I bought a UK Linux User and Developer magazine today, and it came with a free Lindows 4.5 CD Anybody here use Lindows? Hows it compare to the other Linux's? It looks straight gui, like a windows system, but I dunno how it really is as I haven't DL'd it from the CD.

I've never really heard of it, but anybody have any feedback on it?

I have been using it for about a year, and I love it the best part is the CNR warehouse. It has, the last time that I looked about 1800, programs that you can install just by clicking on them. The service cost $50(USD) a year or $5(USD) a month with a one year contract. Lindows is great if you don't want to worry about dependencies and that sort of thing. However, if you do like like to mess around with the latest and the greatest of the software world don't mind compiling and re-compiling software then it may not be the distro for you.

In short I love it, but there are those who have different opinions than me and thats OK.

Do you Know of ant p2p programs besides kazaa that i can use on Lindows?

In CNR you'll find LimeWire, eDonkey 2000, XNap and Bittorrent.

Se...I'm the type of person that would like something like windows, in terms of not having to worry about dependancies, etc, and one click install is great, but I DO NOT like the fact that it does everything for you, yeah it's good, but it's also the reason I hate my dad's XP machine with hardware that's twice as good as mine, but mine still runs 10x faster and more efficient with Suse 9.0 Pro....

So I dunno, it's more curiousity cause it was a free disk with a $12 magazine.....

I used Lindows 4.5 and was disgusted by it. Check out my post as for my reasons why in one of the larger threads about Lindows. I use Mandrake now, which you can download for free and update for free. As far as dependencies issues goes, I've had NO such problems. If you use Mandrake's software installer and select a program that requires other files, it tells you it needs them and you click OK and you download them. Just visit the easy urpmi page, follow the easy instructions and you're good to go.

I used Mandrake too. It was my first Distro. As a newbie to linux it was difficult to use. It took hours to install the nvidia drivers I had to download and then figure out how to install from the command line. No such problems with linspire. I also had to figure out how to install flash. Mandrake was a great distro for people who like to fiddle around at the commandline.

If you purchase Mandrake it costs about $80 for the OS that comes bundled with cd's that have software ready to install on them. That sounds alot like Linspire (and almost any other distro) which costs about $80 for the os and for CNR. The difference is you can continue to get updated software and new software through CNR. You can do that with the CD's that come with Mandrake. Plus you membership to CNR keeps your OS up to date. Mandrake requires you to be a member of their club for a monthly price or purchase a system....

I like linspire. But if your an old hat linux user who likes to mess around with your system than linspire isn't for you.

Actually the nvidia drivers, flash, java, etc. are simple today with mdk10. You just follow the simple instructions. All other updates for the most part can be downloaded via the software installer in KDE. Simple, easy, free.

IF you purchase Mandrake. However, Mandrake has a FREE download edition which isn't IMO crippled like CNR is if you don't pay for it. Can you get Lindows/Linspire/Whateveritisthisweek free every version without hunting for a special coupon code? And even if you could get Lindows/Linspire free with every version wouldn't you still have to pay at some point, especially to use CNR? Don't tell me "apt-get" because I used it and installing some of the most common programs screwed up KDE to the point where it wouldn't log in. This never happened on Mandrake or any other distribution from simple use of apt-get or urpmi. So a person can get Mandrake's free download edition for free and download software and upgrade for free. One can even upgrade to future versions for free without doing a clean install. Do you see where i'm going here?

The difference is: If I use Lindows/Linspire/Whateveritisthisweek I would HAVE to PAY something at some point, or CONTINUE to pay to use CNR. I would have to send money at some point and time. Right? Right. With Mandrake you can download the free download edition and updates are free. Free. Free. FREE!



Really? Is this why I kept hearing people bitching on the Lindows forums about tons of software in CNR being out of date and asking for help on how to use apt-get? LOL! Explain it away if you want, but IMO it's a big joke.

Heh, old hat linux user? Mandrake Linux is well known as the one of the best if not the best distro for newbies. That's a fact. Well amusing as this has been, I have better things to do with my time, so this is my final post to the Lindows/Linspire/whateveritscalledthisweek area of the forums.*

*=Actually my reply to XavierP's post in another thread was.

$freeMandrake == "mandrakeBankruptcy";

I've been using Lindows/Linspire for just over a year now. I started using it because it was installed on an inexpensive Duron machine that I was purchasing for my daughter with the idea that I could always install a different OS if I wanted. Well, after using Lindows 3.0 for two days, my daughter (then 13) asked that I leave it on the machine; she prefered it to Windows. I've since upgraded to Lindows 4.5.112 on two different computers (mine and my daughter's) and it seems to satisfy everyone in the house for different reasons.

I like it because the Debian Linux it's built on seems to be more user-friendly than the Mandrake 9.2 I'm running on another machine. I play with the command line features when I wish but the GUI is there for my wife and daughter and for me when I'm lazy.

I doubt that will happen.

This theory has been around and applied to just about every distro that has come down the pipe, and one in particular (Knoppix) is still alive and kicking, while also getting better than most OS systems that you have to purchase.

Even though some feel that they dont need to buy a thing in life, there are some of us that foot the bill to make sure that it can continune, hence why I purchased Linspire, SuSe, Crossoffice, Redhat, Mandrake, and XP even though I have plenty of ways to get it for free.

It does nothing for the poor bastard sitting behind a desk with his eyes glued to a screen 16 hours a day programming it, but it does at least keep some sorted job security.

furfurdemon666: Linspire installs and works perfectly out-of-the-box for me. I have everything I need in CNR.
Mandrake 10.0 has crashed on me and bugged out more than any piece of software I have ever tried before. I still haven't been able to get it up running without major tweaks yet. A shame really - Mandrake 7.0 once was my dist of choice and I loved it.

Anyone know how to defrag in Linux and Linspire? or does it not need it?

For more info see Microsoft Windows owners manual.

Does linux need to do it or not? lol, doesnt really answer my question, i know how to defrag in Windows.