I want to try Linux, but...
Nov 21, 2005 at 5:35 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 32
ricardo diaz

ricardo diaz

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I'm going to need som help. Like some hand-holding when I start out/freak out in the begining.

Anyone want to volunteer to help me?


My laptop is a Toshiba Satellite P35-S609, if that helps.
 
Nov 21, 2005 at 5:42 AM Post #2 of 32
goto linuxquestions.org. Best forum for pretty much any linux help you will ever need. I've used linux in the past but I own an emu0404 so I'm running win2000.
 
Nov 21, 2005 at 11:06 AM Post #4 of 32
Also check out tux files.
 
Nov 21, 2005 at 3:48 PM Post #5 of 32
Either download or purchase a live Linux CD such as Knoppix 4.0. You can find such a DVD-ROM or CD-ROM with the Linux magazines at your local bookstore. That way, you will be able to test drive Linux without permanently altering the contents of your existing Microsoft Windows operating system and partition on your HDD. Linux is not for the timid at heart nor is it for everybody. I have encountered an equal number of problems, hardware conflicts, and plain old crummy software on Linux more so than Windows. Windows is still useful for massive and deep hardware compatibility, software packages or titles, and ease of use although security is lax. A viable alternative is Apple Mactintosh OS X Tiger because it is based off of UNIX and FreeBSD with the legendary ease of usage and graphics of Apple PCs. Now that Apple is shipping Intel dual-core CPUs, it is even more tempting to get an Apple.

Otherwise, I'm going with RHFC4 SELinux for simplicity and reliability (although it lacks multimedia support and Wi-Fi support is tepid at best) and I am going with FreeBSD next month. I also buy a ton of computer books to teach myself and I review these books whenever I get stuck with a problem. See, I plan on teaching myself slowly what the heck I need to know so that it will become progressively easier for me to pick hardware and software based on clearly defined needs and goals instead of doing guesswork in the next few years.
 
Nov 21, 2005 at 4:21 PM Post #6 of 32
get a cheap computer... I've been known to give away older machines i stock for odd reason here and there to potential linux converts.

I say dive in deep, i don't like boot disc distros like knoppix, i'd say start outwith atleast fedora (or mand-blabla whatever they call it now).
 
Nov 21, 2005 at 6:48 PM Post #7 of 32
Why not try colinux? It runs ontop of Windows 2k and XP (can run over 98 and down with some tweaking).

It is VERY easy to setup, download the 4 meg file and double click, edit one config file to point to the proper output directory and you are all set.

Choice between Gentoo and Debian installs, very nice, works well and slower machines, no reformatting, no dual booting, just a nice test environment!

Then, when you feel comfortable...hit Debian full out, you'll be a pro in no time
wink.gif
 
Nov 22, 2005 at 2:26 AM Post #9 of 32
I just switched over to Debian (posted about it earlier) and things were going well until my PSU died. It is very helpful to have another computer with a working internet connection while playing around. If you don't have access to another computer a cd distro like others have mentioned will at least get you online you you can search for potential fixes to your problems.
 
Nov 22, 2005 at 3:24 AM Post #10 of 32
I have given up on Linux, it is absolutely user-unfriendly. I had purchased some cheap hardware to build a server with, the idea being- I stuff hard drives with media on them into it, and it allows my windows-based computer access to them over my network. However, what I did not know is that Linux does not think it necessary to recognize said hard drive. You have to tell Linux (a) what filesystem the drive uses (b) what its physical device ID is and (c) where you want it to show up. Now, in Windows, or on a Mac, I can plug in a hard drive, the machine assumes, beyond all apparent logic, that I want to use the hard drive I plugged in, and displays it and its contents for my browsing leisure.

I have had 2 previous attempts to install Linux, and both ended up disasterously. I actually got it successfully installed this time, but it was ultimately useless to me.
 
Nov 22, 2005 at 3:31 AM Post #11 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by EricP
I have given up on Linux, it is absolutely user-unfriendly. I had purchased some cheap hardware to build a server with, the idea being- I stuff hard drives with media on them into it, and it allows my windows-based computer access to them over my network. However, what I did not know is that Linux does not think it necessary to recognize said hard drive. You have to tell Linux (a) what filesystem the drive uses (b) what its physical device ID is and (c) where you want it to show up. Now, in Windows, or on a Mac, I can plug in a hard drive, the machine assumes, beyond all apparent logic, that I want to use the hard drive I plugged in, and displays it and its contents for my browsing leisure.

I have had 2 previous attempts to install Linux, and both ended up disasterously. I actually got it successfully installed this time, but it was ultimately useless to me.



Completely untrue. What IS true is that this is DISTRO dependent. What ones did you try? Some distros have better hardware detection than others.
 
Nov 22, 2005 at 3:48 AM Post #12 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by EricP
I have given up on Linux, it is absolutely user-unfriendly. I had purchased some cheap hardware to build a server with, the idea being- I stuff hard drives with media on them into it, and it allows my windows-based computer access to them over my network. However, what I did not know is that Linux does not think it necessary to recognize said hard drive. You have to tell Linux (a) what filesystem the drive uses (b) what its physical device ID is and (c) where you want it to show up. Now, in Windows, or on a Mac, I can plug in a hard drive, the machine assumes, beyond all apparent logic, that I want to use the hard drive I plugged in, and displays it and its contents for my browsing leisure.

I have had 2 previous attempts to install Linux, and both ended up disasterously. I actually got it successfully installed this time, but it was ultimately useless to me.



User friendly doesn't mean assumption that the user takes zero intiative to understand atleast the minimal aspects of an operating system (and computers). It's like say installing windows takes more experience then just say using it to run programs. I don't wanna sound harsh, yet your problem with linux isn't that it isn't user friendly, it seems its that you are too lazy to appreciate the bare essentials necessary to install an operating system. If you went so far as try it more then once, why not just take the intiative and do it correctly?
 
Nov 22, 2005 at 3:49 AM Post #14 of 32
Quote:

Originally Posted by steel102
mandrake has a nice GUI installer and detected everything on my comp except the wireless card (which in the end, i could never set up =\ )


mandrake no longer exists. It's now called mandriva. It seems like a commercial distro that wants u to pay for stuff.
 
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