www.ultimatehandyman.co.uk

For those who are fed up with windoze, or have heard of linux and want to try it but are not sure how, here are the most recent live CDs from ubuntu and openSuSE:

http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download

http://software.opensuse.org/112/en (select live KDE (or gnome))

Just boot the CD to try it and if you like it you can install it. Simple. My kids (as well as me) have been using linux for years...

You will get browsers, office software, firewalls, applications (design, music, games, ...)

Before anyone takes up the offer for free Linux, as suggested above, just consider that you are probably using a Windows operating system that you have become familiar and comfortable with.

There are several different Linux versions and some are not all that easy to get your head around or operate.

Should you wish to try a version of Linux to see what all the noise is about regarding FREE operating systems, spend a bit of time reading some posts on Linux forums before you try a dual boot with one of them.
Just one example:
http://forums.computeractive.co.uk/foru ... ad1b8&f=49

There are people who are having as many, if not more problems with different versions of Linux as with Microsoft Windows, and it is not an easy OS to change to from Windows.

I do not work for nor get paid by Mr Gates but there are millions more people using Windows and so there are more chances of getting Windows' problems sorted by searching Google.

That's exactly why you can try it on a LIVE CD without having to install it to your hard disk. If you try it and like it you can then take the opportunity to install it.

Regarding familiarity with windows... Both openSuSE and ubuntu have desktop managers which any user of windows will have little problem with. As I said, my kids have used it for years, and switch to windows at school without any problems.

By the way, many, if not most, users of linux switched to it (and stayed with it) precisely because of problems with microsoft software.

rix,
I wasn't trying to start a Windows v Linux arguement, I have had Ubuntu on discs for several years now. I don't use it much at all and that is probably because I am now getting past needing a change.

The first one I got. I applied on line and they sent me a pack with six copies of the disc, so I passed them around, but even with that first copy, I wasn't really happy with it. I must admit I was only just getting used to Windows and so didn't want to try a second OS to complicate a new learner.

Once I had become confident with windows and knew more about computers, I tried a later download of a version that had been recommended as the easiest to use to learn Linux. I used it for a while but it took ages to find help on forums when I was 'stuck' with something, so I 'lost my rag' with it through lack of patience and haven't dug it out for about 18 months. One other thing about Linux Help Forums was the general attitude of some (not all) 'helpers' that it was such a simple OS that you must be really thick to have to ask for assistance for such an easy thing to sort out.

I may be a lucky one but I don't have many problems with Windows and any hiccups are normally soon sorted with a Google search.

dave

Hi dave.m,

you seem to have been lucky with windows and with not having been affected by the numerous bugs and security problems.

In any event who can afford to be without a linux LIVE CD (or linux KNOPPIX recovery disk) to test their PC? Have you never had a problem where you wanted to know if it's the hardware or software? Booting a LIVE CD can help to answer that. If it works for the LIVE CD but not for windows then it's likely a microsoft problem...

Not trying to be a scare monger but almost 100% of PCs affected by viruses or taken over (unbeknownst to the owner) by malicious spam-bots are running windows. You will also be aware that many of the viruses (trojans) which affect windows are keyloggers. This gives them the ability to collect your online passwords (banking?) and send them to a third party. I have been using linux for 15 years (and windows for over 20) and have never heard of a linux PC being affected in this way. Not to say it's not possible but just very very hard.

In addition a lot of people dislike the way microsoft manipulates development and tries to stifle other options to maximize profit at the (great) expense of users.

As you know linux and most of the (very good) application software that comes with it is free.

If anyone wants to try it it is very easy. Just download and burn one of the free LIVE CD ISO images and give it a trial. No need to install it on a hard disk unless you like it...

Why not give it another try?

You should also consider: http://www.linuxmint.com/ probably the easiest distro I've come across.

Linux has many forums full of helpful people willing to help. I've never had any problems with any attitudes on these forums. And a quick google solves pretty much any problem you have.

We're all linux (ubuntu) here. It's different to windows, all the nice software which you get from the web or magazines will not work, unless you get a linux version; and now many more sites are supporting it. I even downloaded some music from amazon and had to use their "plug in" and was expecting the worst, but it was simple!

The latest versions of linux are way nicer than anything else on the market

Do try the live version before you install it. there are issues for example Lexmark printers are a pig, HP printers are a dream.

My netbook (eee) came with linux, but I re-installed it with ubuntu, and it's much nicer.
My acer aspire revo 3800 came with vista and was appaling, now its got linux all is well!

If you do a lot of stuff on the web then linux is ideal as nothing changes (the machine will run faster and crash much less!)

Phill

Strange as it may sound, I can't ever remembering XP crashing, in fact I think Windows solved that problem with XP.

asinine wrote:You should also consider: http://www.linuxmint.com/ probably the easiest distro I've come across.

I agree, but it depends on what you like and then there's Mac

Out of the box / off the disc... Linux is fine. Biggest issue I have it loading drivers and functionality onto it. It gets me Sooooo bogged down it's unreal!

Mind, I haven't installed a decent distro for a year or so. Still have my LiveCD though, but then I have a BertPE Live CD too (as well as now a Windows 7 Live CD) which I find works fine for the basic tasks required of a live CD. Not really in the market for a "everything needed to surf the web off a CD tbf though)

I will be looking at Linux when I reinstall an OS on the Wife's Acer One. Frankly, the Linux version on there is P A N T S

Hi Peeps,

For a windows person to move relatively easily to Linux means a desktop that resembled Windows - the default Ubuntu uses the 'Gnome' desktop (I know you can get 'Kubuntu' which has the windowesque 'KDE' desktop but most Ubuntu punters stick with Gnome.

My search has been for distributions that will work with Netgear WG111T dongles - only had 3 successes so far:
DreamLinux 3.5 rc4 (sadly its future is in doubt - and don't try this if you have wireless keyboard and mouse)
VectorLinux 6.0 Standard De-Luxe (I paid £15 for this as I was so impressed with the live version; and lastly
PC Linux OS 2009.2 KDE - this is the simplest of all linux distros and the best at automatically partitioning your freespace to dual boot.

All of these are similar in operation to Windows (error - Dream Linux looks more like a Mac!) - give them a try.
New off the block (and based on Ubuntu) is Zorin 2.0 - looks very similar in its menu to Windows7 - go try!

To dave.m I was sorry to learn you have had bad experiences on Linux Forums - it does remind me of an article I read by Klaus Knopper who designed Knoppix being very arrogant or rather not understanding a reader's issue on evolution mail - I think the reader had asked it in the wrong way but there you go.

If you want to know what good computing operating systems are all about please visit:
www.gnu.org/fry.


best regards,
swarfendor437