Anyone interested in or using Linux?

[Oldgit]

Linux is an alternative operating system you can use it on both PC's and Apple Macs instead of Windows or MacOS. Or as well as.

It's free, and comes with loads of free programs. It's stable, you don't get blue screens of death, it doesn't suffer from viruses and these days it's even quite easy to install! You can leave it running days, weeks, months even years without ever having to restart it.

Some commercial games even have secret linux versions or their CD roms.

I am browsing this site using a browser called Konqueror and a desktop system called KDE which completely stuffs Windows in the eye-candy department and NEVER crashes!

If anyone is fortunate enough to have an Athlon-64 computer you may even find that Linux will run 2-3 times as fast.

Anyway, let me know if you want advice and I will point you in the right direction!

[James]

A program called cygwin let's you run Linux at the same time as Windows and there is a version called Knoppix that can be run off a bootable CD.

But for non-technically minded people, who don't necessarily like using computers much, Linux is still less user-friendly than Windows or the Mac. Linux is more configurable though. You see computer-knowledgable people prefer it that way and wouldn't sacrifice configurability for ease-of-use and usability.

:hugesmile:

[Oldgit]

Originally posted by James
A program called cygwin let's you run Linux at the same time as Windows

My understanding is that cygwin enables the KDE desktop and some other linus programs to run on Windows, but not all Linux programs.

Linux is still less user-friendly than Windows or the Mac.
Mandrake Linux is a doddle to set up and use.

Linux is more configurable though. You see computer-knowledgable people prefer it that way and wouldn't sacrifice configurability for ease-of-use and usability.

:hugesmile:

Thanks for that post. My motivation originally for Linux was that I added a Firewire port to my computer and bought a DV camera, and didn't want to pay to upgrade to Windows XP so I could use it all. As it turns out, a couple of the free Linux programs enable you to download and edit your DV movies into a format that you can use on VCDs and SVCDs (and DV±Rs).

Anyways if people are tired of being forced to pay for constant upgrades to buggy software, I will advise.

In the meantime, download the free program Open Office from:

www.openoffice.org

The Windows version works on Win98SE upwards. You will find it as powerful as Microsoft Office, but free. That's the quality of the stuff you could be using.

[Oldgit]

Thought I'd bring this topic back.

I am now using a version of Linux called "PCLinuxOS". Since I last posted on this subject, great strides have been made in the usability of Linux for the average person, and, with the right hardware, PCLOS is easier to set up than Windows!

Here are some of its main points:

1 - It runs as a Live CD. You can boot from it, and run it without installing it. For this you need about 256Mb RAM. One thing you can't do when you run from boot CD is run Firefox. However, if you can get a net connection up you can use Konqueror instead to browse the net.

2 - It's crammed with software. You don't just load up an operating system. You load up OpenOffice (like Microsoft Office only free, and you can load and save MO files with it), Firefox/Thunderbird (e-mails), Konqueror (browser/file manager), Scribus (Desk Top Publisher), NVU (Internet Page Writer, like Dreamweaver only free), Games (Mahjong, Reversi, SameGame, and loads more), to name a few. When installed on your disk, Realplayer is fully integrated into Firefox (for Web music and video), you get Internet Relay Chat, Limewire (file sharing - keep it legal, guys), some great Media Players (Kaffeine is my favourite but others might prefer AmaroK, also included).

3 - You don't need driver disks for hardware. Plenty of normal hardware works. My built-in ethernet works this connects to cable broadband, as does my nvidia graphics card. My HP Photosmart 7760 printer is fine, as is my Canon LiDE20 scanner (though note that NO OTHER Canon scanners work at present under Linux, most Epsons, HP, Musteks and Packard Bells do).

4 - Basically I downloaded a file, burnt it to CD disk as a disk image. Rebooted with the CD in and played with it a bit, decided I liked it, and installed. There is a utility provided to shrink your Windows area (partition) on the disk to make room for Linux (make sure you've defragged and backed up first), then the actual install, depending on how fast your computer is, takes between 15 minutes and an hour. You can then boot into Windows OR Linux!

5 - If you don't like it you don't have to install it!

6 - No viruses, No spyware, etc, none of it works in Linux!!!

Anyone want to give it a go, P me!

[Red Moon]

I keep running hot and cold with Linux.

I love it, but then I'm always forced to return to MS Windows because I want to use a particular application that doesn't run on windows. I don't know how many times I have installed it and taken it off my PC. Overall Linux and KDE is so much better than Windows as long as you know what you are doing.

I also have a Mac which runs UNIX and I use that nearly all the time for e-mial and the internet, but I still have to have a noisy MS Windows machine sitting in the conner for the Windows application odd application.

[Oldgit]

My suggestion is that you set up a Dual Boot, that way you do your internet stuff in Linux (Browsing and E-mails etc) and keep your Windows partition safe.

Nowadays I very rarely boot up into Windows (98SE) but it's there if I need it!

[Red Moon]

I think I might do that. I have a spare drive I could put in my Shuttle X box.

Can see me giving up the mac it's so quite compared to a PC for day to day use.