Liniux Questions
Hi all
I'm considering installing the Liniux (I think that's what it's called) on my laptop as a secondary operating system after hearing so much about it..
Is it worth it? Is it any good compared to Windows XP and finally, what is the best place to download it from or can someone provide me with a disc I can install it from please?
Thanks for nay help
I'm considering installing the Liniux (I think that's what it's called) on my laptop as a secondary operating system after hearing so much about it..
Is it worth it? Is it any good compared to Windows XP and finally, what is the best place to download it from or can someone provide me with a disc I can install it from please?
Thanks for nay help
Post edited by zeropolis79 on
Comments
On the minus side, there's very few games written for Linux, though you can run some Windows games with WINE (a Linux program), and I think that DOS emulation is more or less perfect on Linux. Plus Linux requires more user thought and knowledge than Windows to use, but then on the plus side you gain reliablility and configurability. Also, many hardware manufacturers don't write Linus drivers, but some users write their own (which they then distribute freely) in an effort to ease this problem.
Again, I stress that I haven't used Linux, but I've read *tons* over the years, almost all being good, and lots of it being extreme praise. Many Windows users go over and never look back, except when they can't find a driver for a new hardare device.
I've been meaning to try Linux myself for years now, but never made the effort, as partly I'm sick of PCs (when you spend all day on them, you don't want to come home and face more issues), and also since everywhere I've ever worked only uses Windows, so I'd never benefit from Linux knowledge, although it might not be too long before many offices make the switch, what with Linux becoming so user friendly, and Open Office being so capable (and free).
The extra stability would be nice for my desktop and laptop, but since I only use the former for 'net access and burning discs, and the latter for playing the odd (old, not so demanding) PC game or reading text and HTML pages, I don't think the 'net gain would currently be worth the effort of installing and learning a new OS and finding the best Linux programs to replace my current favourite Windows ones.
But when I'm forced to leave XP and go to Vista, then I'll definately consider the Linux route. And if the successor to Vista turns out to be just as rubbish then I'm definately installing Linux.
If you do want to try Linux, then the one I hear most good about currently is Ubuntu, which is desgined with the beginner in mind. I think you can download a Live Installer, which means that you boot from the CD, and then Linux runs *entirely* from the CD, so that it doesn't write to your hard drive at all, so you can try Linux without having to format your hard drive or remove Windows. Then if you decide that you want to instal Linux, then you can install it from the CD.
Actually, I think I'll download the Live CD myself.
I've just googled it, and found the home site:
http://www.ubuntu.com/
Incidentally, when you're looking for software to install, it's best to search under 'Applications -> Add software' rather than going to some random website and downloading a package. Nearly all open source software, and a fair bit of non-free (free=freedom in this context, rather than gratis) software shows up in the Ubuntu repository if you do a search on All Packages in Add Applications. Just one of the ways it's radically different to Windows.
For example, you're going to want a media player of some sort. You'll need to install codecs etc. To do this, do not ever go to a website and download some random archive unless you're experienced. Always search under Add Applications. Ubuntu has everything you need for media if you search under all packages. Searching on 'MP3' is probably a good start.
Personally, I use Fedora (mainly because I've used RedHat pretty much forever). However, I did install the last version of Ubuntu when it came out to see what it was like. I was extremely impressed at how easy it would be for a newcomer to get going. The install was all point-and-click, even for proprietary drivers for my nvidia graphics card (Ubuntu automatically made the right suggestions to install the drivers). I've installed Windows XP more times than I've had hot dinners, and I can say the Ubuntu install was about 10 times easier. This, of course, assumes you have supported hardware - but nearly all hardware works out of the box, with a few glaring exceptions (not the fault of Linux, the fault of hardware manufacturers who won't release specifications. This tends to be worst for wireless network devices).
don't panic, cause if you run the recovery console on the XP CD you can use the fixmbr and fixboot commands to restore the boot record and XP is fine. this will then lose the linux bootloader though :-x
I've had loads of trouble trying to get the bootloader to work with Ubuntu (had no problems with SuSE funnily enough) XP just doesn't seem to want to play nice.
at the moment I've got it installed on the second hard drive, and can boot into that by hitting the key during startup to select the drive to boot from.
if anyone knows how I can get this drive to boot the windows chainloader, or get grub to install on the primary drive without breaking the windows chainloader please tell me! :)
Now, I know precious little (read: nearly nothing) about Linux/unix/ubuntu/etc/redhat/whatnot.
What's up with all of those recompiles of whatever it is Linux/Unix people have to compile/recompile?
(I guess I'm asking "what is it people are compiling/recompiling, and why?")
Short answers preferred, outside links avoided.
That is all, thank you.
-The ZnorX
1. Applications.
2. The Operating System itself.
Why? Cross-architecture portability of software at the source level, and to allow end-user modifications of software.
Because with linux you can compile directly from the sourcecode thereby making sure the program is 100% compatible with your computer.
As for which distro, Id recommend Mandriva, its good for newbies wishing to start something new.
Years ago, compiling your own applications and the kernel was the norm and par for the course.
Nowadays, you'd perhaps find that 90% of Linux end users never need to go near a compiler, and in fact many distributions no longer even install the compiler by default.
Compiling applications is still commonplace for some users, but by no means neccesary for the majority of Linux users anymore who will typically use a distribution which has everything they need already pre-compiled for them.
It's only when you want to use an app that it not supplied pre-compiled with your distro (relevant example - the FUSE emulator), would you need to compile something, and even then (like where I work), it is usually the responsibility of the Linux system administrator to compile the apps correctly for the end users (This used to be my main job a few years ago).
Likewise it's only if you use slightly obscure hardware would you possibly need to recompile the kernel and driver modules (i.e. the core OS) nowadays. Perhaps 99% of Intel/x86 users will never need to do this.
Hmm, looks interesting. I wonder how many more sprites my PC'll be able to crank out with that...
I've got Ubuntu 7.10 on my hard drive as a dualboot, It's O.K. but I can't get online
Reading up I've found a prog that let's you use windows drivers with your wireless device, but still no joy, if I could get this working I'd consider wiping XP as my installation is so up the creek that system restore and recovery console are both corrupt, I'm on borrowed time.
Take this into account before going any further, good luck.
And Linux fan boys there has to be another person in the room at the same time, pulse optional though :D
Whats "Liniux" ?
Everyone that replied is talking about "Linux", but not about "Liniux".
I searched Google and it didn't find much either :(
In fact, it kept asking if I didn't mean "Linux" and I was getting mad and swearing,
"No f*cky google thingy, I mean "Liniux" coz' thats what was written on the forum"
Sorry cant help..........
Pedantic bugger... :p
I couldn't spell it!
Which distributions should I go for with a 60 (sixty) MHz PC that cannot boot from CD-ROM ? (some kind of boot-floppies is required here).
http://www.linuxlinks.com/Distributions/Floppy/
Then again, I also like BSD/FreeBSD:D.
Currently, I'm using 3 different flavours of Linux (FC - Laptop, Mandrake 9.2 - Desktop; both dual boot with windows2k, centOS - webserver).
Useful Linux sites include:
http://linuxlookup.com/linux_iso
ftp://ftp.rpmfind.net/linux
But Interix (or SFU, or whatever they are calling it now) is pretty terrible, it's like using SCO or ISC Unix from 1991. Even though cygwin runs on top of the Win32 API, cygwin still blows Interix out of the water.
Yes. Yes it really does. ;)
It's actually pretty useful now, certainly ten times more useful than Interix. It makes Windows Server 2003 a tolerable server platform.
To boot from CD, you need Smart Boot Manager -- that's what I used (on a floppy) to boot my (1995, 75MHz) PC from CD.
Sadly, I can't remember where I got it, or be arsed to search for it now that I no longer need it; but I think it's somewhere in the EmailDiscussions.com freeware thread.
misteaksmistrakesmisyaleserrurs— oh, sod it.To remember the spelling, there are at least two mnemonics:
1) Think of Linus from Peanuts.
2) Think of the joke recursive acronym, Linux == Linux Is Not UniX. :D
misteaksmistrakesmisyaleserrurs— oh, sod it.*IF* it compiles. Just like a 1991 copy of ISC, most stuff breaks. When I last tried SFU, not even GNU screen would compile and run; this is a utility that compiles cleanly on pretty much any real Unix system I've cared to try.
I've never had a problem with Cygwin for what we use it for, it certainly has never brought a machine down, and it's about 50 times easier to manage. If you're having to compile lots of basic things from source, it means you've got your work cut out keeping it up to date.