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Cass

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hj has a few computers running, what do you run on yours hj?
 

Speedbump

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I hear people talking about Linux all the time and have never gotten into it. Can you tell us a bit more about the operating system and how it compares/differs with a Windows operating system. Can you use it in conjunction with Windows on the same machine?

bob...
 

Patrick88

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I hear people talking about Linux all the time and have never gotten into it. Can you tell us a bit more about the operating system and how it compares/differs with a Windows operating system. Can you use it in conjunction with Windows on the same machine?

bob...

Linux is a close relative to Apple's OS10.
Linux in nothing like Windows.
I run a dual boot computer i.e. the computer starts and a boot loader gives me choice of what OS i would like to run. You can install as many OS's you want to run.
Linux doesn't force you to buy AntiVirus or firewalls or pop-up blockers etc...
You can with a properly configured system run wintrash inside Linux and Linux inside wintrash.
Check out the three link below. The first two talk about why Linux is better and the third list applications that are comparable to winstuff.

http://www.reichel.net/opensource/linuxtop10.html
http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html
http://www.linuxappfinder.com/alternatives?page=7

I switched to Linux because I was sick and tired of win blue screen, freezes, and crashes. I also said why should I pay money for an Operating system that has all these problems when I can get one for free. Oh by the Linux is stable it is tested by programmers around the world. When a flaw is found it tends to get fixed right away. unlike win security fix's that take months or never to come out.

Good luck to all and I would do what I was not able to do and try a live cd before taking the plunge. I would all suggest keeping an open mind because it is not windows. Ubuntu Linux has a look and feel to Apple OS 10. Knoppix has a look to win.
 

Speedbump

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Well I read about it until my eyes hurt. I'm more confused than before.

How do I get a copy to download to a stick drive so I can try it out. I downloaded something that turned out to be an ISO file. Windows needless to say didn't like that.

I would like to try the 50 or 75 meg version of Linux on my stick drive to see what it's all about. If I think it's something I would like, I can try it on a computer I am not so dependent on in case I make any drastic "Fubar" with it.

bob...
 

Patrick88

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Herk

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An ISO file is what is used to burn a CD, so that you can use the CD to either run the live version of the OS or install it to the computer. You need software that will burn an ISO (disk image file) such as CDburnerXP Pro. Some versions of Nero, for example, will not burn an ISO.

Another version of LInux that's kind of fun is Puppy Linux. It's a bit different from other versions, but as a live Linux that you run right from the CD, you can save a bit of information to your hard drive and always run Puppy without installing it. What amazed me was how fast it was - not like most live CDs.

When I get a computer that's dead and I need to copy things from the hard drive, I often use Knoppix as a live CD, and a thumb drive to get the information.

One of the differences you'll immediately see is that Linux has a different naming convention for drives - your hard drive might be HDA1 instead of C:.

I like the KDE desktop, so I use Kubuntu - or Ubuntu with KDE. I've played with a great number of distros and this one has been quite nice. KDE is windows-like in that you have a button where the Windows start button would be that you click for the menu.

Linux comes with a great number of programs already installed, or easy to get, for such things as web browsers, email clients, games, and so on. These differ from distro to distro.

Ubuntu is very stable and easy, but even Linus Torvalds, who invented Linux, doesn't like its starkness. It has a lot of powerful stuff under the hood, but it could take you years to figure out how to get under the hood. It uses the Gnome desktop, and when you first install it, it appears very simple.

Most Linux distros install with four desktops - you click on buttons to move from one to the next. With that feature, you can put an email program on one desktop, a browser on another desktop, and have a couple more desktops for word processors or games or whatever, and if you remember which desktop it was on, you don't have to fumble through a stack of windows.

The number of desktops depends on the amount of memory and resources you have, and you can have more or fewer desktops.

Linux is getting better at recognizing hardware during the installation. That's always been a problem. Linux development is primarily voluntary. It would be nice if more companies would provide drivers for Linux.
 

Speedbump

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You guys are really sparking my interest. I'm going to get started today. I'll let you know what happens if I don't put myself off the air.:mad:

bob...
 

Mikey

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Can you use it in conjunction with Windows on the same machine?
bob...
The fanciest way to run 2 operating systems on the same hardware is to "virtualize" the OSes on top of a "hypervisor" - a piece of software - that presents multiple virtual hardware images to them. Both Windows and Linux can host this hypervisor software -- I use VMware on Windows, and there are several Linux-based systems (VMware also runs on Windows, and there are (of course) some free ones as well). Two advantages of this approach are that you don't have to reboot to switch OSes, and they can talk to each other over an internal virtual network. There's a small performance hit, you need lots of real memory, and VMware isn't free. It's a very cool way to release your inner geek.
 

Speedbump

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I was hoping you would say it WAS free. I hate spending money before I know if it's something I really want to play with or not.

Kind of like buying a new car when in fact you wanted a Four Wheel Drive Truck.

bob...
 

Speedbump

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Well guess what? My machine will not boot from the Pen Drive. I tried every device in the list HD 0, 1, 2, 3, and some things I didn't even know existed. I ran the .bat file on the Stick and all went well.

Back to the drawing board.

bob...
 

Herk

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Mikey said:
What, no MS-DOS or Windows 3.1?

I skipped right over 3.1, because I liked DOS much better than Windoze at that point. But I still have my first, fully-functional DOS machine. I also have the remains of a laptop that's functional, sans monitor, that ran DR DOS.

I also have machines that run Win 95, 98, ME.

I no longer have my Timex/Sinclair w/16k RAMpack. I guess I must have thrown it away. :confused:
 

Mort

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My office server runs Novel 3.12 over DOS 6.2.....stable. All my accounting, customer and database software resides there and meets my needs. Workstations attached are all XP Pro and they about 96% (or better) stable. Don't use the home computer much these days. 1981 IBM (genuine) PC with a whopping 640k ram and a massive 40mb HDD running DOS 6.2.

Bought a notebook PC for my granddaugher for Xmas that came with Vista. Seems pretty zippy once I uninstalled all the "free" and "trial" garbage.

Mort
 

Cwhyu2

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Still cant download linux cant even order the cd.Stupid machine wont let me
ready to get a big hammer or just live with what I got.:(
 

Mikey

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Patrick88

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VMware is a bit to complex for most people. I prefer to recommend a live cd.

If you can't get a disk to down load or order one I would goto a book store and get one of the many Linux books that come with a disk. The book is helpful to any body that wants to learn a new system.
 
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