Thursday, February 28, 2013

What is the best type of linux for a beginning programmer?

Q. I just started software developing at ASU and my teacher recommends using linux over windows but I've seen all different formats and i don't know which one is the best to start off with i would be dual booting with vista 64 bit

A. For developing I would go with one of the technical distributions such as slackware or gentoo. The only thing is they are not only very UNIX-like, they are tough to wrap your brain around generally. Mark Shuttleworth, who started Ubuntu, got his start on Slackware.

Generally I would go with one with a KDE desktop. XFCE4 is nice -- that's my preferred desktop -- however KDE has a LOT tools which make programming easier. And slackware of course offers KDE and XFCE4 as its default desktops. It does not offer GNOME.

The downside of Ubuntu and its derivatives is that one of the innovations of Ubuntu is precisely that it does not offer easy access to the GNU tools, including GCC and make and gdb -- the debugger. You have to go to synaptic or open a terminal and type "sudo apt-get build-essential".

The technical linuxes, Debian, Slackware, Fedora, Gentoo -- or Linux from Scratch -- demand that you get comfortable with the command line. Nevertheless, even for a beginning programmer, I would precisely say that those are the best type of Linux -- or let's face it, GNU/Linux -- for a beginning programmer.

Also, Debian and Fedora have live CDs available, while you can get A taste of Slackware (though they don't say so) using dyne:bolic ( http://www.dynebolic.org ) or slax ( http://www.slax.org ) both of which are live cds. Therefore you can try them without installing them on your hard drive yet at all -- highly recommended.

How do you build your own motherboard and Operating System from scratch?
Q. Hello i am going to make my own computer from scratch so i need to know some information on how to make an Operating System (Without basing it from some other one, though i want it to look like Snow Leapord), and how to make my own Mother/Logic Board. If any processors will be used they will be made by INTEL. Also i would like to know any proggrams or parts i will need to buy for this mission.

Thanks,
Tech

A. (blue links below you can click on)

I think the reason you want to build a custom motherboard, is most likely that you want a board that will fit in a PVR case or a DVD player case. But, why waste years trying to develop one, when you can just buy a Mini ATX off the shelf?
http://www.johnfatica.com/custom-home-theater-pc-htpc

If you really need a custom MotherBoard, maybe contact either:
Asus: 1-888-678-3688 - http://livesupport.asus.com
Intel: 1-408-765-8080 - http://intel.com/support/feedback.htm?group=desktop
or some other company that builds them.
http://search.yahoo.com
http://yellowpages.com


I can imagine that building your own operating system (OS) is easier.

Linux is a great start for making operating systems:
http://susestudio.com (Custom Linux OS)
http://nimblex.net (Custom Linux OS)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_C (Custom OS)

Check this out too, its not finished:
http://reactos.org

Here's another program:
http://python.org

What linux distribution do you recommend?
Q. If you want to learn how to adminster Linux systems properly, not simply for use as a Windows replacement?

A. This are the most common distros. I DON'T RECOMMEND ANY OF THIS to learning linux at sysadmin level:
Red hat (or centos or fedora)
Ubuntu (or Mint)
Suse

All those distros are designed to be user friendly and easy.

You need a distro that keeps configuration plain and simple, instead of trying to hide it with a nice gui.
I RECOMMEND YOU:
Arch Linux
Gentoo
linux from scratch

I have used archlinux myself, and I can tell you is really easy to learn AND does not hide any of its configuration using guis.

Archlinux has a GREAT wiki, so, even if you are going to configure all by yourself, you'll have great step-by-step guides.
I don't recommend you archbang or sabayon, since they hide their configuration, and its not what you want (You want to learn!)

And that's it. I'll leave you with this from the arch linux wiki:

Whereas many GNU/Linux distributions attempt to be more user-friendly, Arch Linux has always been, and shall always remain user-centric.
Arch Linux targets and accommodates competent GNU/Linux users by giving them complete control and responsibility over the system.
Arch Linux users fully manage the system on their own. The system itself will offer little assistance, except for a simple set of maintenance tools that are designed to perfectly relay the user's commands to the system. Arch developers do not expend energy re-inventing GUI system tools; Arch is founded upon sensible design and excellent documentation.
This user-centric design necessarily implies a certain "do-it-yourself" approach to using the Arch distribution. Rather than pursuing assistance or requesting a new feature to be implemented by developers, Arch Linux users have a tendency to solve problems themselves and share the results with the community and development team â a "do first, then ask" philosophy. This is especially true for user-contributed packages found in the Arch User Repository â the official Arch Linux repository for community-maintained packages.



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