napalmnthemorning

Anybody try Xandros 3. Nice features as you can dual boot using XP. The problems I ran into was connecting to the internet and then reclaiming my XP boot.ini after deleting my Xandros partition. I really started getting hooked on this Linux as it was my first Linux install. I've also tried Klinux and Knoppix. Lots to learn but I got discouraged pretty quick as connecting to the internet shouldn't be that difficult. Patience is the key here I'm guessing. Xandros reminded me of the Longhorn alphas I've experimented with but working of course. It appears the Linux open source developers are making huge strides to convert windows people over to them by making these various newer models more user friendly. Lots of respect to you Linux users out there. You really have to know your **** but I'm guessing once you get it down its pretty addicting.

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vern

Everything has been very easy with Linux in recent years actually and not only with distros like Xandros, but with more mainstream distros especially Mandrake and SuSe. Unfortunately if you are coming from the Windows world with all your Windows habits, it's very hard to transition. The fact that you are comparing Xandros to Longhorn Alpha is testament to that. Linux has come a long way, but more has to be done.

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napalmnthemorning

How would you explain the habits of a Linux thinking person.

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vern

What do you mean? When I said Windows habits I meant things such as the file structure of C:, D:, etc instead of /dev or /home ala *nix ... or ... running "exe" programs ... or ... going to the control panel to change settings ... or simply putting a floppy disk in ... when in linux you have to mount floppys if it isn't already done for you by the distro. All these simple tasks are totally different on both platforms.

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cryogenic

I'll agree that Linux has its learning curve, but it's rather rewarding once you do actually take the time to learn it. KDE and gnome have added some GUI configuration tools that have eased the process of configuring most things (especially Samba), but there are still some options in the config files that aren't in the gui config tools. I still had to edit xorg.conf to get my dual monitors arranged properly. By default display 0 is on the left, display 1 on the right but mine is the opposite. There's no provision in gnome's display applet to change the orientation. I had to edit the config file by hand to change it. Things like this should be included in the gui tools. Windows makes setting up dual monitors very simple. Linux has made major improvements, but still has a way to go.

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ShepsCrook

I have Xandros 3 Deluxe sitting here and I'm almost afraid to use it. I installed ArcLinux a long time ago and it wasn't bad but the learning curve was killing me. I'd eventually like to learn about linux and have a machine purely for it.

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Tuffgong4

here's my normal linux type post...

I can't wait til Linux gets better for gamers and when that happens there is no looking back to windows...

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NetRyder

I personally learned using various distros running under VMware. It was great, because I could install it, take a snapshot, and then play with it without the fear of severely screwing up anything (although that never ended up happening). Once I felt I was familiar enough, I moved on to dual-booting for the speed. Had a lot of fun customizing the OS like crazy (believe me, it is THE most customizable OS ever). Now I'm back to using just XP. Linux was fun to tinker with, but I just couldn't see myself using it as a Windows replacement. Far too many familiar tools and software that I would have to give up.

If you don't have access to VMware (if you're a student, check with your university), dual-booting is your next best option to get your feet wet. Once you get a hang of things, you can decide if you want to have a dedicated box for it.

Everyone should try a couple of Linux distros at least once. It's a fun learning experience.

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X-Istence

For $40 here at Best Buy you have an 80 GB HD, use that, and switch the cable between the HD's for different OS's :P

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ShepsCrook

I have 3 computers. 1 is my gaming machine. Linux will never touch that machine. 2 my server, highly likely since it has 5 hard drives and 730GB of space. One of which is a small 60GB HD which is currently basically empty. So I could use that as my linux installation.

I have an older version of VMWare that I could use I guess.

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