# Solved: What is the most popular Linux distribution?



## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

I'm looking to multi-boot between Linux and Windows XP, but I'm not sure what I should use for Linux. To me, it seems like Ubuntu is the most popular one, but I've really got no idea.

Also, is there any simple way to multi-boot that I should know of beforehand?

Thanks


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## reezin14 (Oct 16, 2007)

Fedora and Ubuntu as you mentioned seem to be recommended the most when I asked the same question on the linux forum. I guess its more of a personal preference and what your looking to do with it more than anything.


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

Alright, I think I'll get Ubuntu then. I have a 733 MHZ processor with 384 MB of RAM... will I have any problems running it? Also, what about the multi-boot? I have two hard drives; I'd like one to have Ubuntu on it and the other to keep Windows XP. And does Ubuntu fit on just one CD or should I burn it to a DVD or multiple CD's?


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

A newbie's good food guide in Linux.


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## reezin14 (Oct 16, 2007)

I'll try to answer as best I can(newbie).It looks as though you've the recommended requirements for it to run just fine.Recommended is 500MHz cpu,192Mb of RAM,8GBs of HDD,and a gfx's card capable of 1024 x 768 resolution.Don't quote me on this but I would think you can run it on the second HDD you've, from what I've seen most dual-boot from partition on one drive.As far as the CDs it takes,it looks like it all can be downloaded to one CD/DVD heres a link to help you out a little. GOOD LUCK

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/iso


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

Thanks reezin14 and saikee. Saikee, your guide helped me out a little, but I'm looking for the most popular distribution, not the one that suits me. I only have 6 GB of space on my second hard drive, but it will probably still work. I'm downloading it now.


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

I read somewhere the other day that 30% of Linux users polled run Ubuntu, which makes it the most popular by far and above anything else; and their help forum - http://ubuntuforums.org/ - is the biggest I've ever seen. In my humble opinion the 7.10 version is ready for prime time...


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

The permanent top 100 chart is here

PCLinuxOS has taken over Ubuntu for a few months already. It is a lot friendlier and more close to the mainstream Linux that sets up a "root" password for the installer.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

*pclinux is becoming the os of choice​*Ubuntu has a lot of hype for something that could not recognisee my wireless card
and that has minimise and maximise buttons the size of a house
excuse my creative exaggeration
i found after looking deeply install after install 
suse,ubunto,slack,debin,damsmall,puppy,etc... that pclinux2007 just worked
laptop buttons are an exception
for most destros setting up a wireless connection was like pulling teeth
without plyers
always always always forcing you to go to a console and to the command line
pclinux did not have this problem. You could call pclinux cannibal linux
because pclinux goes and gets what works best from other distributions and combines it with itself in a seamless destro
windows network, no problem 
reading windows partitions, no problem
utube, no problem
installing codecs for video, no problem
wine, no problem
wireless networks no problem
other networks, no problem
desktops,kde gnome icewim,fluxbox,barrel,no problem
java, no problem
pre installed office sweet no problem
changing the desktop no problem
the live cd proves it works on your system but the install works even better
it has great support even thought it docent need it
this was faster for me to learn than xp


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

So should I add the red bit to my signature ?   


> Judge told Linux "You are being charged of murdering Windoze by stabbing its heart with a weapon, what was it? Linux replied "A *PCLinuxOS* Live CD"


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

i like thecolor


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## wizpyindia (Oct 23, 2007)

you can use wizpy a linux portable operating system 

*Here's in short what all wizpy empowers you to do*
Video, Music, Video Downloader, Recording, Memory, Radio, eBook, Carry-along Linux OS

wizpy is the world's only portable multimedia device with a carry-along operating system built in it. One moment it is your your feature-rich personal multimedia player, and the next it is your private, secure, carry-along desktop operating system!

wizpy can keep you entertained with its feature-rich multimedia player. With this classy little device you can listen to audio, watch videos, view images, listen to FM, read text files and record voice. wizpy comes with the exclusive 'wizpy Content Downloader', allowing you to download and view -on your wizpy- online videos from sites like You Tube, and that too with just a single-click! To enrich your multimedia experience, it comes with a crisp 256,000 color OLED display.

wizpy also introduces you to the concept of 'PC 2.0' whereby your operating system is no longer attached to your bulky hardware, but is with you-at all times-on your portable, compact, palm-sized device. With wizpy you can experience the security, freedom and convenience of carrying with you your applications, desktop environment, data, passwords, internet settings, emails, all in your pocket. All these can be accessed anywhere using a PC.



*As a Portable OS offering Personalized Computing Environment*
wizpys Palm-sized personal computer environment offers you a bootable version of Turbolinux operating system which runs straight from the device, enabling connectivity to a personal computer, allowing you to set up your own computer environment.

When wizpy is attached to a computer, it appears to be a bootable USB CD-ROM or hard-disk drive enabling easy booting of the Linux operating system. Once the operating system boots, you have your own personal computer environment through which you can access documents, e-mails and internet, keeping your data confidential and safe.

*As a portable multimedia player when used as a stand-alone*
In addition to Portable OS- for the user on the move, wizpy provides the multimedia features in the standalone mode (when not being used as an OS). wizpy has a 1.7 inch 256,000-colour OLED (organic light emitting diode) screen for viewing text files, pictures and video files. It also has a FM player and a voice recorder to record sound to MP3 files. wizpy comes in a compact 84x42x12mm and a featherlight 50g body.



*Features - wizpy as a portable OS*

wizpy introduces a new concept of PC 2.0. Now carry your OS with you, on your wizpy.
Carry along the OS environment, applications, mails and data Access them at all times at any place with access to a PC
Now one-click downloads for online video with the unique wizpy Content Downloader 
Exclusive access to network services through wizpy Club
Browse the web using the built in high performance Web Browser that supports Web 2.0
Stay connected using a Mail client that supports unsolicited e-mail blocking function, integrated RSS reader, and quick search function
Write documents, create presentations, work on spreadsheets using the Open standard office suite that has adopted OpenDocument format (ODF), standard file format (international standard ISO 26300)
Benefit from the IP telephone software using P2P technology

*Features - wizpy as a multimedia player*

Play MP3, OGG, WMA audio file formats on Audio-Player
Watch xviD, MPEG4 files on the 1.7-in. 256,000 colour OLED screen
View still images using the Image-Viewer 
Record audio files to MP3 on the Voice Recorder
View text files using the eBook Viewer
Listen to FM Radio


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

wizpyindia ,

Selling your product this way can constitute a spam in the forum.

To the Linux user in general the technology of booting a small Linux, like a Puppy with less than 100Mb or a DSL with less than 50Mb off a storage media like a USB memory device been been around for a few years already. These software can do nearly if not all the things that you are claiming with your wizpyindia. The only difference is you have put it on a mobile phone/PDA. I believe it in only a matter of time when a stable operating platform has been established in mobile phone/PDA a user can freely port any Linux of his/her choice to such a device.

This thread is on the most popular Linux distribution. You stated the OS used in wizpyindia is TurboLinux which is a proprietary distro from Japan. The older or obsolete versions of TurboLinux were free for download and I got a Version 7 in my box.

I suppose if your product has been sold in a large number then you can claim TurboLinux is one of the most popular Linux distros but in reality the majority of its user, on a mobile phone or PDA, would not be aware that it is a Linux nor use it as a Linux operating system in the context as we would on a PC.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

i would be interested if the wizpy could automatically find a wireless network without going to the command line if used for the desktop os. and if installing barrel would muss the thing up
wether it had an office sweet
also if you could use a usb monitor,keyboard,mouse
if i had this device i would probably install tinyflux which is built on top of pclinux for hardware support.


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## v1rto (Oct 18, 2007)

tacoman359 said:


> I'm looking to multi-boot between Linux and Windows XP, but I'm not sure what I should use for Linux. To me, it seems like Ubuntu is the most popular one, but I've really got no idea.
> 
> Also, is there any simple way to multi-boot that I should know of beforehand?
> 
> Thanks


Tacoman,
Distrowatch.com is the place to get ideas as some have pointed out already. I spent a couple of years looking for a good linux to use which did most, if not all that XP does. The three that I liked best were Mepis, PC Linux OS and an outsider Blag. Ubuntu is not bad but always seems like hard work to me. Mepis is now based on Ubuntu and a common theme on the Ubuntu forums is 'how come it works in Mepis and not in Ubuntu?'. Blag is based on Fedora but because it comes from the UK is not tied in so much to all the legislation in the US. This means that once you install it you can play MP3s and DVDs which usually requires some effort with all the others.

Rather that dual boot I would recommend using a second hard drive if your mobo will support switching the boot drive in the BIOS. This will allow you to experiment with different Linuxs without messing up the boot sector of your Windows.

I have to admit that after years of looking for a great Linux to replace XP I have gone with Vista instead as it has stolen many of the security features of Linux so it is not open to as much internet abuse as XP.

I wish your luck in your search for the perfect Linux!


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## saikee (Jun 11, 2004)

v!rto,



> Rather than dual boot I would recommend using a second hard drive if your mobo will support switching the boot drive in the BIOS. This will allow you to experiment with different Linuxs without messing up the boot sector of your Windows.


That is not a good advice because either Grub and Lilo can do the Bios switching on-the-fly just before booting a system and reverts back to normal after the system exits.

If you need to see the simple steps there are described in Section A in here.

Bios switching is a boot loader's job !

If you leap into a taxi you wouldn't insist on pressing the brake yourself, would you?


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## v1rto (Oct 18, 2007)

Tacoman,
Xandros is another linux I liked because the developers tried as best they could to make it feel like home for Windows users. If you dual boot it your Windows partition will appear as C drive for instance rather than hda5 with most other linux. You can also install a lot of Microsoft applications on it as well if you cant find the application you want in the linux options.

You do have to buy it but you may find it on Ebay?


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

I just tried out Ubuntu and I'm not liking it very much. It's way too complicated and keeps disconnecting me from my wireless internet. I'm going to try PCLinuxOS out and see if it's any more user-friendly.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

I am riposting an answer to a question on another thread because it seems relevant to this question

vender's are backing away from vista
IBM now offers xp for laptops again and others are following in there steps.
Toshiba has been kicking the thought of returning to xp as angry customers fwail over vistas lack of backwards compatibility and nagging disapproval screens of non windows licensed programs
there is a smell of a class action suit in the tec air against Microsoft for the force feeding the crippled os as an upgrade while downgrading the computers ability's considerably
large groupings of software and hardware become handy caped as soon as vista is installed
and those that run , run slower due to the lack of resources due to the hungry os
you mite say the os has ADD because it pays attention to what it wants to and less to what you tell it to.
a game set in high priority is not the same in vista as a game set in high priority in xp.
most all gamers hate the vista os
and if linux played xp games reliably they would flock to that
so the best 3 game oses are windows 200 pro windows 98 without the servicepack2
and windows xp
i payed 2000 for a Toshiba and they force fed me vista
they wont give me xp and remove vista
the stupid thing sets in the corner in the flor like a bad step child because my stock trading platform wont run on it.
and the vista os is not compatible with most of the software that i use to conduct business that worked in xp


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

go to the thread what is you favorite linux destro to discuss linux


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

I completely disagree with whoever wrote that post william. Vista is just the next operating system; with new operating systems comes new computers and new games. If you want to play old games, go ahead and get XP, but if you want to play new games, get Vista. It's your fault if you bought a slow computer that can't handle Vista. 
In my opinion, I don't think Linux is an operating system meant for gaming. It could be, but people just don't decide to create games for it because the popularity of it is lower than that of Mac and Windows.


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## Het Irv (Sep 30, 2007)

In Gutsy Gibbon many of the wireless problems were fixed. Now, the Restricted Drivers work on more cards. On Feisty Fox, the wmp54gs card from Linksys was one of the worst, now it works perfectly. Better than in windows actually.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

i love it when people say it is your fault for purchasing the next generation of a product that claims to be backwards compatible and find out it is not.
its like this
if you upgrade from a Tahoe to the next generation of Tahoe and then after you get home discover it has no drink holders ,no back doors, no backseats.
the new xm radio and the super sensitive alarm and smokin dvd player and onstar network docent matter.
your not cool if you dont have the latest Tahoe
and your stupid for expecting the thing to do what the older model did
if vista was that Tahoe
it would hardly reach 55 it would way 600 tuns and get 1 mile to the gallon
it would have no drink holders and no backseats or trunk space
it would ask you "ar you sure" when you tried unlocking the door to get out
and if your own kids weren't registered with Tahoe corp and tried to ride, the car would lock the doors and say "there not registered do you really want them to ride"
this would happen every time you left the house
you after a cupel of days would begin to say to your friends please for your own sanity dont buy this 
stay away
for the love of God *RUN*
well my friend you may love not being abel to have your children ride with you in your brand new shiny car
but i want mine there
all my children can ride inn my new microsoft behemoth but the thing calls them ugly every time they get inside
if you dont understand
then let me explain
im a programmer and vista tells me that the program i just compiled isn't registered with microsoft and approved for vista.
all my programes work in vista but vista treats them like scrooge treats street urchants.
its not my fault that my brand new 2gig ram super computer is functioning like it had ADD
it is the os that is at fault
if linux can run my programs in wine by backwards programming the windows api then how come windows which has the source to that api and there own coded pc emulator
cannot make there own programs to run on there new os
they can but they just dont want to.
ps love the icon


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## Het Irv (Sep 30, 2007)

Het Irv said:


> In Gutsy Gibbon many of the wireless problems were fixed. Now, the Restricted Drivers work on more cards. On Feisty Fox, the wmp54gs card from Linksys was one of the worst, now it works perfectly. Better than in windows actually.


uhhh... whoops... that would be Feisty Fawn. For some reason I cannot edit the post above. My Bad.


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

William, Microsoft never claimed for it to be backwards compatible. Most companies have made their programs compatible with Vista if they were not already, but I don't see how you can say that it's not your fault for buying it if there are not guarantees for it being backwards compatible. I'm sure you can easily make Vista compatible with XP programs too with enough modding to it. Eventually, everyone Windows XP computer will be a Vista computer. It was the same way going from 2000 to XP. It's completely your choice if you want to use Linux, Mac, or Windows... whichever suits your preferences best is the best for you. But I bet that in another year, there will be many more companies using Vista than companies with XP or Linux.


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## Het Irv (Sep 30, 2007)

tacoman359 said:


> <snip> But I bet that in another year, there will be many more companies using Vista than companies with XP or Linux.


Of course more will be using Vista, Microsoft will stop supporting Xp after a while, and most IT staffers know only Microsoft or they might know a little Linux. Either way in the long run It will cost the same for Vista and Linux, but Windows is the larger of the two and, well... "Might makes Right". I don't like it but its true. I would love to see Linux take over but right now Windows only weakness is in the Server market. (and its not much of a weakness at that)


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## CouchMaster (May 26, 2003)

All of this ranting is just ??? - a circular argument that goes nowhere. People moving from Windows to Linux for the first time are all going to say that a 1 or 2 click distro is the best. It's Einsteins theory of Cosmic Laziness. The planets don't really revolve around the sun because of some gigantic force of gravity; but because it's the easiest thing to do at the moment - and if something easier came along they would run off and do that. 
Yeah, you install it and everything works right off of the bat.
Perspective my friend, perspective...
Ask an old linux user which linux distro is the most popular and he will simply say Linux!
Even the most complicated becomes easy after you do it a few times...


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## Het Irv (Sep 30, 2007)

True. but in today's United States, If it wasn't here as soon as I ordered it, then it wasn't worth it. Sorry, but that's how the world works.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

microsofts did and does advertise a xp compatability mode for vista and claims that it works
*It hardly works *

programs freeze crash and misbehave in it

advertising a compatibility mode that is broken constitutes false advertising

as buyers being led to believe by microsoft that there xp software could run in it

the sales pitch to companies was that _your programs would run better ,more reliable and more secure,
_

what they didnt say is what they mint by your programs is the programs we havent sold you yet.

what they didnt say was what they mint that programs would run better than in the first beta not better than in xp

They also left out the part about vista causing them to run slower than xp

I would love vista if it was better.

i was mor than happy to have it when they rolled it out on my bleeding edg pc.

but then i used it and as the days passed I began to feel like i had ben sold a lemon.
the lemon is vista

it laves a sour taste in my mouth every time i use it.

and that misty love for my new pc is turned to hate

and the vender that sold it to me from my friends to my oppressors.

i want xp warranted from my vendor and not to void that warranty from my seat of the pans home install of xp.

why do you think microsoft has ben rolling back vista licences to xp licences.
I will tell you why

the threat of them suing microsoft for downgrading there performance with a broken os that runs half as fast and crashes applications often.

vista docent crash it just crashes your applications.

no blue screen of death, just the hopeless loss of your data while your application 
becomes un accessible and shut down.

blue screens of death are down but crashed applications are up way up unbelievably up.

i want vista to work i need vista to work but vista cant do anything more than it was programmed to do.

and it wasn't programmed to run programs very well

it was programmed to stop programs from running as they weir intended to do

it was programed to place everything on an internal network separately and assigned

everything limitations while hijacking functions from happening directly

it was designed to keep massive data files on everything you do

it was designed to stop you from watching high def dvd you just made with your own camera.

it was designed to not run games and 3d games at blinding speeds

it was designed to not do editing as well ether

*so vista is the not do os of the future*


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## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

tacoman359 said:


> I'm going to try PCLinuxOS out and see if it's any more user-friendly.


So what did you think of it?


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## tacoman359 (Jul 26, 2007)

PCLinuxOS was definitely easier to use than Ubuntu, but I still went back to XP. I found that my slave hard drive was read-only, and I could not change that. My wireless adapter also did not work very good, although it still does not work that great in XP. XP is just easier for me, and supports all the programs that I use, plus all of my customers use XP, so it's the best for me to troubleshoot their computers.


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## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

I need XP periodically for my work as well. I went with a dual boot option so I could do what I wanted when I wanted when it came to the internet. My XP does not need access to internet. I will be refusing to tutor Vista or anything that needs it. Unless of course they are buying, then they won't need to know I am dual booting.

I just ripped a movie with Linux in 25 minutes that would have taken 2 1/2 hours minimum with XP. (Back-up copy, legal here) XP was ok up to about a 1 1/2 hr. movie. After that, it got exponentially worse the longer the movie was, this was a 2 1/4 hr movie. A 2 1/2 hr movie took almost 4 hrs. on XP. 
Was using less than half of my processor, about an 1/8th of RAM and no SWAP.

More power to you.


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

Don't you love the xp spam that comes after someone touts how much they need xp.
hmm, you don't think that they are related incidents perpetrated by Microsoft payed spammers do you?


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## williamrobinsonb (Oct 21, 2007)

the spam diapered? whats up with that???


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## veribaka (Jul 23, 2006)

tacoman,

Try using wicd to work with your wireless network. Works a lot better. You need to add repositories in order to download it though.

*** Warning *** It completely replaces your default network-manager, so if for some reason it doesn't work you should have back ups of your previous settings! *** Warning ***

I work at a portuguese IT company. We give support to fast-food chains and restaurants (Burger King, KFC, Pasta Caffe, Pizza Hut, etc.). Most joints are operating under Ubuntu Dapper Drake (6.06 LTC) or Windows 2000. Most servers are on Red hat or Win Server 2003. The only reason why we still have computers with XP is because some big shots need their iPhones! The only laptops we got with Vista were reinstalled with Xp and/or Gutsy Gibbon.

Also, I gave my mom a laptop with Gutsy Gibbon, her only regret is she can't play her popcap games offline in windowed mode  (working on that).

PS. Notice http://distrowatch.com/stats.php?section=popularity - PCLinuxOS popularity is mostly decreasing while Ubuntu is mostly increasing.


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## meox (Jan 20, 2008)

personally i like ubuntu the best. and i looked at your specs and linux ubuntu will run fine on it. but i suggest searching for a guide that will tell you how to dual-boot. beacuse i tryed it before and i couldent get windows to work so i just deleted it and installed ubntu again


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## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

veribaka said:


> PS. Notice http://distrowatch.com/stats.php?section=popularity - PCLinuxOS popularity is mostly decreasing while Ubuntu is mostly increasing.


You will have to explain these stats to me.

PCLinuxOS:
Last 12 mos. 2487hits/day
Last 6 mos. 2573hits/day

If last six is higher than overall avg., then first six has to be lower than overall avg.

So how is 2573 going down? If it means that is the average for the last six months, but it is going down, then why doesn't it show going up from the 12 month mark?

Ubuntu declines until last month. How come they are showing increases?

What is the straight bar? I see no legend and way too many of them to signify no change in average hits/day. Unless it is just a game people play, same people from each distro hittin' their page.

P.S.
I want to see _Linux_ increasing.


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## veribaka (Jul 23, 2006)

I just figured it out myself, the arrows are there just to let us know the actual score is better (more hits, hence green), worse (less hits, hence red) or the same (the bar) as in the previous day before the statistic was recorded. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

PS: Mouse over the arrows to see how I got there.


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## RootbeaR (Dec 9, 2006)

Thank-you.
I see now.
Didn't wait long enough the first time.


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