Using Linux

[tigerbeer]

there is mandrake, there is fedora, debian, knoppix, xandros. i am just a regular user of winduz, whats the best one to download?? as close as it is to winduz

[ningnong]

I think Ubuntu tops the list for popularity. Next are Suse and Fedora. Of these two I read somewhere Suse is the more popular distro for Europe and Fedora is the more popular in N. America. I've tried both but have more experience with Fedora. Either of these could be a fine replacement for Windows though I haven't considered making the change 100%. Mostly cause I'm so comfortable with Windows. If I had to go out and pay full retail for XP Pro tomorrow or install Linux I'd certainly go for Linux.

[Tywais]

For just starting out a LiveCD distribution would probably be best such as Ubuntu (many other LiveCD versions available also - Puppy Linux for example). That way you don't have to mess around with your Windows installation and hard disk and just boot off the CD to give it a spin.

[rcm]

there is mandrake, there is fedora, debian, knoppix, xandros. i am just a regular user of winduz, whats the best one to download?? as close as it is to winduz

Hi,

If you're new and just want to try Linux get Knoppix as a Live CD , you boot this and try it without installing anything on your Machine.

Once you know that you like to have Linux i suggest look for the following , Suse 10 , Fedora 5 or as another option is Kubuntu ,i'd prefer Kubuntu to Ubuntu - sounds same and almost is just the default desktop environment is different on Kubuntu it is KDE that is very Windows-look like and on Ubuntu it is Gnome this Desktop Environment is nice too but to start up KDE is easier.

hope that helps,

rcm

[tigerbeer]

thank u all very much for your comments. just wondering why the names are so weird. oh well. i have rea

[tigerbeer]

thank u all very much for your comments. just wondering why the names of the releases are so weird. oh well. i have read about the livecd releases but think of it this way. the only reason i would want to install linux is to have it all the legal way. hence has to be a full installation, now with a full installation, we forgo windows. with that comes the problems of:

-how to i continue to share my wi-fi internet connection with two other computers that run on XP?

-i have an Access database of at least 60,000 records. how do i continue the same application on linux? it boils down to redoing the whole database as it was while running on access. and importing the whole database.

- how do i download torrents as i am doing using azureus?

- hopefully there is a skype version for linux

it would really help me know more if these questions could be answered and perhaps many other linux wanna use people out there.

[Simmo]

-how to i continue to share my wi-fi internet connection with two other computers that run on XP?

-i have an Access database of at least 60,000 records. how do i continue the same application on linux? it boils down to redoing the whole database as it was while running on access. and importing the whole database.

- how do i download torrents as i am doing using azureus?

- hopefully there is a skype version for linux

Ubuntu is the most popular newbie distribution currently. I've used Debian for about 10 years but mostly for server applications.

Your Questions.

1. wifi on linux is a bit of a mess in the driver support department. Find out exactly what chipset your wifi card uses and search around for info on it.

2. You'll probably have to try exporting your database into flat files and then recreating it in MySQL. You can also use OpenOffice with an ODBC connection to Access datafiles though I haven't tried it.

3. Azureus is a java client so it works on any platform.

4. Skype for linux here

Anyway as mentioned a Live CD would be a good way to start as a test.

[Tywais]

-how to i continue to share my wi-fi internet connection with two other computers that run on XP?

Take a look here: http://ndiswrapper.sourceforge.net/

Also a very comprehensive site: http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/Linux/

-i have an Access database of at least 60,000 records. how do i continue the same application on linux? it boils down to redoing the whole database as it was while running on access. and importing the whole database.

As Simmo mentioned MySQL is the most common database system for linux. You can do a search for exporting Access databases to MySQL. Guarantee there will be a lot of information for that.

- how do i download torrents as i am doing using azureus?

Azureus works fine under Linux - I have a copy running now.

Edited May 5, 2006 by tywais

[francois]

hi'

wisely, I would ask to a friend to come to my home with a live cd(any..) and Suse 10.

ask for a demo, observe, appreciate and then, and install Suse with help and explanations(even short ones),

and there you go

don't bother to try yourself, I already see posts coming in

if you're not what we use to call an advanced user on windoz, ask for help, like this you will have a performing OS without the hassle of "how to get around this ...)

francois

[tigerbeer]

hi'

wisely, I would ask to a friend to come to my home with a live cd(any..) and Suse 10.

ask for a demo, observe, appreciate and then, and install Suse with help and explanations(even short ones),

and there you go

don't bother to try yourself, I already see posts coming in

if you're not what we use to call an advanced user on windoz, ask for help, like this you will have a performing OS without the hassle of "how to get around this ...)

francois

thanks, well that would be ideal wont it? a friend to come by and help out.

however i do see myself as pretty advanced in "MS kachok" and really been a fan of open source stuff. i do run websites off scripts that are open source in nature egl:joomla, gallery, etc etc

hence this sudden interest in linux. the amount people go to do open source releases, i just have so much respects for them. put this together with a super forum/community on any release of linux and you just cant go wrong. it would be fun actually to indulge into some new OS and have problems and solve them (with the help of forums of course. this and platform specific forums)

i looked into some sites and open source office Base does the job for databases. copying tables to it is no problem, just that maybe have to rebuild forms, queries and reports.

basically asking for help to get it all installed and explained to me wont be that fun then would it?

i have started to download LiveCd versions of Kubuntu and Knoppix on torrents. can't wait to explore it.

[Wallalai]

If you are looking for help about any Linux distro, don't forget The IRC channels on the freenode server.

irc.freenode.net:6667

You only need an IRC client: Xchat, konversation (graphicals one included in Gnome and KDE) or irssi, weechat (console), there are more...

http://konversation.kde.org/

http://weechat.flashtux.org/

You will find many people on specific distrib oriented channels who will be able to help you in Live. Very useful.

[francois]

hi'

wisely, I would ask to a friend to come to my home with a live cd(any..) and Suse 10.

ask for a demo, observe, appreciate and then, and install Suse with help and explanations(even short ones),

and there you go

don't bother to try yourself, I already see posts coming in

if you're not what we use to call an advanced user on windoz, ask for help, like this you will have a performing OS without the hassle of "how to get around this ...)

francois

thanks, well that would be ideal wont it? a friend to come by and help out.

however i do see myself as pretty advanced in "MS kachok" and really been a fan of open source stuff. i do run websites off scripts that are open source in nature egl:joomla, gallery, etc etc

hence this sudden interest in linux. the amount people go to do open source releases, i just have so much respects for them. put this together with a super forum/community on any release of linux and you just cant go wrong. it would be fun actually to indulge into some new OS and have problems and solve them (with the help of forums of course. this and platform specific forums)

i looked into some sites and open source office Base does the job for databases. copying tables to it is no problem, just that maybe have to rebuild forms, queries and reports.

basically asking for help to get it all installed and explained to me wont be that fun then would it?

i have started to download LiveCd versions of Kubuntu and Knoppix on torrents. can't wait to explore it.

hi'

alright, so go for an install of Suse Linux 10

it's quite easy

and you won't encounter unsolvable problem with wifi etc ...

go on

welcome to the open source world

francois

[Tywais]

basically asking for help to get it all installed and explained to me wont be that fun then would it?

hi'

alright, so go for an install of Suse Linux 10

it's quite easy

and you won't encounter unsolvable problem with wifi etc ...

go on

francois

Francois does have a point and was trying to help advise you. The packages like ubuntu, knoppix are pretty much load and run and you can start using your word processor, spread sheet, etc. immediately. However the big boys distributions like Suse, Mandrake, Debian etc can keep you pretty busy trying to figure out configurations, rebuild kernels, etc to get all the hardware and database stuff running.

Learning curve for the low level stuff in these large distributions is high. But if you have a lot of time on your hands and enjoy digging into the systems, you'll be right at home. This is assuming you have essentially no linux administration experience. I personally use Slackware at the university for all our server needs due to its security and stability but certainly not suitable for a beginner.

[tigerbeer]

basically asking for help to get it all installed and explained to me wont be that fun then would it?

hi'

alright, so go for an install of Suse Linux 10

it's quite easy

and you won't encounter unsolvable problem with wifi etc ...

go on

francois

Francois does have a point and was trying to help advise you. The packages like ubuntu, knoppix are pretty much load and run and you can start using your word processor, spread sheet, etc. immediately. However the big boys distributions like Suse, Mandrake, Debian etc can keep you pretty busy trying to figure out configurations, rebuild kernels, etc to get all the hardware and database stuff running.

Learning curve for the low level stuff in these large distributions is high. But if you have a lot of time on your hands and enjoy digging into the systems, you'll be right at home. This is assuming you have essentially no linux administration experience. I personally use Slackware at the university for all our server needs due to its security and stability but certainly not suitable for a beginner.

oh yes, francois is very right with his warnings. it could be big big problems when not experienced with something as large as linux. and its really great to have you guys give your opinions and help. thank you very much. appreciate it. and yes ubuntu and knoppix are basically "plug & play" so to speak. i should actually get my old pc and install Suse and see how it goes.

but just out of curiosity, why would anyone get into Suse, Debian, Mandrake if knoppix and ubuntu, kubuntu can do the job easily? are they supposed to be more powerful?

[Tywais]

but just out of curiosity, why would anyone get into Suse, Debian, Mandrake if knoppix and ubuntu, kubuntu can do the job easily? are they supposed to be more powerful?

The primary difference is that the big distributions have complete development packages (compilers/linkers) with them and a fuller suite of server tools, such as e-mail server, web server, MySQL database server, large number of libraries built in, etc. With this type of distribution you can rebuild/compile the kernel, download tons of applications that usually come in source code and build/install them on the system. In other words considerably more flexibility to "tinker" without having to do countless downloads of these other tools for the smaller packages and trying to get them to all work together.

Having said all that and you get yourself a little experience with the LiveCD packages go for the bigger distributions. I have a feeling you probably enjoy a challenge and may like the additional flexibility. Just know it is not going to be a one-day task. I've been managing large unix/linux systems for decades and it can still be a challenge at times for me to get the pieces right such as our physics research applications and server applications.

Edited May 6, 2006 by tywais

[francois]

hi'

the idea to make from an old pc(not too old ...) a Linux box is from far the best solution, it's the way I started

and I mention Suse for only one reason, after using quite a few, I decided to stop on this one, I do agree Slackware is the most stable and reliable, but don't try it yet ... learn to walk before to run

Suse because finally, one distro which use to be "commercial" turn out to be free, and also, because Linus Thorwald use it and I was wondering why this one when Slackware or even Debian are closer to the ideal open source?

try it for yourself and you'll see

francois

[Guest endure]

I've tried running various live CDs on my Acer Ferrari 4005 laptop and always get the same problem. About halfway through the boot sequence the laptop screen goes blank and the only way to use the OS is to use an external display. Anyone know how to fix this?

[Tywais]

I've tried running various live CDs on my Acer Ferrari 4005 laptop and always get the same problem. About halfway through the boot sequence the laptop screen goes blank and the only way to use the OS is to use an external display. Anyone know how to fix this?

The main problem is the ATI Radeon X700 support (PCI express X16 which is not well supported under linux yet.

Here is an excerpt from another forum (Ferrari 4005) for a fix (ubuntu but should be valid for any distros). Source

" The graphics subsystem is one of the biggest problems with the laptop. Ubuntu correctly identifies the graphics card, and sets up the appropriate xorg.conf file. However, somewhere along the technology chain, something switches the primary display to the vga-out and the secondary display to the laptop's LCD. Because it's not being told to clone the display, it switches off the secondary display (the LCD) when starting X.org. The end result is a black screen after X.org starts. The quick and easy fix to this is to add the following to your Section "Device":

Option "CRT2Position" "clone"

Option "MonitorLayout" "LVDS,CRT"

This allowed me to use the laptop with the full 1680x1050 resolution in order to debug and set up everything else. I'm not sure where the bug exists, (Module, Ubuntu Configuration, etc) but I will inform the ubuntu developers and hopefully they will track down where the bug exists for breezy. "

The problem though since it is a LiveCD will have to modify that each time you boot.

Edited May 6, 2006 by tywais

[Guest endure]

Thanks, tywais. Is it possible to do that on a live CD or do you need to do a full install of Linux in order to be able to get at the files?

[Tywais]

Thanks, tywais. Is it possible to do that on a live CD or do you need to do a full install of Linux in order to be able to get at the files?

Just edited my post and then you posted.

The LiveCD loads everything into ram so you can make the changes but will need to do it each time you reboot. Also, after the edit need to restart the X11 engine for the change to take effect.

Edited May 6, 2006 by tywais

[tigerbeer]

IN case you dont want to download any of the linux releases, you can buy them cd's or dvd's at this local link in thailand

Linux Distribution Thailand

all the best.

[Guest endure]

While I'm here I'm going to have a little rant

I was in PCWorld this afternoon and I picked up a book called 'SUSE Linux 10' complete with CD. I started reading it (you know how you do) when I came across a section on filesystems. It explained that SUSE 10 used the Reiser filesystem which is a GOOD THING because it's a journalising filesystem. No argument with that. It then started banging on about FAT32 and Scandisk and how you'd lose all your data if your machine fell over and how they were crap compared to Reiser. I've no argument with that either but haven't they ever heard of NTFS? A fully transactional filesystem that's really very good at self healing. Bearing in mind that this is meant to be an instruction manual on SUSE there were large chunks of it that were simply fanboy advocacy.

I'm often tempted to switch to Linux (or possibly BSD - is that sacrilege?) especially now that

there are some pretty neat distros availabel. 3 things stop me.

1. It doesn't have a home finance app that understands OEICS, ISAs and other non-American things.

2. It has a poor selection of video editing apps.

3. I'm already a Buddhist. I don't need another religion too

[Wallalai]

but just out of curiosity, why would anyone get into Suse, Debian, Mandrake if knoppix and ubuntu, kubuntu can do the job easily? are they supposed to be more powerful?

I have tested nearly all main GNU/Linux distribs (precompiled pkg & source one) as I have always some free space on my disks reserved to testing. Apart the fact that all of them use a Linux kernel, they are not all similar. Some have graphical package manager, they don't use all the same package extension, they don't offer all the same package by default at install, some are i386 optimized and other i686, and so on, so no one is the same. Have a look at http://distrowatch.com/ .

Finally I stayed with Archlinux as it's the one I prefer. I install only the base system in ftp mode (just enough to boot the system) and then I install only what I need and like. If I don't use KDE for example I don't want to have it installed on my hard disk.

I'm sure not the only one who has tried many different distribs before to find the one who suited the best to him.

[tigerbeer]

i downloaded both Kubuntu and Knoppix. Knoppix, no idea whats it all about. they got like hundreds of modules and definately not for the beginner. actually, i didnt really much time on it. just a quick trial. BUT, Kubuntu, very nice layout and smooth and clean desktop. looks good. what i really need in an internet connection. so that i can read on their forums what to do next. but maybe u guys can help me out here.

i have ADSL with TT&T, using Zyxel Prestige 630. The ADSL light is on when Kubuntu is loaded. Does that mean its drivers are working fine already? now with the login, i have like a phone number with @hinet.s and a password, where in the world of kubuntu do i do the setting?

another thing i did is load OpenOffice Base and wanted to open a .mdb file that i have on my computer, there is no way to go to the HDD directory system??? i am just able to read whats on the disk and some trash database.

i know my questions are really newbie questions, if its too basic to answer, thats fine. but if you guys have some time to answer, it would be great.

[tigerbeer]

i downloaded both Kubuntu and Knoppix. Knoppix, no idea whats it all about. they got like hundreds of modules and definately not for the beginner. actually, i didnt really much time on it. just a quick trial. BUT, Kubuntu, very nice layout and smooth and clean desktop. looks good. what i really need in an internet connection. so that i can read on their forums what to do next. but maybe u guys can help me out here.

i have ADSL with TT&T, using Zyxel Prestige 630. The ADSL light is on when Kubuntu is loaded. Does that mean its drivers are working fine already? now with the login, i have like a phone number with @hinet.s and a password, where in the world of kubuntu do i do the setting?

another thing i did is load OpenOffice Base and wanted to open a .mdb file that i have on my computer, there is no way to go to the HDD directory system??? i am just able to read whats on the disk and some trash database.

i know my questions are really newbie questions, if its too basic to answer, thats fine. but if you guys have some time to answer, it would be great.

ok fine, i did some search and yes i should have done that search before posting this question. i guess the easiest way to connect to the net is by getting an ADSL modem router? instead of trying to install the USB modem. i sure as hel_l went crazy reading the posts on the Kubuntu forums trying to read how to install drivers. have to find out how much these routers cost now. but i am trying to save cost here. its going to be like 3000 plus i think, cause i already have a network set up with the USB modem, an ethernet switch and a wi-fi router.

but the question on opening files on the HDD stays. anyone?

[Tywais]

but the question on opening files on the HDD stays. anyone?

I assume the HDD you are referring to is your drive with XP on it and NTFS file system? If so you need to mount it to a directory, can be any name except what exists. Eg. create a directory like this: "mkdir /XP" No quotes though.

The problem is knowing what the device that linux thinks you have. Some common ones are hda, sda. Could try "mount /dev/hda1 /XP" and see if it recognizes it (again without the quotes). In a shell window run the command "man mount" it will give you details about how to use it including the '-t' switch for specifying the filesystem type (eg. FAT, FAT32, NTFS, etc). You can look under the /dev directory and see what is listed for hda* and sda* .

Once mounted then access to it is through the directory name. So "cd /XP" and you should see your files.

Edited May 9, 2006 by tywais