Try Knoppix . Inser cd, kick back. If you mess up, no harm no foul it's a Ramdisk. Doesn't get any easier than that.

Just my two cents, I haven't read all of this topic, only first page..but....

I just switched to Linux, with coldfeet and so far I have yet to find a program that "wastes" hours installing. While on Windows, I could install a program in 30 seconds, and come to find out my machine just caught that brand spankin new worm...time to reformat! Linux is well worth it. Yes I know you can get anti-virus and download updates from MS, but why should I have to purchase a license for anti-virus (Because the most effective ones cost). Also when the blaster worm was big, I could not download the patch from Microsofts site, most likely because they were in the process of putting the unix servers online lol, but yea thats that. My 2 cents!

Hello,
I finally got Linux installed on my system!!! I've done it before, I've just had problems with getting it onto this new computer...

Well, I accidentally rebooted my computer during the "post-installation" stuff, and I've got it set for a text login. Well, I login as root, and it loads in text mode (I'm used to graphical), so I start the X Server just by typing "XFree86". It brings up a blank screen with a cursor on it.

I guess my question is "How do I load the X Window System from text mode?"

Thanks,
- Smiley

actually, if i remember correctly, you were immune to the blaster worm if you had a firewall running.

Oops, sorry, accidentally hit "Reply" instead of "New Thread", making a new thread now... I couldn't figure out how to delete my last post.

- Smiley

startx

True, but the internal network at my school didn't bother running a firewall on each PC, only one firewall at the routers, but somebody brought their PC in and gave most of the computers at the school the worm. All machines had anti-virus. Its really not a big deal, I'm just saying that it sucks that such a virus can just replicate itself throughout an entire network.

<<< Windows doesn't take away your ability to do things the hard way; it OFFERS you the choice to do things the easy, OR the hard way. >>>

Some things which will never, never happen with Windows:
1. You will never own any copy of Windows.
2. You can never be sure that MS is not looking at your machine.
3. You can never be fully confident that your machine will boot up and stay up until
You shut it down.
4. You can never be fully confident that your application and your machine will run
until you are finished with your work.
5. You will never be able to optimize your system to match your processor.
6. You will never be allowed to see any of the source code.
7. You will never be allowed to see any of the APIs.
8. You will never be able to run Windows on a Sparc, IBM S/390, Power PC, MIPS,
Alpha, ARM, HP PA-RISC, or Apple machine.

And this is the short list.

I would want to share it with others, so they could learn from it.

--The Truth, Deal With It--

"Linux is a platform that technically develops at a more rapid pace than proprietary alternatives, because it is based on the principle of `improve and build on top of the previous developer` and always `peer review your code`; as opposed to the oppressive closed source model `always start over from scratch` and `nobody will see my code`"

@ misophist: I run a news site, actually, so yes, I have been paying attention. Where's your proof that WMP9 is spyware? Have you actually checked the packetflow from your machine to see if it tries to send anything back? Have you analyzed those packets to find out what data is contained in them?

Well, someone I know called "vortex" has, and he proved that it was nothing more than a simple "Yes, I'm installed; chalk one more installation up." You really think Winamp, XMMS, and iTunes don't do that? How else do you expect them to get their "Over 1 million copies of <blah> installed!" figures from?

@ ricdave:

1. So?

2. So?

3. Bullshit.

4. My copy of Windows .NET RC1 which I installed over a year ago is still running perfectly fine, with no crashes or BSODs since I installed. I use it for gaming, filesharing, and general testing, and I haven't had a single problem with it.

5. Windows already contains optimizations for all major x86 CPU families, and there are versions of Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows .NET Server 2003 for both 64-bit offerings from AMD and Intel.

6. Wrong. http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1360884,00.asp

7. Wrong again. http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/

8. Wrong one final time. http://home1.gte.net/res008nh/nt/ppc/default.htm, http:///http://h18000.www1.hp.com/su...files/alphant/

Who cares about MVP`s, were talking about end-users

PS: M$ = Spyware http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/18002.html
http://www.findarticles.com/m0CGN/37.../article.jhtml
http://www.yarbles.demon.co.uk/mssniff.html
http://www.macintouch.com/o98security.html
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/archive/3079.html
http://www.fsm.nl/ward/
http://www.insecure.org/sploits/Inte...sage.logs.html

@ BOFH2003:
Windows from 2k to now are fine. Linuxes are fine.

The best reasons to migrate, in order:

1. You love tux.
2. You can't afford buying windows.
3. You disagree with MS ways and practices.
4. You have plenty of time, and you like to open things to see what's inside.

shinwise, you didn't post a single thing that has been relevent since 2000... why should I care about crap that happened 3 years ago, before Ballmer was even CEO of MS...

Once a cruel and sadistic tyrant, always a cruel and sadistic tyrant. Evil never changes it`s ways it just finds better ways to hide it.

Bruno, you've hit the nail on the head. MS / BG is not 'evil'. Attitudes like that give linux the reputation of being a choice for freaks. MS is a buisness with a good product. Linux tips the balance for security, windows for simplicity.

We need to stop sounding like hyper-geeks and turning ordinary people away from linux. There is no conspiracy theory. Microsoft are very protective of their product. Probably because they know that a lot of piracy goes on.

(plus wot Bruno said )