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| Thread ID: 39309 | 2003-11-02 07:17:00 | which linux to get? | Megaman (344) | Press F1 |
| Post ID | Timestamp | Content | User | ||
| 188654 | 2003-11-02 07:17:00 | this is a "to be or not to be" question. should i get linux. i have a win xp computer with 128 mb of ram. it has a 40gb hd with 10gb and 30gb partitions. windows livs on 10gb. i am thinking about getting linux and have a few worries. 1. will i be able to dual boot? 2. how will i install. booting it up shows the intel celeron logo, and then simply 2 seconds later loads win xp home. 3. is there a free emulator. i am getting linux so i can emulate windows and in theory use less ram to play the sims and other various games. 4. should i get SUSE, Red Hat or Mandrake? your help is greatly appreciated. | Megaman (344) | ||
| 188655 | 2003-11-02 07:25:00 | i forgot to mention, i don't want to spend any money. | Megaman (344) | ||
| 188656 | 2003-11-02 07:46:00 | Yes, you will be able to dual boot. Some people would say to go for LILO as your boot loader program, but I prefer GRUB (the most common Linux distributions give you an option for which boot loader you would like to use). As long as booting from a CD drive is enabled in the BIOS (and set before booting from a hard drive), you can put a Linux distribution installation CD in your drive, reboot/power up and the Linux installation process will begin. Yes, there is a free emulator for Linux which should allow you to play The Sims. It is called Wine (www.winehq.com). You can search the application database at http: for information on program compatibility. However, please note that while people speculate that games perform better in Linux, there is a fair amount of controversy and various different aspects to think about - such as that Linux uses less resources than Windows, but the games themselves are not usually engineered to run on Linux. Note also the listing for The Sims (appdb.winehq.com). Only one person has rated it without Windows (ie, Linux), but they gave it a rating of 1 out of 5. If you read the comments, you will see many users had trouble even getting the installer to work. The most common Linux distribution used by beginners is Red Hat, I think. Really, it doesn't matter what distribution you use - it's a matter of personal preference. If you get a chance to try them all, I would take it. |
agent (30) | ||
| 188657 | 2003-11-02 08:01:00 | getting to bios on our old dead computer was easy. just press DEL. on our new alive computer we dont have a memory test, just loads winxp. if you could tell me how to get to bios i would be happy. plus, can you get free mandrake. i have chosen that. if i don't get that i will be a) unhappy, and b) getting red hat | Megaman (344) | ||
| 188658 | 2003-11-02 08:04:00 | by the way i don't have jetstream or a cd writer. if it comes to this i will get a friend who does have them to download it for me. also, could i get all 3? | Megaman (344) | ||
| 188659 | 2003-11-02 08:10:00 | Was your new computer branded (such as HP, Compaq, Acer, PC Company, etc)? Because some of them have their own screens that show instead of the standard BIOS screen, and then the operating system starts loading. The key you use to access the BIOS can differ. Usually it is the Delete key, but I think F8 is also commonplace. I'm not to sure on any other keys that have been used. Yes, you can get Mandrake for free. If you want to download it yourself, try Debian.co.nz (www.debian.co.nz), but it may be slow over dial-up. You can buy Linux distributions from various websites or stores. |
agent (30) | ||
| 188660 | 2003-11-02 08:14:00 | Sorry, I should correct myself. It will take such an incredibly long time downloading several 700MB files over dial-up you might end up pulling your hairs out just waiting. And yes, you can get all three distributions, but I'm not sure if you can have more than one Linux distribution installed at once - the most probably answer is that, yes, you could, but it might be more complicated than having several different versions of Windows on the same machine at once. Most likely you will find one that suits you best, but I would reccommend getting them off a friend. |
agent (30) | ||
| 188661 | 2003-11-02 08:17:00 | i cant comment on the linux but with downloading via jetstream, be careful of the download limits as they do have them...just dont want to rake up extra charges.. why dont u just spare a couple dollars on trademe.co.nz @ www.trademe.co.nz and get the full set etc for less than $20 usually.. a friend of mine got the complete 6 cd set for $5 off there..so theres a value... |
csinclair83 (200) | ||
| 188662 | 2003-11-02 08:21:00 | >>i forgot to mention, i don't want to spend any money. Thats a toughie. Sources include magazine cd's ($) or www.trademe.co.nz or www.linuxshop.co.nz (both $). You will need to spend a nominal amount. I would recommend Mandrake as a good distro for beginners. You boot into Linux from the first cd so you have to get your computer to look at the cd before booting from the hard disk (go into the BIOS). Mandrake also has a pretty good partition utility to prepare your hard disk for Linux installation. You could try Linux from a cd which runs totally from the cd (not really a permanent solution) but it allows you to see linux without touching your hard drive at all (very safe). Knoppix is the one to look for for this. Cost around $5 on Trademe. You can install it to your hard drive if you like it. Your favourite search engine would be able to help you there. |
Dolby Digital (160) | ||
| 188663 | 2003-11-02 08:27:00 | If you are going to get SuSE Linux by downloading it on a friends Jetstream connection, the best site would probably be www.suse.net.au (there is no New Zealand mirror that I know if). | agent (30) | ||
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