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| Thread ID: 46143 | 2004-06-15 00:43:00 | Discussion: What Do Newbies (And you) Need to Make the Switch to Linux?? | Chilling_Silence (9) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 244609 | 2004-07-12 01:42:00 | > > Documention is allllll > > over the place online, on the install cds in > > books........... > > It is but a common myth that help for linux is easy > to find - mainly because I don't need common things. > Any operating system can browse the web, send email > and make text documents - therefore I don't believe > that there is a point in moving to Linux. I do, > however, want to - but I also want to use it to do > more good than the bare necessities. There's much more than just Google. Tried LUG mailing-lists? IRC? Freenode.net is a brilliant source for help! > Like the last time I tried to compile and install my > kernel - I got random errors that no one here nor on > google could do anything about. Compiling a kernel eh? Did you make a post here? Tried a LUG list or IRC? My point is this: I had random kernel panic's when installing kernel-2.6.7-love7 and I nor anybody in #love-sources on freenode could work out why. We have solved it though by using a working kernel .config and slowly tweaking it. The result: A nicely trimmed working kernel, and about 20 old kernels in /boot that I dont need. Help is not hard to get. > Sure help is online - but not often for the right > distribution or the right setup - and I can't be > bothered walking for an hour to the library. I dunno bout you but Ive never been to the library, and to date I have no nagging issues with any of my Linux boxes. > But most importantly... > > > The fonts issue is well over with, ... > > Other people have my problem? IT'S BEEN FIXED? > WHERE?!?!?!?! Can I ask what font issue this is? Chill. |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 244610 | 2004-07-12 01:48:00 | OK fine, you win, lots of help. I'm just too ignorant to find it. (Oh and yes, I did post here) Right, I'll say it again: When in Linux, the fonts are all anti-aliased. I turned this off - but nothing happened, and they still looked anti-aliased - which HURTS MY EYES! Oh and about the kernel - my problem was never solved. I think it was a bad install of Knoppix, which isn't meant to be installed, and by installing fedora everything turned out sweet. I compiled a new kernel and got as far as entering it into LILO - then realised that I was using GRUB and that LILO would do nothing. |
Growly (6) | ||
| 244611 | 2004-07-12 02:54:00 | My train of thought goes rather like this: Want to dual-boot for safety and reassurance - not because Windows is "better than" Linux or "easier", or because I feel I "might not like" an unfamiliar system, but because there will be an inevitable transition period and I am bound to find apps I have been using for years on Windows have no precise Linux equivalent and all files created with them could be useless unless I have a transition mechanism. So: dual boot Windows and Linux Easy-peasy; first partition your disk. This will be more or less automatic if you are using FAT32, but if you are unlucky enough to be using NTFS, well, first get Partition Magic... You want HOW MUCH for an application that I will use once, or twice if things go badly?! OK, let's abandon that idea and install Linux on its own on the Old Computer. You want HOW MANY Gbytes minimum? [And no, I'm not going back to a command-line interface; I am neither a geek nor a masochist]. I though this was an efficient economical OS... I can do you four. No good; well it'll have to wait till I can afford more disk - or upgrade and pension off another computer. Which has me singing the parody someone put out of the Stones song used to launch Windows 95. "....brought it home and tried to boot it up Woe is me; I find my memory is not enough.... "This Windows ninety fiiiive It's eating up my driiiive..... "I have to get myself a brand new macheeeene!" And that's the state I'm in at the moment. Even if I splurged on Partition Magic (and I distrust "Magic" almost as much as "Wizard" - "works like magic!" "Youi mean only when the Moon is in Scorpio and you cross your fingers in the right way?"), I'm still not sure I'd have room on my 20 GB newly "clean machine" for both OSs and some useful work. I'll get round to it one day, honest I will; one more hardware renewal cycle should do it. Unless they bring out a better, brighter Linux, of course.... Argus |
argus (366) | ||
| 244612 | 2004-07-12 02:56:00 | > Im just curious about BSD - What are some of the > other differences between it and Linux? www.over-yonder.net is a great read if you have the time, for a slightly more humerous point of view check out www.xs4all.nl I'd say the biggest difference is that FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD are not UNIX clones like GNU/Linux, they are true UNIX operating systems (but technically you can't call them UNIX because the brand UNIX is copyrighted - you must say UNIX-like). A great thing about the BSDs mentioned above is the ports and packages system. For example the command "pkg_add -r mozilla" will download, compile and install the latest stable version of the Mozilla web browser from source code - all you need to do is stay connected to the internet. While I could go on and on about the ports and packages system I think the best way to find out about them is to start using a BSD OS and see for yourself. >Yet other Linux's dont bother with anything like that. >What are BSD's like in relation to this? If you are talking about the availability of source code then all three main BSDs, like GNU/Linux, come with source code for both the kernel and user-applications (as long as they are open-source). Whereas GNU/Linux is under the GPL, the BSDs are under the BSD licence which is a lot less restrictive the the GPL, the BSD licence basically says; don't claim you wrote this, don't sue us if it breaks and don't use our name to promote your product. I've never used Gentoo Linux before but have heard that it uses a similar ports/packages system to the BSDs, is this the case Chilling _Silence? |
benwy (5766) | ||
| 244613 | 2004-07-12 04:00:00 | Mine is a lot simpler: I can't stand the attitude of Linux users . If you can't make it work, they think you are stupid . If you say something negative about Linux, they get all shirty . You ask if there is a simpler way to do something and you get told that it is easy and . . . you are stupid . In the past when I have ask nicely for help, I have been insulted . So if I install Linux, I know I am going to have to walk through this minefield . Interestingly, I have never had this kind of problem when asking other Windows users for help . There are some decent Linux users out there, but the attitude of the majority is really unwelcoming and defensive . You can see this mentality in the posts above . Joan |
joanc (3798) | ||
| 244614 | 2004-07-12 04:52:00 | Woah, Growly, I wasnt meaning any disrespect.... Have you checked your /etc/X11/XF86Config file and removed the line: Load "truetype" Also check the fontpath settings Argus: If you grab Knoppix or any of a few other Live Linux CD's you can use a program called qtparted. It allows non-destructive resizing of Fat/ntfs partitions and doesnt cost a cent! Benwy: AFAIK, the Gentoo Linux package management system Portage is based on BSD's ports. Not too sure having never used BSD myself. In Gentoo is: emerge mozilla or, if you dont want to install printer support: USE="-cups" emerge mozilla is Ports very different? Joanc: Ive come across a few trolls in my time too, however Ive had a different experience and found that 9 times out of 10, linux users are more than happy to go the extra mile to help you. Ive had more than my fair share of "troubles", admittedly most are self-inflicted because I didnt want to do things the easy way, but almost all users I have met have been very helpful, especially those here. Search PressF1 for Jaguar and his post on making Redhat 9 "homely" and you'll see the extra lengths that some linux users go to. Defensive? Probably Unwelcoming? I'd certainly hope not. Obviously Im not the only Linux user in the world and cant speak for everybody, but nonetheless I'd hope that I leave a good impression that we are mostly a friendly (Mostly Male too ;-)) bunch who are more than happy to help out in any way we can. Usually this is because somebody helped out when we were starting off as Linux users (I know that applies to me) and want to pay-forward some of the help. </long-winded-speech> Chill. |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 244615 | 2004-07-12 05:09:00 | Random quick OT question here: I have a Pentium 200 with 64mb EDO ram and a TNT2 16mb video card and I tried installing an old 20gb hard drive in it. It managed to find 9Gb of it which a BIOS upgrade didn't fix (too old I guess). Then I get around to installing Windows 98se on it and it errored with something about not having the correct Fat32 system after the install had finished. Weird. Anyway I want to install linux on it. Something new, newbie friendly and doesn't use too much memory. Just for general surfing for my youngest brother, amsn, etc. What distro shall I download overnight? |
kiki (762) | ||
| 244616 | 2004-07-12 05:43:00 | joanc: only a fool would say that "it is easy and . . . you are stupid" . You can't stand the attitude of some *nix users . Some Microsoft users have a poor attitude too . ;-) You will find abusive, unwelcoming and defensive people in many on-line forums . It's the nature of the medium . It used to be better 20-odd years ago, when everyone used real names . :-( However, this is really an "advocacy" thread which always generates more heat than light . You won't find quite as much "feelings" if you ask a question about *nix here . Most questions are treated with reasonable respect and courtesy, but sometimes the standard drops . ;-) I confess even I (and I'm perfect :D) sometimes display mild impatience when someone is determined to not do any work and actually read and try to understand something . It is a myth, eagerly progagated by marketers, that computers are simple and easy to understand . Layer on layer of software has been built in efforts to make that half true . Unfortunately, the huge heaps of software tend to slide and become unstable under their own weight . The basic fact which won't go away is that a computer which does anything non-trivial is not "easy to understand" It's certainly not "user-friendly" . Microsoft software will probably suit most home users . Those who persist in "tuning" or "improving" it or do "clever things" with it deserve what they get . ;-) *nix software comes from a thirty year tradition of scientific programming . For those who enjoy the challenge of programming, and even prefer a command-line system, it's lovely . Even DOS is OK as a programme loader . :D Putting a GUI in front of *nix is just loading it up with working methods and pereferences of other people . The huge amount of "user-fiendly" stuff just reduces the reliability . And slows down the useful "computing" . |
Graham L (2) | ||
| 244617 | 2004-07-12 05:50:00 | kiki: Ark Linux or Xandros Desktop OS 2.0 OCE Either one will require you to download the tk/tcl packages and then amsn afterwards. Do you want it to look/feel like Windows, or look/feel like KDE? Graham L: Interesting, yet true perspective you've voiced there :-) |
Chilling_Silence (9) | ||
| 244618 | 2004-07-12 06:36:00 | Cheers as always chill - will do! | Growly (6) | ||
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