anyone using linux?

[Joe Musser]

Well I am finally so tired of Winders that I think I am going to go to linux, anyone here use a version of linux and do you like it?

[Harry]

Linux is EXCELLENT on a server, but I'm not sure that there are enough programs available for home/office use. Never tried it at home.

[cabinetcrafter]

Linux works fine at home as well as in the Network Operations Center. I have been useing it for years now. It does take a little bit of learning but once you get the hang of it you will probably find that it makes more logical sense that XP. There are plenty of apps that will cover almost anything that you can imagin. I have several CAD apps that I use in my line of work and have had no issues. But you must be aware that your not going to go to WallyWorld and get a CD come home and install it. My two best CAD apps were either low cost or no cost. If you like to tinker with things and learn in the process I highly recomend Linux, but if you just want a toaster it will be a little more difficult. The two distros that I favor are Mandriva which is very user friendly and picks up on all my hardware with no issues, the other disro I really like is FreeBSD, its a little more hard core and will require a little more study but the rewards are will worth it.

Just my .02
rm/xp* or at least kill-9

[Elden DuRand]

I've run the gamut of operating systems from CP-M through several versions of MS and PC DOS (from MS 3.0 to PC 7.0 which was the best of them all), then Windoze 3.1 up to XP Home (which I'm presently using).

In the meanwhile, trying to get an operating system that was less buggy than Windoze, I tried a couple of versions of OS-2, including the last one which was almost a keeper until IBM pulled the plug.

I also tried a couple of versions of Linux. I think Linux is a good system if you like to tinker. With the last version of Linux I tried, I got all my apps to work but just couldn't get my head around the command line and the fact that Unix-like operating systems are not "talkative" like DOS. There is no "Bad Command or File Name" message in Unix/Linux. It just returns you to the command prompt, figuring that if you aren't smart enough to know what you did wrong, you had to figure it out on your own.

Anyway - that's my NSHO.

Take care - Elden

[Hank Czerwick]

Originally Posted by cabinetcrafter

Linux works fine at home as well as in the Network Operations Center. I have been useing it for years now. It does take a little bit of learning but once you get the hang of it you will probably find that it makes more logical sense that XP. There are plenty of apps that will cover almost anything that you can imagin. I have several CAD apps that I use in my line of work and have had no issues. But you must be aware that your not going to go to WallyWorld and get a CD come home and install it. My two best CAD apps were either low cost or no cost. If you like to tinker with things and learn in the process I highly recomend Linux, but if you just want a toaster it will be a little more difficult. The two distros that I favor are Mandriva which is very user friendly and picks up on all my hardware with no issues, the other disro I really like is FreeBSD, its a little more hard core and will require a little more study but the rewards are will worth it.

Oh ya!

Have been using Linux forever and love it. I work in the desktop publishing dept of a print shop and at work use both Mac and Windows OS's. Depending on what the customer used to built their files. At home I'm pretty much a straight Linux user. My wife has a XP computer and one of the daughters has a Old I Mac here also so all the os's play together here on the home network.

I've been using the same Installation for about 4 years now, it was a dual boot system that would prompt you at start up to run either Windows 2000 or Linux. (You can do that!) The linux side had been upgraded over the years from Mandrake 8, to 9 and then converted to RedHat 9 and then back to Mandrake 10 without any lose of my personal data. I finally retired that set up by formating the hard drive and re installing this time just straight Linux. The reason for this format was not that there was any problem with the Linux install but the Windows 2000 set up was to the point of being about unuseable.

Reciently I came into a computer to just tinker with. It's a Pentium 4 1600 that for $35 I put a new mainborad in and have had the liberty to just test out some different linux distrobutions. Among those that I've installed and fooled with for a few days reciently are GennToo, Suse, Fedora Core 4, and Mandriva (used to be called Mandrake). All of these Distrobutions come with plenty of freeware that will handle most any home computer need. They all include Firefox as a web browser, Instant Messaging software compatatable with AOL, Yahoo, MS and a bunch of other's IM formats I've never heard of, and Open Office at complete Office suite that's completely compatable with MS Office. There's stuff included for building web pages editing photos (GIMP) working with digital cameras, some games, etc etc etc.

If you don't mind spending 6-8 hours with your DSL or Cable connection downloading one of these you can test out the free versions. The free versions (what I use) don't include the ATI or nVidia acceleratied video drivers or the pre insatlled Real Player. If your not a game player, or like to watch online video, like myself this isn't a big issue. The pay versions which include these items are usually under $75 or so (last time I checked). ATI or nVidia chipset video works fine without the accelerated drivers for about everything except the two items I mentioned.

Mandriva 2006 is probably the easiest to insatll. If your on a cable modem or dsl and it asks something you don't understand if you use the default things will probably work for you in the end. I've tinkered alot with different flavors of Linux and somehow I just keep coming back to this. It's easy and seems to always work.

Fedora Core 4, Not a whole lot different then Mandriva. The install probably isn't any harder then Mandravia, but maybe it's just that I'm more familar with M. There is a cool thing in here for installing additional software called YUM but it's something you have to configure and is a done from a command prompt where M has a graphical interface for adding software. I don't know where the old RMP software manager went in the newer versions of Fedora, that was the old additional software installer and Mandravia may include YUM for all I know.

SUSE is actually distributed by NOVELL. I'm running this right now. It's very nice, but . . . . They have a evaluation copy you can download that includes both the ATI and nVidia drivers and it pre install's Real Player. I have a nVidia chipset video card in this computer and well the driver does not work. Real Player works fine though. I'm probably going to earase this and go back to Mandravia.

GenToo, this is pretty hard core linux user stuff. I worked with this on and off for better then a week with some help from the IT guy at work. Never got it to run. There's something in my mix of hardware that the installer just dosen't seem to like and I never got to the end of the install.

There's a web site with a list of all the distrobutions, breif discriptions, site links and download links. I'll put it on this message.

I've never messed with the freeBSD mentioned before (hmmm, maybe I'll try it), but the Mandravia is easy enough to use that I'd suggest trying it. I've you've got a old hard drive kicking around or you don't mind spending a few bucks on one temporailly replacing the hd in your computer and installing on a hard drive without wiping out your old one might not be a bad ideal.

Hey, around this house old computers are like old engines. They are something to tinker with! Hope I didn't make this sound overcomplicated but I love using linux (hey I'm Cheap!!!). I've really found that over the years I can do anything I want to with it but I actually might have to think and learn a little bit and that's never a bad thing.

Have fun!

Hank

Distrowatch

[Simple_serf]

I have my laptop set up for dual boot with ubuntu and xp. I personally like both Ubuntu and Knoppix.

The more I learned in college about windows and MS, The more I began to hate them.

I also started to hate electronics in college (my major), but that is another story in itself.

[bascroft]

Joe,

I've been an avid linux user for almost 10 years now. I can easily see life being better without Windows (any version, 'cause I've used them all). I started out making a firewall using linux and an old 386 (it ran for about 3 years without being restarted, but the hd went south and I had to boot it).

I'm a unix administrator at Oracle, so naturally I am also the community go-to guy for computer issues. For years I have been fixing everyones computer and re-installing whichever version of Windows that there using because it would be infected with virii, and/or spyware. As well I would explain the advantages of using linux, but everyone was concerned with using a "difficult" OS.

That is up until XP and especially Vista. I don't know anyone that hasn't switched and not been overjoyed with the reliability and cost. I've tried most of the distro's at some time or another and my personal favourite is Slackware. It however, is not for the faint of heart or anyone that isn't familiar with the internal workings of an OS and/or hardware. IF you are not familiar with tweaking hd parameters or what an IRQ is, don't even think about using Slackware.

If you want a rock solid, easy to use, looks like MS offerings, but doesn't get virii, take a look at Kubuntu (http://www.kubuntu.org). The "add/remove programs" works just like the one from Microsoft, but allows you to choose from literally thousands of free programs that are configured specifically for the version that you are using. Pick the program that you want, click Go. It's that simple.

Good luck,
Bruce.