Ninehigh
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:17 PM |
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Linux anyone?
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?
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tegwin
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:23 PM |
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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!!!
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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AdrianH
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:23 PM |
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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
Why do I have to make the tools to finish the job? More time then money.
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Land Locked
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:24 PM |
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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.
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:29 PM |
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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.
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tegwin
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:33 PM |
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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...
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Would the last person who leaves the country please switch off the lights and close the door!
www.verticalhorizonsmedia.tv
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Keith Weiland
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:38 PM |
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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.
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Keith Weiland
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 08:41 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Land Locked
Hardcore gaming is not on the menu
Rubbish, there are many great games which work on Linux. Sometimes better than on windows. I have also had good success using wine for games which
don't run natively on Linux
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 09:09 PM |
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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]
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nstrug
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 09:18 PM |
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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
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Keith Weiland
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 09:31 PM |
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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. 
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mediabloke
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 10:56 PM |
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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?
I use Redhat at work, so CentOS was a great option for for home use. As a comparative noob when it comes to installing / configuring Linux, I wanted
to avoid finding any "on-the-edge" problems, so I thought twice about Fedora. Can't speak highly enough about RH for business use
though.
CentOS has a partitioning tool, that allows you to decide how you want to install it. If you add another HDD, you'll have even more options -
you oould keep one drive for Windows, the other for Linux, and just change the boot order in the bios.
Francis.
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britishtrident
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| posted on 20/3/09 at 11:30 PM |
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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]
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David Jenkins
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 04:22 AM |
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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
I use Puppy on an ancient laptop. It is amazingly fast, even on that, but I have one issue with it - the user runs as 'root' rather than
as a normal user.
It's also a bit eccentric... but then, so am I!
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jlparsons
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 11:14 AM |
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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.
Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Some assembly required. Batteries not included. Contents may settle during
shipment. Use only as directed. No other warranty expressed or implied. Do not use while operating a motor vehicle or heavy equipment. Subject to
approval, terms and conditions apply. Apply only to affected area. For recreational use only. All models over 18 years of age. No user-serviceable
parts inside. Subject to change. As seen on TV. One size fits all. May contain nuts. Slippery when wet. For office use only. Edited for television.
Keep cool; process promptly.
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 11:28 AM |
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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.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 12:12 PM |
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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]
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Keith Weiland
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 04:54 PM |
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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.
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 05:12 PM |
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Ah cool shall give it a go. Can I access windows stuff (documents, poker game etc) while linux is running?
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Dangle_kt
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| posted on 21/3/09 at 06:37 PM |
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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?)
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 22/3/09 at 06:05 AM |
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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?)
Mount the drive? I might be asking about that one later on. All the poker games are actually programs I have on the drive, i.e. they are online but
not through a browser. Kinda like playstation games with the online play if you get me
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 22/3/09 at 01:10 PM |
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Got it running, but does it rock?
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
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Staple balls
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| posted on 22/3/09 at 01:17 PM |
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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
download managers (IIRC ubuntu comes with a torrent client installed)
cd/dvd burner
mail server stuff
Samba (windows file sharing) guide
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 22/3/09 at 01:33 PM |
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What is that k3b? Looks like something I'm going to have to put together myself!
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Staple balls
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| posted on 22/3/09 at 01:37 PM |
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there's packages (installer type things) available further down not sure if any are ubuntu happy, a mate suggested it.
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