A question about Linux

[rendy]

I was wondering, whats the real difference between Linux and Unix, they're the same. No???
Because in Linux, when you enter a console, it seems to be Unix in a small window. No??
Also i heard that the difference is that Unix is expensive, and Linux is Free, is it true????
If somebody could answer those questions it would very nice.
Also, I would like to know which distribution is the best, the easyest to install and use, for a beginner between those distributions :
Red Hat
Mandrake
Suse
Slackware
FreeBSD
OpenBSD
??????
Thanks a lot for all the help that you can give.
Bye, see you later.

rendy
P.s.: Sorry, I know, those questions aren't really about programation, but I didn't knew where to put them on the Forum. Sorry:( .
Bye.

[sicarius]

Linux is very close to Unix, but not the same. Linux is basically a clone of the Unix operating system, but has some differences. I won't go into detail here, but there is a standard called POSIX to which most Unices conform to, well Linux conforms to that standard too, and in some ways is even more compliant than certain Unix variants.
As to your next point...it depends on how much you know. The safest bet would be to say Red Hat. I think Red Hat is the easiest distro to install, and it does a very good job about probing hardware. I myself like Debian...and while it is true that it only takes about half an hour to install the base system, you are pretty much going to have to recompile the kernel, config your hardware, and all kinds of other stuff you probably can't do. Anyway, in the end it probably won't make much difference.

[Bradmont]

Redhat or Mandrake would be the easiest to install, but Debian is the easiest to use (/me hugs apt). You don't really need to compile your own kernel, you can apt-get kernel upgrades, and the current Debian kernels are quite nice (modules for everything, initrd booting, and available with optimisations for every archetecture). A number of people here use Debian, and we'd all be happy to help, either on the borard or on IRC.

[sans-hubris]

Here's the reason Linux is not UNIX(R), UNIX is copyrighted by The Open Group (ironic, isn't it?) It takes money (and lots of it) to be able to call something UNIX(R), otherwise it's still just a clone. Even the various free *BSDs cannot, technically, be called UNIX even though they all have their roots in BSD UNIX.

That's the real reason Linux is not UNIX. Windows, if Microsoft so wished to pay the money and get the POSIX compliance, could call Windows UNIX(R).

[rendy]

Ok, thanks a lot for all your help:) .
I'm interested about Debian, but its seems to be quit hard to install(recompile the kernel?!:eh: )...
Actually i've got Mandrake 8.2 on my other computer, and it was easy to install, and easy to use.
So, i'm just trying to which distribution would be the best one.
Could you tell some stuff about compiling the kernel with Debian(like: Why? When? How? How and where can I get new kernels? Etc...).
Thanks a lot for all the help that you can give.
Bye, see you later.

rendy

[scanez]

Originally posted by rendy
Ok, thanks a lot for all your help:) .
I'm interested about Debian, but its seems to be quit hard to install(recompile the kernel?!:eh: )...
Actually i've got Mandrake 8.2 on my other computer, and it was easy to install, and easy to use.
So, i'm just trying to which distribution would be the best one.
Could you tell some stuff about compiling the kernel with Debian(like: Why? When? How? How and where can I get new kernels? Etc...).
Thanks a lot for all the help that you can give.
Bye, see you later.

rendy
Umm...you DON'T have to recompile the kernel during the install or anytime if you don't want to. If you do want to, you would do it just as with any other distro (download it from kernel.org and compile it) or use apt-get to install a new one. But of course, you DON'T have to do it if you don't want to ;)

[rendy]

Thanks a lot for you help:) , i'll see for Debian... :)
Bye, see you later I hope.

rendy

[Solean]

Redhat is the best for a beginner.