On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 20:28:57 -0700 (PDT) Greg C <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Linux is a great thing to tinker with, if you have > some time. I'd suggest either the Yellow Dog or > Mandrake distros. Nice thing about Mandrake is that > it's intended to be a little easier to install and > run, at the expense of some of the tweaks. > > As a daily driver, there are people who use linux > boxes exclusively, but they tend to be zealots :-P Linux users on old Mac hardware who administer Windows XP at work are the worst ;) > It's a completely different mindset than windows/mac > computer use....rather than getting or downloading a > program that you can install and have work....you need > to figure out which package you need, tweak it (many > programs need you to compile the source) and mess > around with it for a while. You have been through the rpm h#ll initiated by RedHat. On a Debian box, you type 'apt-get install application' into a terminal window and it automagically downloads the application and any other dependencies and installs them. There is even a port for OSX: http://fink.sourceforge.net/about.php On Gentoo, you type 'emerge application', and it downloads the sources and compiles them from scratch, tailored for your specific computer. > I was trying to get an application to work on a box, > and the linux folks I knew, while helpful, had the > attitude that I needed to figure out every intricacy > of the OS and hardware before I tried installing and > running it. And recompiling the source, etc. On a good distro (distribution) of linux, the package manager should take care of that. I recently installed IE on the wifes s900 (OS9), and the easiest way to uninstall it was a search with sherlock. If I do the same thing in Gentoo, 'emerge -C' removes every vestige of the application from the system. Debian has similiar functionality built into the system. How many Windows and pre-OSX systems fall over from the accumulated crud that builds up in the system/filesystem? How many people have to invest in Nortons or Disk Warrior or TechTool Pro to make up for deficiencies in the system software? How many have virus detection applications? > I moved back to windows for the task 'cuz there was a > program I could just install and run. > > When I have time, I'll prolly re-install a linux box, > but it does take time. And patience just to get basic > things running. The most time consuming thing to change is yourself. That's why my wife still runs OS9. If I even move the icons around on her desktop, she complains. :) Alan - If you actually want to code something, the tools to do it are free. You can code on classic MacOS with MPW, or on Linux with GCC. GCC allows you to code for C, C++, Objective-C, Ada, Fortran, and Java. You can also write programs in shell script, python, perl, ruby, jade or tcl/tk on a Linux system. Greg is right in the fact that you can pour large amounts of time and patience into Linux - especially if you like to tinker. Will - http://www.suse.com/index_us.html The hardware you have and the applications you wish to use should be the deciding factors in choosing an OS. Now, about that mac vs windows thing.......... tom -- SuperMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | Service & Replacement Parts [EMAIL PROTECTED] | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> SuperMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/supermacs/list.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive: <http://www.mail-archive.com/supermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> --------------------------------------------------------------- >The Think Different Store http://www.ThinkDifferentStore.com ---------------------------------------------------------------
