what the fuck is linux

i admit it. although im aware of the existence of linux, i barely know anything about it, other than that its an open source operating system for your PC. ive always had this impression of linux being obscenely complicated to use, that youd need to be an MIT grad just to run a word processor. is that the case?

i have windows XP. if i wanted to switch to linux, would i have to delete windows? if so, how difficult is that, and is there a risk of accidentaly reformatting my hard drive in the process?

other than 'fuck microsoft' or any sort of tech jargon that you know for a fact 95% of the human race doesnt understand , can you give me any good reasons as to why i would benefit with linux over windows xp?

will i still be able to play 'battlefield 1942'?

Do not install linux on your computer. If you have to ask what it is you won't benefit from having it. You'll just eat up alot of time.

If you want to know what linux is read it's entry in wikipedia.

You wouldn't benifit from Linux over XP if you're already using XP and you're more of an end-user than a tech head. The only real gain for you would be the tranformation that most Linux users undergo when they switch OSes and become elitist snobs. For an example of this behavior, check out any Mac vs. PC thread.

You would not be able to play BF 1942 on Linux, either.

Linux is free, and the software that you can download for it is also free and open source, and that's its biggest perk really. Others will tell you that the open-source nature of the software leads to it being more secure and bug-free, and that's true as well.

If you do not know a lot about computers, stay with Win. You can set up a second boot on your machine, to run another OS. In fact, the Red Hat install might ask you if you want to create a second partition. But there is also other software out there for easily moving partitions around.

If you want to learn about linux, get an old beater box and mess with it on there. But if you are not that into computers, it will be a pain in the ass just to get your day to day stuff done.

/edited to say that it is a very nice server OS though.

[Edited on Feb 01, 2004 by desperatecomfort]

Correction, you can play bf1942 on linux ;-)
http://store.suse.com/dr/v2/ec_MAIN.Entry10?V1=621230&PN=1&SP=10023&xid=40017&DSP=&CUR=840&PGRP=0&CACHE_ID=0

OS X vs. Linux vs. PC is a matter of preference.

Some like me will put linux on their macs. It's all a matter of preference.

And after the hours I use to spend trying to get my fucking DVD player to work, back in 2001, the elitism is well earned!!!

Which distro and how well does it work?

i dual boot with Linux and Win2k.....

the only two programs i use Linux for are Alias' Maya for 3d and Apple's Shake for digital compositing and visual effects....

thats it, everything else is on windows.....next quarter i'm taking a class on Unix/Linux/Irix OSs so i'll probaby use Linux more after learning how to use it better, but for now....

[ J ]

Haha, I had a SuSe partition for a while but it drove me freaking insane. I don't think that was the best distro to start off with.

DAMN! Foiled by those meddling kids!

i've got 5 linux machines in my house, all doing different tasks-- one runs a Half-life mod server, folds protein (folding.stanford.edu) and works as a samba bitch (like.. filesharing between computers)..the other 4 are doing various tasks ranging from logging network use at work, to hosting voicechat for friends, using ventrilo. (www.ventrilo.com @ 69.3.73.68)

linux is opensource, so you're allowed to replicate and copy code, and shape it to your own uses-- redhat is popular, as are SuSE and Mandrake. They can guide you step by step toward installing linux on a machine, even if it has an existing windows installation

linux is just fun for for dorks like me and many others, it's useful for businesses that want powerful features without a hefty cost, i.e. windows. and it's just all around cool. (coming from a microsoft systems engineer, that should mean something.. i dont peddle MS )

Gentoo, and it works like buttah.

It's really nice and snappy so when I am developing with many apps/terminals/windows open and music playing I don't see any slowdown. More responsive so I can be more productive. I use MOL (mac on linux) when I am just doing stupid stuff so I have all the benefits of aqua.

The best part is they have precompiled g3 binaries so I don't have to sit through a stage 1/2 install.

[Edited on Feb 01, 2004 by kel]

It is possible to run two OS on your computer (not simutaneously, of course...at least I don't think so anyways), but I can't say for sure how well the type of program you'd need works, since I've never used it. I've never had much of a need for two OS.

You can run as many as you can squeeze on the machine with VMware. And I mean simultaneously. 20+ kernels all running on one machine completely oblivious of each other.

In fact that is how online videogames are hosted professionally

They get big ass Xeon boxes and shove 26 servers on one machine using some VMware style software.




[Edited on Feb 01, 2004 by kel]

hmm.. that's not a bad idea (MOL)

i have redhat/debian on my main box, slackware on two of the folding bitches and gentoo on the other two... it's all fun and games for me, though. i don't get to use anything but a prepackaged redhat/KDE GUI at work, so it makes me sad. at least at home, I can have fun...

it's funny that people would put linux on a mac-- macOS X is so cool because it's based on unix

*edit*
there's a dude with over 30 OS' on his machine...he's a bit..abnormal

[Edited on Feb 01, 2004 by mounds]

i was gonna say something about emulation allowing windows apps to run under linux.. i used to play neverwinter nights and the original Unreal under linux, as well as some of the early counter-stirke betas

♥wine:/heart:

if you were in portland you could have read the huge story they had on linux in the willamete week. I knew nothing about it, but now I know like... five things about it!

duhhhh..... he is the kid who carries a security blanket and sucks his thumb.

linux was in fact created by a man named Linus

Linux is an albino kid who travels the world solving people's problems.

Edit: Or is it peoples'... Hmmmm...

[Edited on Feb 01, 2004 by BingoFuel]

Screw Linux.

FreeBSD!

If anyone's up for it, join the damn FreeNix group.

I don't think Linux is for everyone as a desktop system in its current state. I use Linux over FreeBSD now because of hardware support for some proprietary stuff I have.

Some say Linux is a kernel, some say it's an OS, some say it's a geek subculture, some say it's a way of life, some say it's geek elitism, some say it's a threat to national security... I say it's a little bit of all of those things but primarily the first two

sorry guys... I just wanted to see the penguin psted a second time in this thread

Awwww wook at ikkle Tux.


Hi Deja!

yeah except older macs can't run macOS X, for them you can use Yellowdog Linux.

runs quite well on the old school iMac.