windows to linux, which distribution to use?

[Orion001]

hey guys, i have used windows all my life, i have a bit of programming knowledge (hardly any on linux though) and I now would like to get a linux distribution of some sort. I have 2 pc's, one running Vista, the other using XP (but its an old, slow machine).

Details that I would like for the distribution to use, a error-free installation, meaning i dont want to have to manually change files etc, just a (GUI) installation that has no bugs.
I would like to run it from a live CD or Dual Boot, but i dont know which type to get, i see things like 'i686' and 'x86_64' but have no clue what they mean :S
As i am a newb to linux, i would also like it to be easy to use when i start (eg. with GUI's), but also allow me enough room as i expand in my programming knowledge
From this I thought PClinuxOS or Fedora was a good choice?

I hope im not asking 4 too much :S any help/suggestions are greatly appreciated

thanks

[old_red_boots]

i would recomennd you ubuntu. It's very easy for begginners ( i have it) it is a dvd live. if yor computer doesn't have dvd reader maybe you can find it in cd also but i'm not sure.
BTW,i think the numbers of the distros x64 and all that things refer to the type of machine you have (32 or 64 bits) and the number x86 i dont know if it is only a version number or if it refers to the processor of the machine. Anyway, i recommend you to ask in the forums of that distribution.

edit: if ubuntu takes a lot of recurses you may try SLAX (any of them). it has very little requiriments, and it is available in cd live. if you know how, you can even run it from an usb stick!
if you had never been with linux i think fedora isn't a good idea. About PClinuxOS, i haven't tried it so i don't know

[Orion001]

thanks, ill try ubuntu first. I looked around the forums and found most people think that ubuntu is for newbs at linux, which is perfect for me I might consider changing later on when I know more about linux

Also thanks for the help on the x684 stuff, you were right

[Orion001]

OK, now I have ubuntu, but finding the whole setup for the wireless connection very difficult, and ive been trying for over a day now >:(
any1 know how to fix it? im running ubuntu 8.04, wireless broadcom b43 (or was it 34?) and my desktop is too far to move to a wired area
sorry that this question doesnt really tie in with the whole thread, but im really annoyed now.. thanks for any help/links.

[InFeh]

Is the issue related to lacking drivers, or can you simply not connect to the network?

To see if you need a proprietary driver, select System(top left corner), Administration, Hardware Drivers. If there's nothing to select, there is no proprietary driver for your network card in the repositories.

Some routers have issues with some wireless cards on Linux when using DHCP, and I recommend you set a static IP(with profile if it's a laptop), in Ubuntu 8.04, you can do this by:

System, Administration, Network(Not to be confused by Network Tools). Check if you have a wireless connection, if you do, unlock the interface by hitting "Unlock" and type in your password. Disable roaming mode for this device, and do an ipconfig on your Windows PC for reference on your settings. You should know what to type in where, as you have programming experience. Good luck.

[myhexhax]

Did you look into NDISwrapper? Also, there are drivers for that Broadcom chipset in the kernel by default now. in the restricted applications repository. (Thanks for the correction The Lieutenant)

[The Lieutenant]

If you use the broadcom chip you should be able to install the b43 driver in the restricted drivers application.

[Orion001]

Thanks, ill check the restricted drivers directory on the cd. Hopefully it should work. Thanks for your help guys. Ill post the result here once i try it, in the next 10hrs. I have heard of NDISwrapper, and I will try that if the driver file doesnt work for some reason, although id like to not have to rely on other programs to make sure im connected.

I was playing around with different methods, and somehow when I tried to connect to my network, it seemed to find it meaning that it asked for my network key. It did not show any signal strength though, and my network key (ASCII) was not the right length, whats up with that? the 'passphrase' option allowed my to click 'connect', I didnt bother with the hexadecimal version, and the Ascii wouldnt allow me to click connect with the length of my network key (although it allowed all of it to be entered, its only 10 charcters long). Anyone know why this is?

I am going to reinstall ubuntu to see if I can get it to connect from scratch

[Orion001]

Hmm, I havent been able to find any drivers :S
I found and installed the b43-fwcutter, (I didnt click find and extract firmware though..), and basicly tried to install everything from the cd (never clicking the extract firmware option - it requires internet correct? If I do click it, it usually just fails to install the package).

Now ill try wiring it and redo everything again.. *sigh*

[MrVincent]

I had the same problem on my DELL XPS M1530 installing the wifi on Fedora 9. Here's what I had to do to fix it:

Blacklist the b43 and ssb modules in modprobe
Install ndiswrapper and the bcmwl5 driver in ndiswrapper
Run the ndiswrapper module

I played around with it for a few days until I read about ssb, and blacklisting it fixed all.