switching to linux need some help

Tech Support Forum Linux, BSD and Other OS's
1

well guys im thinking about moving from windows xp to linux

what i thought for using for OS is Linspire or xandros i heard theyre pretty good if youre changing from windows to linux

but I have so many questions concerning drivers,software and hardware

Drivers:
can you get weird problems like compatability. does the functionality stop in certain hardware like maybe a camera can’t get full pontetial of taking pictures or something like that

how hard is to put drivers? is it an oddysey to find the drivers or is it like the same with windows like you can google it and find drivers like almost instantly

Software:
this is software to me that is a must have. I heard that in some of this you can use winex or cedega im not sure what the names were exaclty

alcohol 120%
Macromedia flash mx 2004
Guitarpro 4( i use this 24/7)
Zonealarm(my firewall but im not sure if theres a better one for linux feel free to tell me guys :stuck_out_tongue: )
office programs(for school related things)
Winrar or winzip(i extract and unpack alot of .zip and rar files
Adobe reader(sometimes i need to check certain stuff that uses adobe)

Hardware:

how hard is for linux to detect hardware? is it easier? or does it use just some generic drivers for everything?

any replies are appreciated guys :slight_smile:

2

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
well guys im thinking about moving from windows xp to linux…what i thought for using for OS is Linspire or xandros i heard theyre pretty good if youre changing from windows to linux but I have so many questions concerning drivers,software and hardware
[/quote]
I’ll be glad to help point you in the right direction to the best of my ability. However, judging from this post I can see you might have some misconceptions about Linux. Please take a minute to read our Linux FAQ as it may help you quite a bit.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]

Drivers:
can you get weird problems like compatability. does the functionality stop in certain hardware like maybe a camera can’t get full pontetial of taking pictures or something like that… how hard is to put drivers? is it an oddysey to find the drivers or is it like the same with windows like you can google it and find drivers like almost instantly
[/QUOTE]
Drivers are not handled the same way in Linux as they are in Windows at all. In Linux, drivers are called kernel modules. Just like in Windows, the difficulty of finding and installing proprietary hardware drivers really depends on the manufacturer. Also, the difficulty of installing drivers is also relative to one’s knowledge of their OS, just like in Windows. However, probably 95% of the hardware which is supported in Linux will just work right out of the box. Linux will also run on any platform I can think of, not just x86 like Windows. So in that respect, it runs on more hardware than Windows. The area in which you may have problems with hardware in Linux is with extremely exotic and/or generic hardware. A no-name scanner you bought from a street vendor in Pakistan probably won’t just work in Linux. :slight_smile: That means that basically if you want to run Linux you should take a few minutes and read up on certain hardware before you run out & buy it. Not a bad practice anyway, IMHO.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]

Software:
alcohol 120%
[/QUOTE]

Linux has such functionality built right into it, Alcohol 120% actually provides Windows users with a little bit of UNIX functionality. So, you don’t even need it.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
Macromedia flash mx 2004
[/QUOTE]

Runs flawlessly in Codeweaver’s CrossOver Office. In fact, Macromedia made a point of testing Flash MX in WINE to make sure it would work perfectly.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
Guitarpro 4( i use this 24/7)

[/QUOTE]
From what I’ve read, this program works fine in WINE. There are also Linux programs with similar functionality; namely KGuitar and DGuitar. Let me state for the record though that I cannot verify the functionality of GP4 in WINE nor can I compare GP4 to to KGuitar or DGuitar in terms of features as I don’t use GP4. I write my transcriptions in Rosegarden, a sequencer similar to Cakewalk/Sonar.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
Zonealarm(my firewall but im not sure if theres a better one for linux feel free to tell me guys :stuck_out_tongue: )
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, you don’t need it. Linux’s firewall has been built right into its kernel for years, and there are plenty of nice front-ends for it. However, most modern distributions allow you to turn on the firewall before you’re even done installing the OS and you usually don’t need to mess with it again after that.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
office programs(for school related things)
[/QUOTE]
Done and done. Unlike Windows and Mac OS, you don’t have to buy any additional software to make Linux a fully-functional workstation with a huge amount of tools to get the real work done. The popular choice for an open-source office suite these days is OpenOffice.org, which most modern distros include. There’s also Abiword, which is excellent, and Sun’s StarOffice works on Linux natively. If for some reason you’re married to some specific feature of MS Office, all current versions run in CrossOver Office.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
Winrar or winzip(i extract and unpack alot of .zip and rar files

[/QUOTE]
Yeah, compression tools are no issue at all. Obviously Winzip and WinRAR are Windows programs, not Linux ones. But there are Linux equivilents that work just fine.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
Adobe reader(sometimes i need to check certain stuff that uses adobe)

[/QUOTE]
There is a native version of Adobe Reader for Linux. Also, postscript has been a supported standard for a long time, so there are countless other programs in Linux that can handle PS/PDF.

[QUOTE=stefan1988]

Hardware:
how hard is for linux to detect hardware? is it easier? or does it use just some generic drivers for everything?
[/QUOTE]
See your earlier question about drivers.

All the best,
-AT

3

well thanks for the reply very informative you cleared my mind of alot of doubts :slight_smile:

well im still not reallly sure what kind of OS to use yet
i tried the linspire looks crappy:x:
maybe i give a try to xandros and mandriva

if i have trouble I let you know thanks for going through all that trouble of research for me :slight_smile:

4

Well, I use Linux full-time and have no Windows systems of my own any longer. The short of it is I don’t have time to mess around with Windows when Linux will do all I need and more. :slight_smile: I use Mandriva on my desktops, including my wife’s, and a couple of my servers are running CentOS. Ubuntu/Kubuntu is also alright, I’ve installed it on a few old Macs. Above all I recommend Mandriva, as it is an excellent distro with plenty of software and a great community.

All the best,
-AT

5

[QUOTE=Anti-Trend]
Above all I recommend Mandriva, as it is an excellent distro with plenty of software and a great community.
[/QUOTE]

Hi,
So far tried Ubuntu which is very good and Mandriva which is very good as well. As complete Linux noob (and AT can vouch for that :smiley: ), these are my findings so far - this is only based on my experiences and circumstances!!!

Ubuntu - light, easy’ish to set-up and has a good selsction of packages. It leans more towards Gnome. Not brilliant for setting up USB devices 'out-of-the-box’. So basically requires a bit more thought and work. Good system audio set-up…. Debian based which in itself is a good thing. Apparently mega stable. Never had any problems there though.

Mandriva - A lot easier to set-up and a lot more Windowsy than Ubuntu.
This really makes the transition a lot easier. Absolutely tonns of packages and much better hardware detection. Leans more towards KDE which I found funkier than Gnome.
Set-up is a doddle with the guru (AT via HF) on tap and a very helpful community otherwise. A bit disappointed with the system’s audio facilities.
But then again it could be just me.

Both take about 15-20 minutes to install. Unlike the nearly 1 hour of Bill’s creation…..

If you want to test the water, I would recommend to go for Mandriva first. I think you will find it a lot more like what you are used to.

6

Mandriva all the way for me. You sometimes get individual problems with each OS, but mostly I’ve never had a problem with Mandriva. Hardware detection is good, and sound is fine for me. As well as the excellent software package manager.

KDE is very customizable and looks a bit better than GNOME IMO.

7

Great advice sabashuali, and definately based on recent experience! Your observations are keen, though there are a few points I differ on.

[QUOTE=sabashuali]
[Mandriva] Leans more towards KDE which I found funkier than Gnome.
[/QUOTE]
Actually, don’t mean to contradict you, but Mandriva is a very GUI-agnostic platform. In other words, it works great with KDE, Gnome, XFCE, IceWM, Fluxbox, WM, whatever your heart desires (or even no GUI at all). This is a contrast to distros like Red Hat many of who’s tools are GUI only and built on GTK. Basically what I’m saying is that Mandriva is very flexible. :slight_smile:

[QUOTE=sabashuali]
A bit disappointed with the system’s audio facilities.
But then again it could be just me.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah, sorry but it’s just you. Mandriva supports ALSA and OSS, just like every other distro. :slight_smile: Mandriva has its shortcomings, but that’s not one of them.

All the best,
-AT

8

Yes another thing to note, agreed with sabashuali linux takes so much less time to install than Windows. I could do an install in less than 30 minutes, with XP it was 10 minutes for CLI type install step, and another hour at least with the GUI part.

9

well guys i tried doing some research and I saw a free version of mandriv and one you had to pay for

if price dint matter to you which one you would choose and why?

thats the link i saw the free version and the pay for version
http://wwwnew.mandriva.com/en/community/users/download

any advice aprreciated and thanks for reply’s guys :smiley:

10

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
well guys i tried doing some research and I saw a free version of mandriv and one you had to pay for

if price dint matter to you which one you would choose and why?

thats the link i saw the free version and the pay for version
http://wwwnew.mandriva.com/en/community/users/download

any advice aprreciated and thanks for reply’s guys :smiley:
[/QUOTE]

Basically, every linux distro [because of the GPL license] must release a free version of their distro. In this case, and most, the pay version includes extra features to the default install that you’d otherwise have to find and install by yourself. In this case, the commercial version includes

the whole Mandriva Linux system plus many pre-installed and convenient commercial plugins such as ATI/NVIDIA driver, Flash player, Java and others, plus documentation and support options.

If price is not an object, I think you should go ahead and pay for the commercial version. If you’d like to order a cd, I would suggest going somewhere like www.cheapbytes.com and order your choice of a cd or dvd.

11

Well they’re both the free version, really. With both versions you can run it on as many systems as you want, you have access to the source code, and your right to use the software can’t ever be revoked unless you violate the terms of the GNU GPL Licence. If you buy a copy of Mandriva Linux you’re not paying for the OS itself, you’re paying for official Mandriva technical support, priority downloads from their private servers (as opposed to public mirrors), and proprietary drivers and software preinstalled. That means in the powerpack version of Mandriva Linux, it comes with NVidia and ATI drivers Flash, Java, Acrobat Reader, etc already included. All of these things are freely available to download online from their respective providers, but Mandriva can’t distribute that software with their free version due to differences in licensing.

So, the only things that set apart the non-free version of Mandriva Linux are official technical support and the inclusion of proprietary binaries. I’d say unless you have the cash burning a hole in your pocket, just download & use the free version of the OS (or buy one for a few dollars from a Linux CD vendor). If you wind up using it as your primary operating system like me, you should buy your self a box set or a club membership (or both) to help support a good company.

12

yeah i just found link for free versions :slight_smile:

http://wwwnew.mandriva.com/en/downloads/mirrors

something caught my eye

Mandriva Linux Limited Edition 2005 CD & DVD ISO images for i586, x86_64 and PPC

what are those last things starting from i586

and the 2006 version doesnt have ppc is that bad?

Mandriva Linux 2006 CD & DVD ISO images for i586 and x86_64

13

The PPC (PowerPC) is the processor type found in Apple computers. If you don’t have a Mac, PCC won’t do anything for you anyway.

14

now that i re read the post

Linux has such functionality built right into it, Alcohol 120% actually provides Windows users with a little bit of UNIX functionality. So, you don’t even need it

so what kind of program I could use that skips safedisc 2 protection s and securerom 4.7 and emulates and has virtual drives for mandriva?

alcohol is the only one I know that does that

That means in the powerpack version of Mandriva Linux, it comes with NVidia and ATI drivers Flash, Java, Acrobat Reader

where can i find this drivers ?

15

i just installed mandriva but im really puzzled

1.after I erased windows and installed mandriva i have no idea how to look for the 2nd hard drive does the way the 2nd hard drive is partitioned has something to do with this and if so how can I partition it so it appears on devices or somewhere?

2.also i got ipod mini what program could i use to upload music to it?

3.how do you update your OS?

i went to system>configuration>configure your computer then in there i went to software management area and look for avaible updates

is that the only way of updating it?

4.how do you figure out how much space you have free on your hard drive?

5.my CD drives sometimes appears on the devices screen and sometimes do not. how do I do to just make them stay there?(iknow it has something to do with mount but not really sure about it)

6.whats a good bitorrent program for mandriva?

16

First off, I’m just letting you know that I’m not going to answer ALL of your questions… only the ones that I’m more sure on. So if I miss something, dont let me know. I’m kinda hoping AT can fill in the blanks for me.
Note The best thing for you to do right now is check out the following thread http://www.hardwareforums.com/getting-most-mandriva-8119/ This will help you set up your update mirrors so you can update the OS and download more software.

where can i find this drivers ?

You find the drivers at the respective websites.

so what kind of program I could use that skips safedisc 2 protection s and securerom 4.7 and emulates and has virtual drives for mandriva?
Try K3b (K Menu - System - Archiving - Cd Burning - K3b). I’m not positive that it’s going to do all of that stuff, but I think it just might. It is an excellent program

1.after I erased windows and installed mandriva i have no idea how to look for the 2nd hard drive does the way the 2nd hard drive is partitioned has something to do with this and if so how can I partition it so it appears on devices or somewhere?
I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to automatically appear in devices. Maybe AT can expand/clarify this when he is around.

also i got ipod mini what program could i use to upload music to it?
I’ve never used this program, but from what I’ve heard, it is pretty helpful for using a ipod in linux. Try GTKpod. Open a console, and type in urpmi gtkpod One more thing. Check out these articles http://www.gtkpod.org/about.html and Using an iPod in Linux | Linux Journal

how do you update your OS?
Like I said first, please check out this thread If you have any problems after you follow the instructions, please let us know and we’ll be glad to help you.

how do you figure out how much space you have free on your hard drive?
Well, a simple way is while you are in your home directory (i.e. /home/stefan/) just right click not on a icon and select properties. At the bottom, it’ll display your free space. Or, if you want to find the available space in your root directory, just go up a couple of directories and do the same thing.

my CD drives sometimes appears on the devices screen and sometimes do not. how do I do to just make them stay there?(iknow it has something to do with mount but not really sure about it)
I can’t really relate to your problem, because in devices, my cdroms always are there. They never go away at any point in time. The only thing they show is when they’re mounted and unmounted. I will do a bit of research and see if I can help you out a bit more

whats a good bitorrent program for mandriva?

I have never used it myself, but I have heard AT talk quite a bit about Azureus Azureus - Wikipedia http://azureus.sourceforge.net/

I hope what I DID respond to helped and I hope someone else knows more that me in those subjects. If you have any more problems, please post!

17

ok thanks for help :slight_smile: i apreciated the advice so i can start working on some of the problems

few more problems for you guys :x:

I still got the cd rom that i cant find it sometimes on device but i also having the problem that im trying to install stuff and it tells me to put dvd drive in :x: and the problem is opening the wrong drive the one that can’t read dvd’s

i belive the 2nd hard drive is not being read becasue there no a partition on it even though it had one on windows so i tried checking it

so i went to the mandriva linux control center and on mount points i selected create and delete and resize hard disk partitions i want to partition my 2nd hard drive but too many options i dont quite get
like:

mount point:
(/usr) (/mnt/windows) (/usr/local) ( /var/ftp) ( /tmp)
(/boot ) ( /opt ) (/var ) (/var/www)

and also filesystem type:
(journalized FS: ext 3) (linux swap) ( journalized FS: XFS)
(linux native) (journalized FS: Resiser Fs) (journalized FS: JFS)
fat32

the only filesystems i actually know are just fat32 and NTFS

18

[QUOTE=stefan1988]
…i belive the 2nd hard drive is not being read becasue there no a partition on it even though it had one on windows so i tried checking it

so i went to the mandriva linux control center and on mount points i selected create and delete and resize hard disk partitions i want to partition my 2nd hard drive but too many options i dont quite get
like:

mount point:
(/usr) (/mnt/windows) (/usr/local) ( /var/ftp) ( /tmp)
(/boot ) ( /opt ) (/var ) (/var/www)

and also filesystem type:
(journalized FS: ext 3) (linux swap) ( journalized FS: XFS)
(linux native) (journalized FS: Resiser Fs) (journalized FS: JFS)
fat32

the only filesystems i actually know are just fat32 and NTFS
[/QUOTE]
I just got home from a trip to visit my parents for the Thanksgiving holiday, which is why I haven’t been able to reply sooner. Since it’s late for me as I write this, I will reply to your other queries in more detail when I get the chance, as I can see that a few of Fred’s answers are not totally valid (thanks for helping though Fred). But my short answer about mount points is that you should understand that all hardware in Linux is represented by directories. A mount point is the equivilent of a drive letter in Windows (e.g. C:) except it is much more flexible and makes a lot more sense. For instance, if you have a CDROM which is located in /dev/hdc (that’d be the first device on the second IDE chain to Linux, see chapters 17-19 here for more detailed info), you could mount the cdrom at /mnt/cdrom (the default in most distros), /cdrom, or wherever else would make sense to you; even both if you wanted!

As for the filesystems, EXT3, Reiser, XFS, and JFS are all advanced jorunalizing filesystems which are superior to both NTFS and FAT32 in just about every way. EXT3 is backwards-compatible with the old EXT2, and it is considered rock-solid and well tested so it is still used in many shops. ReiserFS is a blazing-fast, advanced, multithreaded journalized filesystem which is much faster than EXT3 and is also extremely stable. I recommend Reiser filesystem above all others for general purpose usage such as workstations and most servers. XFS and JFS are both (formerly proprietary but now open) advanced journalized filesystems which were intended for use on extremely high-end servers by Silicon Graphics and IBM respecitively. Both of these have their strong points and each excel at certain tasks. Swap partitions are a necessary ingredient for Linux systems, although they need not be very large (typically 128-256mb) as Linux only swaps when this is absolutely necessary.

Hope I’ve helped a bit for now,
-AT

19

how do you update your OS?

It just occured to me that I didn’t fully answer your question… After you’ve visited
this thread, you can either do it the graphical way ( K Menu - System - Configuration - Packaging - Mandriva Update), or you can do it the non-graphical way. I prefer the non graphical. To do so, open a console and type the following urpmi.update -a && urpmi --auto-select --auto
…everything before the ‘&&’ will check the mirrors for updated packages, the latter part will apply those updates if applicable.
[ot] Glad to have you around to correct me, AT [/ot]

20

just got home from a trip to visit my parents for the Thanksgiving holiday

thanks for explanation and dont worry about no being able to reply sooner is not life or dead matter :slight_smile: