Member Avatar for finalist

I need some Free & Easy Linux Distributions for:
1. Skype;
2. Lazarus Free Pascal + Firebird;
3. Some Linux Application to work using Autocad files .dwg;

Is it possible to install them on a USB HDD 320 Gb ?
How many independent Linux Distributions can I istall on USB HDD 320 Gb ?
Thanks !

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Quick practical answer for (ties to earlier points from , and ):

If you want "free & easy" with the least fuss, pick an Ubuntu LTS flavor (Ubuntu, Xubuntu, or an Ubuntu-based Mint). They have large repos, broad hardware support, and packaged tools you asked for; Slackware/Gentoo/Arch are excellent if you want to learn deeply, but they are not the easiest path for casual use — that discussion from and is exactly the trade-off to keep in mind.

Lazarus / Free Pascal: Lazarus and the Free Pascal Compiler run on Linux and are actively maintained; you can use distro packages or download Lazarus/FPC bundles from the projects if you prefer the upstream builds. Firebird is a fully supported RDBMS on Linux (server and client kits available) and installs cleanly on common distros. (getlazarus.org)

Working with .dwg files: LibreCAD has improved DWG import in recent releases but still has limits (best for 2D and older DWG versions). A practical workflow is to convert DWG -> DXF with the ODA (Open Design Alliance) converter or similar tools, then edit in LibreCAD. For full, production-grade DWG fidelity on Linux, commercial BricsCAD offers native DWG support. (blog.librecad.org)

Installing on a 320 GB USB HDD: yes — two realistic strategies:

  • Full installs (each desktop distro: plan 15–30 GB per system plus a shared /home if you like). At ~25 GB each you can fit roughly 10–12 full desktops on 320 GB (more if you use lightweight distros).
  • Multi-ISO / live approach (store many installer or live ISOs and boot them with Ventoy) lets you carry dozens of distros without full installs and is great for testing. When doing full installs, install GRUB to the external disk (or temporarily disconnect internal drives or hide the internal EFI) so you do not overwrite the internal boot setup — Ask Ubuntu threads document the safe steps. (help.ubuntu.com)

Troubleshooting tips: prefer an external EFI partition for UEFI portability; use a separate /home partition to share files between installs; use a fast USB3 enclosure or SSD for acceptable performance; keep one "golden" live image (Ventoy) for quick reinstalls or testing.

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Member Avatar for n_e

3. Some Linux Application to work using Autocad files .dwg;

Have a look .

Is it possible to install them on a USB HDD 320 Gb ?

Yes.

How many independent Linux Distributions can I istall on USB HDD 320 Gb ?
Thanks !

Depends on which distro's you want. Suse, Ubuntu etc are quite big. "Damn small linux and puppy are very small.

Member Avatar for colweb

Let the flame war start.

I use Slackware (for over 10 years) and if you really want to learn Linux you should install Slackware. Even a full install will cost you only 4 GB. Debian, Ubuntu, Suse and a lot of others start direct in a windows like environment and use too many wizards to get things done. But hey, that's my opinion.

Member Avatar for mooreted

I would not recommend Gentoo, Slackware or Archlinux as they require Linux proficiency to operate. They don't fall in the category of "Easy".

I have been using Linux since about 2002. I have tried every major distro out there. I really need to try Fedora though.

Ubuntu has some nice features. It will detect hardware that requires 3rd party drivers like your video card and prompt you to install the drivers. With a couple of clicks your drivers are installed and working. The Ubuntu Software Center is a nice feature that allows you to pick applications to install with just a couple of clicks. Ubuntu is very easy to use.

Ubuntu uses Gnome, I prefer KDE. I am still not a fan of PulseAudio which Ubuntu uses. I don't like how they do not update software until the next version which they put out every six months.

openSuse has the Yast control center which makes system administration easy. It doesn't have the Ubuntu Software Center, you have to use Synaptic, but they do have 1-click install on their website. There is a new package search wich will find a package for you and add the needed repository automatically; I really like that. It has been very stable and problem free, but then Ubuntu is pretty stable as well.

Bottom line, I would try Ubuntu and openSuse and pick the one you like.

Fedora tends to be bleeding edge and a bit unstable so I wouldn't recommend it for a newcomer.

Member Avatar for mooreted

Let the flame war start.

I use Slackware (for over 10 years) and if you really want to learn Linux you should install Slackware. Even a full install will cost you only 4 GB. Debian, Ubuntu, Suse and a lot of others start direct in a windows like environment and use too many wizards to get things done. But hey, that's my opinion.

I don't think anyone can flame Slack and get away with it. But a regular computer user would not be able to even install it. Like Gentoo and Arch, it requires Linux knowledge beforehand.

I don't think most regular users really want to "learn Linux", they just want an alternative to Windows and OSX which tend to be expensive and/or virus prone.

I have gotten away from Slack and Arch because I work six days a week and I don't have time to setup everything by hand. It's nice to have a distro like openSuse or Ubuntu because I can quickly use a GUI tool to setup my printer, mp3 player or camera without spending an hour on the wiki learning how to enable hal, fam, gamin, etc. It's all done for me.

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