no Linux?
81 - 100 of 104 Posts
Joined
·
140 Posts
Never knew about this part of the forum...
I'm a die-hard Debian user:
Main rig: Debian Wheezy i386 w/ gnome Shell. Based off a workstation board with twin 3.2ghz Xeon Gallatins.
Main laptop: Debian Wheezy x64 w/ gnome shell + W7 Ultimate x64. Dell latitude D630, my college workhorse.
File/print server: Debian Squeeze i386 w/o gui. It's based off a pIII Rambus system with a 3ware card and 2x IDE 329gb drives, RAID 1.
I have a few other rigs, but they all are windows only due to driver issues. And two old PPC macs, which use mac os (but aren't actively used at the moment).
I'm a die-hard Debian user:
Main rig: Debian Wheezy i386 w/ gnome Shell. Based off a workstation board with twin 3.2ghz Xeon Gallatins.
Main laptop: Debian Wheezy x64 w/ gnome shell + W7 Ultimate x64. Dell latitude D630, my college workhorse.
File/print server: Debian Squeeze i386 w/o gui. It's based off a pIII Rambus system with a 3ware card and 2x IDE 329gb drives, RAID 1.
I have a few other rigs, but they all are windows only due to driver issues. And two old PPC macs, which use mac os (but aren't actively used at the moment).
Joined
·
3,000 Posts
Honestly, the only thing about Linux that keeps me from learning it is the fact that I learned Windows on my own, and like English, I am only capable of one language at a time...by brain just isn't wired well enough to be able to migrate from one to the other. I can barely keep up with Windows. I do have Ubuntu live/install discs and have used them, but if it didn't just "work", I didn't know what to do.
I'd have liked to have migrated to Linux, but my free time for focusing on computer related stuff is limited, as well as my attention span to those sorts of things. If I had someone that was near me that knew linux well and wanted to spend the time working with me, I'd strongly consider learning it. I think the point about users and operators hits the nail on the head though. I refer to people that can't operate some of the most basic windows functions like running an antivirus program as have " a low user level". On a scale of 5, I'd rate myself around a 3 for computer knowledge overall, with the hardware side being my forte'.
I'd have liked to have migrated to Linux, but my free time for focusing on computer related stuff is limited, as well as my attention span to those sorts of things. If I had someone that was near me that knew linux well and wanted to spend the time working with me, I'd strongly consider learning it. I think the point about users and operators hits the nail on the head though. I refer to people that can't operate some of the most basic windows functions like running an antivirus program as have " a low user level". On a scale of 5, I'd rate myself around a 3 for computer knowledge overall, with the hardware side being my forte'.
Joined
·
2,156 Posts
With Windows 8 coming out........Linux maybe having a better shot. I think part of the problem is, it isn't installed before hand on new computers. I think Ubuntu should be an option when you buy a new PC. Most people don't want to go through the process of installing it on their computers. I took me a long time to figure out how to install Linux. But if it was an option to come preinstalled, I think consumers would feel more comfy about it. Then they don't have to mess with it, getting it installed and all.
Joined
·
1,308 Posts
I'd have to agree about Windows 8. It's so terrible. I could not get into it no matter how much I played with it. A cell phone/tablet interface on a desktop operating system is a bad idea. It made it harder and slower to use. Not easier. People have been using PCs with the "traditional" Windows operating system for years and years. Obviously because it works; at least IMO. I'm riding Windows 7 for as long as I can or until they realize they made a really stupid operating system. Windows 7 is the best thing to me since Windows XP. I remember when XP came out. It was so pleasant to use compared to Windows 98. No more blue screens of death all the time.
Anyways... I don't run Linux personally but my mom has a laptop that had Windows Vista. It only has a Celeron processor and 1 GB of ram. It lagged bad. All my mom does is surf the internet with it. I wiped it and installed a light version of Ubuntu called Lubuntu on it and it runs so much better. She uses it just fine and is still happy with how it runs. But man, Ubuntu itself has gone overboard. The variants like Lubuntu and Kubuntu are nice but Ubuntu has turned into something ugly. Kinda like Windows 8....
Anyways... I don't run Linux personally but my mom has a laptop that had Windows Vista. It only has a Celeron processor and 1 GB of ram. It lagged bad. All my mom does is surf the internet with it. I wiped it and installed a light version of Ubuntu called Lubuntu on it and it runs so much better. She uses it just fine and is still happy with how it runs. But man, Ubuntu itself has gone overboard. The variants like Lubuntu and Kubuntu are nice but Ubuntu has turned into something ugly. Kinda like Windows 8....
Joined
·
3,244 Posts
They actually experimented with that on a series of Dell machines sold in Walmart.. and you can still buy a PC preloaded with Ubuntu from Dell's website. The downside to it was that Dell only provided support for the hardware ONLY. If you needed support with the OS, you had to go to Conical or Ubuntuforums.com which was only online with no phone support, HOWEVER, dell would refer you to a third party for an extra $150 a year.ccookie66 said:
The other thing was that Ubuntu didn't do was play MP3's, Flash videos, iTunes, etc. out of the box. You had to do an update from the repository to make it more conducive for entertainment.
I would have to concur. I was a die-hard Windows NT user because of it's stability until XP came out. XP is when Microsoft finally got it right. Tablet operating systems belong on a tablet.Shad0wXCalibur said:
Joined
·
15,162 Posts
I like XP I got a startup disk for it. I use XP in 2 of my computers now. I do like windows 7 also. But for free low power computers with viruses, XP is da man. Reboot and it all good.
Joined
·
1,180 Posts
Installed a dumpsterdived laptop with OpenSUSE. I has 512MB RAM, an 80G disk and a Turion 3200+ single core CPU. I have a 1GB DIMM coming so I will be at 1.25GB RAM which should make it act significantly different than it does. 512MB is just too low for the GUI with Linux and to browse the web.
In regards to multimedia on Linux, MP3 is proprietary so that's why it's not in the main repository. I wish there was an "ask" or "check box" option to make it so you would load the stuff; most people do anyways. The other gripe is that Firefox and Flash is horrid now. It's pretty much a dead project, so you almost have to use Chrome to watch flash. It's a ram hog too, even worse than Firefox is. I tend to use FF for anything but flash, then Chrome for flash on this laptop right now. Not a huge fan of Chrome either but that's another rant.
In regards to multimedia on Linux, MP3 is proprietary so that's why it's not in the main repository. I wish there was an "ask" or "check box" option to make it so you would load the stuff; most people do anyways. The other gripe is that Firefox and Flash is horrid now. It's pretty much a dead project, so you almost have to use Chrome to watch flash. It's a ram hog too, even worse than Firefox is. I tend to use FF for anything but flash, then Chrome for flash on this laptop right now. Not a huge fan of Chrome either but that's another rant.
I am sure that the ram would help but I would check the video card drivers as well. Are you using LXDE for window manager?
I do like the medibuntu repositories for taking care of all of those "restriced'' formats for Ubuntu, two commands away from bliss.
first command here: http://www.medibuntu.org/repository.php
and then: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
Chrome has grown on me, it uses ram, but releases it if needed as well. It has replaced FF for me for most of my browsing.
I do like the medibuntu repositories for taking care of all of those "restriced'' formats for Ubuntu, two commands away from bliss.
first command here: http://www.medibuntu.org/repository.php
and then: sudo apt-get install ubuntu-restricted-extras
Chrome has grown on me, it uses ram, but releases it if needed as well. It has replaced FF for me for most of my browsing.
Joined
·
3,244 Posts
I'm running Ubuntu 12.04 on a laptop and up to this point I have not had any problems with playing MP3's on the included "Rhythmbox" application. I don't know if downloading and installing the VLC media player had anything to do with that but I've been able to play MP3's without any issues.
Joined
·
2,156 Posts
Ubuntu is coming along pretty good. It could easily be a mainstream OS. I wish it was an option when you buy a new computer. They should have you choose, whether to have Windows 8 on it or Ubuntu. And if you choose Ubuntu, the price of the OS should be taken off the total cost of the computer.
I think it has come a long way. As long as you don't try to use the latest version on an ancient computer things work really well.
I think that it doesn't cost them much per copy and most of the mainstream manufacturers get paid to add a bunch of crap to the computers(grr Norton AV) that it offsets the cost of the OS by so much that it's just more of a hassle for them to change things.
I kind of wish they sold all of them without any operating system at all, force the consumer to make a decision
I think that it doesn't cost them much per copy and most of the mainstream manufacturers get paid to add a bunch of crap to the computers(grr Norton AV) that it offsets the cost of the OS by so much that it's just more of a hassle for them to change things.
I kind of wish they sold all of them without any operating system at all, force the consumer to make a decision
Joined
·
3,244 Posts
If they did that, the average consumer wouldn't know what to do and would end up returning the "broken" computer to the store.AstroWill said:I kind of wish they sold all of them without any operating system at all, force the consumer to make a decision
Back in the pre-windows days of the 80's, anyone who was nerdy enough to buy a computer knew that they needed an OS (usually DOS or CP/M) which alienated the rest of mainstream America. These days when a consumer pays a certain amount of money for a product, they want to see something happen as soon as they plug it in.
Joined
·
28 Posts
Hi All,
Back again after a while away. I've just loaded Fedora 17 and 18 onto an old works laptop and find 18 is much improved for novices like me as it loads similar to windows. You know click and hope, no altering scripts or what ever you call them.
Fedora 18 took 1/2 hr to download. dropped the Iso onto a DVD and bunged it onto my laptop. It has libre pre-installed to enable reading any microsoft office excel documents. It now plays MP3's, where as 17 didn't. Sadly it still doesn't play any type of DVD, even unprotected ones, like my chinese Tom and Jerry's! Therefore my aging Xandros OC3 free distro is still the best LINUX for me so far. It just wouldn't see the sound card on my newer laptop.
I must admit i'm impressed with Fedora for getting me on the web with my mobile Hawei wireless unit and PAYG sim card.
I also tried PCLinux, this worked fine booting from the CD, but hit a problem when trying to install to HD.
Ubunto again the CD runs fine and it looks a great distribution, but again unable to get it to install onto HD.
I think if the Linux developers could spend more time making their installers more bullet/idiot/barry proof, more normal people (that came out wrong, but you know what i mean!), would use LINUX.
My problem is i just like messing but cant abide reading manuals. i was the same with vehicles and i could still rebuild engines! Just...
Baz :chevy:
Back again after a while away. I've just loaded Fedora 17 and 18 onto an old works laptop and find 18 is much improved for novices like me as it loads similar to windows. You know click and hope, no altering scripts or what ever you call them.
Fedora 18 took 1/2 hr to download. dropped the Iso onto a DVD and bunged it onto my laptop. It has libre pre-installed to enable reading any microsoft office excel documents. It now plays MP3's, where as 17 didn't. Sadly it still doesn't play any type of DVD, even unprotected ones, like my chinese Tom and Jerry's! Therefore my aging Xandros OC3 free distro is still the best LINUX for me so far. It just wouldn't see the sound card on my newer laptop.
I must admit i'm impressed with Fedora for getting me on the web with my mobile Hawei wireless unit and PAYG sim card.
I also tried PCLinux, this worked fine booting from the CD, but hit a problem when trying to install to HD.
Ubunto again the CD runs fine and it looks a great distribution, but again unable to get it to install onto HD.
I think if the Linux developers could spend more time making their installers more bullet/idiot/barry proof, more normal people (that came out wrong, but you know what i mean!), would use LINUX.
My problem is i just like messing but cant abide reading manuals. i was the same with vehicles and i could still rebuild engines! Just...
Baz :chevy:
For the DVD playback with Fedora, install the following packages:
libdvdread libdvdnav lsdvd
And libdvdcss is for the encrypted DVDs.
Edit: have a look here http://www.abouthack.com/articles/linux ... guide.html
libdvdread libdvdnav lsdvd
And libdvdcss is for the encrypted DVDs.
Edit: have a look here http://www.abouthack.com/articles/linux ... guide.html
Joined
·
28 Posts
Thanks Will, i'l give it a try and let you know how i get on. :ty:
Joined
·
28 Posts
Hi,
In the end i loaded wine (windows conversion software) and then loaded VLC media player (windows XP) and now my DVDs play. Brilliant and all for free!!!! All on Fedora 18. Think i'll try Open Office next.
Cheers All.
In the end i loaded wine (windows conversion software) and then loaded VLC media player (windows XP) and now my DVDs play. Brilliant and all for free!!!! All on Fedora 18. Think i'll try Open Office next.
Cheers All.
81 - 100 of 104 Posts
