Help me! I'm spoiled by Win98 but i want Linux!

[Lennon]

Help me! I'm really helplessly spoiled by Win98 interface and stuff. I use Win98 for games and some programs because I believe its the "best" out of all the shit microsoft OSs. Its pretty stable, I reboot only twice a day    and each reboot i get another grey hair but never mind.

But what i really want is a Linux or whatever, anything other then Windows. I want to Install it and keep Windows, so is that possible? I don't know where to get a free good OS, how to install and use it, what kind of interface to expect (similar to DOS?), how to use Internet (html, mIRC), where to get programs for it?

I have some knowledge about computers (cout << "I think i know some C++"  but I always thought i would get a Linux once i get a second machine, but i REALLY CANT WAIT ! I AM DESPERATE !!!!!! HELLLP!!!

[preacher]

Do you have a CD burner? If so then this is your ticket to freedom. http://www.linuxiso.org

By the way check out my screenshots page to see what linux looks like. http://skriptkittysecurity.cjb.net/mandrakescreenshots/

[ April 03, 2003: Message edited by: ThePreacher ]

[Fett101]

quote:Originally posted by Lennon:
I use Win98 for games and some programs because I believe its the "best" out of all the shit microsoft OSs. Its pretty stable, I reboot only twice a day        and each reboot i get another grey hair but never mind.

<nazi party has voiced there own opinion in this post: XP SuX0Rz (screw your opinion)>

Yeah. It's all petty simple. Download and burn an iso to cd. Mandrake or Red Hat seem to be the easiest to use. Boot to that CD. Follow the directions. Play around with your HD during the install, shrinking the Windows partition and hoping it doesn't screw up. It'll set up all the dual boot, letting you choose Linux or Windows at boot. and what not with little need for your guidence. And then come back and bitch about how hard it is to intstall programs. That's about the very bare minimum of the basics.  

[ April 04, 2003: Message edited by: X11: crusader for beer ]

[xyle_one]

quote:Originally posted by fett101:

...And then come back and bitch about how hard it is to intstall programs...

with apt-get & synaptic, installing programs is easier than windows. the interface is pretty "windows like", but of course, you can change that if you want. you could make it look exactly like windows if you wanted.... Most of the apps you will need are on the install cds. Open Office (office suite), Mozilla (web browser), plus countless others    
if you wanted to, you could go to a local book store & pick up a linux book. they usually ship with a linux distro. I would usggest red hat or mandrake linux...

[Lennon]

Thank you all SO MUCH, you all really helped and i DO have a CD burner so I'M FREE    !!!

But only one major question. How do i connect to the net and what browser to use? Mozila?

[Lennon]

I saw those shots of Mandrake 8.8 or whatever so I'll install Mandrake. Looks like I cant go wrong. But i'm only concerned about hardware drivers and how to install programs, where to find them in the first place, etc??

[Lennon]

3rd post in a row:

And i suppose HD partition is absolutely necesary?

[Lennon]

pls read my long post you nice person you;

Oh well thanks but i'm not that lazy    i figure as much as I can by myself. So i found that i can install these files by typing:

.RPM - you can install .RPM files by typing into the commandline:
# rpm -Uvh /path/to/something.RPM

I suppose thats true for installing Mozilla too, and i will learn the rest of uesful switches (such as -i --force) as i go along, i suppose it would be asking too much for you to explaing all the possible switches to me.

Now, why doesn't the fuckmicrosoft.com guy put up a special section for us Newbies who decide to install Linux and kick Microsoft in the nuts? It would be useful and i believe once people read about it and see screenshots like i did, they will see that the GUI isnt ThAt bad and the benefits they get are huge (excluding gaming). Would Calum or whoevers the boss around here, consider my suggestion?

Another question: Does Mandrake 9.1 which i'll be downloading for the next 38 hours have an integrated compiler/builder/linker or whatever with which i can directly compile some source code i get over the WWW? So many free programs need to be compiled!

In what language is the programming done in Linux? I'm learning C++ so can I make some of my own stuff?

[silentwarrior]

OH MY GOD..i saw linux screenshots that buddy gave...linux is really amazing...but is it used only by coding ...i mean no win type things? i've never used linux ...i 've always been on win...do you think it would be hard for me to understand linux?

[slave]

I really am annoyed -- sometimes -- at the perception that Linux is only used for coding, or you have to know how to program to use it.  I myself am majoring in Computer Science, but most of the time I use Linux to surf the web, do email, word processing, drawing, and play games (warcraft 3 and counterstrike being my favorite at the moment)  Most Windows apps won't work on Linux but many games will with the help of wine.  There are certainly "win-type" things in Linux, meaning you can do practically everything you could do in Windows, like file sharing, games, office, etc.

[silentwarrior]

oh..but will my Fruity Loops will work on Linux or such software ??

[slave]

Yes you can still eat Fruit Loops while using Linux.

[Lennon]

Silent Warrior, the thing is you can KEEP your windows AND install Linux. Linux is 10 times faster, stable, doesn't spy on you, etc. And for whatever you need your Windows-only apps, you just boot up Windows! I mean i would prefer to have two seperate machines but I'll just partition my HD, and off you go. I'm really sick of windows crashing ANY browser I use after a few hours. Even Opera gets all crazy, my memory is screwed up - i only have a few RAM left and I'm using a RamBooster program, and my registry is screwed beyond repair!! So FUCK WINDOWS! Use it only when necesary, install Linux (Mandrake), its real easy to use (I'm sure)!!!!

[silentwarrior]

hey dude...thatks a lot for your info...i would gladly insitall linux now..thanks again..

[Lennon]

Glad if I was able to speed things up for you!  

Now if only someone could answer the questions I have set a few posts up??