Linux huh! what is it good for?

A

amusedtoe

New Member
So yea I've gone really crazy and will soon be downloading Linux (RedHat to be exact) onto my computer via my wee tiny 28.8 connection (ph3ar) going at a maximum of 10 mb per hour (ph3ar sqaured). Now this will be several gigs and take probably close to a month so now before I embark on chasing my white guppy would anyone wish to share with me what Linux is good for (aside from servers seeing as I might've been able to host one 15 years ago), what kind of stuff is out there for it, and why I should or should not download it very very slowly?

-Trevor
-amusedtoe
 
it gives a lot more freedom then windows cause its Unix based... although i have little experience =/
 
i heard it rox. i was going to install it once but ihad a laptop and i heard it has issues with laptop monitors. That was v6 though a long while ago.
 
all sort of things are out there for it, and it's a wonderful development environment for c++

but the first question i would ask is what do you need it for? why spend a month downloading an operating system unless you need it for some reason


also you can buy a version of linux at any wal-mart (or at least you use to be able to) for like $25, so why not buy it if you want/need it.


as for what u can do with it, anything u can do with your windows machine. WinXP is very similar to Linux windowing systems, and there are really nice Windows emulators for linux.
 
Basically, Linux/Unix is a command driven OS compared to the typical GUI you find with Windows. Linux/Unix is much more stable, manages memory 100% better and you don't have to restart Linux boxes every other hour (especially after installing something). It also more secure, and you don't see 5+ service packs per release unlike Windows. The good thing about Windows is that my 5 year old little sister can use it.
 
Make sure you checkout your hardware against the website.  Linux support for hardware can be limited depending on the distribution.  Also, some hardware have been made specifically for Windows like Winmodems.  If you are going to dual boot, I would suggest getting Partition Magic.  It makes the setup a lot easier.

As for patches, I'll take service packs any day compared to recompiling kernels... I speak from experience.  Linux won't even boot if you mess that up.  At least Windows fills my screen blue and gives me something to look at.  
laugh.gif
 
I've just installed linux, the mandrake distribution. You -cannot- do everything you can with windows. The first time it's going to be an absolute pain in the butt to navigate linux. You can't play windows games on it obviously, unless you buy and I repeat buy a windows emulator laced with a d3d/opengl emulator. Even then, the game may not work. It's going to take awhile to get linux up to what you want it to be, I'm still setting it up nearly 5 days after I installed it.
 
Yep Lindows and there's another one or two are out there and trying to be Windows on the Linux kernel from my understanding.

-Trevor
-amusedtoe
 
toe, you could just ask me to download and burn you copies of the latest release of Red Hat. If anyone "feels yer pain," it's me. Those overnight downloads, those long Internet days. (Sounds like a song!)

E-mail me and I'll see what I can do. I plan on installing Red Hat over my Mandrake 9.0 installation anyway.
 
Mandrake comes really close to being as convenient as windows, it has a LOT of software on those three CD's. I almost didn't have to download a thing after I installed to get IM services (all four), Sound, IRC and MP3's going.
 
See Tek I could ask you, and then you could do it but then there's that slight problem of the cd's magically traversing half the country from Oklahoma to Michigan. ;-)

-Trevor
-amusedtoe
 
Linux trashes your productivity, has less software/hardware options

but

its far more uptime, and a waay cooler mascot.

although WinXP reallocates your memory and such when you go away, so its much more stable. and Win2k is a very stable OS because its based on the NT design (it was originally slated to be Windows NT 5.0)
 
Rgr that Z. Now is it just me or does Windows not have a freaking mascot? It has a logo or seven but I've never seen a mascot f00li0.

-Trevor
-amusedtoe
 
Linux pwns Windoze in every way except for crashing and sux0ring.

Benefits of Linux:
- Stability... don't want to restart your computer for 5 years? Get linux.
- pwnzer graphic/software development... Shrek/Final Fantasy movie were from Linux. No examples for software development because you can't develope windows stuff on linux.
- no one watching you...
- free (unless your lazy like me and go buy a distro)
- Penguins 0wn j00.
- Better/easier hardware/software support (if you know what your doing...)
- Has all the "good" games that are either supported by developers or a large community - half-life (yes, client) UT2003 (again, yes client), starcraft, a whole bunch more that I don't remember.
- uber h4x0r community. Everyone who has linux tinkers with robots and stuff. Seriously, they do some pretty crazy stuff that would be impossible with Windows.


The only downfall is that you have to know what your doing or your going to have a long day to set it up.
 
[b said:
Quote[/b] (amusedtoe @ Mar. 06 2003,10:06)]Rgr that Z.  Now is it just me or does Windows not have a freaking mascot?  It has a logo or seven but I've never seen a mascot f00li0.

-Trevor
-amusedtoe
Click to expand...
other than that Window thingy of theres there is no window... im assuming the Window™ is the logo.

**EDIT**

I ment to say Logo instead of window.. left it there for you all to laugh at =)
 
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