Does anyone here use Linux?

Started by GrahamB, September 04, 2015, 09:19:25 AM

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MikeDunn

Strictly speaking - no.  You don't own the license, you have merely been licensed to use the OS on the PC it came with.

Not that this stops anyone  ::)

davidinyork

Quote from: red_death on September 07, 2015, 01:40:10 PM
Not wishing to encourage or discourage anyone from using Windows or Linux, but if you have an existing Windows licence from your existing laptop then can you not just buy a new computer with nothing (or Linux) on and then install Windows with your existing licence?

Cheers, Mike

Probably not - most Windows licenses are OEM and are tied to the computer.

austinbob

Quote from: red_death on September 07, 2015, 01:40:10 PM
Not wishing to encourage or discourage anyone from using Windows or Linux, but if you have an existing Windows licence from your existing laptop then can you not just buy a new computer with nothing (or Linux) on and then install Windows with your existing licence?

Cheers, Mike
That's true Mike but you just need to phone Microsoft to change your product activation to different computer.
I tried a dual boot with Windows and Linux just to get a feel for how Linux compared with Windows and how Office compatible products shaped up. No contest I'm afraid. Removed Linux completely after a week or two. Wasn't worth the hassle but it was an interesting experiment. :beers:
Size matters - especially if you don't have a lot of space - and N gauge is the answer!

Bob Austin

davidinyork

Quote from: austinbob on September 07, 2015, 02:03:45 PM
That's true Mike but you just need to phone Microsoft to change your product activation to different computer.

That can only be done with a full retail version of Windows (which very few home users are going to have) - if it's an OEM version which came with the computer, as is most likely, then it cannot be transferred legally to another computer whatever the circumstances.

MikeDunn

The only possible exception to what David (rightly) says (and no, I'm not sure it exists) is if you'd gone to a different (non-MS) OS and were returning to the original OS on the original PC ... that may be what Bob is referring to ?

keithfre

Quote from: red_death on September 07, 2015, 01:40:10 PM
then can you not just buy a new computer with nothing on
Last time I tried to do that they told me they had to install an operating system in order to test the hardware.

davidinyork

Quote from: MikeDunn on September 07, 2015, 02:12:43 PM
The only possible exception to what David (rightly) says (and no, I'm not sure it exists) is if you'd gone to a different (non-MS) OS and were returning to the original OS on the original PC ... that may be what Bob is referring to ?

If you were doing that it will most likely activate anyway without problems as it's the same computer as it was originally installed on. The exact workings of Windows activation are (no doubt intentionally) fairly opaque but it seems to register details of the computer, probably including something unique such as the processor serial number, with Microsoft.

davidinyork

Quote from: keithfre on September 07, 2015, 02:14:54 PM
Quote from: red_death on September 07, 2015, 01:40:10 PM
then can you not just buy a new computer with nothing on
Last time I tried to do that they told me they had to install an operating system in order to test the hardware.

Most of the big manufacturers won't sell computers without an OS installed - a local shop might do (or might supply one with a particular flavour of Linux if asked).

MikeDunn

Quote from: keithfre on September 07, 2015, 02:14:54 PM
Last time I tried to do that they told me they had to install an operating system in order to test the hardware.
How can I put this ?  Oh I know ...

Cobblers !!!

They are fully able to put an OS onto a USB stick & prove it that way  ::)  That they don't (or won't ...) implies some kind of deal with MS ... "oh we've had to put Windows on, so we'll sell you a copy in that case  :angel:"

Quote from: davidinyork on September 07, 2015, 02:17:02 PM
If you were doing that it will most likely activate anyway
You'd hope so, but there's no guarantee; I've seen some that wouldn't & needed the call to MS  :(  But as it was the same license on the same hardware they permitted those instances - but that was some years back now.

davidinyork

Quote from: MikeDunn on September 07, 2015, 02:22:29 PM
Quote from: keithfre on September 07, 2015, 02:14:54 PM
Last time I tried to do that they told me they had to install an operating system in order to test the hardware.
How can I put this ?  Oh I know ...

Cobblers !!!

They are fully able to put an OS onto a USB stick & prove it that way  ::)  That they don't (or won't ...) implies some kind of deal with MS ... "oh we've had to put Windows on, so we'll sell you a copy in that case  :angel:"

Quote from: davidinyork on September 07, 2015, 02:17:02 PM
If you were doing that it will most likely activate anyway
You'd hope so, but there's no guarantee; I've seen some that wouldn't & needed the call to MS  :(  But as it was the same license on the same hardware they permitted those instances - but that was some years back now.

Seems better at identifying the hardware now (XP could be a bit flakey) - certainly had no problems with multiple reinstalls of W10 on the same hardware recently.

As regards the OS issue, yes it's just an excuse but even if you challenge it they aren't going to change their stance!


MikeDunn


mickster04

So yes, there are people here that use linux. yes there are many ways to skin a cat. and yes you can just use windows if you prefer....

linuxyeti

#42
"Depends how computer-literate you are really - you need to be reasonably so."

This is so not the case any longer, and for that matter hasn't been so for a loooong time. I answer to the original question, yes, I use Linux, have done so for 17 years, and exclusively for at least 13 years.

A modern linux installation is just so easy to install, setup & use. I have absolutely no issues using, LibreOffice for my wok documents, including database access to various backends (MySQL, Oracle, Postgres), works perfectly with Sharepoint & Alfresco.

For heavy duty graphic editing, I tend to use gimp, but there are many others.

For music editing I use, Audacity, again, plenty of other alternatives

For multimedia playback, VLC is hard to beat

For mp3 organising and playing exaile, or clemetine work well for me.

I have no trouble watching netflix, tv catchup etc.

For backups, I use nice and simple grsync, but again, there are many alternatives.

Dropbox & owncloud work perfectly.

Web browsing, firefox and chrome are my browsers of choice.

Teamviewer works really well, obviously so does vncviewer

Emails, I prefer Thunderbird, using the Lightning addon for calendering, provider for google calendar (to link my google calendar), and gcontactsync, for my google contacts, in a more work based environment, there are also plugins to get the equivalent out of MS Exchange.

Add to this, not one of the above is a paid for app, it's all free, add to that, that's there is so much more you can install and run, for free, on linux, including video editors, database servers, file sharing, web servers, application servers..

The list is almost endless, and it says something, that for our 999 command & control system, it would never be trusted to a windows environment, yep, you guessed it, linux hosted.

But, for a striaght forward PC/Laptop setup, there isn't much more to installing a very functional system, than clicking next a few times !

Cheers

Tony

davidinyork

Quote from: linuxyeti on October 04, 2015, 04:29:08 PM
"Depends how computer-literate you are really - you need to be reasonably so."

This is so not the case any longer, and for that matter hasn't been so for a loooong time.

I certainly don't agree. Yes, it might all work without problems but equally it might not - especially things like wifi drivers, and external USB devices. If it doesn't, getting it to work will require considerably more IT knowledge than is the case with Windows.

linuxyeti

#44
Never had a single issue with external usb drives, whether full blown hard drives, memory sticks, also, no prbolems that I recall with sd and micro sd cards.

As for wifi drivers, I might agree with you, say 5 or 6 years ago, but not had a single issue with multiple laptops, and Desktop PC's at all, likewise, same goes with scanners, and wifi printing, secure printing, all basically plug in / connect to and work without any complicated setup.

It's not just me, my 70 year old father, has been only using Linux for at least 8 years, my daughter has only ever had linux PC's / laptops, and has no issue with her homework from school, she's now 13, so, yes that includes ICT in secondary school.

My partner, likewise, has only used Linux, when at home.

Of course, one of the really good things about Linux, simply download a 'Live' version, and run it from either a usb stick, or dvd, and not even have to install it.

Cheers

Tony

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