Hi from Kath in NZ to all you Linuxies! Hmmmm - well, is there a name? Perhaps, "Linuxophiles"? Have to think about that. My husband and I got our first computer in 1991 - an IBM clone 386 with 2 MB RAM and 40 MB HD - pretty good specs at that time. The reason we got the computer was so that we could get a music notation program in order to publish and print a songbook to go with a cassette (yes, tape!) we were recording, as we're mainly active in the creative sector. We didn't realise what a huge learning curve it would be! Got Windows 3.0 installed, shortly followed by 3.1, then eventually 95, 98SE and then finally (yuk)XP - upgrading computers as I went along.

As soon as I heard about Linux in about 2000, I wanted it, but didn't quite know how to go about it. A few years ago I bought the disks of Mandrake 10(something), but couldn't figure out how to install it. I also got Knoppix 3.7, which was great, as it ran off a Live CD. That was fun, but it wasn't really like having it installed as a full-fledged OS.

So, after joining a few mailing lists, last week I finally got Ubuntu installed on an older PC bought off our local trading site for $70, just for fooling around with, and learning about Linux. Specs: Pentium III 866 GHZ, 256 MB RAM, 30 GB HD. Doubled the memory to 512 MB and went along to the Auckland Uni Installfest. Those helpful people installed Ubuntu - single boot, not dual, and now I'm trying to get the modem going (that's another story, which I may put in the appropriate Forum).

When I get onto the net, I will update the programs and install others that weren't included in the initial installation, but meanwhile I'm learning to use the programs and reading tutorials. Eventually I want to put Linux on our main computer, and ditch M$ forever.

Cheers,
Kath.

Welcome to LQ and have fun with that modem :-)