Linicks, eh? Is that some sort of a tick?

Overheal

Right so I very much know not a tot about this linux mathingy but I figured I'd give it a bit of a lash.

Im running a Vista laptop and I dont have problems with it. I like vista, and it doesnt give out to me, which I understand is rare.

Couple questions:

Why should I want to use linux?

What program compatibility issues are there?

Its open source: How easy it is to work with? How easy is it to customise to bend to my god-like will?

Is it pretty?

In your opinion whats the neatest thing youve seen in linux that you havent seen in another os?

Where do I start?

stereo_steve

Hi Overheal,


Why should I want to use linux?

No particular reason! Its a personal choice! Some people like cars, some like motorbikes etc. I use it because its fast,free,has repositories,security, no need for virus scanners, great communities,has some really nice features that other OS's don't have.

Please note the free part, this is not free, as in it costs €0.00 , its free because its open source. You can tinker with the code if you like. What I do is keep a copy of ubuntu on an external harddisk because i have to swap desks alot in work. I essentially get to have my own computer where ever I go. If I had windows on an external hard drive I couldn't do this because it would violate the EULA and wouldn't boot on different computers.


What program compatibility issues are there?

Linux runs Linux programs. Just like a mac will only run mac programs, windows the same etc. There is the exception of a program called wine that will let you run some windows apps. You can find out about it including list of the apps it supports here http://appdb.winehq.org/

I don't miss any windows apps though because there are loads of linux ones. Saying that though, I'm not a gamer. Unfortunately because the market using linux is small (currently... I think it has multiplied by a factor of twenty in the last year mostly due to netbooks) there are few games being created for it.

Its open source: How easy it is to work with? How easy is it to customise to bend to my god-like will?

Depends what you mean customise? Are you a programmer? Do you want to change code around? Do you just want to change the interface. If its a case of changing the interface around, check out http://www.gnome-look.org

In terms of easy to work with, I think its very easy. Alot of people coming from windows backgrounds can have difficulty with some small things simply because they are used to doing things the windows way. Its not right or wrong. Why does someone type Ctrl V to paste? To me this makes no sense but its something we're used to and now associate it as being user friendly etc

Is it pretty?

Yes and no!

For example I generally use Ubuntu as my default distribution. Personally I think out of the box I think it looks like poo! I always change the theme straight away. Its very straight forward. Right click on the desktop, select change background and a window appears. You can just download a theme from gnome-look and drag it onto the window. Theme changed!

There is a new release of Ubuntu in 8 eight weeks and the new theme for it is currently being discussed , but here are two of the popular choices...

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Intrepid/DustTheme?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=ubuntudust.jpg

https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Artwork/Incoming/Intrepid/Wall-light

So you can see that it can look very beautiful. Also Compiz comes as default with Ubuntu which is excellent software. Check out a youtube video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxfSwzhSn1c

In your opinion whats the neatest thing you've seen in linux that you havent seen in another os?

There are loads of reasons...

I love the fact that to install any one of about 20,000 applications, i just type its name into a box and it gets installed. Not only that but updates are pushed through to me. If the author fixes a bug it gets to me. Just like you are used to windows updates in Vista, except in Vista its for the OS only.

Every 6 months a new version of Ubuntu is released. Guess how you upgrade with some linux distruibutions? Click upgrade! This goes back to the free issue. Could you imagine using XP and when Vista was released you just clicked upgrade?!

There are tons of other reasons and I'm sure others here will post them.


Where do I start?

Download a linux distribution, I recommend Ubuntu but there are other great ones out there too.

Get Ubuntu here http://ie.releases.ubuntu.com/hardy/ubuntu-8.04.1-desktop-i386.iso

There are loads of ways to install it. I recommend you check out this page https://help.ubuntu.com/8.04/switching/index.html

Finally may I suggest you approach this with an open mind. You are going to do things differently and you might be a bit frustrated initially. But remember if it was similar to windows why bother to switch? You'll start to appreciate the differences.

If you have more questions or problems just post them up here.

An Fear Aniar

Hi,

Here's a webpage emphasising the positive aspects of using Linux.

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/

Not having to restart so much is one very good reason. Safer internets is the best reason though.

One negative about Linux is that it's not so compatible with games - most hardcore gamers keep Windows just so they can play their favourite games.

Ubuntu is a good place to start with Linux - you can go deep as you like or just stay on the surface - it's up to you, but any Windows user can easily do anything they like with Ubuntu without much difficulty. It can all be done point and click.

You can also set up a dual-boot system with Ubuntu, so you can keep Windows and go into it whenever you like. Prolly other Linux flavours do so as well.

But first, you can try it all out using a Live CD - you don't install it - you just run the Operating System from your CD tray and your system is not changed in any way. It's a good way to test for hardware compatibility .

Like Stereo Steve said, the first install of ubuntu is butt ugly but you can make it look like anything. You can make it look like a Mac, you can even make it look like Vista.

Scroll through some of the images here to see what people have done by changing the themes in their Ubuntu installs:

http://images.google.co.uk/images?um=1&hl=en&safe=off&q=ubuntu+themes&btnG=Search+Images



.

jaqian

Bit of advice...
don't install Linux over Vista but alongside it (dual boot)that way you have the best of both worlds until you decide which you prefer.

rob

karlr42

Once you realise their power, you'll love having repositories and apt, program installation is easy and can be done without having to leave your house.
If you program, I find Linux is handy in that it "just does" a lot of programming languages out of the box. Want to start learning perl? Write a script then "perl script.pl". same with Python. Same with C and C++(with build-essentials- just apt-get build-essentials and get a great GNU compiler). To counterpoint, when I wanted to test a perl script in Windows, I had to find and download ActivePerl.
Basically, installed and available software in Linux is one of it's best features- it has everything you could need

Capt'n Midnight

wubi means you can install ubuntu or kubuntu in a file of a few GB on c: , when you reboot you get the choice to start up with windows or the file

is it pretty ?
compis fusion is about the most eye candy desktop there is

progam compatibility
wine will only run older / simplier applications,
most common windows apps have a direct or near replacement which usually has a windows version so firefox / open office / vlc etc. can be run on solaris / linux / bsd / windows / mac os X, whereas windows apps may be restricted to run on certain versions of windows because of version or direct x or because they need a server license

in windows if you type in the name of a program you don't have at the command line it says bad command or filename
if you follow the suggested opening app you are usually directed to site to buy the software
ubuntu on the other hand give usually you a line of text to cut and paste and it will download and install a freeware app