Linux Operating Systems.

EtchedPixels · November 23, 2011, 09:44:10 PM

Removing the rxtx stuff should do the trick.

Joe 90 · February 22, 2013, 02:08:49 PM

Hi Guys

I'm bumping this topic as I thought it was about time I had another go at trying to get to grips with this Linux malarkey.

Tried it a few years back but found it was not particularly user friendly so gave up in a huff. Now, since Windows seems to be losing its way, I thought I would give it another go.

So, has Linux got any better or do you still need to be a unix guru to be able to run it?

Thanks for any help

Regards

EtchedPixels · February 22, 2013, 02:11:07 PM

I've been feeding Linux machines to people for a while. Ubuntu seems to work the best for the non-technical.

The other branches of Linux that work well for end users of course are Android on all the phones/tablets, and the Chromebook might be worth a look depending how you feel about having most of your life backed up on the internet rather than spinning rust.

Alan

Caz · February 22, 2013, 02:15:36 PM

I might also have to have a look at this, does Linux have any emulators to help run some of my favourite Windows programs.

red_death · February 22, 2013, 02:53:58 PM

What Windows programs are you after?

You could run a virtual machine to fun Windows, or try WINE.

Another Linux distro that people seem to like if they are new to Linux is Mint.

Cheers, Mike

Joe 90 · February 22, 2013, 03:19:18 PM

I have read that Mint is the distro to go for with Ubuntu a very close second.
But how idiot-proof are they?

Regards

Caz · February 22, 2013, 04:13:10 PM

Quote from: red_death on February 22, 2013, 02:53:58 PM
What Windows programs are you after?

You could run a virtual machine to fun Windows, or try WINE.

Another Linux distro that people seem to like if they are new to Linux is Mint.

Cheers, Mike

The following programs are ones that are not available on other platforms as far as I aware.

Ancestral Quest - my main genealogy program.
Various other genealogy programs that are Windows only.
A cross stitch pattern generator program, again Windows only.
Various astronomy programs that drive my Meade telescope.
Cubasis - music/midi editing program.
And of course, Railroad & Co's Train Controller.

There's probably a couple of others, but these are the ones I can't do without.
For word processors, spreadsheets etc I believe you can use Open Office or similar.

EtchedPixels · February 22, 2013, 04:52:26 PM

There is some emulation stuff but windows emulation is very ugly as a problem (there is no standard for windows to work from) so generally it's best not to bother - if you need to run a windows app run it in Windows, in a virtual machine if you want.

Caz: ktelescope will drive the Meade telescopes, lots of music apps. Musescore is IMHO the nicest of them. Rosegarden is a full on midi sequencer too and hydrogen is a pretty natty drum machine. Audacity has some pretty handy tools as well so I tend to use that for editing up loco sound samples.

There are also more specialist tools - Renoise for those who remember tracker based audio and music from the 8bit/16bit games world, sapphire, which is a compiler for sounds, and so on.

For tin whistle I tend to just use the tab font. That works out trivially for D and G as A-G and a-g are the low/high note tabs but if you are writing for Bb or C whistle you need to transpose them appropriately. Can't mark up the ornamentation that way but I do folk stuff so ornamentation should come from the player not the book right

I've fed Ubuntu to various people I'd not consider "idiots" but certainly "computer clueless", and they actually seem to handle it better than Windows. Windows people get a bit disoriented at first, particularly over things like driver disks (there aren't any), and trying to find equivalents to Windows or habits they posess.

Alan

MikeDunn · February 22, 2013, 05:11:07 PM

Quote from: whiteswan on February 22, 2013, 04:13:10 PM
Various astronomy programs that drive my Meade telescope.

Oh, another Meade owner

Whacha got ?

Mike

Caz · February 22, 2013, 05:27:14 PM

Only a little 'un, the ETX 80, like something better but can't afford it with all these new locos keep being released.

longbridge · February 22, 2013, 07:44:25 PM

Having tried a dozen or more Linux Distro's I always go back to Linux Mint, I find it far more user friendly than Ubuntu, Mint is based on Ubuntu but unlike Ubuntu it makes life easy when downloading popular free software like Picasa and Google Earth.

Having been a Mint user for nearly 5 years I believe it is computing without all the hassle that comes with Windows, the latest long term updates version is Mint 13 and is available in two different Desktop versions, Mate and Cinnemon, I have tried them both and find Cinnemon is the best by far.

I had the latest long term updates version of Ubuntu 12.04 on my computer for a couple of weeks but it is no where near as user friendly as Mint Cinnemon.

For people that like the Windows type layout Linux Zorin is a good one to try, I used Zorin for a while and found it easy to use but went back to Mint 13 because I didn't like the latest version of Gimp 2.8 that comes with Zorin.

Linux comes highly recommended by me as I have never had a virus in Linux, a Firewall is all that is needed for online safety, no need for anti this and anti that or defrag scans for this and scans for that, just happy trouble free computing the way it should be.

I use two Windows software programs in Mint through Wine which has just been updated with a modified version, Faststone Image Resizer and Image Viewer, both work fine but there is always free software in Linux that will pretty much do everything that can be done in Windows.

Joe 90 · February 22, 2013, 08:15:35 PM

Thanks everyone for your help.

Now just got to download a distro and load it in and have a play around.

Don't go away any of you as I know I shall be back asking dumb questions.

Regards

RChook · February 23, 2013, 01:25:30 AM

Can I join in with bumping ? !

Joe90 bumped this :-

Quote from: longbridge on September 22, 2011, 10:08:52 PM
Just wondering if any forum members other than myself are using a Linux operating system?.
I have been using Linux Mint for over three years and never had a virus or any net nasties.

So I woulld like to say that I have used Windows since W3 and W3.11 and before that various versions of DOS,,
I have been using the internet since www was a baby (in those days we were more familiar with telnet &ftp, our search 'engines' were Archie and Gopher,,,,(hands up, who remembers them ?!)

In all those years ! have NEVER been infected with a virus or trojan from the internet, I have NEVER relied upon virus software (Macaffe, avg, you name it, never, they are always behind), no scanners, no shields, just practice safe hex.
I have however been able to tell many correspondents that they are/have been infected.
I have never before been moved to defend Windoze! but it just is not true that Windowz means virii! You just need to be careful !! sorry to go agin the flow !

But anyway : to the other part of the orig thread:-
I have used Linux from time to time since the days that it could fit on a floppy, to now when I can run it from a LiveCD but its big failing was that (/they) it would never find drivers for my modems! (without, if you were lucky, having to build something obscure from some source stuff !!)
More recently :- I still can not find a built Linux driver for my 3G dongle !
So sorry Linux, Windows never did me any harm so ,,,,,,,

Quote from: Joe 90 on February 22, 2013, 02:08:49 PM
Hi Guys
I'm bumping this topic as I thought it was about time I had another go at trying to get to grips with this Linux malarkey. (*1)
So, has Linux got any better(*2)

*keep me informed with your progress !
*nope, still all over the place !

Quote from: Joe 90 on February 22, 2013, 08:15:35 PM
Don't go away any of you as I know I shall be back asking dumb questions.

I'll be watching with interest !

OK! I'll go back to sleep !

longbridge · February 23, 2013, 02:15:22 AM

Dear Mr/Mrs R Chook, I am very happy that you are happy with Windows, I say its to each their own

What I will say though is its impossible to tell how good a Linux Operating System works from using a Live CD or DVD, like your clothes you just have to put them on

I would also like to point out that most Linux users made the switch to Linux because they were not happy with the Windows OS, you have certainly been lucky and its a credit to your safe operating practice, I take my hat off to you.

I have been computer savvy since the late 1980s so I don't consider myself a newby, frankly I would be content to use Android on a Tablet than make the switch to any other OS other than Linux.

Thank goodness we don't all think alike, I respect people that don't think the same as I and with respect to computer operating systems I only try to help.

Joe 90 · February 23, 2013, 02:44:02 PM

Right............................I have loaded both Linux Mint 14 (Cinnamon) and Ubuntu 12.10 and I must say that although they look good , by gosh they are slow and jerky. Nothing like I would have expected them to be.
I'm running them on a Compaq D530, 1.5Gb memory and 40Gb HDD.
I have loaded the distros in individually, on clean installs, so that they are not conflicting with each other.

Also the display on the flatscreen monitor is out of focus and I don't seem to be able to adjust the resolution to what the screen is capable of in the settings. Do drivers need to be downloaded?
The chances are that there are one or two settings which probably need changing somewhere to get things to work properly but unfortunately the slow jerky responses are putting me off this trial.

Any ides/help would be grateful.

Regards