Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
RLS wrote: Just did my first Linux based install using Unbuntu. It is pretty graphical and I am surprised by all of the native applications types available from the get go. Question 1 I installed the 64 bit version. Can I install Linux64 bit drivers for the motherboard, netcard etc? Drivers in the windows sense don't really exist much for Linux. Most hardware is natively supported by the kernel. Any hardware maker that intends to have full linux support must get their drivers into the mainline kernel or else they will be playing a game of catchup with every kernel release. The kernel development team does not care for, or take the time to test, with 3rd party drivers. All of the drivers install by the unbuntu install are already the 64 bit versions, as you are running a 64 bit kernel. If any hardware is not detected or working, post it to the list, and we can see what is going on with it. Question 2 Besides the desire to game, why wouldn't a typical home user want a linux based system? Heck all of the apps seem free, its graphical, even supports my camera out of the box. I mean for just word processing, surfing the internet and looking at pics and playing some mp3's is there a valid reason for them 'wanting' Windows? Some distros (Debian for example) don't ship with MP3 codecs, as they would have to pay very large licensing costs to then distrubute it for free. I don't know if unbuntu ships with MP3 codecs or not, but they are easy to ad via an external apt source. Typical power user will have issues with a linux desktop, as all of the neat tricks they learned under windows may or may not apply. Your average user does great, as long as they don't admin the system (changing hardware can be a little tricky at time, adding devices can be hit or miss if you don't know what you are doing, etc). Your average managed desktop in a corporate or educational environment can do great with Linux. Linux is admin friendly or expert friendly, it's also user friendly, it's not idiot user who thinks they can admin a system friendly. The biggest road block is Windows only intranet (not internet, but local intranet) applications, and Windows only custom applications for industry specific use. The more of those that move to a Web 2.0 model using Linux server appliances, the better. So far the only thing that has me off a step is getting comfortable with the way the file management system presents itself. Basically, as a user, all you care about is /home/$user Harry Thanks,Bob
Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
At 02:54 PM 11/10/2006, Winterlight wrote: Multimedia, particular video, TV recording, editing, ...and of course proprietary business software that the vast majority of small business relies on. MythTV would handle the TV stuff, wouldn't it? As for proprietary business software, we don't see a lot of that around here anymore. Most people are using specialized spreadsheets and that's about it. T
Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
For grabbing codecs/fonts/players on K/Ed/Ubuntu take a look at EasyUbuntu or Automatix. At this point with the likes of *Ubuntu, Suse, Mandriva, they generally have everything you need to get started. If you start getting into the audio/video editing side you have to make sure your hardware is supported, I've gone through 2 albeit older vid capture cards that there was no docs or info on getting setup in Linux. But the for all the naysayers the 80/20 kind of applies - at least 80% of everything you need to do isn't going to take any more effort on a Linux box than a Windows box. And for those proprietary business applications? after being through a couple of large scale desktop migration projects - they're a PITA to get config'd and running on their own specific platform regardless of wether is *nix or Windows On 10/11/06, Winterlight [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Question 2 Besides the desire to game, why wouldn't a typical home user want a linux based system? Heck all of the apps seem free, its graphical, even supports my camera out of the box. I mean for just word processing, surfing the internet and looking at pics and playing some mp3's is there a valid reason for them 'wanting' Windows? Multimedia, particular video, TV recording, editing, ...and of course proprietary business software that the vast majority of small business relies on. -- -jmg -sapere aude
Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
At 10:57 AM 10/11/2006, you wrote: At 02:54 PM 11/10/2006, Winterlight wrote: Multimedia, particular video, TV recording, editing, ...and of course proprietary business software that the vast majority of small business relies on. MythTV would handle the TV stuff, wouldn't it? no, very few TV cards are supported with Myth TV nothing ATI for one. As for proprietary business software, we don't see a lot of that around here anymore. Most people are using specialized spreadsheets and that's about it. I think you are refereeing to simple mom and pop POS retail. But any kind of franchise chains, professional offices, such as any kind of medical, or legal that have to deal with insurance or legal requirements, or any kind of volume business that is tied to material suppliers, are going to be using proprietary software. One interesting thing... I was in the administration office of my local Costco yesterday, and I noticed they were using IE5.5. I am not surprised they are using IE, but 5.5 was a surprise.
Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
How about QuickBooks? That is not Linux... (But some Macs...) Rick Glazier From: Thane Sherrington clipped As for proprietary business software, we don't see a lot of that around here anymore. Most people are using specialized spreadsheets and that's about it.
Re: [H] dumb newb linux questions
Rick Glazier wrote: How about QuickBooks? That is not Linux... (But some Macs...) It's not free, but Crossover Linux and Crossover Mac (Intel), should support Quickbooks, but you would want to try it first. http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxmac/ http://www.codeweavers.com/products/cxoffice/ Harry Rick Glazier From: Thane Sherrington clipped As for proprietary business software, we don't see a lot of that around here anymore. Most people are using specialized spreadsheets and that's about it.
