[TechGuy]

There are a lot of software programs out there to let you have Windows and Linux on the same computer, but anyone who has used one knows how difficult they can be to use, and how dangerous. I just bought a BetaDrive and received it today. I haven't tried it yet, but look forward to... it's just a simply A/B switch to switch between physical hard drives, making it impossible for one operating system to mess up the other. Check it out at www.betadrive.com . Oh, and (sadly) I don't get paid anything for this... just thought it was nifty as I'm about to step into the world of Linux.

[MikeV]

'bout time!!!

What distro you decide on?

[TechGuy]

Well, I have a RedHat CD sitting next to me. So, unless you can convince me of something else by the end of the week......

[MikeV]

Slackware.

This isn't even a comparison! You're into hacking-n-stuff, and I KNOW you're a geek and like to configure stuff the hard way (oh HTML in Notepad boy ).

Slack lets you do that. I use it. Won't use anything else. Will advise everyone else to use it.

Found a pretty good way to choose a distro, though. Check it out:

If everyone you know is running a particular distribution and you are a newcomer, use the same one they do.
If you like to roll your own--that is, you expect to compile and install everything yourself--Slackware is probably for you.
If you want to ``go with the crowd'' today, install Red Hat.
If you want ``everything'', install S.u.S.E.
If you need the most ``commercial'' looking product or you are a VAR (value-added reseller), pick Caldera.
If the politics of free software is important to you and/or you want to get involved in development of a distribution, pick Debian.
If you have a bunch of systems you need to interconnect and upgrade, pick Debian or hope Caldera gets COAS completed.

I think TechGuy falls under the slackware category!

[TechGuy]

"Downloading /slackware/iso/install.iso: 6.38 of 636MB received."

[MikeV]

Hail Techguy!

*cheer*

[TechGuy]

Patience is a virtue, they say...

"484 of 636MB" at the moment...

[MikeV]

You are in dire need of broadband, my friend

You're not serving up the UBB on a modem, are you? Wow.

[TechGuy]

LOL... no, the server runs on it's own connection. =) And this download is running on a cable connection, thank you very much... (just a slow one when kids are at the school down the road, using the same cable! darned kids!)

And, besides, I think 480MB in 4.5 hours isn't THAT bad!

[MikeV]

It's 7:30AM Pacific Time: Do you know where your .iso is? (Done yet???)

I guess I could have let you know there's a few different mirrors for the Slack 7 iso. cdrom.com is pretty much the slowest of them (assuming that's where you got it.)

[TechGuy]

I think I got it from one of the .edu mirrors, but don't remember which. I have the .iso done and the CD already burned. Looks like I might have a project to work on this weekend... Linux might get pushed back until next week.

[MikeV]

Must be more mirrors than I thought, then.

Don't worry, Linux will be there, waiting, whenever you're ready for it.

Reference: O'Reily's Running Linux (Buy it and Love it! Basically the Linux Bible)

[TechGuy]

Hello from Linux! I don't care much for Netscape, though... anyone know another good Linux browser? Looks like IE doesn't support it yet.

[MikeV]

MUHAHAHAHA! Another Slacker is born! Soon you'll be abusing UBB into running on Slack, and my plan will be complete!

Browsers: Opera, Mozilla(Netscape's Mommy), Lynx (but that sux cause it's text based.)

I'm not sure if Opera's done yet, but there's quite a buzz going on about it.

(Do you really think IE will ever be put on Linux? MS won't do it, and Linux users everywhere would reject it and use FreeBSD )

Oh, and check [url=http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/mini/FDU]THIS[/i] out, it'll make Netscape look a lot, LOT better!

M


[This message has been edited by MikeV (edited 02-12-2000).]

[TechGuy]

Yeah, Opera.com says that it's not quite done yet. I'm going to try Mozilla shortly. And I've played with Lynx a bit and agree - it sucks. Now how the heck do I get my Sound Blaster Live working?!