anyone else given microsoft the boot and using linux?

[inversions]

Did my first ever install of Linux last week. Used the latest version of Ubuntu which is Hardy Heron (8.04).

Got to say that it was very easy to get running, even on a hard drive on a SATA raid chip. And required little or no tech ability.

If you have a spare PC I would definitely give it a go, I doubt you will be anything but pleasantly surprised. If you are thinking of dual booting then someone else can advise you on that.

The install comes complete with open office and firefox (and lots of other useful stuff no doubt!) and completes in less time than a win2k or XP install. And its legally free. What more could you want?

[no_worries]

Hi all, I know this is an old thread but I just couldn't resist shoving my nose in.
First of all, let me explain about computers and me.
I have used computers at home ever since the ZX 81 came out. I can change the RAM and hard drive or install man OS but as to what makes it work ... not a clue.
I have had a go with Linux a few times in the past, usually when windows has gone belly up and I try the latest wonder disk from Linux, usually Ubuntu.
Then you get the old "Good news, bad news" routine.
The PC or laptop runs fine as long as you want to do Office type stuff or resize a photo but as soon as you ask it to play Scrabble or Poker online..... forget it.
So until Linux can handle that kind of thing, or until game sites make Linux an option, I guess I'm stuck with Windows.

[SalusLibrorum]

I suspect tht 'Linux' can handle it, it's just that you don't know what applications to down load to make it support what you are trying to do.

I've only ever come across one problem that couldn't be sorted out easily, and that was getting Homebase to run for Abe books, got it to load but haven't had the time to investigate further. Its a .dll problem that doesn't look trivial to sort out.

Everything else has been fine.

[waterlily]

Tried, and failed (90% of the software and hardware I have IS NOT compatible!). Now I can't take it off because Windows won't start up without it!

[Xaos]

I use Windows, Mac OSX and Linux; each has it's strong points and each can do most things that I want to do, it's just about loading the correct software that's necessary to get the job done.

On a Mac, finding free software and loading it up is a dream. On Windows the free software can be quite rudimentary and on Linux the free stuff is great but I've had to learn how to install it correctly.

[Fossy]

I've just installed Ubuntu on my Vista machine, but having trouble with the dual boot option. I've tried Easy BCD from NeoSmart technologies, but that does not recognise the Linux Partition. Can boot it from the Cd no problem and liked the look of what I saw. I shall continue to play with it unless anyone has some tips on the dual boot option.

[evingartrading]

I first tinkered with Linux in the shape of SuSE many years ago, but couldn’t really make it do what I wanted (not saying that it wouldn't do those things, just that I wasn't prepared to put the effort in to make it work at that time).

Fast forward a few years and I loaded Ubuntu Linux - worked perfectly "out of the box" on my Althon 64 based machine with Nvidia grpahics card. I've updated through various Ubuntu versions and I'm now running "Hardy Heron" as my main machine OS at home. I have 'doze 2000 as a second boot, to cater for various specialist programs that I need to use (that won't run correctly on WINE).

Can't ever see me going back to 'doze for my main personal use. Incidentally, I've also got my parents onto Linux (one running Ubuntu and another running Mint (based on Ubuntu). Ubuntu just keeps getting better and better IMHO, it really is now a “mass market” OS for daily use – But I do have to accept that it is not for those that want to run up to date games

[heatemyfather]

I had a PC mainly for playing games on, just could not get to like Windows at all though. Been using SGIs and Macs for about ten years now. There's little on linux that's worth the hassle for me (the distro's don't seem to be as mature for Mac hardware), all the useful software has been ported to Mac.
Ironically I can now run those same games on my Mac through DosBox and Q (QEMU).

[heatemyfather]

The perfect distro for the Linux n00b - Ubuntu

It's also that use of the word "n00b" that put me off linux big time, as when I had trouble trying to get Ubuntu to work on a Mac I just got called a "stupid n00b" and told to sod off (in more than one linux forum, I might add).
The linux community has, in my experience, been quite hostile to people who ask for basic help in plain English (not linux-speak) and seem to think it must be my fault when a basic distro doesn't install properly - I know unix so I'm not a "n00b", linux is sufficiently different to make it difficult to know what to do when it doesn't work. A friend of mine has had a similar experience.

[r1bby]

I've given it some serious thought but I'm not sure how to go about installing linux over vista. Any tech support on this? (Please consider me the typical end user - clueless).

Give Linux Mint a try, I sell it for £1.98 inc P&P pre copied onto a CD-ROM, you can put it in your DVD/CD-ROM drive and run it from there to try it out before you install it over your Windows OS, that way you can see if you like it before committing. It is different, it is similar, it's choice. :-)

I've been using it myself for the last 8 months and have never looked back 1224585814-881-9