The Atheros wifi adaptor just crapped out on my laptop. Time to get a new one, pref. linux friendly that allows injection.

I've been considering LINUX for a little while, but I don't know advasntages or disadvantages of it. Are most games/programs/internet LINUX compatible? Does LINUX change as much as Windows? What are requirements? Something I'm going to look into... If you have any data you can share I'd be appreciative. Thanks.

Linux is almost the same as it was in the 2000's Not much changed, but mor apps are added every day. I would of switched if it had Publisher, and Visio. Their Free Office program reads and writes just like Ms Office. Games are limited, Muds are plentyfull. All-N-All Linux is a little low on personal apps. If you want to try it Knoppix Get the ISO and burn it to a CD rom, Then Boot from CDROM
http://www.knoppix.net/get.php

As far as security and stability, most linux distributions are top-notch. System reqs are extremely low and everything can be tweaked. Many windows games and apps can be properly emulated with wine and cedega, although the DirectX is still a bit buggy last I checked. I would give it a try. You can always use a Live CD/DVD.

Mud, Knoppix, ISO, wine, and cedega? Sounds like I'm in for a real treat.

S1ay3r? Are you saying you've gotten a new laptop and it crapped out on you already (thought you used your phone)?

Linux is almost the same as it was in the 2000's

Well, number 1 we ARE in the 2000's.. This is only 2007 you know!
Number two, that statement is totally false.

Visio is rubbish, and I thought publisher was obsoleted ages ago by word incorporating about 99% of the functionality (if not 100%).

I think WW would be better suited for ubuntu maybe.. it's a bit better than Knoppix IIRC and more orientated towards the newb's.

I also don't know about wine "properly" emulated either (although emulated is quite an incorrect word).. I've had a few programs which both take up ALOT more CPU when running in wine.

I'll end with this quote:

Linux is a little low on personal apps.

I don't know about anyone else, but I've got multimedia apps, word processors, video editing software, DVD ripping/encoding software, CD/DVD burning software, LOADS of games (albeit ones like mahjong and spades etc), web development, programming tools, powerful imaging software, audio manipulation, remote desktop, encryption, note-taking, not to mention server software (http server/ftp server/printer/etc) all free, all updated quickly, all customized and all I ever really need.. A handful of progs through wine (macromedia studio MX and Quest... The occasional DOS game/proggy) are the only non-free progs I use (and that's rarely).
That is more "personal" than stuff like that?

.. The main disadvantage you may run into is that you need to learn a different methodology of thinking.

Yeah, Linux has about ten times the amount of programs windows has.
And they're all free. Well, 99% of them.

Tr0n, you said you had cd/dvd ripping software, encryption and video editing software.
What are these and where can I get them?

007bond wrote:Yeah, Linux has about ten times the amount of programs windows has.

I love totally off the wall and hugely exaggerated comments like that. Something like 90% - 95% of the world's computer users use Windows, so for Linux to have ten times as many programs as Windows...? Ha!

007bond wrote:And they're all free. Well, 99% of them.

And, of course, there aren't any free programs for Windows, are there? Hang on, let me just fire up the free version of Ulead Photoimpact 10 that I got on the cover disc of a computer mag and draw a smilie sticking it's tongue out at you. I'll then proceed to upload it to the internet with the free Smart FTP program I have. Heck, I could even upload it to one of the many, many free websites out there just so you could all see what it's like.

I love totally off the wall and hugely exaggerated comments like that. Something like 90% - 95% of the world's computer users use Windows, so for Linux to have ten times as many programs as Windows...? Ha![quote]Yeah. I was gonna say something similar to this, but realised two things in the 5 seconds I took to think about it:
1) Windows has more hobbyists/idiots/whatever doing small programs (I include myself in that list of whatever's as I've done a couple of VB proggy's which are mostly useless).
2) Any statistics would be hard to give, as there are so many people out there developing for both systems (I include UNIX in with the Linux stuff as the code is mostly portable)..
I would estimate any MEANINGFUL statistics of usefull applications (ignoring close clones of programs) to be fairly level between windows and linux. Perhaps a 60/40 split - but of which no functionality is lost to Linux (as the programs are hugely versatile in some cases).

[quote]And, of course, there aren't any free programs for Windows, are there?

[/quote][/quote]Hah. Still got it .
If you look at all the 'free' sites/software for Windows, most of it is shareware, donationware, etc..
I only see a handful of such sites/software for Linux, and if there is such software, there's usually an open-sourced variant out there which is close/better in functionality.

The programs I noted above were both free, not shareware, malware or whatever. I didn't even need to register Smart FTP to use it.

I'm sure there are advantages to using Linux, but I'd never consider a switch to it until it could 100% guarantee that every program I use under Windows will also work perfectly well under Linux. And that every software company out there will continue to support X new versions of anything I buy on Linux. And that the particular version of Linux I decide on won't suddenly fold without warning. Fact: Windows will be here for the next few decades; can the same be said for your Linux distribution of choice?

Actually, Ulead Photoimpact is a comercial program available through trial or buying the software.
The same is for the SmartFTP client you use.
http://www.geek.com/glossary/glossary_search.cgi?shareware

You gained a group serial number or something for the Ulead proggy from the magazine I expect.. And use the SmartFTP (legally or illegally) under the personal usage part of the EULA.

I guess it depends what you use in Windows, what you use it for etc.
Things like macromedia flash (the creator) can run quite nicely in Linux using Wine.. Some games don't..

I've gotta say, konquerer for FTP sites I find very nice.

In your remark about linux distro of choice, I can say that it doesn't matter if the distro will be around forever (although the big names will be: suse,redhat|fedora/ubuntu). You follow 2 methods to install.. From source (which is only 3 commands) or from a package (RPM/deb.. debian systems I think are nicer in that it's only one deb package for all the debian based installs.. I think fedora/redhat/mandriva need specific RPM packages.. Could be wrong).
From source will* (I say this with a small margin for error) always install on a linux distro if you have the suitable dependancies.

I'm not trying to convert you David - I fully respect any person no matter what OS they use, or software. It's up to them what they use.. I just prefer to use open and free software, and have used shareware/donationware/freeware/commercial software..

Thanks for the ubuntu recommendation. Can LINUX be installed on a computer using a Windows program, using partitioned space?

I'm not sure if I'm following you correctly. You can either use Partition Magic or a similar windows program to repartition an existing one, or use fdisk/cfdisk via linux. Generally, if you're keeping your windows partition I'd make free space with partition magic and make the linux and linux swap partitions with cfdisk. If you decide to dual boot windows and linux get a decent boot loader. lilo just doesn't cut it. Also, FWIW, if you're looking into ubuntu, check out kubuntu as well.

Yah, s1ay3r, I think you got my drift. I'm not too technical savvy when it comes to some computer functions. My main question is will there be any type of conflictions with having a Windows O/S and as LINUX O/S on the same computer? If not, which it sounds like a "no", then I'll try and follow your post as best as possible when the time comes.

Of course, the best solution is as slayer said - start off with the machine partitioned...
There is stuff that you can boot into for free and move the partitions about though - I didn't even think partition magic existed any more.

The Ubuntu installer has a partition shrinker.

Tr0n, you said you had cd/dvd ripping software, encryption and video editing software.
What are these and where can I get them?

Ummm, I think I got forgotten.

Yeah, sorry..

I would just like to start this off saying thanks to the mod who split this original topic.. I was gonna, but that's my catch-phrase lately.

Right, my ripping software for CD's is Grip, which you can use for MP3's or OGG (you need lame or other encoding codecs/proggy's - I use bladeenc).

For DVD's I use DVD::rip. Simple and I turn it straight into .avi files using the xvid codec.

Video editing I use avidemux. It's really quite good with what it can do.. Available for windows too!

Encryption - I use GPG, using KGPG.. I don't use it all that much - and admittedly my excryption key has been deleted somehow.. So I need to recreate one.

could I find these just by Googling them?

You can find 99.9% of things by googling for them..

So the answer is yes, and they're most likely on sourceforge too.