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ShiftZZ

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Having played a little with Red Hat some years ago and was rather dissapointed, can anyone suggest a current version of Linux that even a Linux simpleton like myself could use EASILY...

I dont want to be spending hours, searching for drivers and mounting drives etc.

Ta

ShiftZZ
 

GJH

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I installed Linux Mint on an old laptop some time ago after seeing a recommendation (I think) on here. Haven't used it much but it seems to run OK and easier to install than releases of Caldera/Red Hat etc a few years ago.

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Douglas

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Having played a little with Red Hat some years ago and was rather dissapointed, can anyone suggest a current version of Linux that even a Linux simpleton like myself could use EASILY...

I dont want to be spending hours, searching for drivers and mounting drives etc.

Ta

ShiftZZ

Give Ubuntu a try, it can be loaded onto a windows machine to try and if you want remove it, leaving the windows in-tacked, it also gives you a dual boot so you can choose if you want windows or Ubuntu.

Doug...
 

keith

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I'm using Ubuntu 10.4 (I think) now. Had it since before Xmas but waited until we got away then started playing. It's fast & less cluttered than Window$, just try it.

I loaded it onto a USB stick first then played about with it until I found more confidence in it. As Doug said it's the best way to try it, but you wont see the speed running it from a USB stick.
 

Douglas

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One thing I forgot to add: with the latest Ubuntu, (Ubuntu 10.10 Meerkat) you get a free 2gig cloud storage built into opsys.

Doug...

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keith

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One thing I forgot to add: with the latest Ubuntu, (Ubuntu 10.10 Meerkat) you get a free 2gig cloud storage built into opsys.

Doug...

Doug, How do you find your version. You can see I'm still not used to it yet. :Doh:
 

keith

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Can you run all your Windoze progs on ubuntu/Linux/whatever?

No, but there are other alternatives like Open Office which is the same as Exel. Word etc, and it comes free. It can also read the files from windows progs.

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Douglas

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Doug, How do you find your version. You can see I'm still not used to it yet. :Doh:

OK... Top left of screen. click System. at the bottom of the "pop down" click "about Ubuntu"
you will get a text page, the first 2 lines tell you what you have.

Doug...
 

Douglas

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Can you run all your Windoze progs on ubuntu/Linux/whatever?

Yes and NO, most of the major programs are duplicate with Ubuntu's own, some commercial's like Skype are runnable with a Linux version. there is nearly always and alternative. BUT IT'S NOT WINDOWS. you can not run windows software on linux.

Doug...
 

GJH

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Yes and NO, most of the major programs are duplicate with Ubuntu's own, some commercial's like Skype are runnable with a Linux version. there is nearly always and alternative. BUT IT'S NOT WINDOWS. you can not run windows software on linux.

Doug...

Hhmm. Bit of a wide ranging statement to say "most of the major programs" as it depends how one defines "major".

It will be true of office suites and applications like photo processing but get into something like genealogy and the programs used by the majority of people do not have Linux versions.

There will be alternatives but to what extent the various features are duplicated is questionable.

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hilldweller

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Can you run all your Windoze progs on ubuntu/Linux/whatever?

Not even 1 wondoze program will run, there's the rub.

Sort of like German MHs are cheaper, buy German MH, looks familiar but you have to learn German to understand it. When you walk into a UK spares place, "Sorry that is the German model, we carry only the UK spares".

So you've saved a few bob, but you pay in the learning curve and compatibility.
 

ubuntu1

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You can if you need to run many Windoze programs in Linux using something called Wine. However why would you want to? Linux comes with lots of programs and many more are easily installed. If you want the internet then it comes with a browser (usually Firefox), Office programs come courtesy of OpenOffice (many others also available), e-mail comes from Thunderbird of Evolution.

I run Linux and it just works, no more Windoze blue screens, no virus issues and it is very reliable and secure.
 

GJH

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You can if you need to run many Windoze programs in Linux using something called Wine. However why would you want to?(snip)

For many people there may well be no reason to want to. However, as mentioned in my previous post, when you diverge from the basic applications you run up against lack of availability.

We run a genealogy products & services company and have to run Windows software to serve our customers.

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wivvy's dad

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I think that's answered my question. Not for me - I'll stick with what I know and love/hate/love/hate etc etc.



Anyway, the video editing software I use only works on XP.
 

ubuntu1

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Wine

Wine will run many Windoze progams such as internet explorer, MS Office, games etc etc.. Its worth a try as many programs run just as they would under MS Win.

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ShiftZZ

ShiftZZ

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Just run ubuntu from CD impressed, very fast.

There were two options, one to run from CD and the second to install...

Before I install, does it offer dual boot?
If so how easy?

ShiftZZ
 

G4GMO

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Dual boot

Yes it does offer dual boot. Off the top of my head I can't remember which option you choose but if I remember correctly it's pretty easy. I'm using Linux Mint 10 which is based on Ubuntu and I have a couple of pcs running dual boot. You won't be disappointed.

Good luck.

PS If you have any issues feel free to pm me if no one on here can answer your question.
 

hilldweller

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Not even 1 wondoze program will run, there's the rub.
So you've saved a few bob, but you pay in the learning curve and compatibility.

And I went and proved it for myself.

I watch bike racing on Eurosport by internet. Last year it was laptop on table with long wires to TV. Worked fine but wires unsightly.

So, I buy a micro PC to sit next to TV. Linux much cheaper so Linux I buy, it's only for internet use, no problem.

No ?

The one thing not available for Linux is M$ Silverwotzit plugin that Eurosport use to play their DRM content.

Luckily I'd a spare XP licence so reformatted it and now I've a PC that does just what I need.

With a wireless scratchpad keyboard it's a very neat wire free solution, now all I need is racing to start.

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G4GMO

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And I went and proved it for myself.

I watch bike racing on Eurosport by internet. Last year it was laptop on table with long wires to TV. Worked fine but wires unsightly.

So, I buy a micro PC to sit next to TV. Linux much cheaper so Linux I buy, it's only for internet use, no problem.

No ?

The one thing not available for Linux is M$ Silverwotzit plugin that Eurosport use to play their DRM content.

Luckily I'd a spare XP licence so reformatted it and now I've a PC that does just what I need.

With a wireless scratchpad keyboard it's a very neat wire free solution, now all I need is racing to start.

If you need MS Silverlight then you can use Novell Moonlight, it's available as an add-on for Firefox.
 

G4GMO

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Some windows programs will run under wine. There are plenty of very good programs under Linux that make very good alternatives to windows programs too. What's more they are free to use. Many windows programs are not free.
 

hilldweller

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If you need MS Silverlight then you can use Novell Moonlight, it's available as an add-on for Firefox.

And it doesn't work. They have not ( yet ? ) cracked the DRM used in the latest Silverlight.

I keep having a poke at linux, I keep failing.

Why go through all the pain I wonder. OK windows would have cost me £60 more but that's good for many years use. For the average person it's not worth the trouble.

I'll put it another way, I can speak as much German as I want for free but English costs £60. Yipee I say, I'm not talking much I'll go for German. Then a bit later I need to watch Eurosport and it's only in English, oh dear.

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G4GMO

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And it doesn't work. They have not ( yet ? ) cracked the DRM used in the latest Silverlight.

I keep having a poke at linux, I keep failing.

Why go through all the pain I wonder. OK windows would have cost me £60 more but that's good for many years use. For the average person it's not worth the trouble.

I'll put it another way, I can speak as much German as I want for free but English costs £60. Yipee I say, I'm not talking much I'll go for German. Then a bit later I need to watch Eurosport and it's only in English, oh dear.

I haven't tried it on Eurosport so I guess there are still issues. Linux isn't perfect for everyone. The same way Windows isn't for me. Guess your going to have to continue using that second rate operating system for a while longer ::bigsmile:
 

hilldweller

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Guess your going to have to continue using that second rate operating system for a while longer ::bigsmile:

You can call it second rate and I will not argue with you at all, but it's a case of Size Matters. Windows has set a standard, Linux uses some of that standard, cameras use the standard, phones use the standard. So Windows is the easy option.
 

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