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HELP: Linux distro needed
Posted: 2003-05-12 06:25pm
by Iceberg
I'm a moderately skilled user with lots of Windows experience. I need a Linux distro that can run Windows software without too much bitching, given that I have a crapload of it and I don't want to go without my favorite games (I admit it, I'm a gaming bitch).
Help plz?
Posted: 2003-05-12 06:26pm
by kojikun
Any distro running Wine will run most windows programs, unless its some bizzare nonstandard program.
Now, getting wine to install is another issue..
btw: WineHQ.com
Posted: 2003-05-12 06:49pm
by phongn
Windows gaming in Linux can be a crapshot, I don't even attempt it most of the time.
Posted: 2003-05-12 06:50pm
by kojikun
Better solution: Dual boot.
Posted: 2003-05-12 10:39pm
by Pu-239
WineX is better for gaming, since it suppors copy protected games and DX8. You have to pay for it though, unless you want to pull it from CVS and compile it yourself, without the proprietary copy protection code.
Currently downloading Debian. LFS takes too long to set up, and my rpm database is extremely quirky.
Lots of nice free 3d games for linux though like Vega Strike and Flightgear.
Posted: 2003-05-13 01:30am
by Iceberg
I think for the moment I'm going to DL and try out DragonLinux because it's small, it doesn't require a messy commitment like re-partitioning your hard drives, and again, it's small and I don't have to spend days downloading it over 56K.
Re: HELP: Linux distro needed
Posted: 2003-05-13 01:38am
by GrandMasterTerwynn
Iceberg wrote:I'm a moderately skilled user with lots of Windows experience. I need a Linux distro that can run Windows software without too much bitching, given that I have a crapload of it and I don't want to go without my favorite games (I admit it, I'm a gaming bitch).
Help plz?
The best bet for Windows gaming is dual-boot. Unless you're emulating something that was slow as molasses to begin with (C64) you're going to find that running most Windows/DOS emulation on Linux is going to be fairly disappointing, not to mention rather painful.
Posted: 2003-05-13 01:57am
by EmperorMing
You can run Mandrake inside of windows as its own application (sort of...)
It does work.
Posted: 2003-05-13 02:36am
by Crayz9000
Mandrake 9 works pretty well. They fixed the setup wizard; it looks like a regular installer now, and behaves pretty well. Just make sure you install the WINE packages if you want to run Windows apps, and download the winesetuptk application later to configure WINE.
Plus, if you're a Windows lover, Mandrake made a default theme (for both KDE and Gnome) called Galaxy that looks similar to the Windows XP Luna theme.
Although, as others mentioned, dual-booting might be a better choice. In my experience, WINE works best with older programs (Forte Agent comes to mind) although I have gotten it to work with Unreal Tournament with moderate success. But don't expect it to run Grand Theft Auto 3 flawlessly.
Posted: 2003-05-13 02:44am
by EmperorMing
The Mandrake setup wizard even seems easier than the one in Winblowz...
Posted: 2003-05-13 04:43pm
by Pu-239
WineX is better for gaming, since it suppors copy protected games and DX8. You have to pay for it though, unless you want to pull it from CVS and compile it yourself, without the proprietary copy protection code.
Currently downloading Debian. LFS takes too long to set up, and my rpm database is extremely quirky.
Lots of nice free 3d games for linux though like Vega Strike and Flightgear.
WineX subscription is supposedly cheap though. Too bad development will slow to a crawl due to the LGPL facists.
Wine:
www.winehq.org
WineX:
www.transgaming.com
Posted: 2003-05-13 05:46pm
by Crayz9000
Pu, did you have to post that twice?