Is openSuse a good choice for Thinkpadders?

I'm needing Linux to use a simple, academic, program. I'll probably also use it for learning a bit of the Unix shell's functions. But still, nothing special.
I was thinking of using some sort of virtualization, to have Linux running on top of Windows Vista.

Can anyone recommend me a good software for this (I'm using Vista x64)? Also, I was thinking of installing openSuse. Is it a good choice? Is it easy to find the appropriate drivers (I'd like to be able to use my 1920x1200 resolution)?
One last thing, usually, in Vista, my RAM usage is around 3.2 GB. Will I have sufficient RAM to use (and change) both Operating System fast?

Thanks.

By the way, I'm using the Thinkpad in my signature.

 

I would recommend Ubuntu 8.10
You can run it in VMware player.
about linux on thinkpads look here http://www.thinkwiki.org/wiki/ThinkWiki

 

I would agree with eney to try Ubuntu if this is your first linux dive, that being said, since your running as a virtual machine you have a lot of room to fool around and try out different distributions.

Virtualbox is also a good option to run it in, and has some nice features like mouse integration, and even visual integration, between physical and virtual machines.

 

For starters, I'd say Microsoft's Virtual PC or VMWare are the best options for a virtual machine. The latter may actually provide a better Linux install experience (VPC has given me trouble with Linux in the past - once with Open SUSE 9.0 as I recall). Aside from that, the only difference I've noticed is that VMWare looks like it loads all of it's own network protocols and services whether you're running it or not. VPC appears to piggy-back on what is already running as part of your normal Microsoft environment.

As far as Linux goes, I think you've got a couple of options:

1. Ubuntu. As others suggested, it comes fully featured on installation and does a great job of setting up your hardware. You will still have to track a couple of things down, I'm sure, but Ubuntu will get you about as close to finished as any. The downside is you end up with a whole lot of stuff you may not need or want. While Ubuntu is easier for a new Linux user, it also carries with it a lot of overhead, which may or may not be a concern for you.
2. Xubuntu. It's all the great taste of Ubuntu with less calories. It's basically a trimmed down version of Ubuntu, but maintains the great hardware support. If you're primarily interested in running the one particular application and practicing/getting familiar with various unix-style command line operations, this would be a great option for that.
3. Gentoo. It's probably mean to even suggest this one to a new Linux user. If you want to actually *learn* Linux, I can think of no better way than to walk your way through the fantastic documentation provided to compile (yes, you compile it yourself) and set up a Gentoo environment. I'm hardly more than a Linux n00b myself, but Gentoo is easily one of my favorite distros. The documentation is second to none, holding your hand every step of the way, and you end up with a very lean Linux environment tailored to your every preference and nothing else. Even if you don't opt for Gentoo, I'd recommend trying it on a second virtual machine.

 

Just to be precise, Xubuntu is not exactly a trimmed-down version of Ubuntu. Xubuntu uses a different window-manager, XFCE, instead of Gnome - which is used in Ubuntu. XFCE requires less resources than Gnome and is smaller which is why Xubuntu is potentially faster - it's a better choice in older machines or if you just prefer XFCE. I wouldn't say it comes with less software than Ubuntu, most of the basic software remains the same, the change is being in using XFCE tools to manage the systems vs. Gnome tools.

To the OP, 3.2GB RAM is more than sufficient, you can probably afford to allocate 1024RAM to your virtual machine, which is more than enough to run most Linux distributions.

Again I would suggest Virtualbox over VMWare, in terms of what you will be using it for, Virtualbox is more friendly towards newbs and a lot smaller. VMWare is more feature-rich; however most of this is orienteered towards professionals who have very advanced needs in the workplace.

 

Get Virtualbox!

VMware Workstation (and other paid versions) is better for professionals but is expensive.

The only other program that rivals VMware is Virtualbox. Virtualbox would be better for you because it is free in cost. If you want to run a Linux guest on a Windows host, Virtualbox is your best free choice. VirtualPC is only good for running Windows, but VMware and Virtualbox are generally better for that too.

 

No, VirtualPC can run Linux as well. It is not just made for Windows OS'es. Also, there is a free version of VMWare as well - at least there was the last time I used it.

I might consider VirtualBox if the host system were Linux, but on Windows, I'd stick with VirtualPC or VMWare.

 

Just out of curiosity, what difference does the host OS matter?

I've had no troubles w/ Virtualbox in Windows or Linux. In terms of bloat and simplicity it beats VMWare in my book.

The free version of VMWare, VMWare Player, does not allow you to create your own machines (as far as I know). You need to buy, or use the trial version of VMWare Workstation to create machines (again, someone inform me if I am misinformed).

 

When you could order ThinkPads with Linux, Lenovo used Suse. They most have liked it.

 

If you are real new to Linux and want to get you feet wet real quickly, then I suggest going with the latest version of Ubuntu(i.e 8.10). Then once you have used that for a while, feel comfortable with it and then feel like you want to learn more about linux/want a greater challenge I would go with Debian or Gentoo. I agree with Rich, Gentoo has great documentation and their forum is awesome. The members are very nice and very sharp to boot. I disagree that Gentoo's documentation is hand holding. I think it is very well written and I wish more documents were written like it(i.e. not using shortcuts and assuming the reader knows what the writer is talking about). Gentoo is very detailed and will require you a lot of time to get things up and going, but you really do learn a lot. I really love Debian as well. Talk about clarity of thought in their package manager(APT) design !

I gave up on Gentoo for a while since it took me too much time to set it up, and went for Debian instead. Now I will keep one machine with Debian and and getting the itch to play with Gentoo again.

 

That's actually what I meand by "hand holding". The Gentoo documentation really does provide a thorough, step-by-step experience. Also, I'm referring directly to the Gentoo installation guides. Overall it was a great experience for me with what is actually a very involved process.