On Sat, 1 Nov 2003 16:52:19 +1100 "Alper Ciftci" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> My purpose is to run mathematical & scientific software free. Of course > office programs as well, but teaching software is my preference. Noted. <snip> > I have a few questions: > > 1. Which distribution will be the best for me I would not usually recommend Debian for a Linux newcomer, but since you want mathematical and scientific software Debian may well be the best bet. I say that because Debian is the only distribution which has software like Maxima (symbolic maths), Octave (numerical stuff) and a whole bunch of other math/sci software available as pre-compiled packages. On other distributions, you may have to compile from source code which is not always easy. > 2. If I select any of the distributions can I install any linux > application from the net? If you install from source code then yes. Binaries are sometimes installable across multiple distributions but there can be problems. > Or is there any restriction that an application > will only work on redhat and not slackware etc. > 3. Can I install multiple versions at the same time to test and > evaluate which version is best for me? That depends on the application. Some applications allow more than one version to be installed others don't. Debian goes to a lot of trouble to allow multiple versions of packages. > 4. If possible can I meet with anyone to do the installation process > together? I have fast internet and a burner. Can download anything. What is your location. Someone Debian literate may be nearby. Erik -- +-----------------------------------------------------------+ Erik de Castro Lopo [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Yes it's valid) +-----------------------------------------------------------+ "In civilian equipment, such as computers, the number of components alone makes miniaturization essential if the computer is to be housed in a reasonable-sized building." Electronics Oct. 1, 1957, p. 178 -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group - http://slug.org.au/ More Info: http://lists.slug.org.au/listinfo/slug
