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Should i get Linux???

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shaneshane1

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just wondering if anyone has linux?

i know very little about it and want to know if/why you think it is better than the normal OS.

what are its pro's & con's?

And what should i download for a acer aspire 3000 notebook?
 
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Ubuntu Linux is very popular and there is a guide to installing it on your laptop here:
**broken link removed**

(You can also just run it from the install cd (very slowly) to get an idea of what it looks like before actually installing it.)

I have tried Ubuntu on an older desktop PC and found it to be ideal for someone who mainly uses Firefox web browser, Open Office word processor and email etc.

I have not committed to having it as my main PC yet though.
 
funny you mention ubuntu linux, i just started a download about 30minutes ago, once i download it do i just burn it to a cd, i have a NTI ISO program that came with windows xp, so i take it that i can use that?

once its on cd, is that everything done? do i just reboot pc in cd drive mode?
 
shaneshane1 said:
what are its pro's & con's?

Pro's - it's FREE!.

Con's - can you get programs to do what you want that run under it?.

I've installed Linux a number of times over the years, I've never been impressed with it's speed, and never found anything I was really interested in running under it?.
 
Nigel Goodwin said:
Pro's - it's FREE!.

Con's - can you get programs to do what you want that run under it?.

I've installed Linux a number of times over the years, I've never been impressed with it's speed, and never found anything I was really interested in running under it?.

thats the thing im not 100% or even 50% sure of what its capable of doing, so many people i know give it a huge rating?

one good point i have heard is that it can't give your computer a virus because its run directly of your cd?
 
Nigel Goodwin said:
Pro's - it's FREE!.

Con's - can you get programs to do what you want that run under it?.

I've installed Linux a number of times over the years, I've never been impressed with it's speed, and never found anything I was really interested in running under it?.

I've been running various version of Linux since sometime in 1994. Speedwise I haven't ever noticed Windows being able to keep up, but I guess that depends on what you're doing.

These days OpenOffice.org and wine have gotten good enough that the only reasons I boot Windows XP anymore are 1) games, and 2) ASIO drivers. And I don't game much, and the ASIO thing is just because I still like Cubase SX (and I have the plugins, Wavelabl, etc) better than the jackd/ardour/LADSPA setup--but that may just be familiarity speaking. And more and more games are working under wine or have native Linux versions.

For everything else, I do my professional coding using emacs on the command line, and for my play time, LTSPice and Eagle both run fine under wine.

My only real complaint with Ubuntu right now is that Gnome treats the user like an idiot, but you can still configure everything if you're cool with the command line. In general, you can now run Linux just dandy out of the box, but you may still have to get your hands dirty and get under the hood a bit to really get things going. At least with *nix (and *BSD etc) you have this option. With Windows, if you don't like the way things are, you're stuffed.

Plus if my desktop does freeze (very rare), I can usually ssh in from another machine and take care of the problem without needing to reboot. And while I used to be quite the wizard with DOS, batch files, and debug scripts, that has absolutely *nothing* on what you can do with the bash shell on Linux (or tcsh or zsh or whatever).

All that said, if you're new to it, I wouldn't suggest wiping your Windows partition just yet (unless it's Vista--yeeargh). I do find Windows SMB networking to be much more configurable, stable, and faster under Samba on Linux than on Windows (especially Vista, which can barely do SMB at all, it seems).

My $0.02 CDN. I take no responsibility if you try Linux and hate it. If you want to work on your computer chops, however, and wind up with a fast, secure system which works just how you like it, then Linux can rock your world.

erm. If, uh, that's the sort of thing which rocks your world, that is. . .


Torben
 
I just loaded ubuntu on a pc to try it out. It seems like something I will like, however it looks like there are some things to learn. Like gnome, what is gnome? And synaptics, from what i gather if you want to install a program you use this and it will go out on the internet and download and install it. is that correct?
 
Gaston said:
I just loaded ubuntu on a pc to try it out. It seems like something I will like, however it looks like there are some things to learn. Like gnome, what is gnome?

Gnome: https://www.gnome.org

It's the desktop manager used by default in Ubuntu and many other distros. Among other things, it provides a communication infrastructure for Gnome-aware applications, a toolkit for a consistent user interface, and so on.

And synaptics, from what i gather if you want to install a program you use this and it will go out on the internet and download and install it. is that correct?

Yep. Synaptics is a front end to the Debian-based .deb package system, which, for instance, takes care of dependencies and so on for you. For instance, if you want to install package X, but package X requires packages Y and Z to work, then Synaptics will ask you if you want to install Y and Z as well. Package information is stored so that you can update or uninstall a package easily, and if you try to uninstall a package which other packages need, it will warn you about that. Etc.

You can of course still install software without using that system, if needed (for instance, if there isn't a .deb package in the software repository for it).


Torben

[Edit - Man. The Gnome site used to be so nice. What happened? Ick. :) ]
 
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so basicaly gnome is like the graphical user interface for linux? and its done like that so different distributions like ubuntu and suse ..ect can all use the same applications?
 
Gaston said:
so basicaly gnome is like the graphical user interface for linux? and its done like that so different distributions like ubuntu and suse ..ect can all use the same applications?

Essentially, yes. It doesn't have anything to do with different distros running the same apps per se; all the distros are Linux and as long as dependencies are met, libraries/file paths/etc can be found, etc, then a Linux app is a Linux app (it's more complicated than that but that's the general idea). For instance, I can take a package from Red Hat, and using the proper installation tools, I can install and run it just fine on the Debian-based Ubuntu.


Torben
 
Torben said:
Essentially, yes. It doesn't have anything to do with different distros running the same apps per se; all the distros are Linux and as long as dependencies are met, libraries/file paths/etc can be found, etc, then a Linux app is a Linux app (it's more complicated than that but that's the general idea). For instance, I can take a package from Red Hat, and using the proper installation tools, I can install and run it just fine on the Debian-based Ubuntu.

I've not bought a computer magazine for a few years now, but I bought one today because it has Ubuntu on a cover DVD - this isn't to say I'm going to install it, but you never know? :p
 
linux slow? new one on me. Only BSD is faster. Only explanation is bad driver for some hardware... like windows doesn't flip if a driver is bad :rolleyes:

YES Linux is free, but that isn't the reason people use it. I have been using linux since 1998 and since then my time in windows just keeps going down, why? is is cause I can't afford to upgrade my machine to keep up with the demands of the latest MS Operating system? I have a nice E6600 with 2Gig of 6400 800Mhz RAM and ~Terabyte worth of storage in the house (between desktop,server, backup server and HD archive)

Is it cause the Price of Windows is too high? Nop I have full version of Windows-2000 (their best OS if you ask me)
full version of XP (only bough cause games stopped supporting 2000)
...
I don't own vista BUT I can get hold of a legitamate Vista Ultimate for free it can't be a cost thing..
Ooooo Linux is free, Windows is freee.... so what do I do :rolleyes:


WHAT it is downto is having an Operating system that allows me todo what I want and lets me use MY hardware (not my hardware feeding it and I may have a bit now and again to use... 2Gig FFS for an OS to be useable! that aint an OS)
Or is it because I don't want upstream deciding to deactivate my operating system... like Miscrosoft recently did when their WGA server borked and anyone unlucky enough to to check for updates had their legic windows deactivated. Or it may be because I don't want things rammed down my internet pipe cause someone says I should

Take silverlight (MS equiv to flash), noone using is... so force everyone to get it
Take IE7 not everyone got it so come Feb15 it becomes a manditory download (doesn't matter whether I would use firefox in XP, I still gotta install a non-complient buggy POS software cause someone say I have to)
Or could it be cause someone upstream deciced its a good thing that windows index's your entire HD even if you say DONT like a windows update 6months ago did causing data servers all over the world to grind to a halt as they indexed EVERYTHING!
or if there is known secuirty issues not having them pushed out when they are identified, or like a change in daylightsaving regulations not getting pushed out
Or how they cripple their network stack between versions of windows to ensure upgradablilty and 3rd party non-interoperation. Or buying the ISO to force their main delivery system for vendor lockin

Oh I don't know there are a million and one reasons why Windows is rubbish and why it is sinking. More and more things are running linux (virtually all home routers are linux-based) in markets and for prices that MS cannot compete on

</rant>

Anyway the issues with using linux are split into two
HARDWARE SOFTWARE

There is virtually no hardware that linux doesn't support (in fact it supports a hell of alot more hardware then windows does) HOWEVER... this can be an issue, to install Linux the distrobution installer you chose MUST support your harddrive controller if that fails then it won't install (like windows doesn't suffer from this :rolleyes: *cough* JMicron *cough* )
Ubuntu do a FANTASTIC job with their install-time hardware detection and I havn't had it fail on over 20 different hardware build of machines (laptops,desktops,servers,comodity hardware, specialist)


SOFTWARE however is the main sticking point, you won't generally get yr windows programs for linux so software gets broken into X groups

1) Windows-ONLY software no alternatives
This would include say.. iTunes. There is no linux itunes (you can get apps that can access the ipod BUT nothing to access the stores)
They may/may not run in WINE (basically the windows API in a POSIX env)

THIS catagory of small apps can be a make or break for using linux IF you really cannot live without such an app or wait for an equiv to be usable (there is an itune-interface for linux but not that good)

2) Windows-ONLY software but alternatives EXIST
Microsoft-Office is windows-ONLY.... BUT Openoffice.org is avail and does a better job of reading office files then OFFICE does

Photoshop <=> GIMP,...
MSN <=> Pidgin,...
Internet Explorer <=> Firefox,...
Outlook <=> Thunderbird,...
Partition Magic <=> gparted,...
...

The list goes on and it is HUGE. For every one windows app there are loads of OSS equiv each with their own way of doing things. Sure they may do things differently and a bit of getting use to is needed BUT they do their job very well

Not only that but the main apps (openoffice,gimp,pidgin,firefox...) all have windows builds of them so you can try them out in windows first

3) Linux native versions
Adobe Acrobat
Eagle
Matlab
Mathmatica
Maple
...

The only group of people that have a serious case for not trying linux are PC gamers cause all the new games are Windows-only (sure quakeWars,UT,... all have linux-native but they are a small number).



So give it a try, give it a serious try, it does things better. Your PC is again yours

oh just a couple of screenies. The first is from a mate who has a fully blinged up desktop
The 2nd is mine (a VERY cutdown desktop OpenBox \o/ to get the most out of my beast). I am trying out kiCAD atm and so far it is VERY good (windows binaries as well

**broken link removed**


**broken link removed**
 
Wow all good points :D

I finally downloaded linux after a black out at 87% download and had to start again :mad:

when i restart my pc press F2 and choose CD drive and reboot it, it all works, but its really really slow, i can hear the drive starting and stopping all the time, so is my drive a peice of crap?

Can i copy it from CD to my hard drive, i tried through the cd drive but its mega slow(waited 10 minutes and the page still didnt load?

I have 2 hard drives [C] & [D] and [D] is empty so i want to dedicate linux to that drive? but how will i install it when it is having trouble loading it, all my other cd's seem to work fine eg: games,DVD's,music.
 
shaneshane1 said:
Wow all good points :D

I finally downloaded linux after a black out at 87% download and had to start again :mad:

when i restart my pc press F2 and choose CD drive and reboot it, it all works, but its really really slow, i can hear the drive starting and stopping all the time, so is my drive a peice of crap?

Can i copy it from CD to my hard drive, i tried through the cd drive but its mega slow(waited 10 minutes and the page still didnt load?

I have 2 hard drives [C] & [D] and [D] is empty so i want to dedicate linux to that drive? but how will i install it when it is having trouble loading it, all my other cd's seem to work fine eg: games,DVD's,music.

Your drive probably sucks no more than any other; running from CD is very slow compared to running from the hard drive. Hard drives are much faster.

You didn't say what distro you downloaded, but if it's Ubuntu, there should just be an icon on the desktop you can click to start the installation process. You'll need to repartition your drive or else set aside another drive to install Linux on. The installer will walk you through that.


Torben

[Edit: Bizarrely, I read your last paragraph just before I wrote my second-last sentence, and wrote the sentence anyway. I think my brain took a walk somewhere. Oops.]
 
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Torben said:
Your drive probably sucks no more than any other; running from CD is very slow compared to running from the hard drive. Hard drives are much faster.

You didn't say what distro you downloaded, but if it's Ubuntu, there should just be an icon on the desktop you can click to start the installation process. You'll need to repartition your drive or else set aside another drive to install Linux on. The installer will walk you through that.


Torben

[Edit: Bizarrely, I read your last paragraph just before I wrote my second-last sentence, and wrote the sentence anyway. I think my brain took a walk somewhere. Oops.]

yes its ubuntu, and when you say icon on desktop to start installation? nope, the only thing i have is the ubuntu 7.10i386 on the cd and the original ISO which is the ubuntu before i put it on the CD.

There is the installation option on the CD but its to slow to operate correctly?
 
I didn't read the whole tread, so...


In short. YES!!!! GET LINUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you REALLY need to run a winwoes program, there is always wine, or as a last resort, you could dual boot.
 
shaneshane1 said:
yes its ubuntu, and when you say icon on desktop to start installation? nope, the only thing i have is the ubuntu 7.10i386 on the cd and the original ISO which is the ubuntu before i put it on the CD.

There is the installation option on the CD but its to slow to operate correctly?

Are you talking about your Windows desktop or the Linux one you get when you run from the CD? I'm talking about the one on the Linux desktop. That's the installer I was talking about.


Torben
 
Torben said:
Are you talking about your Windows desktop or the Linux one you get when you run from the CD? I'm talking about the one on the Linux desktop. That's the installer I was talking about.


Torben

yes thats the one i meant to, I tried running to cd from boot up and i get to the desktop that says install, but when i click on it the cd doesnt seem to want load it just hangs there for ages, ive only tried once, so i might try again.
 
shaneshane1 said:
yes thats the one i meant to, I tried running to cd from boot up and i get to the desktop that says install, but when i click on it the cd doesnt seem to want load it just hangs there for ages, ive only tried once, so i might try again.

Yeah, give it another shot. It might just be tied up detecting things; not sure. I remember the 7.10 install being one of the simplest I've ever done with any OS.


Torben
 
well i tried it again, and still no luck, it just gets to the linux desktop and when i click on install, the install window opens up only with a white screen?

i might try to re burn it to another CD?
 
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