Linux for a n00b

[mrapoc]

Hey guys,

I'm getting *sick* of my XP install and dont fancy vista yet. I have tried Ubuntu for an hour on a spare pc and didnt really get enough time to fall in love with it. Am i right in thinking a lot of the games will run on linux or what? I know it will perform better but do .exes work or what? Just dont want to be limited

Which is the one to get onto atm? Im a beginner looking for performance and freedom

 

[Ham]

Ive got very limited linux experience, but my choice is knoppix. Its nice n simple .

No idea about game compatibility tho

 

[deathwish]

There is a program to play windows games on mac and linux hang on i will find a link.

>Crossover<

 

[mrapoc]

cheers mate thought that was a mac thingy - not linux

ill check that out, now to choose my distro

 

[ionicle]

i'm on ubuntu, and i LOVE it!!

 

[deathwish]

i tryed linux but it wasnt long untill i broke it

 

[equk]

ubuntu is probably about the best and easiest to use.

you can also customise it with different kernels etc if you want to. Installing .deb files is just so easy, aswell as using the ubuntu apt system.

If you want to really learn linux I'd say install gentoo. Maybe start with a stage3 install then move onto stage1, but for the basics something like ubuntu should be ok. Or Kubuntu if you want to use KDE.

A good reference site for beginners:

http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Gutsy

 

[Joe]

For Games , you are kind of stuck

Linux Naitives are silky smooth ; Windows Binaries on the other hand are hit and miss

The Win32 API Layer that you need to run games is galled Cedega .... its a gaming oriented crossover based on WINE and comes with a Games/Install management program. ITs commercial or free if u compile it from source.

(crossover is more for 'work' apps e.g Fireworks,Photoshop, MS Office, IE .. Etc)

And a LOT of games dont work perfectly & usually @ lower FPS than in XP

To see which games function on it , and to what degree http://games.cedega.com/gamesdb/

For User Friendly Linux ... Go 4 Ubuntu it will make u warm and fuzzi

 

[mrapoc]

Perhaps a dual boot is in order then? XP for games, Linux for as much as I can

Is open office as good as office 2007? Is it compatable or will i need office 2007? I'll need crossover for that yes?

 

[Joe]

Perhaps a dual boot is in order then? XP for games, Linux for as much as I can

Is open office as good as office 2007? Is it compatable or will i need office 2007? I'll need crossover for that yes?

Open Office is very capable .. (U can even get a docx file converter add-in)

Capable to the point where I dont have MS Office on ne of my OSes (OS X, Ubu, Xp)

That OS ''work load'' division is the arrangement i am usin @tm

 

[mrapoc]

Coolio

I can always put Office 2007 on my XP boot if necessary. What do you do if u dont need one or the other at some point? Format the whole drive? *Downloading Ubuntu as i speak*

What cool/must have addons are availiable?

 

[ionicle]

Amarok

absolute necesity

 

[Toxcity]

Thanks Sam for bringing this up, I am interested in Linux.. and Maye have a go on it sooner or later.

Just need another PC.

 

[mrapoc]

Shame is ill still be tied down to MS due to gameage, LAN parties

 

[Toxcity]

I have nothing wrong with Windows..

In fact I love most of them.. maybe except Vista and ME.

But I want to check Linux out just for learning.. and so on.

 

[Rastalovich]

How well do the linux distros use multi-cores and such ?

And on the back of that question, how well do the apps/games/whatever use cores ?

 

[mrapoc]

^ Yea

I dont like the fact they hide their source when you usually have to show it. Could be anything nasty behind it. Linux did run nice when i tried it last. just didnt have the patience to try it properly

 

[ionicle]

i'm on a dual core laptop, and it handles it perfectly, apart from the damn cpu throttler, which keeps clocking it down to 1GHz from 1.67, so i keep having to disable it...

other than that though, its been nice, smooth, fast, ...and i'm folding with SMP core's 1760 points apiece, and one core takes about 2 days

 

[Rastalovich]

Meh, I meant in terms of actually using the cores and not relying on 1 only for the majority of stuff.

I know the F@H does well

 

[ionicle]

i'm not sure, but i do notice that both core's get used evenly, on the,......task-manager-like-thingy on linux...so i would say yes