robocz033
May 20 2007, 01:31 AM
| | Alright, i want linux now, but im not sure how well it will work. from what i read, it is not like windows or OS X, which is what i am familiar with. Also, partitioning my hard drive sounds hard, and im kinda lazy. linux seems like too much work, eventhough its reviews are amazing. i guess i am looking for guidance. i dont want to screw up my comp, but i want to try linux. i want to know which distribution i should get. the main things i do are: coding, internet surfing, iming, listening to music and gaming. but with linux, i am not sure i will be able to do that. so will having xp and linux be good. but if i boot up with linux, will my windows xp stuff run I.E. antivirus, security stuff, router software. and will i have to get new stuff because most programs arent designed for linux.
My basic concern is that switching to linux will narrow my ability to do what i want with my computer. so if i switch, will i always have to reboot when i want something on my other os. i just need to know how different everything will be. |
Reply
dau1970
May 20 2007, 03:20 AM
i suggest the ubuntu distribution. its totally free and it does the partitioning easily.
Reply
truefusion
May 20 2007, 03:33 AM
Usually all you have to do is hit "Next" during the installation and it'll partition everything for you (root partiton and swap)! The installation will also check to see if you have any other operating systems installed, and during start-up you can choose which one you would like to boot. QUOTE the main things i do are: coding, internet surfing, iming, listening to music and gaming. You can do all of this in Linux, some of which you can do better and more efficiently in Linux—IM'ing (Pidgin, Kopete), Music (Amarok, XMMS, etc), Coding (Kate, Gedit, etc), Internet Surfing (Firefox, Opera, Konqueror, etc), Gaming (WINE, Cedega, or Linux-only games). You can install Windows XP through Linux using VMWare, but i'd recommend a dual-core processor if you choose to do so. Most of what you need comes pre-installed in Linux. And you don't really have to worry about viruses in Linux, since people mostly attack Windows  , but you can still install a virus scanner if you want. If you want a firewall for Linux, i'd recommend Firestarter—i blocked my own self with it! 
But, yeah, i'd recommend Ubuntu as well.
Reply
rvalkass
May 20 2007, 09:59 AM
I would recommend either Ubuntu or Kubuntu as a good distribution to start off with. OpenSUSE is also quite a "friendly" distribution to get started with. The only difference between Kubuntu and Ubuntu is the look - Ubuntu uses Gnome and Kubuntu make good use of KDE. I personally prefer KDE so I use Kubuntu at the moment. OpenSUSE gives you the choice when you come to install it. Most distributions offer very helpful guides on switching from Windows or Mac to using Linux, and the communties are always helpful in providing lists of alternative software. Alternatively, find someone who uses Linux and is willing to help. I use both XP and Kubuntu on my laptop and can provide help on whats different between the two, and some help getting up and running. Taking each of your wanted tasks separately: - Coding: Linux is generally considered to handle coding of most languages better than Windows or Mac. Plenty of free, open-source software is available for Linux to write code with. Eclipse is available on all 3 OSs, and is a pretty good piece of kit. Just remeber that with Linux, you can try the software and be happy in the knowledge you have wasted absolutely no money trying it out
 - Internet Surfing: Firefox and Opera are both available for Linux. Ubuntu comes with Firefox pre-installed and Kubuntu uses Konqueror as its default browser. They all support the same stuff and have the same features - its just a matter of personal preference really.
- IMing: As truefusion has said, Pidgin and Kopete are just two of the very popular IM clients for Linux. Each one supports all sorts of protocols simultaneously (MSN, AIM, YIM...) so are often considered better than the separate applications made by each service. However, you may lose some functionality (such as the games in MSN Messenger) but most of it still works and the developers are always working to improve them.
- Music: Each Linux distribution comes with some form of music player. Some even take WMA files
Ogg Vorbis (.OGG) is the usual music format on Linux, but it is possible to get MP3s working (depending on where you live). - Gaming: This, unfortunately, is where Linux really falls down. No manufacturer sells Linux games off the shelf in PC World or Dixons, etc. All the games for Linux are free and usually pretty basic, although there are a few exceptions to that rule. To try and solve this problem, Wine was developed, which allows you to run Windows applications in Linux. Check their application database to see which games will work with your chosen Linux distribution.
Partitioning is no big deal really, unless you are trying to keep you existing Windows XP partition, as I did. I actually have a video somewhere of how I did it, if you are interested. The main problem is trying to work out how much space you want for each operating system - but it is possible to keep all your existing data and applications, and install Linux on a separate partition. Again, contact me if you want some advice, or have a look around the internet. Anti-virus and firewalls for Linux are debatable. Some say you still need them, whereas some say Linux is as good a defence as any. Put it this way: a Windows computer will be taken down within 15 minutes of being on the Internet if it has no defences. Linux PCs have run for years with no defences and no problems. Very few viruses are developed for Linux, but firewalls and anti virus software are available and well maintained. You will not always have to reboot to access files on the other OS. Linux can easily read any FAT32 partition with Windows installed (this is how I play my music - one copy on the XP partition, read by Linux when it needs it). Windows CANNOT read Linux file systems (ext2, ext3, reiserfs, etc...) so if you want to access your Linux files from another OS, format the Linux partition as FAT32. Alternatively, some people suggest a small partition for XP, formatted as NTFS, another for Linux formatted as a Linux file system, and one large FAT32 partition for shared files. The main difference you will notice will be when you turn your computer on you will be asked to decide which operating system to boot into. Its a simple list you go up and down with arrows and hit enter when you've decided. If you leave it for a set time period it will automatically boot a default OS. You can change these settings from within your Linux system. If you want any more help, advice, or convincing to switch  then I am happy to help. PM or email me and I'll see what I can do. I was in the same boat as you (didn't want to break anything by installing Linux!) and I took a lot of convincing from a friend before I tried it. Now I am happy with Linux and would never look back
Reply
robocz033
May 20 2007, 02:37 PM
so then my next concern is if i will have enough space on my hard drive. i only have 12gb left. i can clear some space but is 12gb enough. maybe what i need is help on partitioning it so i can have the shared part and then the windows and linux parts.
Reply
truefusion
May 21 2007, 12:22 AM
QUOTE(rvalkass @ May 20 2007, 05:59 AM)  Windows CANNOT read Linux file systems (ext2, ext3, reiserfs, etc...) Windows by default cannot read Linux partitions; however, i made my Windows system capable of doing so by installing FS-driver. Though, whether or not Windows should write to such a formatted partition is debatable. QUOTE(robocz033 @ May 20 2007, 10:37 AM)  so then my next concern is if i will have enough space on my hard drive. i only have 12gb left. i can clear some space but is 12gb enough. maybe what i need is help on partitioning it so i can have the shared part and then the windows and linux parts. My current Linux Distro is installed on a 13gig HDD, and i've already wasted over 6gigs of it. If you're planning on using Windows for just games, then you should be fine with 12gigs. If you're planning on installing Linux on the same HDD that Windows is on, make sure you defrag your Windows partition a lot, 'cause you'll have to resize your partition. Resizing the partition can have you lose some data, that's why you want to bring all the files to the "front" by defragging.
Reply
ghostrider
May 21 2007, 12:28 AM
I personally like Knoppix quite a lot. It is a different type of Linux that runs totally off of a CD-ROM. These are called Live CD's. You don't need to install anything, it detects all of your hardware and configures it, and you don't need to mess with any partitions whatsoever. You can also install it onto your hard drive (like I did yesterday), and it runs just like normal, perhaps even a little faster  . I'll be releasing a tutorial on how to download and use Knoppix, and even install it on a hard drive. Ubuntu and Kubuntu are also good Linux distros. I have yet to use them, but I have heard many great things about them. Good luck and switching  , and thanks for supporting Open Source!
Reply
Galahad
May 21 2007, 06:29 AM
Go ahead, and use Ubuntu, or Kubuntu, whichever you prefer... It's quite easy, and I would suggest it to anyone, just switching from Window$... Easy to use, finishes all the work for you, and is very user friendly... Also, runs very fast on slower machines, you don't need to upgrade your computer with every new release... I have all the Ubuntus, since version 5.04, and they've been all runnng on a same machine, with the same speed and performance... Heck, I even have my 50 year old parents, using Ubuntu on their computer (which is some old, P2-300MHz or so), and it runs great... They already know how to check email, surf the web, play a few games (they just love those flash games  ) Partitioning is quite easy with Ubuntu, unlike some older distros, for which you needed to know how to use fdisk, and similar tools... Welcome to the world of Open Source
Reply
ASR
Sep 18 2007, 12:22 AM
to try linux, I'd suggest Wubi. You download it on your Windoze system, and it'll install. When you reboot the computer, it'll aske Windows or Linux? you pick. If you don't like it, simply uninstall from Windoze. and no particioning required.
Reply
Similar Topics
Keywords : switch linux- Can Anyone Recommend A Light Linux Distro?
- (8)
I'm looking for a light linux distro, but something decent, that will only run on about 128-256
ram, CPU 1.8GHz, that has office (probably open office or abiword) that won't need more than
about 2-4GB hard drive. (Something like puppy linux) Just to run in an emulator. I'm asking
because there might be a killer distro out there that I haven't heard of or found that someone
might know about. If not puppy linux will be great for it. Thanks...
Wireless Lan Network Card Driver Installation On Linux Ubuntu 8.04!
- (0)
Lan Surfer In Linux
- GUI software to view other's shared files (2)
I have been using LAN surfer and Network scanner in Windows , These software's are used
to scan the LAN over a given range of IP addresses and then display the folders shared by each
computer available on LAN in the specified range... now i have switched to Linux... Can you tell me
any GUI software which would do this task in Linux ubuntu 7.04. I tried nmap but i did not
find it that useful...i think it does only port scanning and stuff but does not display the files
shared... but i am not sure..tell me if it can be used and how... I also installed s...
What Made You Switch To Linux?
- (34)
I first tried Linux a few years ago, not because I was completely against Windows or anything like
that, but just because I had some free time on my hands. I started off with Mandrake 9.0 which was
very user friendly and Windows-like. After reading through a bunch of message boards and learning
which distros are good for what, I soon realized my current distro was great for Linux noobs. So
then I decided to try something a little more advanced like Slackware which I knew had a steep
learning curve. Since then I've been using Slackware as my main OS and couldn't ...
Ubuntu Linux As Free Operating System Alternative
- linux operating system (47)
About three years ago I decided to learn how to use Linux and after a lot of posts on a forum I
tried Ubuntu Linux as it was recommended as a good first Linux distro. Ubuntu is not the easiest
Linux distro to use but with its unmatched forum community support it is one of the easiest to learn
to use. One of the problems with learning Linux is that a lot of users have an attitude that Linux
should be a free Windows knock off which it is not. Ubuntu is build on a Linix core or kernel and is
a different Open Source and free as in to use operating system. This brings us to t...
Pros And Cons Of Mac, Windows, And Linux
- This is not a what's better topic, it's a pros and cons (33)
Before i start i want to make sure you understand this is not a what OS is better this is a what is
better at certain things and your reasons why. I would also like to know more about Linux because
i'm slightly confused on it. Will it mess my computer up if i install it, dont like it, and
uninstall it? OK on with the topic. I own a Mac and work on one for many hours a day, but had
always used a Windows based system since well i was 5 and i remember my father using DOS to run Duke
Nukem haha. So i know my way around it. Here is my Pros and Cons list Windows: Pros...
How Do I Switch From Gnome To Kde?
- Ubuntu Linux (6)
Hey. I use Windows mainly, as I use games and graphical programs the most. However, I use Linux a
bit, just for programming and other things like that. I'm not that good at programming and
linux though ;_;... Well, I decided that the main reason I don't like to use it is that it
looks so alien, and I hate how GNOME looks. I hear that if I move to KDE I'll be sacrificing
some performance or whatnot. I have this really crazy linux zealot friend who preaches the linux
gospel to me, and will attempt to beat down any reason why I like Windows. I would ask ...
Is There A Linux Distro With Widescreen Support?
- (7)
Hello everyone! Ive tried one or two linux distros on my laptops but always the same snag...
none/terrible widescreen support, i tried the live CD knoppix and mandriva and another i think that
i cant remember... So my question is, is there a linux distro with good widescreen support for
128OX8OOpx dimensions? to be more specific its 15.4in screen with the afore mentioned pixel
dimensions. my GFX card is labelled as "ATI Radeon Xpress 2OOMnwith PCI Express Graphics up to 128mb
memory" i think only the last part is relevant to the GFX specs but i included it all j...
Help With Linux - Russix
- (4)
Hi, I am quite a big n00b with Linux. I need help with this issue. I didn't want to install
Linux on my hard-drive but still wanted to use it as a normal version not from a Live CD. I was
looking for a Linux that can be installed on a pen drive. First I found SLAX and then I stumbled
upon Russix, which is also based on SLAX. I like the security auditing part of Russix.
/biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin.gif" /> Now , SLAX
can be installed on a Pendrive. Can anyone help me with Russix ? I need to install Russ...
If Mac Osx Is Best With Hardware, Where Does Linux Lie?
- (5)
Here's a good question: Is Linux better at utilizing hardware efficiently to produce optimal
performance out of your components. I hear a lot about Mac OSX being so much better with Intel
processors and yada yada, but I don't know if this is true or if a bunch of Mac elitists said a
bunch of crap and ran with it. I don't think there are actual comparable benchmarks, but if
there are, where does Linux lie in the hardware efficiency race? (Or is it dependent on which Linux
distribution it is, like how XP still beats Vista in performance?)...
What Linux Distro Do You Use ?
- (63)
I've just recently tried linux and I must say I"m really impressed with the new KDE and Gnome
environments, as well as the shere number of OSS available. I'm really excited about devling
deeper into this more stable and efficient OS; This coming from a windows user since it's dawn.
I've started with Gentoo 2006.0 to get my feet wet, and I'm planning to grab the new Fedora
Core 5 when I get a chance (as well as more cd's/dvd's) - it was recommended to me.
Anyways, what linux flavor do you prefer and why ? ...
How to setup DNS server in Linux Slackware
- (4)
Please help me how to set dns server in linuk slackware Moved from what is.. forum to operating
systems. Please note that what is... section is not to ask question but to explain things. Also,
Just writing these one-liners doesnt contribute much in the forum, so make sure that when you ask
question you have to be explain each and everything and then only someone will be able to help you. ...
Network Install Linux On Laptop With No Cd Drive?
- (6)
I was hoping some linux tech heads here could give me some pointers about installing linux onto a
laptop I have which has no cd drive. To make things worse it does not even boot from usb. I had
installed XP on it with an unattended install using the /makelocalsource switch which copies files
to the local hdd then finishes setup from there after reboot. Is there an easy switch function to
install any linux distro once you have the files on your hdd? (I have a mapped network drive to my
laptop and sharing from my desktop so i can access my files. I just don't know if...
Need Help With Linux Installation
- (4)
Hi, I need some help with Linux. 1. I need a linux distro that will be like real easy to install
and should have support for ntfs preferably built-in. (I know its installed on ext3) 2. It should
have support for nVidia Graphics card. Most of the linux I tried fail even to boot up. They
don't recognize my graphics card. my specs are : QUOTE Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 2.4 GHz
2 GB Ram XFX 650i Ultra Motherboard XFX 8600 GT (512 MB) Graphics Card. It should support
all this /biggrin.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggri...
Linux - Why It Fails As A Desktop Operating System?
- (34)
Linux is becoming such a craze nowadays that not even a single day passes without one or other
distribution releasing a new version. But why is it failing so miserably in the desktop arena. The
answer lies in three reasons. 1. The plethora of distributions -
Redhat,Debian,Ubuntu,Suse,Gentoo,Knoppix - everbody and his uncle is coming out with new ones. 2.
The lack of backward compatibility - I had Redhat 7.3 running. I upgraded to Redhat 9. Many
applications had to be recompiled. You ask my mom to recompile applications - She will throw out
Linux and take Windows anyday. ...
Installing Linux On My Laptop
- (2)
Hello, i have Debian "Sarge" in a DvD, and i want to install it in my dell d600 but i want to know
if all this hardware is supported, or is better if i first donwload all that i goint to need,
because if i install it but my lan adapters doesn't work then i will have some difficulties:
This is my system Centrino LCD SXGA (1400x1050) Pentium M Banias 1.6 FSB 400 Mainboard i855PM ATI
RADEON 9000 AUDIO SIGMATEL 9750 Intel PRO/Wireless LAN 2100 3A MINI PCI Broadcom 570X Gigabit
Thank's for your help!!...
Wireless Internet On Linux Mint 4.0 Daryna
- bcm94311mcg wlan mini-pci (0)
Well, a while back I started to get into Linux and tried out a few distros and found my perfect one.
Linux Mint, a Ubuntu based distro that uses the same packages and repositories I believe. The latest
version, Daryna, it based on Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon. My laptop is a Compaq Presario C714NR with a
BCM94311MCG WLAN Mini-PCI wireless card built in. It came with Windows Vista Home Premium and I
bought it around December. Well, I finally got my wireless internet working using this tutorial:
The tutorial was very simple and it did what it was supposed to do. I recommend doi...
Linux And Win Xp
- Together (4)
Is there any way to install linux and win xp together on just one computer?...
Linux FAQs
- (3)
OTE: This is not a how-to guide of any kind! As lot of people here seem to be new to GNU/Linux
and I've seen quite a lot misunderstandings, I decided to write a little Frequently Asked
Questions to raise general knowledge about the system. I tried to include only the very basics. I
hope you will find this useful. Q: What is Linux? A: Linux is a free operating system released
under GPL (General Public Licence), originally developed by Finnish student Linus Torvalds in 1991
for hobby. It is freely available and can be modified by anyone as long as modified version...
Loading Linux
- Loading Linux (5)
Go to http://www.Linux.org/dist/list.html Linux is packaged in different distributions one of my
favorite is http://musix.org.ar/en/index.html it is full of powerful art producing software like
http://www.rosegardenmusic.com/ and many more. many of the Linux distributions have what is called
live CDs these are Linux Distributions You can run from Your CD ROM on Your windows system. You put
the CD in before You boot then when You boot Your computer the CD boots up Linux and Linux now will
recognize all Your hardware. You just download the MusixGNU+Linux1.0r2_Stable....
Wubi: Install Ubuntu With A Single Click From Windows
- If you are afraid of Linux, it's for you (11)
Hi, I just found out this nice software which allows you to install Ubuntu from Windows as any other
application. I haven't tried it personally though, because I'm already running Linux, but
some of you may want to check it out. Here it is: http://wubi-installer.org/ I hope it helps
somebody....
Windows, Linux Or Mac Osx?
- Which OS do u prefer. (25)
Well, I've tried Ubuntu Gutsy and Windows Vista. I liked Ubuntu but I think that it needs more
work to become a "real" OS, I mean, u need to know many code to can use it properly, I have 2PCs in
one I've Windows Vista (my main laptop) and in my secondary PC (desktop) I've Ubuntu and
Windows XP (dual-boot). Give ur opinion about this OS.!...
Linux Or Windows Hosting Os?
- (6)
Okay i recently bought a godaddy hosting account. Now my question is whats the difference between
the Linux OS hosting, and the Windows OS hosting?...
Need Help Choosing A Linux Distro
- (3)
Hi, When I get my new computer soon I wan't to get XP, however, I also want to have Linux since
I used it a couple of times and I thought it was good. Trouble is there are so many versions out
there that I don't know which one I should pick. Ubuntu i've heard is very good but I wanted
to ask the trap17 community first to see which version you think I should get?...
Vista & Linux Double Boot
- (8)
I am considering installing Ubuntu Linux to run as a double boot on my new laptop. I purchased the
laptop with Vista Home Premium and I need to keep it for some of my games and software. Ex. Guild
Wars, Halo, Visual C++ Express. I am just wanting to run Linux to see what it is like and I am
wondering whether or not I could run Vista and Linux on the same hard drive. I have at least 70GB of
space left and my C partition contaisn about 103 GB. I just bought the laptop a few days ago. I am
just wanting to know this because I am thinking of getting Linux and possibly an exte...
Windows Or Linux. Undecided Now! Help Me.
- At a cross-road between them. (23)
I am at a situation now where by I am undecided whether continue using windows. I have always been a
Windows Fan all my life until some months back when I started delving into the Linux world and wat I
found in there was quite very impressing. When you talk about 3-D desktop environments and security
and some real col stuffs like widgets and things like that, Linux has got it all. But for a few
softwares, I would have said bye bye to windows months back. I need help here in making this
decision. Is there any software in Linux that conviniently replace MS Encarta? or En...
Do You Know When Mandriva Linux 2008 Will Be Released?
- (3)
I had been a Mandriva Linux fan for many years. But since the quality of its product became worse in
2005, I dropped it. Recently I was told that Mandriva Linux is from good to better in 2007, so I
want to try it again. So do you know when Mandriva Linux 2008 will be released?...
Linux Help Please !
- Live CD problem with Ubuntu (8)
OK heres the layout... i want linux, i have a CD with it on it i go to load it on my lap top, *its
bootable* and i get thru everything installs and such, but when its done it shows a black screen
with 2 white squares about half a inch long and half a inch wide, 2 of them apart from each other
now when i reboot and take the CD out, there is no OS asks for a OS disk, it is called ubuntu. +
where would i go about getting a *free* program to make a CD bootable so that i can download another
thing of linux and also, which should i get? please answer this is vary confuseing ...
Novell Ships Latest High-performance Linux Platform
- (0)
It's the Novell first time shipped the Real Time. So I don't think it is at the most
effective coding for this release. Althrough it should without any critical issues. But I will wait
until it's service pack or next release. QUOTE Novell Tuesday released SUSE Linux
Enterprise Real Time 10, its open source operating system tuned for high-performance applications.
Novell is targeting the platform at vertical industries looking to support applications that need
the highest reliability and performance, including those in the financial services industry. N...
Installing Compiz Fusion Onto Ubuntu Linux 7.10 (ati Graphics Card)
- (0)
Hello, In this tutorial I will show you how to install Compiz Fusion onto Ubuntu Linux version 7.10
with an ATI Graphics card. Requirements: Ubuntu Linux 7.10 You use an ATI Graphics Card To
start off, all these scripts should be ran in terminal. Terminal is accessed by clicking on:
Applications Accessories Terminal We will be putting the prefix of sudo on before the codes.
This makes it run as an administrator, as Ubuntu doesn't allow direct access to the accounts.
First of all if you haven't already, enable the restricted driver for the ATI Graph...
Looking for switch, linux
|
|
Searching Video's for switch, linux
|
advertisement
|
|