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Im about to install Linux on my PC. While Im gonna have a Windows XP partition, I would rather get away from Microsoft. I dont really want to get caught up in their Palladium-influenced fantasyland of the future. Plus I really do think XP just sucks. Its better than 95/98/ME but its still garbage.
Anyone use Linux here? If you switched from Windows how easy was it to switch? Etc. Just curious. Thanks.
You should give Windows 2000 a try, of all the OS's in the Windows family, this one works.
I use Linux exclusively, for about 3 years now. My Windows experience is pretty meager though, before Linux I was using MacOS.
Linux is very different. Be prepared for, well, a lot of things.
I recommend getting a second hard drive to run Linux on. Hard drives are so cheap nowadays, and that minimizes the chance of something going seriously wrong (especially if you're not familiar with partitioning).
If you have any Win-hardware, it's either going to work crappily or not at all in Linux. Worth looking into before hand.
Windows 2000 is crap too. Windows is just crap, and like I said, I dont want to get caught up in Microsoft's schemes (I've been reading Slashdot too much lately...).Quote:
Originally posted by Shinobi128
You should give Windows 2000 a try, of all the OS's in the Windows family, this one works.
Yea, I know. Im too poor to afford a second hard drive. Even if its only $80 or $100 for a diesel one, I can't afford it. Besides, I do know something about PCs and if something goes wrong I can probably work my way around it.Quote:
I use Linux exclusively, for about 3 years now. My Windows experience is pretty meager though, before Linux I was using MacOS.
Linux is very different. Be prepared for, well, a lot of things.
I recommend getting a second hard drive to run Linux on. Hard drives are so cheap nowadays, and that minimizes the chance of something going seriously wrong (especially if you're not familiar with partitioning).
If you have any Win-hardware, it's either going to work crappily or not at all in Linux. Worth looking into before hand.
As for any Winhardware... yea I dont have any on my box, except maybe a 56K modem, which I have never used because I use my PC at school and its hooked up to the network card.
it's up to youQuote:
Originally posted by diffusionx
Windows 2000 is crap too. Windows is just crap, and like I said, I dont want to get caught up in Microsoft's schemes (I've been reading Slashdot too much lately...
I've used Linux RedHat (5.1) and Mandrake 6. Personally I like Linux and it IS worth your while. It might be wise to keep Windows around though. In nearly all Linux distrobutions there comes VERY easy to use partitioning tools though I still perfer good ol' DiskDruid (you can do all of this with DOS however, via fdisk). As for the switch over, I used 9x and 3.1 before switching. I was caught off guard by the diffrences at first, but there's a lot of documentation around (hell... if you've been reading SlashDot then you've probably come across some docs). The main thing you have to be concerned about it geting started (from there it's a kinda live and learn process that takes not TOO long). The problems I ran into primarily was hardware setup. My video card was not supported at the time (not properly actually) and I had to edit many .cfg files to get my sound card working and even then it was less desireable than the performance I got from Windows. Nevertheless, everthing else worked amazingly well and it's a wonder I even went back to useing Windows again. Maybe all of that business has been cleared up now.. but remain weary of that (hardware issues) and keep some printed docs with you while you set it up for the first time. Beyoond that - it's solid... just mind the Kernel Panic (ouch). When Linux takes a nose dive, it takes it hard.
To preach some gospel of Win2K (the only sucky thing I see about it is it's riduculously simple NT inherited vunerability) I have to say it does many things well even when compared to Linux besides the fact that it plays games and has some niftier software. Is it as secure (is anything secure)? No, I can't say it is, but it is resonable and a great amount better than 9x and even XP (which I'm not too greatly keen on myself). However, to be a bit negitive, Windows is not (nor will it ever be methinks) GPL and GPL is a great thing for an end user... if you are able to balance the two in one box... do it. I would not suggest making your bed on only one side or another.
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Linux has changed a ton since Redhat5 and Mandrake6. You won't even recognize some of the things going on now.
One thing that's improved, particularly for Mandrake, is hardware detection. As long as you don't have anything really odd, Mandrake will detect and configure it properly 99% of the time. This is true for pretty much all the user friendly distros, but Mandrake shines here the most.
Other changes are the source based distros like Sourcemage and Gentoo. Very cool stuff. These are kind of like Debian taken to the next level, they feel like FreeBSD.
I've got various machines here running various Linuxes, but my main machine is running Mandrake 8.2. I like it quite a bit. My only disappointment is it ships with some pretty out of date software, you have to upgrade to a decent gcc (the gcc it ships with is down right unstable), and KDE3 (if that's your preference anyway). Other than that, it's a nice package.
Linux is definately different then windows. Like others have said, you'd be better off installing a new hard drive. You can easily screw up your windows partition if you don't know what your doing. I would even go one step further and disconnect your windows hard drive when using linux, and vice-versa. I personally have a removable hard drive kit, so i just turn my computer off, switch hard drives, and turn it on, all within a minute. I also highly recommend buying a book. check out Linux for Windows Addicts at amazon.com . Its cheap, and really helpful.
To be honest, windows 2000 is very good. I've been using both for a while. It does certain functions that linux does not. When comparing Linux to windows 2000, there are trade-offs. I'm not going to get into it, but don't trash windows 2000 if you can't back your words up. I agree that all other windows OS's suck, including XP, but windows 2000 is one of the most hacker-friendly OS's that microsoft has ever release.
diffusionx, I am in almost the same exact boat as you. :)
I decided to migrate to Linux about a year or so ago, but I have not offically made the switch yet. So far I have mainly experimented with it. As soon as I have the time to really learn it, I plan on doing so and never looking back. Well, I will probably keep a dual boot with Win98 for the few things I might want to or need to use. The main reason I have not made the switch yet is laziness. :p
The flavour of Linux that I am most familier with is Mandrake. I think the most recent version I used was 8.2. I am pretty much a Windows expert, but I am a total noob when it comes to Linux. Installing it was a piece of cake. It could not possibly have been easier. You don't need any expertise to install it and set it up.
When I ran into trouble was just in using it. It was not even trouble. I liken it more to learning a foreign language. I don't know how to "speak Linux" yet, so accomplishing even the most simple tasks wobbled me and took forever. Some I'd figure out, some I'd give up on. I don't blame Linux for this though. It's really not much harder to use than Windows. Windows is just what I am used to and what most people are used to. Windows has been destroyed by usability types for it's lousy design. It's no more intuitive....
Anyway, so that's pretty much where I stand. I have not played around with Linux lately but I constantly have the urge to. I think what i am going to go, when I am ready to put in the time required to learn, is buy a book. Linux for Dummies or something like that. I really don't think it's going to be too hard. You just need to make a committment and maybe go a bit Cold Turkey on Windows to force yourself to stick with it. Maybe you should consider buying a book as well? :)
I fully expect to LOVE Linux once I get used to it. So far my every impression about using it is fantastic. :)
You see, that's your problem right there.Quote:
I've been reading Slashdot too much lately...