[help]what Distro Should I Install?

And Now what? Do what you normally do on a computer. The operating system is only suppose to aid that.

What can it do that Windows cant? Well, if you count ALL versions of windows, not too much, but:

XP Home cant be on a network with more than 5 computers, Linux has no such restrictions

XP cant run a server out of the box, and in fact, its ILLEGAL to run a server in XP Home.

XP isnt as secure or stable. This is ALL versions of Windows.

XP doesnt have hundreds of thousands of open source programs to play with for free. Shareware? Linux users have never heard of this.

I could go on and on, but I wont.

#55003

running linux inside windows is like driving a ferrari in a rural road....

#55030

Ok now i have used Mandrake for a while, and maybe i change to Gentoo after some time. This is just to easy

So far i am very happy with Linux, there are so many possibilities :>

@Telmo: Personally, i think running Linux inside Windows is a good idea. You dont run any risks, and it is good for learning Linux. But ofcourse, there is not realy a point in it except for learning.

#55038

you can learn to drive by driving a ferrari in a rural road...

#55039

Originally posted by Frankenchrist@Sep 12 2003, 06:26 AM

I just had to check Mandrake out. It was a couple years ago last time I tried to "get into "Linux, and the install was pretty easy. Some of you will probably die when I tell you where I'm running it... wait for it... yes, I'm running it in XP!

Took me 30 minutes to get it up and running, even got internet working. Everything's just dandy, tried KDE and Gnome, and now what? Is there anything useful to do with it that XP cannot do, or is it something else?!?

do you mean Cygwin? Then how'd you get Gnome running?

I succeeded in running KDE but it was too slow and not_that_appealing.

..or do you mean you tried it in Virtual PC?

#55054

Yeah, I'm running it in VirtualPC with 168MB RAM, and, yes, it's a bit sluggish, but then my xp is sluggish too. I'm only trying it out, not running it as a serious thing. I just wanted to catch up since the last time I installed linux, to see if there's been any improvements, and there certainly have. But not enough.

I've never managed to figure out what use linux *really* is. Windows is hassle-free, but linux is not. Admittedly, Mandrake installed and is running pretty good, even under XP, but it took a few tries to get my nvidia card up and running, and that is already too much hassle... There are more games, on Windows, and there's of course Photoshop. I'll give the Gimp a go, to see if it's any good, but I don't have high hopes there.

I don't want to drop to the commandline - for ANY reason. That's why there's a GUI. To get rid of the unweildy commandline with it's often obscure geekskrit.

I just love the no-brains setup of windows. Plug everything in, and turn the power on, and everything works.

I'm using/programming PHP and MySQL daily. They are excellent programs, much better than ASP and MS SQL Server. But thank God, they are available for Windows.

I've always liked the idea of Linux, but until they get *completely* rid of the dreaded commandline, I will be very wary and not prone to use it. But what I've seen of Mandrake yet, it's getting closer and closer to that goal, so maybe soon.

I'll probably doing a "real" install in the next week or so.

#55104

Wow, what you just said was incredibly misinformed.

Im not going to argue though, as people like you usually dont listen.

Ill leave you with this:

If Windows is really plug n' play, why does your hardware come with a driver disk?

#55108

hmm... who says you have to completely abandoned Windows?

Personally, I use OS X, Windows 2000 and XP, and three flavors of Linux. Admittedly, I use OS X more because its soooo sexy.

But I still use the others, and who says if you have Linux, you SHOULDN'T start up Windows to use Photoshop?

#55110

Actually, Photoshop runs GREAT in WINE.

In fact, a BIG (something like ILM) production company uses Photoshop in Linux via WINE., because thats the only Windows program they need (they use Maya). Thats pretty impressive.

The company is currently bugging Adobe to make a Linux version.

It was on Slashdot a while ago.

#55118

port 153, RPC, DCOM

windows is hassle free.. now that's something you don't hear often... windows is hassle free,, as it is international flights.. everything goes smooth, until they lose your lugage (sp?) or they make you open all your suitcases, and there are delays in the departure.

old, but still good:

What if Operating Systems Were Airlines?

DOS Airlines

Everybody pushes the airplane until it glides, then they jump on and let the plane coast until it hits the ground again, then they push again jump on again, and so on.

OS/2 Airlines

The terminal is almost empty, with only a few prospective passengers milling about. The announcer says that their flight has just departed, wishes them a good flight, though there are no planes on the runway. Airline personnel walk around, apologising profusely to customers in hushed voices, pointing from time to time to the sleek, powerful jets outside the terminal on the field. They tell each passenger how good the real flight will be on these new jets and how much safer it will be than Windows Airlines, but that they will have to wait a little longer for the technicians to finish the flight systems.

Once they finally finished you're offered a flight at reduced cost.  To board the plane, you have your ticket stamped ten different times by standing in ten different lines. Then you fill our a form showing where you want to sit and whether the plane should look and feel like an ocean liner, a passenger train or a bus. If you succeed in getting on the plane and the plane succeeds in taking off the ground, you have a wonderful trip...except for the time when the rudder and flaps get frozen in position, in which case you will just have time to say your prayers and get in crash position.

Windows Air

The terminal is pretty and colorful, with friendly stewards, easy baggage check and boarding, and a smooth take-off.  After about 10 minutes in the air, the plane explodes with no warning whatsoever.

Windows NT Air

Just like Windows Air, but costs more, uses much bigger planes, and takes out all the other aircraft within a 40-mile radius when it explodes.

Mac Airlines

All the stewards, stewardesses, captains, baggage handlers, and ticket agents look the same, act the same, and talk the same. Every time you ask questions about details, you are told you don't need to know, don't want to know, and would you please return to your seat and watch the movie.

Unix Airlines

Each passenger brings a piece of the airplane and a box of tools to the airport. They gather on the tarmac, arguing constantly about what kind of plane they want to build and how to put it together. Eventually, they build several different aircraft, but give them all the same name. Some passengers actually reach their destinations. All passengers believe they got there.

Wings of OS/400

The airline has bought ancient DC-3s, arguably the best and safest planes that ever flew, and painted "747" on their tails to make them look as if they are fast. The flight attendants, of course, attend to your every need, though the drinks cost $15 a pop. Stupid questions cost $230 per hour, unless you have SupportLine, which requires a first class ticket and membership in the frequent flyer club. Then they cost $500, but your accounting department can call it overhead.

Mach Airlines

There is no airplane. The passengers gather and shout for an airplane, then wait and wait and wait and wait. A bunch of people come, each carrying one piece of the plane with them. These people all go out on the runway and put the plane together piece by piece, arguing constantly about what kind of plane they're building. The plane finally takes off, leaving the passengers on the ground waiting and waiting and waiting and waiting. After the plane lands, the pilot telephones the passengers at the departing airport to inform them that they have arrived.

Newton Airlines

After buying your ticket 18 months in advance, you finally get to board the plane. Upon boarding the plane you are asked your name. After 6 times, the crew member recognizes your name and then you are allowed to take your seat. As you are getting ready to take your seat, the steward announces that you have to repeat the boarding process because they are out of room and need to recount to make sure they can take more passengers.

VMS Airlines

The passengers all gather in the hanger, watching hundreds of technicians check the flight systems on this immense, luxury aircraft. This plane has at least 10 engines and seats over 1,000 passengers. All the passengers scramble aboard, as do the necessary complement of 200 technicians. The pilot takes his place up in the glass cockpit. He guns the engines, only to realise that the plane is too big to get through the hangar doors.

BeOS Air

You have to pay for the tickets, but they're half the price of Windows Air, and if you are an aircraft mechanic you can probably ride for free. It only takes 15 minutes to get to the airport and you are cheuferred there in a limozine. BeOS Air only has limited types of planes that only only hold new luggage. All planes are single seaters and the model names all start with an "F" (F-14, F-15, F-16, F-18, etc.). The plane will fly you to your destination on autopilot in half the time of other Airways or you can fly the plane yourself. There are limited destinations, but they are only places you'd want to go to anyway. You tell all your friends how great BeOS Air is and all they say is "What do you mean I can't bring all my old baggage with me?"

Linux Airlines

Disgruntled employees of all the other OS airlines decide to start their own airline. They build the planes, ticket counters, and pave the runways themselves. They charge a small fee to cover the cost of printing the ticket, but you can also download and print the ticket yourself. When you board the plane, you are given a seat, four bolts, a wrench and a copy of the seat-HOWTO.html. Once settled, the fully adjustable seat is very comfortable, the plane leaves and arrives on time without a single problem, the in-flight meal is wonderful. You try to tell customers of the other airlines about the great trip, but all they can say is, "You had to do what with the seat?"

#55119

...seat-HOWTO.html...

"man seat"

LOL.

I havent seen that before. Very funny (though its pretty Linux Bias).

#55127

funny

#55138

Originally posted by contrasutra@Sep 6 2003, 03:47 PM

No, Redhat can't install onto a Windows partition. No distro can install onto NTFS.

i know how to run linux on an NTFS partition!

:6

#55144

It cant run it NATIVELY on an NTFS partition. Sheesh, I figured people could read between the lines.

Yeah, you could use VPC or Cygwin.

#55145

Originally posted by contrasutra@Sep 12 2003, 10:31 PM

It cant run it NATIVELY on an NTFS partition. Sheesh, I figured people could read between the lines.

Yeah, you could use VPC or Cygwin.

yes natively!

#55179

OK, go for it. How can I do it?

#55183

all you add to the ntfs folder in the linux kernel source is the difference between the msdos/vfat and umsdos folders.

#55192

Huh? I dont get it?

What are you saying to do?

#55193

Originally posted by contrasutra@Sep 12 2003, 10:10 PM

Wow, what you just said was incredibly misinformed.

Im not going to argue though, as people like you usually dont listen.

Ill leave you with this:

If Windows is really plug n' play, why does your hardware come with a driver disk?

I DO listen, and I am open to new things, otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to reply to in post. I'm always on the lookout for new things.

About hardware coming with a disc: at least there IS a driver for Windows, and in most cases, it's not even needed...

Windows is kinda pnp, how about linux?

#55254

Well, lets see, on the 3 computers I run linux on, ive only needed to download one driver, the NVidia one. And that isnt even necessary, as a (not as fast) Nvidia driver comes w/ XFree86.

Linux supports about 4x the hardware Windows does.

Linux runs (using just the drivers in the kernel) on:

ia32

ia64

Opteron

SPARC

MEPS

ALPHA

68k

PPC

And with a little help"

routers

phones

cameras

and the list goes on and on and on.

And WIndows currently only runs on one platform (well,and PocketPC).

Remember, Linux has been 64bit since 1994, and MS has pretty crappy 64bit support (NT4 on ALPHA and XP beta on Opteron)

As for being "plug and play", sure it is. Plug n' Play is built into the hardware, and linux can accept it.

#55272

Allright, you've convinced me, to a point, so I'll be trying to setup a linux box as my portal/webserver to the net, and see how well that goes. Still going to have my XP to play games etc. on.

Now, is it easy to install the networking AND get it running?

The setup I have will be something like this:

PC1: Linux with 2 NICs; one to the ADSL-modem, the other to my LAN.

PC2: XP, connected to PC1 on LAN.

PC3: XP, connected to PC1 on LAN.

like this: INTERNET;)

#55292

I never said Linux was easier.

But if you're going to be using it as a router, check out:

Smoothwall

IPCOP

ClarkConnect

These are all distributions made for routing.

#55293