2 closely related questions. sorry for being so wordy but I want to
understand the range of linux as a field and the way things are done here
Given that there are different major groupings of linux distributions
(Red Hat, Debian, ....), and that different release versions are not directly
comparible (like RH 6.1 vs. LM 7.0 which I understand to be basically
comparible--using the same kernel revision, similar versions of major
components like X-windows, etc.), I have noted that there are also different
versions of the same release (ex: Linux-Mandrake 7.1 "download" and retail
versions). Just what, how much, etc. difference exists between the LM 7.1
download version, the LM 7.1 disk that recently appeared in Maximum Linux
magazine, and the retail version (besides the magazine having a single disk)?
I know the retail version will have four CDs from having followed earlier
discussions in newbie (and a deluxe retail version with extra apps & such)
[admitedly I missed a week due to vacation just before Maximum Linux Aug/Sept
2000 came out]. I recently purchased LM 7.0 Deluxe and installed it. I'm
wondering how much I can expect out of upgrading to 7.1 from the magazine
disc vs. the retail vs. learn with what I have and upgrade later. And then
there is the question of the bugs in the new version and when they will be
removed, since the download has been around for a while, the retail should
have recently arrived on the shelves, and I don't know just where the
magazine version fits in the scheme of things.
I have a couple of "flavors" of linux to try out, though I have not yet
done so. Just what differences can I expect to see compared to my installed
LM 7.0? What are the differences among the "flavors" of linux like Debian?
[I know that the same thing can be named differently (like a network card
port) among the various distribution types, that some have different things
available (like the update function), that the same function is slicker in
some linux flavors (or versions) than others, and that different families
have compatibility/incompatibility issues (how severe are these?).]
-Gary-
