I am running Windows 98 on AMD-K6 3D
processor and 56 MB RAM. I also have NVIDIA
GeForce2 MX/MX 400.
Right now, I am thinking about buying a
second new hard-drive and install Linux on
my new hard-drive.
I am doing this because I thought it
would allow me to learn OpenGL (I’ve just
started writing some very basic OpenGL
programs on Windows, and would like to
get into OpenGL on Linux) on both Windows
and Linux environments.
I wonder if that will work? I am new to
Linux OS and OpenGL APIs. So please provide
me your inputs, suggestions.
I learned OpenGL using glut/OpenGL. I could compile the code on both linux and windows. The multi-platform development actually helped to find lots of bugs that would have gone unnoticed.
Go for it!
For distributions, I recomend Mandrake 8.2. If you get the pay-for version it has all the NVidia OpenGL drivers installed (otherwise you have to do it by hand after the OS install – no biggie really).
i recomend RedHat 7.3 (of course downloaded version since it’s free like in beer)
the driver installation is not that hard
and freshrpms offers apt for RH which makes it very easy to keep it updated
I use mandrake 8.2 its great. It comes with KDevelop use that to code. Your going to have to goto Nvidia.com and down the nvidia drivers to make opengl work. READ THE DOCS!!! Also learn vi and make backup files of all the files they tell you to change. I use linux now more then I use windows(in fact im neaver on windows) its a great OS you’ll love it.
i see all the former win users want mandrake
so i am alone with my rh
but perhaps the problem is that i don’t use kde, c/c++ or any fancy system administration tools
and if you just need the console you don’t need all this mandrake ore suse stuff
but as you see ttya there should be no prob in finding a suitable distro just take a look at http://www.linuxiso.org/