What Puppy Linux Is Best For you.

When deciding on what Puppy Linux version to use you may want to consider some things. First you will need to consider how much ram, cpu, board type you have. This will determine what puppy operating system you will start with.

• Wary: For Low speck, mainly old computers, wary is a good option. Wary is designed to run best on old computers click here
• Lupu (lucid puppy): This is a good stable operating system and should work on computers 5+ years old.  click here
• Slacko: the latest puppy version should run on newer computers. click here
• Ppuppy431: This is an older version of puppylinux no longer maintained. (back in the days of puppy 431 there was a boom of puplets based on this base). click here  it is still a good stable puppy version. and you can find a good basic set of applications to run on it click here

For an overview of this and other puppy os click here This is a great place to start especially when  deciding on what Puppy Linux os to try.

Puppy Linux is a small operating system that packs a punch. For its small size it has a vast array of apps installed in it, and you can easily install others, or compile them if not available. you can also run portableapps.com applications click here and click here  under option 3 to see how to setup in puppy.

Gparted

All operating systems (os) have a partition. weather its one or several for different things you will find gparted in linux a great tool. I find it excellent way to manage my hdd. You will find gparted in most linux operating systems or as a stand alone cd.

here is a great tutoral on how to use gparted.

GParted partitioning software – Full tutorial.

Linux Mint Basics

Linux Mint is built on ubuntu. so what works on ubuntu works on mint.  My own view is that Linux Mint has more installed stuff than Ubuntu, making it more a more user friendly and customisable operating system (os).

1. Download the latest linux mint os from click here . atm mint 12 is the latest. it pays to keep up with the latest os. this is because the repositories  get updated to the new os ones. and dont work in the older versions any more. click here.  basically repositories are apps and updates they are what you find itn the synaptic package manager aka package manager or software centre. ubuntu also has a long term support version (lts) click here . all the lts version means is that they maintain the repositories for 3 years from release. mint 9 ws the last one and mint 13 will be the next. i prefer LTS so i dont have to keep reinstalling everything all the time.
2. after you have your mint iso you need to run a md5sum. or md5 checksum.click here. when you have a good iso downloaded. you can either burn it to cd or put it on usb (if your computer can boot from usb).
3. to burn an cd you need to remember to burn at the slowest speed you can. this will ensure a more stable burn. after this boot the cd and pres a key you can run the integrity check cd option to verify if you have a good cd.
4. to set up a usb i usually install unetbootin. it can be installed on windows or a number of linux os. click here when run make sure your computer bios is set to boot from usb. i set up usb then cd then hdd in bios.
5. ok now when you have booted the mint os you are able to have a play with it. when ready on the desktop click on the install icon and it will start the install wizard. you will see a window. for mint 12 a tutorial with screenshots etc on how to install click here  you will probably want to choose either of the first 2 options. if you already have an operating system you can install along side if you dont want to keep the os or its a blank hdd you will install full. the other option lets you add delete create partitions etc more for excpert use or of yoiu already have set-up your hdd.

if you want a basic hdd setup here is mine. ( click here for full size)

The above image is gparted a great app for managing the partitions on your hdd. click here for more information.

Choosing Your Linux Operating System

As there are so many different types of Linux operating systems (os) also known as a Linux Distro and it can get quite confusing,

Here are some ideas.

• Think about what you use your computer for.
• Do some research into what os might suite your needs.
• When you have decided on an os Download the .iso file for it and  then burn it to a CD/DVD or you can install to usb flash drives using apps like unetbootin.
• Make sure you set the computer to boot from usb then cd/dvd in bios
• Put the CD, or usb, in and start testing, no install needed
• When you find an os that you are happy withs you can then install it to the hdd or hdd partition.

Also Try and choose an os that has an extensive user base and good documentation. You will find that most have forums, wiki, and community sites which are a good source to find and ask for help. Most Linux os can be run directly from cd, dvd and usb so you can see what they are like before you install.   test a few out and see what you prefer. When you are happy with the os it is usually easy to install to the hard drive (hdd) or a partition on the hdd.
Most if not all Linux os can do the basic things  such as emails, browsing internet, storing and playing your music etc. There are also linux os built for specific tasks or users. so you may find one already setup with the tools you need. Unlike Mac and Windows a good Linux os will have allot of drivers built in to run most of the common, printers, scanners, graphics cards, webcams etc but if they are nto installed a quick ssearch in the os forums will usually turn out where to get them.

Here are the main Linux os I use and recommend to New Linux users (noobs, nobies).

Linux Mint: This was my first Linux operating system I found easy to use. It has support for allot of hardware and can run most things, eg printers, scanners, cameras etc,  without the need for drivers and its easy to find them if you do. Linux mint is great if you want an operating system that has allot of features and feels like windows.  Click here
Puppy Linux: This is a great little os and it has features not found in allot of other linux os. There are now many different versions of puppy Linux all tailored for different needs. I find that puppy linux is good especially if you have an older computer that cant run the more bigger modern os. you can bring that old slow computer back to life. for some basic information Click here.