Does anyone use Linux? If so are there any major compatibility issues? I mostly surf, web based games ect. plus I download podcasts (which involves
turning the volume up on the file using Roxio) and playing poker.
Also is it possible to try it out without removing windoze in case it's more of a pain?
Yes, Yes, Yes to all...
Download Ubuntu... Burn it onto a CD and you can boot into it without damaging windows...
Its awsome for exactly as you say above.... Some of the grafical interfaces are awsome!!!
I use Suse and older version and can do most things There are flash downloads for stuff when doing video etc. I am sure that most of the major
distributions can offer what you want.
If you look for a Linux Magazine in smiths there is useually a DVD you can try, some offer a try it and see version.
TRy http://www.linux.org/ and look around the site they list various distributions and can lead to download sites, but hope you have a very fast
download speed!
Cheers
Adrian
been using linuxmint for the last 2 years.
Hardcore gaming is not on the menu
It comes with most everything you need to get running and the cd is a live cd which means you can boot from the cd and play a wee bit before
committing. Running the live cd is SLOW cause it doesn't affect your existing operating system at all, but it gives you an idea of what can and
can't be done as well as hardware compatibility.
I use MINT, UBUNTU and PUPPY (on an old low spec laptop)
All have worked faultlessly. It can all what you want and far far more.
Doing a duel boot is very easy to do, lots of resources on line give a full step by step guide.
I asked a similar question about 6 months ago..
I downloaded about 6 versions of linux, including Ubuntu, Puppy, Mint, Kubuntu and a few others...
Ubuntu was the only one I could get to work out of the box for web browsing and basic network interface...
There should be no major compatibility issues, Ubuntu is nice but you may feel more comfortable with
Kubuntu.
You can download the live cd and change your BIOS to boot from CD and try it without installing or you can actually install within windows using
Wubi which can then be uninstalled from within windows if you don't like it. It uses the windows
boot loader and will give you more of a feel of the speed of it as booting from the CD will be very slow.
Another nice versions is Linux Mint (which is based off Ubuntu) it uses all the Ubuntu repositories so you
arent missing out on anything and also has some of its own and includes some non Open Source software by default so you can play DVD's and view
Flash web stuff etc. without having to install those applications, another alternative is so add the medibuntu
packages which will give you those features also.
quote:
Originally posted by Land Locked
Hardcore gaming is not on the menu
Added bonus - the scrotes who write trojans and viruses don't bother with Linux because there are too many variants to attack. Even if something
does get through, it will only affect the user who's logged in - the 'root' user who has all the administrative power is not accessible
(unless the owner is stupid enough to log in as root and do browsing etc.). In the case of Ubuntu, there is no 'root' user - you have to
formally request admin rights every time you want to do anything significant (known as 'sudo' - 'super-user do' which needs a
password before you can do anything important).
The scrotes consider that it's too much work for too little reward to attack a Linux system - unlike Windoze, which is far too easy, and being a
'universal system' offers big results for their efforts.
[Edited on 20/3/09 by David Jenkins]
I work for Red Hat, which is the largest enterprise Linux vendor.
I suggest you have a look at Fedora which is our community Linux versions, and of course is freely available.
You'll find an extremely stable, secure and fast operating system.
And on that note, if anyone with linux skills needs a job, I currently have headcounts open for linux and JBoss consultants and instructors and
I'm looking for CVs 
Cheers,
Nick
How much skill are you looking for? I can install it and use it. I am better with Linux than the average person is with windows but that's about
it. 
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
Does anyone use Linux? Also is it possible to try it out without removing windoze in case it's more of a pain?
If you want top know what is hot in linux the current ranking in terms of page hits on Distrowatch are a good guide.http://distrowatch.com/
---- down to 10th place most of the distros are pretty well sorted.
Ubuntu is the great white hope of Linux, it is a truly major project with the aim of ousting Microsoft, however the released versions tend to be a
little usorted for the beginner.
Started as a one man operation Mint is a properly sorted customised desktop/laptop version of Ubuntu -- lags a few months behind Ubuntu but has
all the multimedia stuff sorted.
Mepis & PCLinuxOS are very good solid versions of linux for the desktop.
Puppy Linux is just so small and cool and fast --- runs very fast indeed even running from a bootable CD
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Avoid Fedora like the plague ---- it looks fabulous but it too many issues each in each new release some major component dosen't work and
takes 2 or 3 releases to get fixed. . Most of the best people from the Fedora project jumprd ship to Ubuntu. Also if you want it to play media files
you will have to spent the best part of a day adding the required CODECS.
SUSE and Mandriva are out dated tend to run very slowly and have hardware recognition issues.
[Edited on 20/3/09 by britishtrident]
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
Puppy Linux is just so small and cool and fast --- runs very fast indeed even running from a bootable CD
To my mind there are three problems with linux:
1. You have to learn a new system and get used to a new filesystem too. It's not hard, but it'll take a little tinkering (actually, being
as you're on this site, that's unlikely to be an issue for you!)
2. You may not be able to use the same software. You'll find equivalents, and some of those may well be better and also free, but you'll
need to get used to them and they may well assume a higher level of computor literacy.
3. If you're into gaming, forget it.
I recently reformatted and installed ubuntu and windows XP on the same machine as a dual boot. I needed to download various drivers from different
sites to get all the devices on the system working with windows. Ubuntu on the other hand automatically installed and configured everything, not to
mention that it installed itself in half the time windows did. Talk about role reversal... five years ago linux was a pig to install and windows was
easy.
if you choose ubuntu then this is very useful
http://www.ubuntupocketguide.com/download3.html
in fact it explains the file system in plain english for any linux distro so worth a read to get you head round a new way of working.
Most is intuitive though.
Sounds like I shall do this dual boot thingy, but does that mean I'll have to make a partition? Making the partition shouldn't be a problem
it's just reversing it if I decide that windows/linux isn't for me
Edit: by the look of things I'm going to need a minimum of 20g of space free, plus preparing the drive is going to wipe out half of what
I've got on there. So it shall be waiting until the warranty's up and I get a bigger drive
[Edited on 21/3/09 by Ninehigh]
Just use Wubi, no preparation necessary, no repartitioning or anything, just download and install in windows just like any other program. On reboot you will now have a dual boot system, to get rid of it just boot into windows and un-install as you do any other program.
Ah cool shall give it a go. Can I access windows stuff (documents, poker game etc) while linux is running?
yes, just mount the drive to access your files, and I would imagine the poker is online? In which case just type the web address into the browser which comes with linux (firefox?)
quote:
Originally posted by Dangle_kt
yes, just mount the drive to access your files, and I would imagine the poker is online? In which case just type the web address into the browser which comes with linux (firefox?)
I've got Ubuntu running, looking good so far. Now I'm looking for replacement software. Can anyone reccommend alternatives to the
following?
Flashget: Downloads everything from torrents to music files
Roxio media creator 10: Used for burning discs in mp3 format and turning up the volume on my podcasts using the sound (so I don't have to have
the car stereo on full!)
Can I access my other (windows) machines for dumping files to bigger hard disks? I'm at work so I haven't tested this yet.
Oh yeah and a mail server. I've got a hotmail and an old ntl account that I get through windows live mail.
I think if I can overcome those 4 then I won't need windows at all
quote:
Originally posted by Ninehigh
I've got Ubuntu running, looking good so far. Now I'm looking for replacement software. Can anyone reccommend alternatives to the following?
Flashget: Downloads everything from torrents to music files
Roxio media creator 10: Used for burning discs in mp3 format and turning up the volume on my podcasts using the sound (so I don't have to have the car stereo on full!)
Can I access my other (windows) machines for dumping files to bigger hard disks? I'm at work so I haven't tested this yet.
Oh yeah and a mail server. I've got a hotmail and an old ntl account that I get through windows live mail.
I think if I can overcome those 4 then I won't need windows at all
What is that k3b? Looks like something I'm going to have to put together myself!
there's packages (installer type things) available further down not sure if any are ubuntu happy, a mate suggested it.
Is that the "package browser" or am I looking at something else?
With Ubuntu or any Debian based distro installing software is just takes a few clicks --- look for Synaptic on your menu.
However Ubuntu is a bit unfinished and raw for the first timer, Ubuntu can do anything but it is a bit like going into a tool shop for the very first
time ok if you what tools you want to buy.
It would be much more sensible to switch to Mint which has all the main desktop apps already installed or just a matter of clicking on the Mint
website.
Well I can only learn. I know there's going to be a few snags but then again I was like this with windows many years ago, until I learn what it
was I needed to find.
I think it's just the terminology I have to get to grips with, there's no "download it here" button cos it's different for
all the systems.
Downthemall is a firefox add on so that look easy enough, the others look like a case of reading the instructions. With this k3b I'm looking for
the equivalent of the .exe file
I'll get the hang of this, I know it boots and shuts down way faster than windows!
quote:
Originally posted by NinehighI'll get the hang of this, I know it boots and shuts down way faster than windows!
Ubuntu is a version of Debian Linux, the important thing about Debian is that it makes installing new software absolutely painless and almost fool
proof.
The new software comes in a file with a .deb extension. this file contain the application and a list of what other libbrary files are required and
tells your computer where to install the application and where to install the icon on your system menu.
For example if you browse to the GetDeb website ( http://www.getdeb.net ) you will find a lot of applications if you look through the list you will
find a little app called K9copy.
If you download the correct version for your system to the desktop you should have file with a name like k9copy_2.3.0-0~getdeb1_i386.deb on the
desktop.
Click on this file and your systems built in installer should start, it will then ask you for your root password then install the software to your
system and setup up an icon for you in the menu system probably under Sound & Vision or Multimedia sub menus.
[Edited on 22/3/09 by britishtrident]
If all else fails just format the Ubuntu partition and install Mint Linux --- installing software like K9 can be done from the Mint Software web portal via your Firefox.
In Ubuntu it is very easy to add software as along as you know what it is called. In ubuntu go to Applications>System>Synaptic Package Manager
and do a search for whatever it is you want to install.
It depends on if you are using Ubuntu or Kubuntu which apps are installed by default as they use different Frameworks and libraries though you can
install any applications from one to the other if you want.
Here are the equivlents to what you use in windows
Flashget - Multiget (not in repositories so you have to download the DEB file. It should install by clicking similar to EXE's in windows.) or you
can use Flashget through Wine.
Roxio media creator 10 - Brasero (this should already be installed)
Can I access my other (windows) machines- this should just work if you have a network
Mail server - I think you mean Mail Client. It sound like you just use a browser to access your mail so this should work with Firefox, otherwise
Evolution is excellent as is Thunderbird.
Feel free to PM me if you want more help.
Oh and you might just register with the Ubuntu forums - You wouldn't ask them for car advice so why ask here for Linux help?
[Edited on 22/3/2009 by Keith Weiland]
quote:
Originally posted by britishtrident
If all else fails just format the Ubuntu partition and install Mint Linux --- installing software like K9 can be done from the Mint Software web portal via your Firefox.
Ubuntu relaseses are not are definitely stable.
The reason why Mint release version lag about 3 months behind the the Ubuntu version is that it waits for all the bits that don't quite work in
Ubuntu to get fixed.
The instability of Ubuntu releases has been a talking point in the Linux arena for a while, for example Mepis linux at one time switched to using
Ubuntu repositories but found they introduced too many bugs and now Mepis has swiched back to using Debian repositories.
The Mint Linux developer has also hinted that Mint is jumping off the Ubuntu ship for the same reasons.
The Ubuntu project is making much the same errors the Fedora project has by releasing for general use what are in effect early Betas. Ubuntu bugs
unlike Fedora bugs do tend to get fixed -- Fedora bugs seem to take 2 or 3 releses before they get fixed.
Both Fedora and Ubuntu need to top being toys for the linux distro techie and prvide more sorted release versions, they also need to support versions
longer after it has been succeeded by more recent versions.
[Edited on 22/3/09 by britishtrident]
Ubuntu Releases may not be stable in the way that Debian is stable but in comparison to Mint is it very stable. There have been many issues with Mint
stability, it inherits any of Ubuntu problems and creates many of its own, they have even had to remove the update manager and update notifier to
increase stability in Mint to a reasonable level as the updates aren't properly vetted in Mint due to lack or resources and their inability to
maintain all of their own packages the way Ubuntu does.
If you want cutting edge use Ubuntu, if you want extreme stability use Debian, if you don't want to install MP3 support yourself use Mint.
This could be a long discussion... popcorn, anyone?
Is it the toffee kind? All others just taste like cardboard to me...
Still looking for the poker sites lol. Gonna have to check all this new information out and see just how good I can make it, I got another 11 hours at
work.
Maybe all these different versions of (what I thought was) the same thing should get together then maybe they can launch a serious mount against
windows. Everything I've done with Ubuntu so far has been much faster, except recovering from sleep mode (it didn't!)