new I need help



Richard,
Welcome to the group, mate! :DNice build, that should run pretty much any distribution that you may throw at it. Just a few quick questions:

1. How much ram are you packing into that beast?
2. What is your experience level? ie Windows, Linux, DOS, Apple, etc.
3. What operating system are you currently using?

There are many distributions up and about these days. To start out, check out DistroWatch .

There is a listing, in the right panel, of the 100 most popular distributions rated by the number of web page hits. If you click on any of them you will see a short description, along with a link to the download page. Check out a couple, and let us know which you would like to "kick the tires" on. We will be happy to assist you in getting it up and running.

One that you may find interesting is Mint Cinnamon. It is very popular with beginners, and old timers alike.

Happy Trails
Paul
 
Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.3 :)

Load the ISO to a USB/thumb drive with rufus or unetbootin....making the thumb drive bootable,

....then boot to that thumb drive and take it for a spin....without installing

if you love it...cool ! If you dont or are not sure...choose another and try out in the same way

You will find the right disto for You
 
Ok, As Condobloke mentioned abve, you can use either rufus or unetbootin to make the boot usb thumb drive image. I have never done this, because I don't use windows, but he, Wiz or Stan can can give you directions on how to accomplish that task. 16Gb will be more than enough. The FX8370 Black edition system that I built for my wife screams with 16Gb and any distro I throw at it, so you should have no problems, mate!

Happy Trails,
Paul
 
Hi I need help choosing a download. I am building a pc with an AMD chipset 470 and a Ryzen 2700, I want to use Linux but have no idea what would be compatible and easy to use for a beginner
Rich
Ryzen..... :) Now THAT is Geek l337 BLING!!..... :) Well, as for Distros, as the others have said, it's really what you want to use, but as for me, I'd reccomend Xubuntu or Lubuntu, or perhaps Linux Lite..... :3 These Distros all have one thing in common: They are light on resource requirements, so that means mo' RAM for your heavy Processes like Virtual Machines, Browsers, Compiling large amounts of Code, etc...... :) :3 (Also, if you want to snap your Program windows to different sides of the screen, use the Super Key [which is otherwise known as the Windows Key], and press one of the four Arrow Keys..... :))
 
Hi Richard, and welcome to the forums! All good advice for you already, but I'm one to always throw my two cents in! :D

It sounds like this will be a fairly high-end system (at least in my world where I run a lot of old junk). If you are going to use mobo onboard video, sound, ethernet/wireless... it would have been nice to have shopped your mobo for Linux compatibility first, but it sounds like it's too late for that. You may be fine, or you may have driver issues... only time will tell now. If you are going to add these devices independently, then by all means try to shop for Linux compatibility first. Keep in mind that all this hardware is designed primarily for the Windows market, and it takes awhile for the Linux devs to catch up sometimes, so the latest-greatest hardware is not necessarily a good thing when you're planning to use Linux.

Your new mobo will also have what is called UEFI firmware (also still called by it's old name: BIOS). Out-of-the-box, the UEFI settings are most likely going to be configured for Windows, as I've mentioned already. Some Linux distros will be able to boot up and install without the need to change UEFI settings, and some are not able and require that you go into the Setup and change some items. We encourage you to try several different Linux distros to find what is most comfortable for you and also what is most compatible with your hardware. It may take a little while to find that right balance that suits you.

As others have mentioned, Linux Mint is a very good choice for beginners. It comes in several editions, with the most popular being Cinnamon and MATE (my own favorite is MATE). Both of these resemble a traditional Windows-like desktop, and Mint is well known for automatically finding and configuring your computer's hardware, but it is not perfect either, so you need to keep that in mind. Linux Mint is capable of booting and installing without changing UEFI settings, so it is a very good place for you to start.

If you want to try a "modern" looking desktop, something quite different from the old Windows style, I'd also suggest the standard Ubuntu Linux distro. Linux Mint is based on Ubuntu, and Ubuntu is also very capable of finding/configuring hardware and also booting/installing in UEFI systems. I say the "standard" Ubuntu because it also comes in many editions (including MATE) and this takes it back to a more traditional look. The Ubuntu standard desktop is called GNOME, but you may not see that when you download it.. For a little lingo clarification: when I say "editions"... they may be more properly called "Desktop Environments (DE's)"... as you will soon discover. But also the DE's can vary from one distro to another, and may vary a lot.

There is other Linux lingo you will need to pick up along the way, but you won't learn everything overnight. So take your time, try out some distros on USB, install some of them (and erase them and install others instead). You'll hit some snags, but just ask and we'll try to set you back on the path. With this new system, when you get to the installation phase... choose "Use Entire Disk" for simplicity (and best to avoid encrypting your home folder or the whole drive while you're learning). But I don't want to get too far ahead of you right now either.

Okay, enough from me. Jump in with both feet and have fun! :D

Cheers
 
Richard what is the capacity of your HDD?

(Wizard appears in a puff of smoke, trips over cabling from Richard's new build, curses)

Do you know if it is MBR or GPT?

Do you know how many Partitions are currently in use, from eg Windows Disk Management?

Cheers

Chris Turner
wizardfromoz ... that means I am from DownUnder so turn my avatar on its head.
 
That is wonderful news, Richard :)

Now if you have not already done so, go to Terminal (Ctrl-Alt-t) and type in and enter the following:

Code:
sudo ufw enable

This is for the Uncomplicated Fire Wall. You will be prompted to enter your password, there will be no movement of the cursor/insertion point (security), then press Enter.

You will be rewarded with output saying that your firewall has been enabled (in real time, no need to reboot) and a small script has been generated that will run at each boot/reboot to protect you.

Cheers, enjoy your Linux, and

Avagudweegend.

Wizard
 

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