Thinking of going to Linux

[Pu-239]

>snip<


Please correct me your situation was neither of the above.

Reread my posts and see the part where I mentioned that installation required an active landline internet connection. So I had to find another solution and had to install from the source packages. There was also some software I couldn't find in an rpm package, so I had no other choice but to use the source files.

Don't some distros come on DVDs w/ the software installable from those instead of an internet connection?

[General Zod]

>snip<


Please correct me your situation was neither of the above.

Reread my posts and see the part where I mentioned that installation required an active landline internet connection. So I had to find another solution and had to install from the source packages. There was also some software I couldn't find in an rpm package, so I had no other choice but to use the source files.

Don't some distros come on DVDs w/ the software installable from those instead of an internet connection?

The distros I had were downloaded off the internet and burned onto discs. So all they had were the default packages.

[RThurmont]

Get back to me when Linux is capable of running all of the games on my laptop.

Linux will never be able to do that, IMO. However, that's true of any operating system shift. I've never been able to play all the games I had for an old version of Windows with a new one. Vista is having an unusual number of compatibility problems (for instance, all of the Apple software is incompatible with it). Linux is no more incompatible with Windows than OS X, or other versions of Windows, so IMO, who cares? Use Windows where you need it in terms of application compatibility, but do your websurfing/etc on Linux, where you enjoy greater safety and security and enhanced functionality thanks to the preloading of useful apps such as ad-free IM clients and IRC clients.

Why is that? Is it a crime to warn someone who apparently doesn't know his arse from his elbow that installing Linux can be difficult? Yes, it's easy if everything goes right, but if he loads up his shiny new desktop and finds that he doesn't have internet access and that one app his dad desperately needs for the business doesn't have a Unix version he's screwed, especially since it looks like he doesn't immediately have a way of backing up his current data.

Well, that's why I suggested that Shroom run the distro as a LiveCD first, to ensure compatibility. Also, frankly, if Shroom is dumb enough to install it on his father's computer without permission, and overwrite his father's data and programs, he deserves what he will get.

Also, I trust that "install Ubuntu!" link about as far as I can throw it. No documentation? Downloading and running an installer with no preparation and without knowing what it does? No thank you.

It's not an Ubuntu installer, its a Debian installer, and though, in a moment of stupidity, the developers didn't really link to any documentation from the portal page, IIRC there is quite a bit of discussion around it on the Debian page. However, remember, I did say that I didn't know much about it and didn't reccommend its use. The Ubuntu project is developing a similiar .exe, although AFAIK it is not yet ready for use.

Also, bearing in mind that the .exe is an OPERATING SYSTEM installer, if you ran it without backing up your data first, you would be a retard, so frankly, it wouldn't matter whether I was a h4xx0r or not (if the installer started to damage your system you could just pull the plug).

[Pu-239]

Reread my posts and see the part where I mentioned that installation required an active landline internet connection. So I had to find another solution and had to install from the source packages. There was also some software I couldn't find in an rpm package, so I had no other choice but to use the source files.

Don't some distros come on DVDs w/ the software installable from those instead of an internet connection?

The distros I had were downloaded off the internet and burned onto discs. So all they had were the default packages.

Ubuntu at least has additional packages on the DVD that can be installed using apt-get w/ the DVD... I believe Mandriva, etc do too.

Of course, you're not going to find codecs and whatnot on them....

What computer doesn't have an internet connection nowadays anyway? You managed to download the image right?

[Sharp-kun]

Use Windows where you need it in terms of application compatibility, but do your websurfing/etc on Linux, where you enjoy greater safety and security and enhanced functionality thanks to the preloading of useful apps such as ad-free IM clients and IRC clients.

Not ideal for everyone. I like to have one OS for everything, since I tend to leave a lot of things running in the background while surfing and don't want to reboot to do something else. I ran Mandrake for a few years dual booting with XP, but in the end dumped it as I didn't use it enough.

Greater security can be easily had on Windows by using simple common sense.


Can linux properly use NTFS yet?

[RThurmont]

Not ideal for everyone. I like to have one OS for everything, since I tend to leave a lot of things running in the background while surfing and don't want to reboot to do something else. I ran Mandrake for a few years dual booting with XP, but in the end dumped it as I didn't use it enough.

Using VMWare (or multiple computers-my preferred choice) is the ideal workaround for that.

Greater security can be easily had on Windows by using simple common sense.

Not without expensive and/or performance-degrading additional software, nor is that security "greater". The fact of the matter is, Linux doesn't have a virus or malware problem (for whatever reason: monoculture, superior design, or a combination). Windows does, and Vista, while not backwards compatible with many popular applications, does seem to be backwards compatible with many popular bits of malware. Thus, Windows can never enjoy greater security relative to Linux.

Can linux properly use NTFS yet?

Yes.

[General Zod]

Ubuntu at least has additional packages on the DVD that can be installed using apt-get w/ the DVD... I believe Mandriva, etc do too.

Of course, you're not going to find codecs and whatnot on them....

What computer doesn't have an internet connection nowadays anyway? You managed to download the image right?

I was installing it on an old IBM Thinkpad that only had a cd-rom and a measly processor. So I got it off another computer and had to transfer files onto it via other methods. Very inconvenient when you're used to Windows.

[Lisa]

Want to check out linux with out committing anything? try puppy linux with a key drive. it comes with a bunch of apps (gaim, abiword, the mozzila all in one browzer/mail/etc suite) preinstalled and doesn't take up much space (50 megs on a cdrom).