Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Bubbajj on August 08, 2008, 07:55:28 PM
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So, I'm really tired of dropping a hundred bux at least a pop for a microsoft OS that barely works, is a pain to install, and is just a general POS. Who here knows anything about Linux? Is it really as easy as people say or is that just BS. I'd love to be able to run an OS that works for a change that I didn't have to pay out my arse for.
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I installed Linux Ubuntu on my machine.
Then I reinstalled XP.
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So, I'm really tired of dropping a hundred bux at least a pop for a microsoft OS that barely works, is a pain to install, and is just a general POS. Who here knows anything about Linux? Is it really as easy as people say or is that just BS. I'd love to be able to run an OS that works for a change that I didn't have to pay out my arse for.
Redhat would be the distro to go for to start off with, and yea it's easy as they say. Just switch \ for / with that one.
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I've got XP on any machine that counts but my wife wants me to put together a couple of computers for the kids. They are only 2 and 3 years old so all they would be doing is playing educational games on and off line and going to the kid's websites. I don't want to shell out the bux for the OS if all they are gonna be used for is this. I've used Firefox and find it works fine for a browser. I've also got a machine with Vista on it and I'm finding that Vista is the biggest piece of crap I've ever had the displeasure to experience. As it's not my gaming machine so I thought I'd try to do linux on that one too. I'm beginning to think MS is hiring the mentally challenged as a tax relief effort.
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I have Linux on a PII-550 mhz computer, but it is running a copy of JNOS for a ham gateway on packet
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I have several different distros of linux on different machines, I even have a 486 66mhz machine with 32MB running "DamnSmallLinux". The home user will find Ubuntu distros a breeze... I like the more masculine look of the Parsix distro. I use cedega to play aces high on one machine sometimes.
Go over to www.distrowatch.com to find the linux distro that will suit your needs.
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For people new to linux I recommend ubuntu as the best distribution. I find it easiest to maintain and it has a huge amount of frequently updated repositories for extra software. The deb package system is easier to work with than red hat's RPM system, especially if you are new to linux and just want a 'click and go' UI.
It may not be "the best" for hard core users, but it gets the job done and does it very well. I prefer it over the other distros even though I am a long time linux user.
The major problem for people switching from windows to linux is that it is not windows. No matter how good the linux distro is, most users have never used, or even seen an operating system other than windows. Microsofts dominance is just that strong. If you have a problem with windows, you just talk to one of your friend or co-workers and someone will be able to fix it for you. If you have a problem with linux it is much less likely you have a friend who knows enough about it. On the other hand, if you are not too lazy, the linux forums already have an answer to almost anything you may want to ask. I find the ubuntu official forums extremely helpful.
Good luck
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2nd'd on Ubuntu - there is an app that will allow you to do most anything - might have a few issues getting games etc working - but there is (mostly) always a work around.
Good luck fella,
Wurzel (planning on going open source very very soon)
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Ubuntu is nice although it can't replace windows in all-round tasks.
If you need a computer only for internet browsing and office work then a cheap box and ubuntu will be your answer.
If you need a computer for all-round use including gaming then don't even think about linux.
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Gaming with linux isn't so bad using Cedega - even Wine - Although AH2 really does need Cedega. I have been trying out an ubuntu-based distro called gOS... So far it is pretty cool, has the stability and speed of ubuntu and the 'feel' of Mac OSX 10.5x with a little bit of Vista thrown in. Take a look at it here: http://thinkgos.com/new/gos-screens.php .
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is a pain to install, and is just a general POS
Unless you're talking about Vista, this all generally comes from lack of experience or control on the user's side. By the way, see my post in the Hardware & Software forum; you can create an XP SP3 disk that will install without ever having to touch the keyboard.
And, if you're going to retort that you shouldn't need to know anything about an operating system to keep it smooth and efficient...well, I've discovered you need to know much more just to get Linux installed properly in most cases, much less keep it up. It is a great operating system, yes, but there's just too much command line work for me to use.
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Amidst all the Linux enthusiasm it might be fair to mention the performance degradation running AH II in emulation of Windows via Cedega or Wine vs. XP or even Vista natively. From my experience the performance loss is much greater than XP vs. Vista. There's also the issue of drivers for all hardware from motherboards to USB devices including any game controllers and headsets, vid cards and sound cards. Your stuff might work, it might not. Chances are that you'll have trouble with one or more devices. Yeah, you can get AH to run in most cases with some work but I'll bet the majority of those reading this won't be happy with the results.
Linux is fine for many purposes but Windows noobs need to have their eyes fully open when contemplating taking the plunge. If AH II is your main thing you're much better off sticking with XP or even Vista IMHO. Free isn't necessarily better in all cases. Switching to Linux for the average user is anything but carefree and seamless.
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Thanks for all the replies guys. Again, all I want to do is some simple child learning games and the internet. I may put a box together just to experiment with.
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Linux distro are getting better and more user friendly all the time, but they still require you to get your hands dirty with a bit of command-line stuff every now and then.
If you're OK with that, go for it. If that sounds scary and intimidating, stick with Windows.
Somebody mentioned Red Hat as being a good distribution. It is, but you can't get it unless you pay for a Red Hat support contract. If you want to stick with free distributions, go with Ubuntu. Its probably the best in terms of working out the box and has a pretty helpful community that's tolerant of people asking noob questions.
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Seeing as Linux legally has to be free, there has to be a way to get it without paying. I'm guessing that you could get it over a torrent off of "that certain website that Skuzzy would bash me for mentioning" and actually not be doing anything illegal.
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Linux doesn't has to be free. You are misinterpreting the Open Source and free software definitions:
From http://opensource.org/docs/osd (http://opensource.org/docs/osd):
Open source doesn't just mean access to the source code. The distribution terms of open-source software must comply with the following criteria:
1. Free Redistribution
The license shall not restrict any party from selling or giving away the software as a component of an aggregate software distribution containing programs from several different sources. The license shall not require a royalty or other fee for such sale.
2. Source Code
The program must include source code, and must allow distribution in source code as well as compiled form. Where some form of a product is not distributed with source code, there must be a well-publicized means of obtaining the source code for no more than a reasonable reproduction cost preferably, downloading via the Internet without charge. The source code must be the preferred form in which a programmer would modify the program. Deliberately obfuscated source code is not allowed. Intermediate forms such as the output of a preprocessor or translator are not allowed.
3. Derived Works
The license must allow modifications and derived works, and must allow them to be distributed under the same terms as the license of the original software.
4. Integrity of The Author's Source Code
The license may restrict source-code from being distributed in modified form only if the license allows the distribution of "patch files" with the source code for the purpose of modifying the program at build time. The license must explicitly permit distribution of software built from modified source code. The license may require derived works to carry a different name or version number from the original software.
5. No Discrimination Against Persons or Groups
The license must not discriminate against any person or group of persons.
6. No Discrimination Against Fields of Endeavor
The license must not restrict anyone from making use of the program in a specific field of endeavor. For example, it may not restrict the program from being used in a business, or from being used for genetic research.
7. Distribution of License
The rights attached to the program must apply to all to whom the program is redistributed without the need for execution of an additional license by those parties.
8. License Must Not Be Specific to a Product
The rights attached to the program must not depend on the program's being part of a particular software distribution. If the program is extracted from that distribution and used or distributed within the terms of the program's license, all parties to whom the program is redistributed should have the same rights as those that are granted in conjunction with the original software distribution.
9. License Must Not Restrict Other Software
The license must not place restrictions on other software that is distributed along with the licensed software. For example, the license must not insist that all other programs distributed on the same medium must be open-source software.
10. License Must Be Technology-Neutral
No provision of the license may be predicated on any individual technology or style of interface.
From http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html (http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/free-sw.html):
Free software is a matter of liberty, not price. To understand the concept, you should think of free as in free speech, not as in free beer.
Free software is a matter of the users' freedom to run, copy, distribute, study, change and improve the software. More precisely, it refers to four kinds of freedom, for the users of the software:
* The freedom to run the program, for any purpose (freedom 0).
* The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs (freedom 1). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
* The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor (freedom 2).
* The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits (freedom 3). Access to the source code is a precondition for this.
A program is free software if users have all of these freedoms. Thus, you should be free to redistribute copies, either with or without modifications, either gratis or charging a fee for distribution, to anyone anywhere. Being free to do these things means (among other things) that you do not have to ask or pay for permission.
From Red Hat's FAQ:
Issue:
You mentioned licensing - what does this mean? I thought Linux was free.
Resolution:
Except for a few components provided by third parties (for example, Java) all the code in Red Hat products is open source and licensed under the GPL (or a similar license, such as the LGPL). So you always have free access to the source code. In fact you can download it from our FTP servers at any time. However, Red Hat does not provide free access to the binaries of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and these, combined with an annual subscription to Red Hat Network, access to upgrades, and a selected support services, are the components that Red Hat bundles into each Red Hat Enterprise Linux solution. Since every Red Hat Enterprise Linux product includes support for the system on which it is installed, Red Hat supplies the products with a per-system usage/support subscription. This simple model ensures that systems which useRed Hat Enterprise Linux are able to access the maintenance, services and product upgrades to which they are entitled. Of course, as mentioned before, this has no impact on your access to the Red Hat Enterprise Linux source code.
As you can see, Open source doesn't mean free of any costs.
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As I'd heard (in class, from the teacher's curriculum, no less), it was due to the work of Linus Torvalds to keep Linux free that it became violation of law to charge for the operating system itself. You can charge for the support, the manual, the disk it's on even, but not the operating system. Nothing to do with Open Source definitions.
EDIT: And, yes, I didn't read all of that yet. It's a bit early in the morning to be able to make sense of it.
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Somebody mentioned Red Hat as being a good distribution. It is, but you can't get it unless you pay for a Red Hat support contract.
They changed it a round a couple of years ago, Redhat Enterprise is the paid for version, they renamed the free version from Redhat to Fedora. Fedora has the benefit that not only the open source community contributes to it, Redhats own developers also contribute because it forms the basis of their Enterprise distro.
Another advantage with Fedora is the wealth of support information out there for it (a walkthrough for setting up a box in Redhat 5 will still be mostly applicable to Fedora Core 9)
plus its what Linus uses ;) http://fedoraproject.org/ (http://fedoraproject.org/)
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Linux on the next machine in my case, no doubt.
With XP
DUAL BOOT!!!
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Hey look the best way to get all the biggest dorks in AH in one thread.
NERDS!!! :rofl
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I Resemble That Remark! :lol
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:lol
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Linux on the next machine in my case, no doubt.
With XP
DUAL BOOT!!!
Even getting a dual-boot system to work is a pain in the butt because of how Windows hates having another bootloader present.
NERDS!!! :rofl
I, good sir, am a Geek. There is quite a difference.
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Download virtualbox and run linux in a virtual machine. That way you can keep windows and get to know linux and see if it fits your bill or not.
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The pre-compiled version of Redhat is not available in a RedHat branded distro. Centos takes the source and re-compiles it on their systems and releases it less any RedHat specific packages.
SLES/Suse is the same way, the commercial product is not downloadable, but you can get the source code and compile it if you're a die-hard.
I believe OpenSuse and Fedora are the bleeding edge distributions which are probably not appropriate for a novice.
Even though I work in Linux daily, my game machine and other home systems are Windows based. My next older system will hopefully become a VMware ESXi system (which is now a free download) and on top of that will be my os's of choice.
Back on subject: depending on the children learning games, I'm not sure if Linux would be best. You'll have to install a windows emulator like cedega or wine. Most learning games require windows and VGA console. But it's been a few years since I looked into what's available in that segment for free/cheap.
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The Ubuntu builds such as mint linux, parsix, gOS, kubuntu, mythbuntu, ubuntu, xubuntu you can install inside windows just like any other program, performance of linux is diminished a little but it will serve the purpose of letting you get used to the OS... Mac OSx and most linux builds seem to be organized in a similar manner
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To the original poster:
Consider your need for a computer for the kids a free pass to upgrade your personal gaming machine. That's what I think at any rate.
I've been through the same thing with me, my wifey and daughter. I get new computer (for work), wife gets my old computer (2 years old), daughter gets wife's computer (5 years old).
Works out perfect: at Target (Wal-Mart I bet, too), you can get discount software (Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, etc) for $9.99. That stuff is 5 years old anyway, so it runs great on the old computer. They learn all the colors, alphabet and basic addition--you get a new gaming machine.
Use what ever operating system comes with your new computer. :aok
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I have a question.
Will AH run off LINUX?
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yes bipolar if you install it using cedega, it runs well.... and since ati TREMENDOUSLY improved their drivers for linux in the last few weeks, frame rates are super close to native windows... now it is nvidias turn to play catch-up
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Hey look the best way to get all the biggest dorks in AH in one thread.
NERDS!!! :rofl
This is a community of people who fly cartoon planes, frequently to the exclusion of all other social contact.
I think 'dork' is pretty much a foregone conclusion all round really. :D :D
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Any thoughts about Centos vs Fedora? Is there anything Fedora can do that Centos can't? I'm probably going to use my current machine for web/mail/play area and get a new one to update. Anyone know about scaling storage up though 30TB on linux? I would love to talk.
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30TB??? You must be holding the Bishops sheep-pr0n collection!
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And I'm not sharing!