Using Linux

[Petrie.]

I'm on it right now.  Its by far not my first time with a Linux OS, but its been my most successful.  I'm using PuppyLinux--a version which will load entirely into RAM and not actually use the drives for reading/writing.  Everything's different, and I have to keep remembering to mount/unmount drives, but if you know what you're doing, apparently this is quite a good OS in the making...for free too.

I highly doubt to get any replies on this since I doubt anybody here even knows what Linux is or has actually tried to use it as an OS replacement.

[Manny Cav]

I know that Linux is a free operating system, but I've never even tried it because I'm afraid that all of my programs will not work on it. Besides, all of my computers come pre-installed with Windows on it, so I can't be bothered to change. Would anyone here consider Linux to be superior to Windows (or Mac), despite program incompatibilities? Would it be worth switching to it from either of those?

Also, with landbeforetimelover around, I think there would have been zilch chance of you not getting any replies.

[landbeforetimelover]

Also, with landbeforetimelover around, I think there would have been zilch chance of you not getting any replies.

You've got that right!

Linux is a great OS....if you don't want to do much with your computer that is.  I like it for laptops because it really extends the battery life of them because it uses far less resources.  I had an old laptop with a bad battery that would only last 45minutes on windows xp.  With linux, it lasted a full 4 hours! It's definitely the best OS for laptops in my opinion if you don't need to do much on them.  For internet and typing, linux is great.  Like everything though, the OS that's supported by the big corporations (microsoft and apple) is far superior to an OS created by volunteer programmers.  That's just the way it is.  It sucks, but it's true.  After a while though, I believe everyone will switch to linux in time.  They're gonna eventually get sick and tired of being screwed by microsoft and apple and it's eventually not gonna be worth all the crap (viruses, spyware, paying a billion dollars for the OS ex.)  When more attention is put towards linux, I see it as becoming the absolute future of computers.  In many years, that is.

[action9000]

Linux is your best friend in you're the kind of user who benefits from it.  Back when I was running my web server, I had Unbuntu linux running Apache as the backbone software.  It was completely rock solid and significantly easier than trying to do the same in Windows, especially considering all of the security flaws that make web hosting in Windows a nightmare.

Themajor arguement for Linux is security: Each build of Linux is so unique that viruses really can't penetrate it.  Hacking a Linux system can be nearly impossible in many cases.

For sure, if you just need a computer for internet, word processing (Open Office ) and a few goofy games, Linux may be the way to go.  It's far more stable than Windows, even on Windows' good days and users don't need to concern themselves with virus scanners and what not.  Linux basically takes care of itself.  The user just has to....use!

The problems with linux appear when users have specific needs, such as gaming or multimedia production.  Linux still lacks very solid, powerful video and audio editting software as well as flawless support for some industry standards such as ASIO, VST, RTAS, DXi (DirectX instrument...obviously crippled in some way as it's a Microsoft product), DirectX...also, drivers for many peripherals in professional (even consumer) levels may not exist for Linux yet, as their development depends on users who are willing to actually develop said drivers.  I won't be switching to Linux anytime soon because I NEED my audio software which simply does not work in Linux.  My audio card doesn't have 64-bit linux ASIO drivers that are completely stable, VST isnt' completely stable in Linux, etc. etc.  I just can't make a switch to Linux.

The same applies to gamers who need DirectX and solid, reliable drivers for top-notch game performance and stability.  Linux can run Wine, which emulates Windows and many of its functions, HOWEVER it's a looong way from perfect!  I have applications which are known to not work at all in Wine.  I suspect many Windows game have this problem as well.

[landbeforetimelover]

Just for the heck of it, I went and got linux installed on a computer with these specs:

1.6ghz
512mb ram
40gb hard drive

I installed version 6. something.  I was pleasantly surprised though.  After installation, I was prompted to do some updates.  Then I noticed something that said "upgrade to linux 7.1!"  I thought it was just another stupid update that I didn't know anything about, so I clicked it.  WOW!  It upgraded my entire operating system over the internet without any CD's or having to do anything to the computer.  I could even play a game or go online or even go on messenger while it was installing! That was amazing!  After installation (which I was totally blown away by) was complete, I searched online.  There are tons of great stuff about it.  The best thing being the "package manager".  You can choose from thousands of free software to download right off the web!  It even came with a program that was almost as advanced as photoshop for free!!!  Now, that's great I thought.  I love this OS, but how am I gonna use all my apps?  Well, then I learned about wine.  It allows you to run windows apps on linux!  That just blew me away.  I installed a dozen applications I had for windows and they worked perfectly!  Linux is awesome!  I used ubuntu BTW.  Holy crap!  I can't believe what I've been missing out on.  The last time I used ubuntu, I used a really old slow computer and I had a busted ethernet card so I couldn't get online.  Now that linux is fully working, I'm willing to use it on a few older computers.  Absolutely.  I have a much older version of linux on my laptop and I didn't think too highly of it.  I was going to reinstall windows xp.  But now, I'm just gonna upgrade it to linux 7.1!  What a wonderful experience.  The only thing I had a problem with was I had an app that required 16 bit color, but I have 24 bit on ubuntu.  I can't find a way to change it.  I just discovered this problem though so I'm sure I can fix it.  Now, for my biggest challenge of all.  I'm going to try to install my biggest program onto the linux computer.....photoshop CS3 extended.  I'm expecting the thing to crash, but maybe it'll surprise me again.


The first program I installed that was designed for windows was goldenwave Action. I wonder if it could accept FL studios?  I wouldn't know if it works or not though cuz I can't even work that program in windows!  I don't know how good wine is yet, but I know it'll eventually get to be almost perfect.  Over time, linux will be the primary OS, I can assure all of you.  The road is just really bumpy now and it doesn't help that all of the work on this OS is volunteer as opposed to the millions of dollars Microsoft and Apple put into their OS's.


Linux is great.  Will it work for most people, the average joe?  Yes.  However, many things won't work with linux.  Linux can do a lot of stuff and it can do almost anything, but I'm not quite ready to give up windows yet.  Maybe 5-10 more years of development will change my mind though.  I'll tell ya this, I'd rather have linux than vista any day. :


This is giving me a headache.  I can't even get the photoshop installer to run because I apparently don't have something called jscript.  I must say that linux is much harder to work around than windows or mac.  So many errors, my head is spinning!  An average computer user wouldn't do so well under these circumstances.  I've been able to clear up all errors so far except for the jscript one.  I found a download for it, but only on the microsoft website.  I obviously can't get it from there because I can't pass validation (duh, I'm not using a windows computer ).  Apparently, jscript is just javascript crap.  Ubuntu uses something different.  I doubt there's a fix for this.  I'm going to bed.  I'll work out this crap tomorrow. :

[landbeforetimelover]

Okay.  I couldn't stay in bed.  I had to try it.  I FINALLY got photoshop CS2 to work properly in ubuntu!!!  They must've came out with a better version of wine cuz the last version I used sucked really bad.  This can run almost anything!

[Nimrod]

Isn¥t there a photoshop CS3 too? :huh:

[landbeforetimelover]

Isn¥t there a photoshop CS3 too?

I couldn't get that to work no matter what.  Stupid piece of crap needs some java crap that a linux computer just doesn't come with.  No emulation software will supply that.  CS2 is working.....though rather slowly.  It's like a CGI proxy server.  It works, but it's slow and inconvenient.


There is a way to make CS3 work.  I'd have to use a portable version and redirect ever single file and dll.  Talk about a lot of work! : I might do that when I've got 5 or so hours to kill.

[Nimrod]

well, you should do.^^ I got adobe photoshop with a crack and a seriel key and it works perfect. :. But it¥s too a very difficult program. There is so much to learn about it. Mostly too much, that one could learn everything about it in a short time. -_-

[landbeforetimelover]

I got adobe photoshop with a crack and a seriel key and it works perfect.

Uhhhh, we try to stay away from cracking programs, sharing copyrighted material, and doing other illegal things on this board.  It might be a good idea if you don't go around mentioning that to people, and especially showing/telling them how to do it.  You might make an admin unhappy.


I'm trying out linux's free program that replaces photoshop (GIMP image editor) and I must say I'm quite impressed.  It can do almost as much as photoshop CS3 extended!


I really like the look of the linux desktop.  I wish there was a way to decrease the size of the icons though. I'll find a way.

[Nimrod]

Uhhhh, we try to stay away from cracking programs, sharing copyrighted material, and doing other illegal things on this board. It might be a good idea if you don't go around mentioning that to people, and especially showing/telling them how to do it. You might make an admin unhappy.
 

Okey, I won¥t talk about that in the future. I didn¥t know it.

And good luck with decrease the size of the icons. I am sure you¥ll find a way to do this.

[landbeforetimelover]

I gotta tell ya, linux is not for normal people.  No matter what they do to it to "pretty" it up, it's still a programmers operating system.  I'll tell ya, it's been a nightmare with the current computer I have it installed on.  Get this, it won't detect ON BOARD graphics! :blink: What is the world coming to?  And they didn't have a freaking driver so ya know what they told me?  They said "go write a driver for your graphics card yourself" : .  Mother F, I've been spending so much time on this stupid thing!  First, the graphics were stuck on a very low level (640X480) or some other rediculous resolution and I had to write a linux driver partially by myself (I got a few tips from my friends too), then the stupid sound screws up.  I turn the speakers up to max.  It should've blown them out, but instead it sounds like mice are singing! :angry: Freaking A!  I spend hours trying to find out what's wrong and I finally get the volume up.  Then, it's up but there's a horrible scratching noise in the background.  I install another sound card and the same problem exists.  Then, I see that the stupid thing turned up the gain or some crap up to max, making horrible scratching noises in the background.  As if that wasn't enough, I play a DVD and it won't stop playing no matter what I do.  I unplug the computer and it freaking scratches my LBT 13 DVD! :angry:  :angry:  :angry: Then, the thing freezes at startup because some stupid crap about the flash drive being in.  Apparently, ubuntu was using it for some sort of "scratch disk" without my knowledge and it freaking can't start with it in, or without it! So, I start with my rescue CD and put the files onto the hard drive, redirecting all of the file paths.  I finally get the computer started again and it's in freaking 256 colors!   OMG!  When will this end?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  Ubuntu did some crap with my display driver, losing it somehow so I have to go get it again.  I find it, all corrupted and unusable.  I have to rewrite 1/2 the thing by myself cuz my friends have all went to bed.  I screw something up royally and the display starts flashing rapidly.  I have to write over 30 lines of code with the screen flashing several times per second just to get it to stop flashing.  Then, all my icons disappear.  I'm like "WTF"?  Then I realize that they haven't disappeared, the computer is just frozen.  After a few diagnostics, I find that the ram burnt out.  I replace it and then boot up to some freaking weird ubuntu command prompt.  It wants all the specifics about my ram. God just kill me now and get it over with!!!!! :angry: I've finally got it all sorted out now, but I dont' think I'll be recommending ubuntu to clients anytime soon.

[Petrie.]

I see you discovered the downside to linux in that last post.  That's the big reason I can't use linux...I've tried various versions...too much stuff I have just will not work with the OS, and I can't write my own stuff to make it work.

[landbeforetimelover]

OMG, it was horrible.  I'm gonna use it on some computers cuz it's so cool, but I'm certainly not gonna give up windows until it gets MUCH better.

[action9000]

I wonder if it could accept FL studios?

I've looked into this.  It does Not work on any version of Linux, nor in Wine.

[lbt/cty_lover]

I gotta tell ya, linux is not for normal people.

Well, then I guess Linux is the OS for me, because I'm anything BUT normal. Which is why I am going to mention that this post is my first post on my newly partitioned MacBook Pro. My main partition is for Leopard, but the other partition is for Xubuntu, which is what I'm running as I type this message.

[Littlefoot505]

*blows tons of dust off this old thread*

Well, I recently started playing with Linux when I dual-booted my everyday Windows 10 PC with Ubuntu, and now I have Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Q4OS installed on their own 50GB partitions alongside Windows 10, which is on a 300GB partition (that's still my main OS, and it's where most of my files are stored). I played with several Linux distros for that fourth partition before I settled on Q4OS, as I kept having one problem or another, but Q4OS works amazingly!! I'm currently posting this on Ubuntu 18.04 LTS (I just upgraded from 17.10).

Here are some screenshots of my Linux desktops (yes, I have LBT backgrounds on all three of them )

Ubuntu:


Linux Mint:


Q4OS:

[Petrie]

Heh, wow another old dinosaur of a topic.

Just be really careful about removing any of those linux partitions if you ever want to dump one and get the space back.  Whichever one you installed last has the bootloader attached to it unless you go into the terminal and change those settings.  If you hate the last one you install, and delete the partition, your computer won't boot!

Right now, the only computer I have that runs linux is my little white Lenovo that I take to work every now and then.  I'm running Bodhi Linux on it.  Its a lightweight operating system (not as lightweight as Puppy that I mentioned some 11 years ago) but it is far more polished. 

[Littlefoot505]

I think I actually have my boot loader in the Ubuntu partition, which is there to stay. My only reservation is what to do if (but more likely when) I upgrade my hard drive so that my Linux partitions can have more space.

I actually really loved playing with openSUSE, but I couldn’t get my WiFi to work with it, and my laptop doesn’t have an Ethernet port, so I just kept trying different distros for that fourth partition until I finally settled on one that worked well out of the box (which was Q4OS). Q4OS is very Windows XP-like and is designed to run well on older computers (so running it on my 1.5 year old HP, I won’t comment). My only gripe with it was that it doesn’t have out-of-box support for using two fingers on the trackpad to scroll, which was easily fixed with a little program I downloaded. As for Mint and Ubuntu, I really love both of them all in all.

And by the way, I bump old dinosaur threads all the time. I was the one who bumped the “how old were you when you joined?” thread.

[Petrie]

Of polished Linux distros that are likely to give new users the fewest problems, Ubuntu and Mint are the best two.  There are other ones out there that are certainly polished and look nice but require more work to get them to be usable as Windows replacements (or Mac replacements I'm sure there's some out there).