I seek advice about partitioning & Linux & all that jazz

Discussion in 'backup, imaging & disk mgmt' started by bellgamin, Jun 24, 2006.

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  1. dog

    dog Guest

    Correct
    I wouldn't purchase from Mandriva - down the road if you want the powerpack or whatever find but I'd start with the free version ... if you can't DL and burn the iso and want to buy a disc, there are cheaper options - Check with the Linux user group [LUG] in your area they'd probably be happy to mail you a disc, there are also online stores that sell and ship burnt isos for a small fee [5-7$] - you can usually bundle a few together for a discount. (I can't give you advice on these stores as I've never used one - but I'm sure someone will be able to comment)
    Text files are no problem and rich text format should be fine with Open Office.
     
  2. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I'm trying Mepis live cd. So far it's the one that works best on my system, but I still haven't tried Mandriva, Suse, or Xandros (these 3 are ordered & en route).

    A POSSIBLE DISADVANTAGE OF LINUX? Isn't it possible that surfing with Linux could take a lot of the fun out of visiting security forums?
     
  3. Mrkvonic

    Mrkvonic Linux Systems Expert

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    Hello,
    You can install VMware Player in Linux, install Windows in it, and continue visiting the forums.
    Mrk
     
  4. Longboard

    Longboard Registered Member

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    @Bellgamin,
    How goes the OS experiment.?
    Any tips?
    What distro did you opt for?

    I saw the other thread re BSOD; is that fixed.?

    Regards
    Longboard
     
  5. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    I am presently trying Xandros. So far I like Mepis & Mandriva about equally. Still waiting for Kubuntu CD to arrive.

    I am astounded at how easy it is to use Linux. I am convinced that rumors about the complexity of Linux are grossly overstated. Perhaps those rumors were true in the past. They are NOT true any longer. IMO, Linux + KDE is more user friendly than XP.

    BSOD is fixed. It was caused by my trying to install an off-brand boot manager freebie that castrated the MBR. No fault of Linux (or XP either, for that matter.)
     
  6. dog

    dog Guest

    For doing day to day things (running and using programs) it is easy; no different than Windows really. The learning curve starts with more advanced things / administration, file permissions, installing - hacking software, config'ing files to patching the kernel etc. etc.. It's different than Windows ... so you're starting from square one, it'll take some time and effort to learn, but it isn't too difficult either - there's lots of documentation and help about. To me the learning and discovering is the fun part. :D It's given me a passion for 'computing' and haven't felt before.
     
  7. dog

    dog Guest

    I hope everything is going well bellgamin ... you haven't been on Wilders for a few days - Keep us updated.

    Best Wishes;

    Steve
     
  8. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    Hi Steve & everybody. In another thread I reported that I messed up my computer really bad -- not as a result of trying Linux, but because I tried out some software that screwed up the MBR & other stuff in my computer's groin area.

    I'm now in the process of reinstalling all my programs, restoring data files, re-entering configs, & other PITA tasks. This workload is made heavier by the fact that I have 12 websites involving LOTS of user names & passwords for email accounts, Cpanels, FTP settings, protected directories, etc.

    A bit of history -- a while back I learned that Rollback & Acronis True Image (ATI) couldn't readily co-exist (I have licenses for both). So I opted to use Rollback. After my recent major crash, I now realize I chose wrongly. Rollback won't save from disaster, whereas ATI will. Henceforth, I shall use ATI.

    One blessing from all of this is that I cleaned up my 2 internal HDs so that all the Windows stuff is on C, & D is now fully available for Linux.

    Has anyone here tried Xandros? If so... comments?

    Has anyone here tried running Windows stuff in Linux using Wine? If so... comments?
     
  9. aigle

    aigle Registered Member

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    T think it is not always so. I remember my failed attempts to run dial up on linux and to make a puppy linux bootable flash drive. They really drove me crazy.
     
  10. BlueZannetti

    BlueZannetti Registered Member

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    bellgamin,

    I currently have Xandros v3 on one of my machines (along with Suse 10.1 and Win XP Media Center for two other boot options). Haven't upgraded to it ver. 4 yet (although I have already picked up a copy of V4 premium).

    Coming from a Windows environment, it is probably the closest operational match to usage norms/conventions/look-and-feel. Have not experienced any problems yet, it basically works as a drop in replacement from the start. Highly recommended, especially if, like me, you want to try on Linux without delving into all the arcane nuances of many Linux distros.
    Have not tried that yet since the machine is triple boot between the 3 options I have and Win XP is used natively if I'm running Win applications on that machine.

    Blue
     
  11. sosaiso

    sosaiso Registered Member

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    I've not tried WINE, but I've heard good and bad things about it. I know for sure it involves a lot of tinkering to get things done and working. Sometimes things install and dont' work properly, other times things work well. It all depends on the program I guess. I know for sure it's too involved to install the games I play. :T
     
  12. bktII

    bktII Registered Member

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    bellgamin,

    Another option, $, is CodeWeavers CrossOver Office here:

    http://www.codeweavers.com/

    I have not used it, but it may be worth a look.

    bktII
     
  13. bellgamin

    bellgamin Registered Member

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    @Blue Z- Thanx for the usage comment on Xandros.

    @bktII- Good link. I grabbed it for future reference.
     
  14. Alphalutra1

    Alphalutra1 Registered Member

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    Yep, I have run IE 5, windows media player, firefox, and the Proxomitron. I only installed the first two since I was following a guide and some programs use ie or wmp to run. I installed firefox so I can play shockwave games in linux (pretty complicated actually, I have a plugin for firefox that opens up shockwave games in the windows version of firefox and displays them in the linux version).

    The proxomitron is the most used of all of the applications. It has worked flawlessly so far. It is set to startup on the launching of my windows manager (fluxbox in my case), and even has a nice systray icon. It has kept me ad and annoyance free in linux without a problem.

    In my feelings on xandros, I think it is a nice system for someone not willing to learn about linux or not wanting to and have everything done for them in the GUI and not even need to know what BASH is. They have a great community in the forums who help out very well. However, if you want to learn more about linux, I suggest you start with ubuntu. It still is very gui orientated, but has a little more command line thrown in. After you have gotten your feet wet, I recommend trying another distro such as slackware, arch linux, a bsd, or if you are really adventerous and have a lot and lot of time to compile software, gentoo.

    Have fun,

    Alphalutra1
     
  15. BlueZannetti

    BlueZannetti Registered Member

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    An alternate way to put it for a current Windows user..., it is a way to run Linux and continue to use all those ingrained Windows conventions as though you're still sitting at a Windows box, while eliminating a number of aspects of the daily Windows hassle. Being a Xandros user is not a bad thing...., at least IMHO....

    Blue
     
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