If you want a fairly nice, easy to use DESKTOP Linux for Intel, I'd
suggest Ubuntu. It is super easy to install and comes with most of the
stuff you'd want on a DESKTOP. http://www.ubuntu.com . What I really
liked was the fact that it is a LiveCD, which means I can boot from the
CD without comitting to installing it on a hard drive. If I decide that
I like it (which I did), there is an INSTALL icon on the desktop. Click
it, answer a few question and go for it. Very easy. There is not a zArch
version of Ubuntu.
If you want a SERVER Linux, then I'd choose either Redhat Fedora or
OpenSUSE.
http://fedora.redhat.com
http://en.opensuse.org/Welcome_to_openSUSE.org
Note that Fedora and/or OpenSUSE can be used as a desktop as well. I use
SUSE Linux (10.1 - the last "desktop" SUSE which is not "Enterprise") on
my Athlon64 and IBM Thinkpad. One really, really nice thing is that it
responds to a "tap" on the "power" button by performing a "shutdown -h
now". Why is this nice? Because I've had my KVM switch "mess up" on me
before and leave me without a keyboard. In the past, I had to either
power cycle the machine or use the "interrupt" (NMI) button on my
machine to "crash" Linux. I don't know if this is a part of SUSE or if
all current Intel Linux system have this nice feature.
--
John McKown
Senior Systems Programmer
HealthMarkets
Keeping the Promise of Affordable Coverage
Administrative Services Group
Information Technology
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-----Original Message-----
From: The IBM z/VM Operating System
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Edward M. Martin
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:35 AM
To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU
Subject: Re: Question on LINUX
Hello Paul, Rich, and everyone else,
Thank you for the info.
Is there a site that I could download a z/VM SuSE system?
Or even a SuSE system for a INTEL system?
The basic idea is to get people here comfortable with LINUX (get
them involved).
I have loaded software, proved it works (single user,
trial, etc). Then have gone back to get
the 'REAL' product and re-installed. Usually with much improved
results.
Ed Martin
Aultman Health Foundation
330-588-4723
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
ext. 40441
________________________________
From: The IBM z/VM Operating System
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Paul Raulerson
Sent: Wednesday, January 24, 2007 9:59 AM
To: IBMVM@LISTSERV.UARK.EDU
Subject: Re: Question on LINUX
There are no costs that *have* to be incurred. However, all the
zLinux companies will try their best to get you to buy their Patch/Fix
support. For SuSE that has been less than $5K/year, but I understand the
price has not 'gone up' a bit. Don't have the details at this time, but
I expect they will make something fairly reasonable available.
Once you have a copy up and running it is pretty rare to need to
change it, especially in a production environment. And the system is
solid as a rock, especially under z/VM.
One note - don't expect good support on zLinux from anyone-
including IBM. All of the support people are basically Intel people, and
don't have much of a clue of the difference between DASD and a harddisk
- and no idea about how things like FICON work. SuSE has some really
good people in place who can help out, but getting to them can be a
"challenge."
On the flip side - it is cheap and works really well.
-Paul
