Author Topic: Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....  (Read 667 times)

lazygamer

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After reading KMFMS.com's microsoft article, I no longer want to "be down" with Microsoft. I currently have a 40 gig harddrive and a 3 gig harddrive. I have tons of space!(well space I could free up)

I use Windows XP and Windows 98. Windows 98 is for older games compatibility. Im using a Voodoo 3 2000 PCI, 433 celeron, Soundblaster PCI 128 and 384mb of ram. It sounds like Linux will be my promised land, I mean 384mb of friggin ram, I deserve better then this!(thinking of windows)

Im unsure of computer game compatibility with Linux.

1)Does it have built in stuff to work with many DOS and WINDOWS games?
2)Do you have to mess with a whole lot of things to get them to run?

I was thinking I could use Linux as my main "surfing" OS and play any possible games on it. Windows 98 and Windows XP could stay on for compatibility ONLY.

This is possible right?

Now there is all sorts of Linux versions, I can't expect you all to list there advantages(because that's complex). Just tell me, what Linux version(yes I know it's open source etc.) gives maximum game compabatibility, without sacrficing too much of the cool stuff that makes Linux kick Windows ass?
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badkarma

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1. there is a DOS emulator, which is suppossed to be pretty good ... never used it though. Also some windows games can run with Wine/WineX
2. yes (sorry ... but that's just the way it is)

however ... more and more devlopers/publishers develop linux versions of their games (most notably id software ... neverwinter nights will also have a linux version)

dual booting is no problem ....

the linux version with best game compatibility is madrake gaming edition afaik (it's not downloadable though I believe ... you'll have to shell out some cash)
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Calum

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ho hum, just get linux, then use it.

so far, many people who whine on about how they hate windows have fallen into two traps when it comes to using linux instead:

1.) they don't fucking install linux

2.)even if they do, they never use it.

Quite frankly, you can read for sixty years about linux and never know how it works if you don't use it. Like anything, it's a lot easier when you know how it works and anybody who says otherwise is talking shit.

In answer, yes, there's DOS emulators and windows emulators, although the best ones are not entirely free (but when you're migrating from megabux Microsoft land, what's the difference?) also, like anything you will need to configure some stuff at setup time. Unlike many windows programs, the programs in linux tend not to make decisions for you, erase system files, and generally fuck up your life without your permission.

Good luck and all that...
dual booting's easy, if you still want to boot into windows, but that's an easy way to fall into trap no 2 and never use linux even if it's installed. just to take up space, here's how i would partition my drive to enable a dual boot linux/windows scenario
       

let us know how you get on, and welcome to the forums et c...

[ June 20, 2002: Message edited by: Calum ]

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hoojchoons

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The answer to your first question is definitely yes! I also don't know about any DOS emulators but in the case of Windows games you could try Wine or WineX like BadKarma suggested. As to your second question the answer is also yes! Unfortunately, you'll have to do a lot of digging and poking around to set up Wine correctly.

lazygamer

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Well I certainly won't give up on Linux. I honestly wouden't know much about setting it up(unless it's not that complex)(but I do want to learn how to be a "power user"). Heck, I don't even know how to partition a harddrive(although I have an older brother who could do it for me though)! Of course I'll have to discuss putting it on with my mom. Im the main user, but I don't own the comp. Although im sure that Fuckmicrosoft "Feature" would be pretty convincing.  

Ok some criteria. I guess compatibility is only so vital. Im a super n00b, I need user friendly ness, I've read a few tidbits about Linux being nothing like windows GUI wise. I also need something that will work with my l33t ADSL internal modem. I also need something that will not choke on my sound card and video card. I assume that Linux is much better then windows for speed, so that's not a worry.

I know the philosophy, "TRY DIFFRENT RELEASES OF LINUX!". Well once again, I have a big "N" on my blue and red tights!  ;)
(Because im SUPER N00B!)

So basically I need to know what release has the best shot of working the way I want it to on my comp.
For every hot Lesbian you see in a porno video, there is a fat, butch-like, or just downright ugly lesbian beeyotch marching in a gay pride parade, or bitching about same sex marriages. -Lazygamer on homosexuality

choasforages

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ok for the gui face of linux. there are several graphical environments for linux. to find the one that is the easyest to use your are going to have to try them. however the two gui that stand out the most are kde and gnome. kde and gnome will remind you a first of the windows gui. they are also both ultra-costimizable.

and for partitioning. most major "consumer" distro includeds partiioning tools built into the installer. mandrake from what i hear can autamaticly resize fat partions/*fat is the filesystem that windows uses*/ if you are interested, you might want to go to a book store and pick up a book on linux. even though most linux books are a year or so old. they still contain alot of good information. also if your aim  is to learn to be a "power user" you might want to pick up a book on unix.
o and another thing. if something doesn't work at first keep on looking on google or ask here. most of the time the "major problem" is some really simple configureation mistake that some of us here have made also/*ive got a few good stories on the XFree86 configure file*/. i hope you enjoy learning linux and using it.

[ June 20, 2002: Message edited by: choasforages ]

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lazygamer

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Hmmm ok im slowly learning more. I've read up on the partition thing at the Redhat site.

Now what if I have partitions for Linux and Windows? Linux doesn't use the C,D,E etc. system of paritions, so can I still access C,D,E with Linux or the linux partition while in Windows or Dos?

I have an 8GB harddrive and a 40GB harddrive. I was thinking I might want to put Linux on the 8GB.

Im still confused though. It sounds like you would make one giant Linux partition(well it appears to look like one normally), but when using Linux you have several partitions. Is this correct?


Ok now what about booting. For something like Mandrake or Redhat, when you install it will it automatically put a boot option at the startup menu, right alongside my W98/XP boot options(I hope it does)? I honestly am not exactly familar on how to modify that menu.  
For every hot Lesbian you see in a porno video, there is a fat, butch-like, or just downright ugly lesbian beeyotch marching in a gay pride parade, or bitching about same sex marriages. -Lazygamer on homosexuality

choasforages

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you can read the windows drives from linux there not labeled and A,B,C,D,E,ETC,ETC you can get a book to explian the intricatcys of the UNIX filesystem, here my best shot at it.

ok think about an upside down cristmas tree starting a
/
then think abou the first few branchs at the top like
/usr
/tmp
/etc
/boot
/mnt
/home
/var
 and all the other directorys in /

then think about the dirctery below that like
/usr/X11R6
/usr/bin
/usr/lib
/usr/local
/usr/share
/etc/X11
/boot/grub
/mnt/cdrom
/mnt/cdrom1
/mnt/windows_drive

then think about all the third tire directy

/usr/X11R6/bin
/usr/X11R6/lib
/mnt/cdrom/Baseq3
/mnt/windows_drive/half-life
/etc/X11/xdm
/home/lazygamer/p0rn

then think about fourth tire directy and fith and so on.

windows can't read linux filesystem's and drives cause there not in the fat or ntfs file system. its in either ext3, rieserfs, jfs, or xfs filesystems ask if you need explaination/*and i read that you know that the linux fs is diffirernt, i just need a post to point people to later   :D  */
x86: a hack on a hack of a hackway
alpha, hewlett packed it A-way
ppc: the fruity way
mips: the graphical way
sparc: the sunny way
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lazygamer

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Ah I see, so somewhere down the line on the "upside down Christmas tree" it lists the standard FAT32 files, correct?

/home/lazygamer/p0rn

Ah yes, great directory.  ;)
For every hot Lesbian you see in a porno video, there is a fat, butch-like, or just downright ugly lesbian beeyotch marching in a gay pride parade, or bitching about same sex marriages. -Lazygamer on homosexuality

voidmain

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A, B, C, D is an M$ thing.  I don't know of any other operating system that uses stupid letters to address a file system.   In Linux (and all other forms of UNIX) you have to "mount" all of the partitions you want to be able to access.  When you mount those partitions, you mount it on a directory, any directory you choose.  Just create the directory and mount the filesystem on it.  And you can mount DOS/Windows partitions as well.  

You can put your entire Linux install on one large partition, and this is what I prefer for desktops/laptops (not for servers). Traditionally in UNIX you would have several partitions.  A small one for the root "/" where you create all your other directories to mount all of your other partitions.  You might have a partition mounted on "/home" (where user home directories and files go), one on "/usr" (where most of the Operating system files go),  one for "/var" (log files and the like go here). There are reasons for setting it up this way but it is beyond the scope of your question.  

Most systems have a "/mnt" directory with several subdirectories used for mounting miscelaneous file systems like the floppy, the CD-ROM, etc.  You could create a directory under "/mnt" to mount your C: drive for instance. You might call it "/mnt/c", then "/mnt/d", "/mnt/e" etc.  If your C:, D:, E: drives are all FAT32 you would mount the partition with the "vfat" type in Linux with a command something like:

# mount /dev/hda1 /mnt/c -t vfat

The above assumes that your C: drive is on the first partition on the first IDE Hard drive.  The second partition would be "/dev/hda2", third "/dev/hda3" etc.  If the partition you want to mount is the second partition on the second IDE drive you would use "/dev/hdb2" to address the physical parition.

If you mounted your DOS/Windows partitions as described above you would find your "C:\WINDOWS" directory under "/mnt/c/windows".

Now, you can have it automatically mount those filesystems at boot time by adding them to the "/etc/fstab" file, otherwise you will have to manually mount them every time you boot Linux.

Does that help any?

[ June 23, 2002: Message edited by: VoidMain ]

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lazygamer

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Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....
« Reply #10 on: 24 June 2002, 05:46 »
Ah yes, I think I get this now. All I need to do is put my money where my mouth is and put Linux on, but of course im going to be formatting my harddrives, and to do that you have to back stuff up...
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voidmain

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Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....
« Reply #11 on: 24 June 2002, 06:28 »
That's the nice thing about it.  You don't need any money to get and install Linux.
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Lloydr

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Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....
« Reply #12 on: 25 June 2002, 01:03 »
the onlything really special about that mandrake gaming edition crap is that it includes The Sims.....mandrake is good but it's more of a RedHat Linux for dummies.....for a noob i would recommend mandrake and then later or at same time try out RedHat......Redhat has been and will stay my favorite OS out there......RedHat 7.3 Valhalla.....lata

lazygamer

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Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....
« Reply #13 on: 25 June 2002, 04:36 »
Ok almost ready to start backing up.

I have one(hopefully the last) big question though.

Should I create my wind0ze partitions(XP and '98) first(leaving my 8GB harddrive unpartitioned), and then out of Windows(or "shutting down to dos") install Linux(and have Mandrake partition my 8GIG)?

Or perhaps I put Win 95(which has DOS) and install Mandrake from dos. My Windows 98 is the upgrade edition.

So there's no real disadvantage to putting all your Windows stuff on first right?

Oh and what about that boot stuff, can Mandrake easily share my Windows boot menu, or do I need to put Grub on? If I put Grub on, won't that prevent me from getting into Win98/XP(because I wouden't know how to hook Grub up to it)?
For every hot Lesbian you see in a porno video, there is a fat, butch-like, or just downright ugly lesbian beeyotch marching in a gay pride parade, or bitching about same sex marriages. -Lazygamer on homosexuality

voidmain

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Ok im ready to go to Linux, I need to know something though....
« Reply #14 on: 25 June 2002, 07:12 »
Your first thought is the best.  You want to install all your Windows OSs first and get them booting the way you want.  Leave the second drive unpartitioned for Linux.  Stick the CD in the drive and then boot from your CD-ROM and kick back, you shouldn't have any trouble.

[ June 24, 2002: Message edited by: VoidMain ]

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