandrake, FreeBSD, RedHat, SUSE, ... the list goes on. Sun is another place to check into. But, like i said, I'd recommend getting one off the shelf or from an online retailer.. you'll get some manuals and all the software you'll need, plus all source code and tons of other goodies.

Hope that helps... post again if it doesn't.

I truely appreciate the input. It is great to know that there are places on the internet that will provide info without spam or porn or anything like that. Just a couple more questions

Will Partition Magic do a duel boot with WIN98 and some sort of Unix/Linux operating system?

What type of partition does Unix/Liniux require?

How stable is this partition? (In comparison to FAT32)

Say I decided to partition and hook up Unix. I believe that I read somewhere, that if I make partitions that are 4 gig (might have been 8 gig) or less, that I will save space because of this FAT32 partition?

Am I loosing space on 1 partition with a FAT32 partition with a 15 gig HD?

I heard that if I duel boot, I have to have the OS's on the first 4 gig of the HD. Is there a way to do this without formatting?

Where can I find a document with the major differences between all Unix's and Linux's?

How many dif. Unix/Linux's are there?

How do I make a decision on which OS to go with?

Will I have any problems with a Pentium III processor?

Will I be able to use AOL v.6.0.?

I thank you in advance for your generosity!

JD
AKA
KyPeN

more answers:

1) Personally, I wouldn't mess with Partition Magic to do your dual booting. I'd go with whatever boot manager your linux/unix (*nix) distrobution has. A current copy should set up the boot manager almost completely for you. LILO is excellent.

2) As I said *nix can use a variety of formats. Just partition the drive and let your *nix distro do the formatting.

3) Quite stable... I've never heard any complaints about any type of *nix formatting. (someone please correct me if this is not true, but I have yet to hear of problems with it)

4) Not sure what you mean by that one... I think you are referring to the approx. 8 gig architecture of the FAT32 formatting... it's not a big deal these days. Partition to the size where your heart is content.

5) Umm... no? once again, not sure what you're getting at..

6) False.. you are getting bad information, or outdated at best. There is no truth to that statement to my knowledge. That really doesn't make any logical sense if you think about it.

7) umm... not sure off hand. I don't know if there is a comprehensive comparison of ALL of them.

8) more than you think. There is Solaris (Sun), HP-UX (HP, duh), FreeBSD, Mandrake, Redhat, SuSe, AIX, etc, etc... those are the big ones... there are many others and I'm sure hacked versions that people have created on their own.

9) Decision... all dependant on your wants/needs. I'd suggest Mandrake/Suse to start out with... they're the most user friendly. But it all depends on you personally. I know people that swear by Redhat, and some that swear by Solaris... I swear by Mandrake.

10) PIII processors are fine... I'm a fan of AMD, but that's just stating a preference.

11) Not sure about AOL... I'm sure they probably have a *nix distrobution, but you may want to check into it. I know they have Instant Messenger or some variation of it for Linux, but I'm not sure about the full blown version.

Hope that helps.