OK i am completly new to linux, and I am running xandros.

Looks nice but I have some questions.

I don't know what the standard install extentions are or what to look for.
example: .exe, .rar or .zip

Can I just run the files? or do I have to run them in the command line?

Also what about drivers? For everything, starting with nvidia graphics.
Is there a way to play all the games, I'm a low level IT in a shop. As such I am in charge of hosting lan parties. If I can is it possible to LAN with everyone else using windows?

Just a lot of questions from a nube. ANY help would be awesome!!

In Linux most of the installs are compiled unless your distro supports packages, Redhat based distros use RPMs.

Depends on the file.

You will need to google it or search around on sourceforge.net

i'd never try xandros, but I would like to answer partial of your question.
Originaly linux is not depends extensions, no matter you want to install a program or run a program. Depends on distro, currently ubuntu, debian using .deb as installation package extention. Suse, redhat, mandrake, fedora and etc is using rpm. However, still many program using a more primitive way which is compile from source (.tar.gz or .tar.bz).

normally if you want to run a file, you must make sure the file is 'executable'. Right click the file a see the properties then you can find it somewhere around permission's tab. Double click the file in your GUI normally will run the program (or in command line can type ./yourprogramname or /pathto/yourprogram) if the file is executable.

in linux majority of driver is support by the kernel, others like ati, nvidia and etc you need to download their official driver from their website and follow their instruction. Normally the installation won't be very easy for a linux newbie.

In linux, please do not expect you can play all the windows game, it not because of linux is lousy but the game vendor don't want to support linux (so many reason). However, you have many alternative to play windows game in linux using following software:-

wine (completely free, currently support warcraft3, ragnarok, red alert, half live and etc popular games)
cedega (cost little bit money, but support more games than wine)
vmware (commercial, it allow you run linux and windows parallel, but consume many resources. Don't expect 3d game)

There is many native linux game in the world, some of them good and some of them poor(still under development). Please visit:-
http://www.happypenguin.org/
http://www.linux-gamers.net/

If you want to learn linux, you need to learn too many thing yourself. Below is jungle of resource for u.
http://if.ustc.edu.cn/~zhouwei/backu.../linuxlink.htm
Good lucks.

Ks

Forget to add in, definitely Linux can network with windows. For your information linux is big brother in networking if compare to windows.

Thanks for all the help.

Really!

You said that you wouldnt use xandros? What should I try?
I need easy stuff but, but..I want the most usability.

Try Fedora Core 6. very stable and lots of apps to get you started!

Just a question..... is fedora, red-hat and if so....

Why is everyone seemingly against red-hat?

Yes Fedora is redhat. I don’t know about people being against it but it may have to do with the fact that went commercial and started charging money. Core is free and if you’re looking for a stable Linux OS, I don’t see one better. Maybe Ubuntu but I have had way more problems with Ubuntu than with Fedora Core.

Just my 2cents.

Just as an observation: Everyone's needs are different, and everyone's hardware is different. So not every distro works for everyone.

I have had more problems with Fedora Core than I have with Ubuntu. Just my needs, and my system. I normally recommend PCLinuxOS, Mandriva, and Mepis before either of those.

To Agita: Don't be afraid to try several distros. Fedora Core may be just what you need! But if it's not, don't assume all distros are "just as bad". We're always happy to help anyone with the distro of their choice.

OK so ill try everything till I find something that sutes.

Preferably free!

Any ideas on a distrio for a gameing system.

Going to d-load new iso and wipe old partition now bye.

Pretty much any distro can run games.

But as kstan pointed out, don't expect to play Windows games on Linux. *Some* (very few) Windows games have Linux-native versions. *Some* can be run under wine or Cedega with varying degrees of success. Cedega is probably the best bet for getting most Windows games running in Linux. It is *not* free - minimum outlay is $15. (Three-month subscription at $5 per month. Any versions of Cedega you download are yours to keep. The subscription just entitles you to ongoing patches/updates.) (Yes, the actual Cedega code is availabel free on cvs. What you are paying for is the proprietary libraries that handle the CD-protection schemes that game publishers use.)

Thanks a lot again. I'll try pretty soon.

I don't know about linux but in windows I can get around almost any security of all the newest games. Prey, titan quest battlefield 2142, Fear, you name it.

Will this come in handy with linux?

OK i'm doing it tonight

chose Ubuntu

good luck. It is good distro.

Ok installed ubuntu. Everything ran ok and looked good

First thing I noticed I could'nt detect my windows hard drives

Second I haven't built my gameing rig yet.(waiting on AMS's super-chip next year)

So i'm on a agp board with a barton oc'ed processor.

I put in a agp 6800ultra and got a boot error

GRUB boot error
error#21

Explored primary HD with a friends PC and imported a enhansed boot.ini file.

Windows booted fine but... no luck with ubuntu.

Ideas?


(ps. is there a way to bookmark this particular thread? or do you just start a new one?)

(another ps. what distro has the most compatability with windows as in it will read it's files, and is there a distro that windows can read form? ex. if I download a song with linux i want to access it with windows.)