Thanks. I've switched plenty of distros (like most Linux users I guess). For now, I'm sticking with Debian. I find it quite fast and lean with xfce.
One thing that's frustrated me in the past is that after having been a Windows users for years, I suddenly tried completely switching to Linux without knowing much about the commands and file structure.
I still struggle with app updates and dependencies but I'm trying to switch slowly, one task at a time from XP to Debian.
Do you recommend any books or good manuals? I know I can find loads if I just google it, but that's also been my problem. There's way too much info and it's too annoying to look for one tiny thing in that mass of text.
Yeah, I think every Linux user switches distros over the years to find one that suits them best. It's always interesting (to me) to hear what path others have trod along the way.
I was lucky in that my girlfriend was much more deeply into Linux than I was when I decided to get rid of Windows altogether almost two years ago now. She was a big help. If I didn't know something, I'd just ask her. Unfortunately, I can't offer my girlfriend as a resource. ;-)
Even though I consider myself a geek (and you sound like you are as well), this book, Ubuntu for Non-Geeks, helped me out:
You're lucky with the gf mate. Mine just keeps asking me, "What are these secret clever things you keep doing with the computer?"
The reason I want to move away from Windows is to learn more about how Linux works and use it to do more fun things. I've used Ubuntu a few times and I liked it. But I find because it's deliberately aimed at non-geeks, it has too much fluff.
And that's why I like xfce. It's a really minimal, simple desktop - less distraction for me. You should try it.
And "minimal" here doesn't mean something necessarily aimed at power users like fluxbox, ratpoison or awesome.
I've always thought of xfce as a sort of gnome-lite-- it looks just as pretty and has all the gui toolbars and widgets that you would expect, but uses a tiny fraction of the resources. It's a great desktop environment for laptops and older computers.
One thing that's frustrated me in the past is that after having been a Windows users for years, I suddenly tried completely switching to Linux without knowing much about the commands and file structure.
I still struggle with app updates and dependencies but I'm trying to switch slowly, one task at a time from XP to Debian.
Do you recommend any books or good manuals? I know I can find loads if I just google it, but that's also been my problem. There's way too much info and it's too annoying to look for one tiny thing in that mass of text.
Thanks for your help.