[irithina]

Hi! Our OS (Windows XP) is just pointless, all we ever get are problems, viruses, and more problems....I was going to try formatting the computer, and installing Windows again....then I came across Linux. Now, I haven't touched anything yet, because I need to talk to the rest of my family about it first, but so far it seems like the best option.

I do have a few questions though....

Will MSN be able to run on Linux? (even with something like WINE, which I sorta-dont really understand :S)

Is it easy to use? Yeah, I know that there are a bunch of different versions out there, but I need one that can be super user friendly for my parents and siblings, but I'm learning more about computers and should be able to handle something a little bit more complex then super-easy :P I hope...

What kind of internet browser can be used? I read on WINE that I can use Firefox, is it safe to presume that IE won't work (which isnt a bad thing....) or does Linux have a matching browser?

Is there anything else I should know about? I need it to be really easy to use for the basics, word processing, surfing the internet, gaming, etc.

Thanks so much, hopefully someone can give me a hand in figuring out what to do!

ALSO please suggest your favorite Linux version, so I can get an idea from the user's perspective what each is like, not just the technical stuff that I barely understand....thanks again! -Iri

[utanja]

Originally Posted by irithina

Hi! Our OS (Windows XP) is just pointless, all we ever get are problems, viruses, and more problems....I was going to try formatting the computer, and installing Windows again....then I came across Linux. Now, I haven't touched anything yet, because I need to talk to the rest of my family about it first, but so far it seems like the best option.

I do have a few questions though....

Will MSN be able to run on Linux? (even with something like WINE, which I sorta-dont really understand :S)

Yes....there is a program called Gaim...it can be used for not only MSN, but Yahoo, ICQ, AIM and Jabber as well .

Originally Posted by irithina

Is it easy to use? Yeah, I know that there are a bunch of different versions out there, but I need one that can be super user friendly for my parents and siblings, but I'm learning more about computers and should be able to handle something a little bit more complex then super-easy :P I hope...

alot depends on how much you want to learn and read...there are many forums to help.

Originally Posted by irithina

What kind of internet browser can be used? I read on WINE that I can use Firefox, is it safe to presume that IE won't work (which isnt a bad thing....) or does Linux have a matching browser?

Firefox works natively...you dont need anything else other than a graphic desktop..gnome, kde, etc...

Originally Posted by irithina

Is there anything else I should know about? I need it to be really easy to use for the basics, word processing, surfing the internet, gaming, etc.

OpenOffice Suite is similar to MS Office...with word processing, spreadsheet etc.

Originally Posted by irithina

Thanks so much, hopefully someone can give me a hand in figuring out what to do!

ALSO please suggest your favorite Linux version, so I can get an idea from the user's perspective what each is like, not just the technical stuff that I barely understand....thanks again! -Iri

I use debian...but i have been using linux for many years....ubuntu is a good disto to start with...

[Bartender]

Originally Posted by irithina

Hi! Our OS (Windows XP) is just pointless, all we ever get are problems, viruses, and more problems....I was going to try formatting the computer, and installing Windows again....then I came across Linux. Now, I haven't touched anything yet, because I need to talk to the rest of my family about it first, but so far it seems like the best option.

I do have a few questions though....

Will MSN be able to run on Linux? (even with something like WINE, which I sorta-dont really understand :S)

Is it easy to use? Yeah, I know that there are a bunch of different versions out there, but I need one that can be super user friendly for my parents and siblings, but I'm learning more about computers and should be able to handle something a little bit more complex then super-easy :P I hope...

What kind of internet browser can be used? I read on WINE that I can use Firefox, is it safe to presume that IE won't work (which isnt a bad thing....) or does Linux have a matching browser?

Is there anything else I should know about? I need it to be really easy to use for the basics, word processing, surfing the internet, gaming, etc.

Thanks so much, hopefully someone can give me a hand in figuring out what to do!

ALSO please suggest your favorite Linux version, so I can get an idea from the user's perspective what each is like, not just the technical stuff that I barely understand....thanks again! -Iri

If you have broadband, that is a huge point in your favor. Dial-up with Linux is almost pointless. With broadband Linux is a breeze. Linux on dial-up is like driving on the rims.
You can visit MSN from Firefox and get your e-mail, etc. It's just a little different.

Ubuntu, Kubuntu, PCLinuxOS, SimplyMepis and a few others are all friendly, complete distro's. If in doubt go with Ubuntu or Kubuntu. Teh only difference between the two is the graphic user interface, Ubuntu uses Gnome, Kubuntu uses KDE. Setting it up can be a bit of a learning curve. Once everything is up and running, Linux is far superior and certainly no harder than Windows. Your printer, scanner, etc. may or may not work. Post back with those spec's and let's see.

Ubuntu comes with Firefox, Kubuntu uses Konqueror. Once you've got the system installed you can download Opera as a browser.

Word processing, internet. etc. is a breeze with Linux. Games can be a different story.

[Old Bob]

irithina,

Bartender's posting suggests you can't use Linux with dial-up. I am on dial-up and have both Red Hat 8.0 and Xandros 3.0 on my computer.

The point Bartender was making is - You can't download ISO CDs of "free" copies of Linux on dial-up [would be a 24 hour !! download].
But you can buy CDs for a very low price. This is where I shop.

http://www.edmunds-enterprises.com/l...st/category/19

Try one of the distros mentioned earlier [Ubuntu, etc...] A "live CD" means you just put the CD in the drive and a version of Linux is up and running.
BUT -- It is only there until you reboot your computer.

If you decide to actually install Linux -
1) and you have DSL or cable, you can "burn" an ISO CD - or
2) buy an "install" CD from the link I posted.

[Bartender]

Hi, Old Bob -
I don't want to make anyone feel bad about having dial-up. I'm stuck with it unless I want to pony up $50/month for WildBlue satellite internet.
I just wanted to make it clear that dial-up can really hold you back. With our Windows PC, I can go into work with my trusty thumb drive and download all sorts of applications. The only large downloads I do at home are Windows updates.
When I first got excited about Linux I had no idea the thumb drive wasn't gonna be as handy. Now the reality has finally sunk in. Synaptic runs at about 5 Kbps, until my ISP kicks me off. As I said, it's almost pointless.

A coupla weeks ago I called Qwest, our phone provider, and said I needed to know when they were gonna run DSL up the road. Told the gal I was ready to sign up for satellite internet, get a cell phone, and drop them altogether. She put me on hold, came back about 10 minutes later, and said they had "no plans" to upgrade our line. Called my bluff

[Saga Lout]

[quote=Bartender]Hi, Old Bob -

When I first got excited about Linux I had no idea the thumb drive wasn't gonna be as handy. Now the reality has finally sunk in. Synaptic runs at about 5 Kbps, until my ISP kicks me off. As I said, it's almost pointless.

I'm new to Linux having only been using PCLinuxOS - Big Daddy - for a few weeks. I managed to get onln ewirelessly straight away although it's fallen off now and I'm wired to the router.

However, without wishing to hijack this thread, may I just comment on your remark about 5Kbps. Synaptic tells me it's downloading at variously between 16 and 29 kBps which I take to mean thousands of Bytes - 8 times faster than thousands of bits.

If that's right, you're downloading at 40 Kpbs - as near 56K as you're likely to get.

Can someone put me straight on this?

[lotuseclat79]

[quote=Saga Lout]

Originally Posted by Bartender

Hi, Old Bob -

When I first got excited about Linux I had no idea the thumb drive wasn't gonna be as handy. Now the reality has finally sunk in. Synaptic runs at about 5 Kbps, until my ISP kicks me off. As I said, it's almost pointless.

I'm new to Linux having only been using PCLinuxOS - Big Daddy - for a few weeks. I managed to get onln ewirelessly straight away although it's fallen off now and I'm wired to the router.

However, without wishing to hijack this thread, may I just comment on your remark about 5Kbps. Synaptic tells me it's downloading at variously between 16 and 29 kBps which I take to mean thousands of Bytes - 8 times faster than thousands of bits.

If that's right, you're downloading at 40 Kpbs - as near 56K as you're likely to get.

Can someone put me straight on this?

Hi Saga Lout,

On my WinXP Pro SP2 OS, I downloaded a sweet light-weight freeware (though underdeveloped) application named ConnectionGuard. I used it to monitor my actual connection speeds. Surprise - it depends on available bandwidth provided by the ISP and the Internet. On my 56k dialup line, typically connected between 45-53Kbps, I sometimes observed during certain times of the day 10-11AM and 2-3PM or late at night (East Coast USA) transfer speeds of downloads up to 190 Kbps for short bursts of time. It can actually vary all over the place. The 5Kbps is atypically common as a steady state, but also varies.

I do not know of any comparable Linux software to accomplish the same monitoring on connection speeds, but I am sure there is a way to do it.

-- Tom

[fenderfreek]

Irithina:
To answer your questions in general(no technical mumbo-jumbo!), Linux can do 99% of things that Windows can do and windows can (easily) do about 50% of what Linux can do.

All the utilities and programs that you used in Windows can be had in Linux, for free. If you're talking MSN messenger, then as mentioned above, Gaim takes care of that and much more. If you're talking MSN internet servce, I'm afraid I can't be of much help, since I have no experience there.

As far as ease of use, that varies based on which "flavor" of Linux you decide to use. The prevailing distro of choice these days for new Linux users is Ubuntu, which has a very simple and clean interface that's easy to learn and navigate. if you can use Windows, then you can use Ubuntu Linux, which by far has the easiest and nicest look and feel.

There are huge package repositories, from which you can download and install almost any kind of software you can imagine, with just a few clicks and a short download. To me, that feature is what really makes ubuntu stand out - the ease of installing and customizing the software on your machine.

It will be easy to use for both the experienced PC user and the less-savvy users, while still satisfying the needs of both. Internet browsers are available for Linux, like Mozilla Firefox and Opera, which, imo, are far superior to any of the IE offerings.

You mentioned WINE, which is an emulator of sorts(though technically it's not an emulator), that can be used to run wndows programs. WINE is nice, but isn't something that you will need a lot. It's realtively hard to set up and use unless you are somewhat familiar with Linux, and isn't something I think you really would need to worry about at this point. Anything you need to do, there's a 99.9% chance that there's a Linux app that will do it for you.

As far as anything else you might need to know, just be aware that setting up and installing Linux can be a bit daunting at first, since it's not quite as click and go as Windows - you may need a little help getting it configured initially, but that's why we're here!

If you want to try out Ubuntu, or it's Slicker-interfaced brother, Kubuntu, send me a message with your address and I'll mail you a copy of the CD's. I get them free from Canonical, so I redistribute them locally and to anyone online that wants one.

Cheers, and happy Linuxing!

[CouchMaster]

Most Linux distros offer live CDs - I'd try a few different ones to see which ran best on my computer and then install it.
http://distrowatch.com/

[Old Bob]

To All:

If you would like a "free" CD containing Ubuntu Linux it can be gotten by sending your name and address to www.Ubuntu.com there is a 10 day to two week waiting period.

Kubuntu is a slightly "fancier" version using the KDE desktop [I recommend it] from:

http://www.kubuntu.org/

Look around this site, there are other options available.

[fenderfreek]

^^Good idea, but Live Cd's generally run rather slowly, and almost "crippled" in a sense compared to the real thing. Live Cd's are neat to try out new and different distro's, but I'd go with personal experience and suggestions when trying out Linux for the first time. More experienced users like ourselves have used many distro's and can pick out the features and nuances in each one that make them preferable. I've never used a Live CD that impressed me enough to use the full version, so I'd go with just posting your personal favorite distro when leading newbies to Linux.To each his own, but the least we can do is save someone the hassle of spending endless days trying out things that probably aren't what they're looking for.

^Also true. I should have mentioned that, though, I'll mail the discs and it usually takes a couple days for you to get it. When I order shipments from Canonical, it's never taken less than 4 weeks, and they always come airmail from somewhere in Europe.

Order them if you like, but I reeeally want to give these away. That why I got them I waited so you don't have to.

[abyss]

Hi
I have a quick question for all of you. I dont think we have any instant messaging software in linux which can allow us to do voice chatting. Am I right?

[fenderfreek]

There is for Yahoo - it's called gyach. Never used it, but I heard it supports webcam chat and the like.

[abyss]

Hi Fenderfreek
I have a problem. Would you please help me out? I recently installed Fedora core 5 (kernel version 2.6.15-2054). Everything is fine with my system. Except I am really frustrated with my internet connection. I have intel pro/wireless 2915abg card. I have copied files of ipw2200-fw-2.4 in /lib/firmware. I have started the network manager in gnome and in knetwork manager. They show network available. But I am not able to connect to any network, neither open nor my own network which is wep enabled. would anyone give me step by step way of rectify the problem. When I try to connect to my network which is wep protected, i get prompt for weppassphrase. But even when i enter the wep password i again get the prompt after sometime. Please help me out. Thanks in advance. I have noticed one important thing. I updated the os by using yum -y update command. Now when my bootloader loads, it shows three options - 1. Fedora core ( 2.6.18-1.2200.fc5) 2. Fedora core ( 2.6.18-1.2200.fc5) 3. Others which is my winxp. Before updating I was able to connect to unsecured wireless network atleast...but now not even that...waiting for your reply.