Thread: Just started running linux

Just been doing some research on ubuntu - looks like its a whole new world where everything is different yet strangely familiar....... not sure if my brain is up to the challenge of switching......

Originally Posted by mark2

Just been doing some research on ubuntu - looks like its a whole new world where everything is different yet strangely familiar....... not sure if my brain is up to the challenge of switching......

Have a look at the pclinux os screenshots, it will look familiar to windoze.

G'day,

Anyone using the new Debian Distro?

Just downloaded and rebooted with Ubuntu - very nice. Clean and easy...I'm impressed.

Originally Posted by mark2

If my Windows XP is running reliably, is there any performance advantage to using Linux? I did notice it slowed down a lot after installing service pack 2 - would it run faster with Linux?

Can I use my existing software, files etc?

You will generally find that a computer running comparable versions of Linux and Windows will run a lot faster on Linux, mainly because it does not have to run extra virus protection software.

But there are a wide variety of different types of Linux, and some run a lot faster than others.

In general you will not be able to run the same software other than under an emulator or in a virtual computer under linux, but you will find that the linux comes complete with a wide variety of software which will replace most of your Windows applications (The major exception is games). Almost all your files will be useable in linux, mostly without modification, although a few will need to be exported from your Windows program in an interchange format.

Linux is strictly the operating system kernel, and this is packaged with a variety of other software to make a complete operating system plus application software called a "distribution", such as Ubuntu. There are several hundred of these, but probably about a dozen which could be considered as major distributions. Almost all software which will run on one distribution will run on any other. There are several graphical user interfaces or GUIs, and most Distributions come with at least two of these, KDE and Gnome. Again, most software will run with either, and you can run with one in one session and change the next session.

There are several major differences in philosophy from Windows, which can cause confusion for new users. Hardware drivers are mostly contained within the Kernel, and if others are needed you may have to download them online. Some hardware manufacturers neither supply linux drivers nor publish enough information to allow others to write them, and in this case your hardware may not be able to be made to work with linux. Not often a problem, but I have it with my slide scanner. Almost all distributions require you to do most of your computing as an ordinary user, with your having to be 'root' user to make changes to the system, unlike Windows, where a lot of software will not run except as root.

Hope this helps,

John

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Have a look at the pclinux os screenshots, it will look familiar to windoze.

Just started the download - only 17 hours to go

Originally Posted by JDNSW

You will generally find that a computer running comparable versions of Linux and Windows will run a lot faster on Linux, mainly because it does not have to run extra virus protection software.

But there are a wide variety of different types of Linux, and some run a lot faster than others.

In general you will not be able to run the same software other than under an emulator or in a virtual computer under linux, but you will find that the linux comes complete with a wide variety of software which will replace most of your Windows applications (The major exception is games). Almost all your files will be useable in linux, mostly without modification, although a few will need to be exported from your Windows program in an interchange format.

Linux is strictly the operating system kernel, and this is packaged with a variety of other software to make a complete operating system plus application software called a "distribution", such as Ubuntu. There are several hundred of these, but probably about a dozen which could be considered as major distributions. Almost all software which will run on one distribution will run on any other. There are several graphical user interfaces or GUIs, and most Distributions come with at least two of these, KDE and Gnome. Again, most software will run with either, and you can run with one in one session and change the next session.

There are several major differences in philosophy from Windows, which can cause confusion for new users. Hardware drivers are mostly contained within the Kernel, and if others are needed you may have to download them online. Some hardware manufacturers neither supply linux drivers nor publish enough information to allow others to write them, and in this case your hardware may not be able to be made to work with linux. Not often a problem, but I have it with my slide scanner. Almost all distributions require you to do most of your computing as an ordinary user, with your having to be 'root' user to make changes to the system, unlike Windows, where a lot of software will not run except as root.

Hope this helps,

John

Thanks for the info.

I'm happy to transfer to the new applications for the typical stuff, however I have a few specific pieces of software used for programming radios as well as mapping software which may require the emulator.
What about etax? - will that require the emulator also?

Being PC tech illiterate, if I load Ubuntu onto the hard drive of my PC, when I boot it up again, can I still choose between XP and Ubuntu?