Any Linux users here ?

I'm interested in Linux. What is a good way to get started? What are the easiest distros to work with?

I have an Athlon 2000 that runs Suse 9.3. Suse is easy to install, but like all Linuxes that I've used, it can be a real pain in the ass to customize and maintain. I haven't used a GNU UI that is better than a 3/10, at best. Too much information is obscurred -- there's rarely any middle-ground between automated tools and shell scripting -- so I have to spend a lot of time poking around the internet for info, and then plenty of trial and error. While some people might enjoy the experience, I'd rather be working (on whatever) than tinkering with GNU/Linux.

Anyway, I believe there's a place in the world for Linux, and it's convenient to have a linux desktop if you're developing embedded linux projects, but with Mac OS X, the usefulness of Linux on the desktop has become more niche than ever.

I should have added a link for the Fedora download.

http://rhold.fedoraproject.org/Download/

As you can see, there is even a Fedora 6 version for PPC.

But I haven't tried it.

Cheers

Aquafire

I've been using Xubuntu for about a year now.

I'm totally Windows free and it is *great*.

Yes, I'd be glad to be rid of Windows. Unfortunately, I have to send images and files to different companies, galleries and journalists. So, not knowing what OS they are using, I have to maintain a Windows box just to make sure all the files are compatible and readable.

Nice to know your using XFCE windowing system as part of Xubuntu.:)

Turns out Fedora 7 has XFCE, Gnome and KDE built in.

In anycase, looks like the XFCE crowd are going to give the KDE vs Gnome argument a bit of a shake up...;)

Cheers

Aquafire

Xfce is so crazy fast. It's amazing.

Hey there T-A-G.

In all likelyhood, I will eventually migrate to XFCE, simply because it is mean and lean and (as you note) "Crazy fast". Heck, I bet it will even make my olde Compaq machine feel like it has a Pentium 4 : Dual Core iunder its' hood.. hehehe

But I won't make my mind up until I have downloaded the latest Fedora offering which has all three X-Windowing systems on the bootable distro : Gnome, KDE and XFCE, and had a chance to play with all three.

So for me, Linux is like a set of Hillbilly couzins from the Ozarks...or Oodnawwoopwoop.

Cheers

Aquafire

So my question is how many other Mac users out there use an alternate OS such as Linux or some Unix flavoured Os or Solaris 10 etc ?

Can the Intel macs run Solaris?

- Mark

I have been a Mac user for most of my computer driven life. I started out with Mac OS 7.1 and progressed from there. In fact I still have my olde Macintosh Colour Classic which I start up from time to time.

In any event, being the computer junkie that I am, I decided to take the plunge and try out Linux.

So I went an bought myself a really cheap Compaq Deskpro En running a P3 866. For the equivilant of $35 US I got a computer with plenty of ram, a nice 80 GGb hard-drive, keyboard and minitor. After trying out a couple of different Linux flavors such as Mepis, Ubuntu, Kubuntu etc, I settled on Fedora Core 6.

I have to say, in some ways it is not as good as OSX, but in other ways it is faster and more responsive. It is also a damn sight more servicable and useful than anything coming out of Redmont. As such, I use it as backup machine that works very nicely. From my perspective, one of the great selling points about Linux is that it gives many older computers a second lease on life, which I think is far better than putting them into Landfill where they can release toxic materials into groundwater etc. So an ecological thumbs up from that perspective.

I will never give away using OSX...(its much too good to do that ), but that said, after my little foray into the Fedora~Linux world, I am certainly impressed by what the Linux community is doing.

So my question is how many other Mac users out there use an alternate OS such as Linux or some Unix flavoured Os or Solaris 10 etc ?

Cheers

Aquafire.

BTW. Here is a picture I posted on another forum of my Linux set up. Which as you can see, can be made to look a bit like OSX.

http://forums.philosophyforums.com/download.php?comid=417213&attachid=1177

I run Debian Sid (Debian 4+) daily. Having both OS X and Linux reminds me how much I don't miss any form of Windows. I regret getting rid of my NeXT Hardware years back, but we all make impulsive decisions.

I use multiple OSes myself. I have OS X, 2000 and XP, Debian, Xandros, Mepis, Yellow Dog Linux, and Zeta.

Yes, likewise, I have about a dozen different flavours of Linux, plus FreeBSD, OpenBSD Unix etc as well as every Mac OS since 7.1 and Windows OS's.

Its easy to get addicted, tinkering and fooling around with them.

And it doesn't help my cause when I keep buying perfectly working and really cheap computers for $5.00 or $10.00 or even fishing them out of dumpsters...for free.

Aquafire

Been there and done that. While Linux has its place I will always be dazzled by the work that goes into mainting and creating these OS's. :smokey: Too bad everyone can't just agree on 4 or 5 versions and go from there. That may be the only way they will ever overtake mainstream OS's. I don't see MS or Apple developing software packages to export to the other platform anytime soon so I doubt they do that with Linux Distro's.

Been there and done that. While Linux has its place I will always be dazzled by the work that goes into mainting and creating these OS's. :smokey: Too bad everyone can't just agree on 4 or 5 versions and go from there. That may be the only way they will ever overtake mainstream OS's. True, and it can be a bit frustrating to see all these people continually re~inventing the wheel. But that's not the reason I use it. I use it because it actually carries out some tasks very quickly (even compared to OSX). Nor will I ever dump OSX. Lets face it, OS-X is far too good.

I don't see MS or Apple developing software packages to export to the other platform anytime soon so I doubt they do that with Linux Distro's.

Agreed, but that's because most Linux users want their machines running free software.

Neither Apple nor MS would be bothered making a financial investment to an operating system that is technically a competitor, as well as one that basically gives them zip return on their IT development.

Still, there are some companies willing to offer otherwise expensive software for free to the Linux community.

Case in point, take a squiz at this site.

http://lightcrafts.com/linux/

I have downloaded and used it on my Linux box.

I have to say, it's a very nice bit of kit...

Aquafire

For an image browser that does light editing the requirements are outrageous:
2.0 GHz x86 compatible processor(s) with SSE support; 1 GB RAM (2 GB recommended)

Don't worry about it..Tekmate.

I am running it on a Compaq deskpro EN using a P3 866 Mhz chip (133) with just 384 Mgbytes of ram. (3 X 128 sticks)

Seems to function perfectly fine with that set up.

Aquafire

The new Fedora desktop/icons are fugly. Fedora and Red Hat are kewl though.

I hear you. The Fedora 7 theme is butt~ugly.

Luckily it is easily replaced.

Their "hot air balloons" theme, is laughably quaint.

When I first saw it, I couldn't help but think of Carl Sagan and his whacky idea that there might be balloon creatures floating through the atmosphere of Jupiter.

All we need now is a Fedora 8 theme using "Lost in Space" to round it all off...hehe

Aquafire

Don't worry about it..Tekmate.

I am running it on a Compaq deskpro EN using a P3 866 Mhz chip (133) with just 384 Mgbytes of ram. (3 X 128 sticks)

Seems to function perfectly fine with that set up.

Aquafire

Cool that is reasonable.

I've been running Kubuntu on my home desktop for about four months now, Gentoo for two years before that. It's a great complement to a Mac laptop. Kubuntu in particular was almost as easy to install/configure as OS X and is just as easy to keep updated. Damn near zero-maintenance.