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**Fve Crathva** · October 28, 2003, 22:58

Originally posted by mrmitchell
I never got the idea behind charging for a distro anyways.

To stay in business?

SP

**Q Classic** · October 28, 2003, 23:31

i wouldn't touch lindows at all, if you really want to use linux. lindows is a lobotomized version which tries to hide as much of the useful stuff as possible in exchange for ease of use.

then again, if that's what you're looking for...

**Urban Ranger** · October 29, 2003, 00:00

Originally posted by Asher
Why would he buy an OS with an extremely tiny selection of software, trying to emulate Windows...when he can buy Windows itself for the same price?

Tiny selection of software?

Where have you been?

**Asher** · October 29, 2003, 00:01

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Tiny selection of software?

Where have you been?

I'm over here in the real world.

Compare software availability between Linux and Windows -- "tiny" is an understatement for Linux.

**Urban Ranger** · October 29, 2003, 00:06

Re: On my next system, I think I'll run some sort of Linux.

Originally posted by Azazel
I'll probably buy a system in a number of months. THEN, I'LL INSTALL LINUX...

What then? what shall I do? WHAT IS IT?

Depends on what you want to do. Most of the major distros now has the installation part down pat. I did a few installations of Redhat 9 recently and the process is definitely better than Windows.

Other than that, it's up to you. DOSEMU is a great DOS emulator, so you can play your DOS games. Wine is an abstract Windows API layer (not an emulator). OpenOffice 1.1 is excellent. You've got at least licq and giam for instant messaging.

BTW, Linux now also has very good support of various peripherials.

**Urban Ranger** · October 29, 2003, 00:09

Originally posted by Asher
I'm over here in the real world.

Your world is anything but the real world Glonkie.

Originally posted by Asher
Compare software availability between Linux and Windows -- "tiny" is an understatement for Linux.

Really?

**Q Classic** · October 29, 2003, 00:09

loki games is dead. ut2k3 had a linux installer, but it was broken.

======

hey, if you really wanted a windows-like interface atop linux, go use some distribution that isn't red hat or mandrake or lindows. actually, redhat might work.

then, for your windowmanager, go download and setup xpde. just google it and look at the screenshots.

btw: if you're not on broadband, forget about linux. seriously. you'll either have to get a true hardware modem or pray that it's a winmodem with a lucent chipset... and since most modems sold are actually winmodems (software does half of the modem's job)...

and even then, if you do connect, trying to download massive packages is killer.

**Asher** · October 29, 2003, 00:10

Re: Re: On my next system, I think I'll run some sort of Linux.

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Depends on what you want to do. Most of the major distros now has the installation part down pat. I did a few installations of Redhat 9 recently and the process is definitely better than Windows.

Better than Windows?

I tried to install RedHat 9, too.

**Asher** · October 29, 2003, 00:12

Originally posted by Urban Ranger
Your world is anything but the real world Glonkie.

Of course, I forgot Linux has a huge software base.

I mean, look at all of the games out for it...

I don't care if Linux has cheap alternatives. OpenOffice can't compete with Office, period. The GiMP can't compete with Photoshop, period. KDE/Gnome can't compete with Windows XP's UI, period. gftp can't compete with CuteFTP, period. "ssh" can't compete with Putty, period.

I can go on and on.

Linux has "alternatives" to many of the popular Windows programs but they all feel like high school programming projects.

Really?

Yes.

**Thoth** · October 29, 2003, 00:22

The key question of course,

Can you play Civ III on Linux?

**Asher** · October 29, 2003, 00:25

No, but you can play the cheap alternative "FreeCiv".

It's a perfect example of what software on Linux is like.

**Thoth** · October 29, 2003, 00:28

Then I'll stick to windoze. (with all due respect to the people who put a lot of time and effort into Freeciv)

**Ari Rahikkala** · October 29, 2003, 01:52

Originally posted by Asher
gftp can't compete with CuteFTP, period.

Somebody still uses gftp

?

He'll break when he gets fed up with the shoddy hardware support.
Or the vastly limited selection of software, and the software that is available is usually of quite poor quality.
Or perhaps he'll just get upset with having incompatible libraries and depedency errors.

Let's see what we can do about these...

Azazel: There are some things you need to consider even before installing Linux. First, since you're going to buy a new system, you can choose hardware that is known to be Linux-compatible. Use http://hardware.redhat.com/hcl/ or check your possibilities with a geek forum.

Also, it really bodes well for the future if you find some local guru who can install any distro for you. Choose something easily maintainable - Debian is likely to be the best choice, although if you and the guru are daring, Gentoo might work better on a modern desktop (*). Selecting a distro with a good package management system (such as the mentioned Debian and Gentoo) should defeat most of those dependency problems. Not to mention that although they can't do anything about the limited selection of software, both Debian and Gentoo at least give you easy access to installing new software with a single command.

(*) Just one hint if you intend to use Gentoo: CFLAGS="-march= -O2 -pipe" is enough and doesn't cause any trouble.

**Fve Crathva** · October 29, 2003, 02:11

If you go for Debian, wait until they get it running the Red Hat installer.

SP

**Asher** · October 29, 2003, 02:13

Both of my favorite Linux users posting in a row, the Gods are shining on me today!

Announcement

On my next system, I think I'll run some sort of Linux.

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