Any Linux users?

[speedbump]

I've been kicking around the idea of trying linux. Anyone with any experience or advice on which ones are good?
I've been thinking about trying it on a live cd so I don't have to install it on to my HD, it would also give me an idea of any conflicts with my computer.
I've read that sp2 is becoming a big boon for linux. I just recived the sp2 disc but haven't installed it yet.

-Thanks

[GoodDayForADrive]

I have fooled around with it a little, and I know a guy who has a dual boot system (Windows and Linux). I recommend Red Hat, and if you can't install the latest version, because some people have problems, go with the previous version, it's just as impressive. I myself no longer have a Linux system, but am thinking about making one again. I'm not very good with it, but I have this slowly growing hatred for anything Microsoft related... I actually just got a new laptop, so maybe I can make my home computer dual boot off of linux or something... we'll see..

[Mr_Diesel]

Dubnet's server is running on Redhat 9.0.... I use it occassionally to surf websites when I don't feel like rebooting my windows box.


Statistics:

Windows: 93.55 % (56035)
Linux: 0.156 % (94)
Mac/PPC: 1.394 % (835)
FreeBSD: 0 % (0)
SunOS: 0 % (0)
IRIX: 0 % (0)
BeOS: 0 % (0)
OS/2: 0 % (0)
AIX: 0 % (0)
Unknown: 4.896 % (2933)


Total hits on our site are 93.5% windows,and 0.156% Linux.... LOL... Sad isnt it? Anyway, I am very happy with linux... It has been bulletproof for the server, and refuses to die!

[speedbump]

Thanks for the input. Like I said, I first want to try it via live cd so I don't have to install anything, I didn't find any red hat live cds, but their's lots of choices out there and I just need to sort through them.
I don't know much about linux, I'm assuming that I can't run winblows stuff, like quickbooks & itunes with linux.
Another concern is my ISP, I've heard that not all ISPs support linux, I guess I should contact them about that.
What is iso? I see this mentioned on every linux site that I've been to, and it sounds important.

[superbondbond]

Hi everyone. I just moved over from the old JO site (don't like that place much anymore).

back on topic. I use Linux on all my PCs at home (server, desktop, notebook, PDA). I too got fed up with MS one day and switched.

The most well-known live CD is Knoppix. I would recommend that to see what you think of it before doing a full install. you can d/l it here.

http://www.knopper.net/knoppix/index-en.html

An ISO is as "image" of the CD you will burn. Basically it's a single file that when burned, contains all the files on the CD. Make sure you know how to do this in whatever burning software you use. (most make this very easy)

[speedbump]

Welcome to dubnetworks.

When I read your post I was in the process of downloading a live linux, and it just happened to be knoppix based. The one I downloaded is called damn small linux (DSL) and it's a slimmed down version of knoppix. The main reasons I choes this one was size (47 mb), I have dialup modem and I didn't want to spend forever downloading it, and it seems to do alot for the size. I haven't had much of a chance to play around with it yet, maybe this weekend.

Here's the website: http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

Thanks

[superbondbond]

Damn Small is pretty cool. I have a couple of similar ones that I put on those small CD-Rs. You can take them around in your pocket.
Overall it's pretty feature-rich for being such a small footprint. Definitely enough to get your feet wet and see what you like.

Good luck.

[speedbump]

Well, so far I'm not doing so well with it, it's not detecting any of my hardware or ports, the onlything that is working is cdrom, the drive I'm booting from. It is detecting a sound card, but the wrong one, it's my intergraded one that doesn't work. The mouse works fine, though.
I also can't figure out how to save any settings, like changes I've made to the desktop.
I'm not giving up though, I'll keep playing around with it.
Thanks for the feedback.

[superbondbond]

If you are able to find a way to d/l Knoppix (maybe you have a friend with a high speed connection), I recommend it. Knoppix is famous for its hardware detection.

There's always going to be some obscure piece of hardware that fights with Linux, but for the most part, most things work just fine.

[Mortal_Wombat]

i just bought a laptop (waiting for it to get here >_<) and i plan on running debian on it, simply because of the apt-get feature

[burn_your_money]

Based on the fact that I now hate microsoft, I think I'm going to try lunix. I formatted my hard drive, installed a fresh copy of XP pro, and it won't let me install the .net framework. No msn, what is the point of a compuiter without MSN messenger? Well there's music and internet browsing but other then that I don't use the computer.
For the record, I am talking about my computer, not the family one that I always use (becuase mine doesn't have MSN)

[Mortal_Wombat]

oh yeah
did you update to sp2 yet?

[speedbump]

No I haven't installed sp2 yet, I have a cd with it on it, but my sister has it right now.
I have a Fedora live DVD on the way. Fedora is a free version of red hat by red hat. It's fairly large, so I decided to get it on DVD, so it will all be on one disc.
Don't know when I'll have time to play around with any of it, I'm very busy now with other crap. I'll keep playing around with damn small, but it's looking like I won't be able to easily fix my modem (or other hardware) problem without installing it on to the HD.

[burn_your_money]

I haven't installed sp2 yet, I don't even have sp1 or any other updates. I can't get the the windows update website because my compuer won't let me get to any sites that require 128 bit encrption, except for my bank.
I have the "free" version of XP so I am thinking that that is my problem. SP2 is in the mail right now so when it comes I will try and install it.

[superbondbond]

I personally know very little about MSN messenger, but I have seen clones that run under Linux.

Most apps for Windows will have some sort of equivelant app for Linux.

If you're curious about available software for Linux, take a look at
www.freshmeat.net.

[Mortal_Wombat]

hey burn
i run a "free" copy of xp corp too
you just have to make sure you use the right key alot of them are blackflagged in sp2 and it wont install or may even kill the installation of windows

[GoodDayForADrive]

Hmm... one of my friends made me a copy of PHLAK, whatever the hell that is...

He says it's linux, with some added programs already in it, for hacking or something... I don't know, maybe I'll try it out..

[superbondbond]

...PHLAK, whatever the hell that is...
http://www.phlak.org

[Mortal_Wombat]

i like STD better then PHLAK

[burn_your_money]

Do you know what the right key to use is? I have a list of 20 or so...

I like the sounds of the MSN messenger for lunix. Where can I find damn small?

[superbondbond]

...Where can I find damn small?
http://www.damnsmalllinux.org/

[burn_your_money]

Thanks superbondbond.

Mortal wonbat, I don't think it is the key for XP because the computer I am on right now had the same key as my computer and this computer has msn and works perfectly.

[Mortal_Wombat]

i wasnt really talking about the msn not working but more about sp2
heh

[burn_your_money]

OIC.

Well last night I downloaded damn small. 5 hours and some odd minutes... gotta love that 56k modem. Hopefuly I will have time to try it out tonight.

[speedbump]

Good luck! I expected to have problems burning the image, but it went well.... got it first try.
I haven't had any time lately to mess with it in the past several days and won't have time until next week.

[burn_your_money]

Do I have to burn Damn Small to a cd? I don't quite understand it and I didn't see any instructions for it where I downloaded it.

[speedbump]

They are laking good instructions and it's a pain searching the fourms. I used the instructions from a diffrent web site, but unfotunatly I don't remember which one :? , I've been to many diffrent linux geared sites recently.

It is designed to run from CD, so when your computer is starting up, you'll need to tell it to boot from CD rom. When the computer is doing it's memory check, you'll see "F10 boot options / F2 BIOS" push F10 and select the cd rom with the dsl cd in it.

Before you can do that, you'll need to burn the cd. From what I understand, it has to be a CD-R, and you'll need to use a music burning software like easy cd creator (what I used). You'll need to go to options and tell it to wright an image and select the .iso file you downloaded from damn small, and burn away.

I guess you can install it on to hard drive, but I don't plan on doing that.

Hope this was helpful, and good luck.

[superbondbond]

To burn the file (called an ISO):
If you have Roxio, IIRC you can just double-click the file and it will get everything going, just hit record.
I've not used Nero, but basically you're looking for something that says "Burn Image" or something similar.

Here is a slightly more detailed instruction (Roxio-centric)
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/answers.php?action=viewarticle&artid=243

[burn_your_money]

Thanks guys. I have Nero, and I know how to burn it. I'll do that tonight and let you know how it goes for me. :D