Linux distributions

[Gopala Krishna]

Is it possible to use two different linux distros on the same system along with win-xp ? Someone told me that though it might be possible, its likely to decrease the performance of system!
I want to try gentoo without spoiling my stable kubuntu(feisty) installation.

[marcel]

Yes, I have used xp + slackware + suse and sometimes xp + slackware + freebsd and sometimes xp + slackware + solaris .

It is just a matter of who's bootloader you use. I've always used LILO, from slackware. Just add the other OS's to /etc/lilo.conf and runu lilo. Of course, grub can handle it too.

Someone told me that though it might be possible, its likely to decrease the performance of system!

That's a lie ! Unless you decrease the performance, a linux distro can't . A computer does only what you tell it to do.

Installing multiple os's is just a matter of having free hard-disk space.

Bottom line, you always have to use the bootloader from one of your linux distros, since XP's bootloader can't be configured that easily. I didn't even tried, although I have read some articles on the internet that stated it was possible.

For me LILO is just fine.

EDIT: just be careful when you create the partitions for the new system. Typically, all you need is a root partition and a swap partition. I always use cfdisk or even fdisk since it gives more control. So try to use those, if you can, not the installer's partitioning utility.
For example, the one from SuSE sucks, so I bet there are other systems just like that.

[Gopala Krishna]

Thanks Marcel, may be i can reserve one partition to try linux distros.

[hgedek]

Iam using SUSE.I tried debian,fedora,ubuntu,gentoo.But I couldnt use them long time as suse.I am happy with it and still using it.

[Tux-Slack]

Is it possible to use two different linux distros on the same system along with win-xp ? Someone told me that though it might be possible, its likely to decrease the performance of system!
I want to try gentoo without spoiling my stable kubuntu(feisty) installation.

It's posible.
But you should rather try some Virtual Machine for testing out distros and you won't mess with anything. VMware, VirtualBox, qemu...

I'm using Slackware 12 on my work-laptop and Slackware 11 on my home file server.
Why Slackware? SSSS.
Stability
Safety
Speed
Simplicity.
In that order.
And because of the great Slack comunity.
Slack 11 on server because I'm to bussy and lazy to upgrade. And it does its job and never had any problems with it.

[Kumosan]

Currently using Gentoo, but this will change soon. I am not directly interested in Linux and I don't want to waste that much time anymore to search the Gentoo forum after each world update to get everything that broke running again.

[Brandybuck]

I needed a Linux on my laptop (because of the necessity to use a closed source proprietary video driver), and due to the lack of time, I put on Kubuntu. Other than knetworkmanager, which I like, the rest of the distro seems rather lackluster and somewhat buggy. When this project is complete, I am thinking about putting on Slackware.

[marcel]

When I started this thread/poll I was also in search for a distribution fit to be installed on a laptop.
I use Slackware on my desktop and never had any reasons to complain,but when I first installed it on my laptop it turned out it did not have any power saving features available.
For example, the cpufreq modules are not automatically loaded and I don't know if they even are compiled(they should be, I'll have to check this). Therefore the CPU was running at full voltage even when it didn't needed to. The videocard can also run in power saving mode, but I can't take advantage of it since nVidia saw fit not to distribute the GeForce Go 8xxxm series drivers themselves, instead they let the laptop manufacturer release them. The worst part is that there's no version for Linux, so I'm stuck with the generic 'nv' driver.

At that moment I turned my head towards SuSE. It seemed really good. I installed the 10.3 release and it had all support I wished for. Unfortunately I realized after using it a little bit that it sucks. KDE was completely modified, you don't know what's what. It doesn't even look like KDE. Basic tools are missing, such as mc. God knows what else was missing, but I didn't want to stay and find out so I quickly uninstalled it(actually installed slackware over it). I wonder if SuSE users really know how a freshly compiled KDE looks like...

So I installed Slackware 12 and I will configure the kernel myself for whatever I will need, whenever I get around with it. It is fast, simple, easy to update and easy to maintain. So I recommend it for a laptop, but only if you have the time to stay and configure it.

[Brandybuck]

So I installed Slackware 12 and I will configure the kernel myself for whatever I will need, whenever I get around with it. It is fast, simple, easy to update and easy to maintain. So I recommend it for a laptop, but only if you have the time to stay and configure it.

I am thinking of dumping this Kubuntu and putting Slackware on my work laptop. My requirements are simple, but too simple for today's complicated *nix world. A fairly minimalist base install, decent package management, vanilla KDE, and open source drivers for my hardware. Slackware doesn't have decent package management, and hoping for open source drivers is still as delusional as it was ten years ago. Oh well. Slack still comes closest.

[wysota]

I heard Windows has got good hardware drivers

[marcel]

Wysota, you are ruining my Linux distributions poll!

[wysota]

Why so? I didn't add a "Windows" option, did I? And I even voted in your poll!

[marcel]

I was joking :|.

Why so? I didn't add a "Windows" option, did I?

If you add it, probably will get the most votes.

[wysota]

Cheer up, it's not that bad.

[Brandybuck]

I heard Windows has got good hardware drivers

When I repartitioned my Thinkpad, I discovered that I didn't have any of the necessary Windows drivers. They were all on the "recovery" CD, when when you recover it will undo your partitions. So I had to hunt down and find wifi/video/touchpad drivers on my own. Definitely not user friendly.

[wysota]

Maybe Windows detected BSD partitions and gave you something extra for them being there? I lost my partition table a few times thanks to format.exe present on Windows installation CD that formated the first partition starting from block 0 instead of 1...

[Brandybuck]

It's just that the recovery CD reformats the entire harddrive, regardless of partitioning.

[ucntcme]

I use Gentoo at home (and Mac), and RHEL at work. Without regard to which is "best", if you are going to poll and claim "veteran" distributions, you can't put any Ubuntu up without listing Red Hat. Not disparaging any of the *buntus, of course.

[jay]

Dear All,

We are running our Server application in Slackware. This server application doesn't have GUI. Its running fine now. Do you feel any other distribution supports better by considering more user connection. please give your views.

Thanks in advance.

[MTK358]

Arch Linux, because it's fast, customizable, and doesn't hide anything.

I don't use Windows any more