Ubuntu

Fabio

Can anyone tell me if this OS, Ubuntu is any good?

I am not at all experieced with Linux or with programming but I would like to try out something a little different from Windows and Ubuntu looks the business.

Is it Windows, but free? And will everything I run on Windows XP, work on Ubuntu if I switch over?

Anyone have any idea's?

JPA

Fabio wrote:

Can anyone tell me if this OS, Ubuntu is any good?

I am not at all experieced with Linux or with programming but I would like to try out something a little different from Windows and Ubuntu looks the business.

Is it Windows, but free? And will everything I run on Windows XP, work on Ubuntu if I switch over?

Anyone have any idea's?

Is it Windows, but free?

Thats not the correct way to look at it. It is an operating system like Windows but it's Linux and things work differently.

I am not at all experieced with Linux or with programming but I would like to try out something a little different from Windows and Ubuntu looks the business

If you are entirely used to windows then there is a bit of a learning curve but if you don't want to do anything too complex it's not that bad. you may have to do some command line work and read up a bit on certain aspects to get the most from it but it's worth it to experience some windows free computing.

Also you might try posting in the Unix board or getting this thread moved there.

AntiRip

Fabio wrote:

Can anyone tell me if this OS, Ubuntu is any good?

I am not at all experieced with Linux or with programming but I would like to try out something a little different from Windows and Ubuntu looks the business.

Is it Windows, but free? And will everything I run on Windows XP, work on Ubuntu if I switch over?

Anyone have any idea's?

What you should do is download from here and burn it onto a dvd (4.3GB File). It's called a live Dvd and you can actually boot from it and use it without losing/formating your existing windows OS. I'm thinking of making the change but there is work in it and that's holding me back abit aswell as my XP is exactly the way I want it now. It's looks sweet though with Beryl on it HERE

nesf

My advice, read a lot before installing it. Make sure you know what partitioning is and how to set up stuff (there's plenty of guides on their site).

Then, install it to dual boot alongside windows (not a hard thing to do once you know how to partition a drive without messing your windows partition) and just try it for size. It's easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you must have one OS on your computer with windows, but really you can have as many as you can fit onto your drives if that's what you want. With dual booting, if it all goes wrong and you hate the OS you can just go back to windows. Or, like me, use windows for games.


What exactly is it you want from Windows to run on it?

DaSilva

(Avoids going into Gnome -v- KDE war)

I would suggest since you're a adapted windows user you go for kubuntu instead of ubuntu. To find it, go too the ubuntu site, and on the right hand side there should be a big link to kubuntu.

What is Kubuntu?

Regular Ubuntu's GUI is Gnome. Kubuntu's GUI is KDE. This is what linux is all about, having the freedom to pick what you wan't or make what you want.
There are many small difirences between Gnome and KDE, the reason I say go for KDE, as it can be modified to behave alot like Windows, so can Gnome, but I feel KDE does a better job at it.

Regarding running windows software on Linux, it depends what software it is. Alot of software is ported, so you can just grab the linux version from the web. Some other software wont have a Linux version, but you can run it under Wine (A windows emulator (it's not really an emulator but just for ease of understanding I say it is)) Sometimes software wont run under Wine nicely either though, but it's rare these days too not be able to run something under Linux and not have a Linux equivilant.

Steveire

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

That article goes into some detail about why Ubuntu is not exactly like windows, but free. Internet Explorer is called firefox, microsoft office is called open office, and outlook is called thunderbird. Often people get confused when they can't install their windows software, like photoshop, when they don't need to at all. They need the Gimp. Roughly the same thing with a different name.

humbert

Steveire wrote:

http://linux.oneandoneis2.org/LNW.htm

That article goes into some detail about why Ubuntu is not exactly like windows, but free. Internet Explorer is called firefox, microsoft office is called open office, and outlook is called thunderbird. Often people get confused when they can't install their windows software, like photoshop, when they don't need to at all. They need the Gimp. Roughly the same thing with a different name.

I think you could be in for a pretty big headache. they are like two different languages. both can preform the same function but there's more to it than simply translating the words.

nesf

humbert wrote:

I think you could be in for a pretty big headache. they are like two different languages. both can preform the same function but there's more to it than simply translating the words.

Especially with respect to The Gimp. It's not as simple as 'just switching over'.

challengemaster

internet explorer isnt called Firefox!!

IE != firefox
Firefox == firefox

http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ <-- firefox.

a better way of putting it would be - Firefox is a web browser, Like IE.(but SOOOOOO much better) >_>

and indeed what was said above about gimp/ps. big differences.

OP : Ubuntu is an operating system. (OS' you might be famaliar with are Windows 95/98/2000/ME/XP or MAC OS )

Not all your programs you have on windows right now are guarenteed to work.
However you can run most through WINE, or find some sort of replacement for it.

You will need to use the terminal (windows version would be command prompt - note: command prompt doesnt use the same commands as the linux terminal, so you cant use cmd to learn) to do a few things(possibly) but overall, it is good, and very user friendly (for linux).

if you get stuck, google is your friend, as are the ubuntu forums - http://ubuntuforums.org/

What you should do is download from here and burn it onto a dvd (4.3GB File). It's called a live Dvd

tbh, he/she should just get the live CD. MUCH smaller download.


OP: best of luck. post back with problems

Fabio

Would it run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 by any chance? Or is this a little speicifc...

MarkR

There's also a package called wine that will allow you to install and run some windows applications in ubuntu.

A good place for you to look would be the Ubuntu Forums

Start with the live cd and see how it feels.

Capt'n Midnight

if for some strange reason you actually want to use IE you can.
http://www.tatanka.com.br/ies4linux/page/Installation

Media Player is called VLC , works on windows too

A lot of windows apps don't run on wine but then again you can have compatability issues with new software on older versions of windows and old software on new versions of windows, a fact a lot of people seem to have missed out on since Vista is the first new version in a good few years.

the gimp is not as easy to use as photoshop, but it's a hell of a lot cheaper.

oscarBravo

Fabio wrote:

Would it run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 by any chance? Or is this a little speicifc...

WINE might, dunno. But Ubuntu will definitely run FlightGear, which is pretty cool. And free.

nesf

Fabio wrote:

Would it run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 by any chance? Or is this a little speicifc...

You could keep a small windows install on the machine for when you wanted to play that, if it doesn't work under linux (which it might, I don't know for sure either way).

bminish

oscarBravo wrote:

WINE might, dunno. But Ubuntu will definitely run FlightGear, which is pretty cool. And free.

It should also run X-Plane if your Graphics hardware is up to the job.
X-Plane is not free but it is a fantastic Flightsim far nicer then the M$ offering and cheaper too.

.brendan

Cake Fiend

DaSilva wrote:

(Avoids going into Gnome -v- KDE war)

Good idea, you should be using fluxbox

Fabio

How can I run the CD image as a "live cd"?

aidan_walsh

Burn the ISO image to a CD using your burning software's "Burn Image" option.
Make sure that your computer can boot from CDs, by making sure the CD\DVD drive is above the hard disk drive in the BIOS bootable media list.
Insert the CD into the drive, restart the computer, use Ubuntu.

Fabio

Excellent thanks!

niallb

Fabio wrote:

Would it run Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 by any chance? Or is this a little speicifc...

appdb.winehq.org keeps a list of applications and how well they work.
The version you mention is a particularly bad one unfortunately.
The list isn't always that up to date, but its a start.
If you try it and it does work, update the entry.

Flightgear is pretty good if you've enough monitors...