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Old 10-25-2003, 10:46 PM   #1
dave37
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Registered: Sep 2003
Location: Ottawa, Canada
Distribution: Ubuntu Dapper
Posts: 70

Rep: Reputation: 16
Comment: Linux is worth it


For all the Linux newbies despairing, don't! I started with Linux about a month and a half ago. It's new to me, I'm completely literate with Winblows. I still don't have my plustek parallel port scanner working (it won't work with XP either though), and haven't quite figured out file sharing with my wife's WindblowsXP machine.

But you know what? I love this OS. With dual boot on my machine my wife can access the shares she needs on my machine under Windblows until I get it figured out. I'm typing this while listening to music on a headset under Linux, a major achievement for me.

OpenOffice is great, and I can say goodbye to the licence vampires at MS. Tonight I managed to transfer all of my email contacts to Linux, and working with Ximian I like it. It doesn't have everything MS does, but it has many things that MS doesn't, including being free.

It's worth the effort. I still can't migrate my wife's machine to Linux, as hers is mission critical and I don't have the knowledge, but once I'm done with mine, we can't wait. We're looking at having to pay MS thousands over the next few years for software and OS licences, something we can't afford.

The Linux Community is vibrant, helpful, and the best tech support you could ever hope for. If you're thinking of trying Linux, try it, be patient, it's not point and click quite yet, but it's definitely worth the effort.

Now if only I can get that scanner running, and figure out why I have to do sound card detection in order to get the sound card to work........and windblows network sharing.............

 
Old 10-25-2003, 11:02 PM   #2
Inexactitude
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Registered: Oct 2003
Distribution: Slackware 12.2, Ubuntu 9.04
Posts: 477

Rep: Reputation: 30
Good job. Stick at it, it's definetly worth it. It can be daunting at first, but nothing is quite as sweet as success is
 
Old 10-25-2003, 11:12 PM   #3
NewtonIX
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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Colorado
Distribution: SLackware 14
Posts: 62

Rep: Reputation: 16
After a week in linux i couldnt agree more

My nights are filled with still trying to get Samba working right

My biggest achievment was when I figured out how to use VNC in linux
Alot easier then i thought it would be

Finally getting an MP3 to play was paramount too
Took me a little while just to realize RH9 dont Support em at all
Xmms is my friend
 
Old 10-25-2003, 11:25 PM   #4
Judland
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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Saskatchewan, Canada
Distribution: Mandriva Free 2006
Posts: 42

Rep: Reputation: 16
Hang in there, Dave and Newton. Fourteen months ago I was where you are now. I'm still learning, about all of the wonderful things I have control over under Linux, but it's been a hassle-free year for our house-hold and it just keeps getting better.

Dave, which Linux distribution are you running?
 
Old 10-25-2003, 11:39 PM   #5
Jose Muņiz
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Registered: Jul 2003
Location: Mexico City
Distribution: Slackware 9.1, SuSE 9.1
Posts: 248

Rep: Reputation: 32
Well... I really love this OS I started around 6 months ago, but I have been really serious about it and have read like tons of tutorials and am currently reading some books about Linux. I think I'm finally being able to understand Linux and I love it much more every day.

Don't give up!! I was ready to drop the towel many times... it just seems easier to go and return to what you already know.. but once you get to know Linux well, you discover its power !


And most of all... this community that rocks!! I wouldn't be using Linux if it weren't for this place. I have been guided many times (despite my questions being rather dumb), and I have always been treated politely and there's always someone willing to help!

Keep up using Linux and enjoy it
 
Old 10-26-2003, 12:45 AM   #6
lord_clarence
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Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Distribution: Mandrake 9.2
Posts: 70

Rep: Reputation: 15
I too just began using linux (about 2 weeks). I started with redhat 9, and am now using mandrake 9.2 (and I'll likely check out many more distribs before I'm done ). I really love linux and the challenge is great. For some reason it just feels so much more satisfying when you finally figure out a problem on linux then it does on windows. Some milestone for me were Getting redhat 9 to even boot without losing monitor signal, getting sound in redhat 9, running curse of monkey island and silver on wine, playing my first movies with mplayer and mp3's usage on redhat. Also my first (succesful) kernel compilation (2.4.22 in redhat 9)was highly gratifying. I must say I'v elearned more from using linux for 2 weeks then using windows for 5 years .

So far comparing redhat 9 and mandrake 9.2, I'd have to say mandrake is about 10X easier to configure than RH9. I started Mandrake, it detected my vid card and sound card, applied appropriate drivers and I was off and running. With redhat9 I had to configure my vid and sound card manually to get them to work. Mandrake also recognizes my external and jump drives and in redhat I had to mount them manually.

Last edited by lord_clarence; 10-26-2003 at 09:05 AM.
 
  


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