Since this is my first post, I thought I'd share how I got started using Linux and how I completely switched from Windows.

I started using Linux in the late 90s. I was in college and I didn't want to spend money on an expensive computer. So I bought a cheap 486 for about $400. I ordered it off of a Computer Shopper ad. (remember when that magazine was the size of a telephone book). For some reason I wasn't too concerned with having an operating system on it. It had the basic dos boot image, but that was it. I realized shortly after I got it that it, I really need an operating system. So I checked out some of the free ones. Like Freedos and of course Linux. After tinkering with it for a long time, I never got X running right, but I was able to use the computer to type up papers on the command line, using joe (a command line text editor that was easier then vi).

Jump a head several months. I broke down and got a better computer. Of course it had windows on it, but I still had the Linux bug in me. So I dual booted to Linux. It was a PII. Windows was still my main operating system, but I'd boot into Linux every once in a while.

Jump a head several years. I graduated from college. My parents bought me a laptop as a graduation gift. This time I wanted one with a dual boot Linux / windows, with Linux pre-installed. A friend of my offered to build it for me. I found out that my friend didn't really know how to config a Linux system, so I had trouble with it.

About two years ago, I got DSL for the first time. Now I was able to download ISOs. (not practical on dial up). I tried several: Mandrake, SUSE, Knoppix, Slackware. Then everyone talked about how great Gentoo was. Somehow, I don't recall anyone saying that it would take me a week to install. In any case, I got Gentoo on my system.

How I got rid of windows. During this whole process, I decided that I wanted to dedicate more hard drive space to Linux. So I decided to resize NTFS. So I booted into Linux and used the ntfs-resize program. I forgot one thing. Windows was not shutdown. Since it was a laptop, I got into the habit of putting Windows into hibernate mode. When Windows resumed, it wouldn't boot. I couldn't get Windows to do anything after that. I never bothered to reinstall it.


Brian

Hello Briang2,


Welcome to Linuq Questions!

Its that bug which keeps us making learn new things and discover and rediscover new areas of life. Always have that and you can get into almost new territories everyday!

Have fun

I too am an XP/Gentoo dual-booter (at least on one of my systems, the other two are strictly Gentoo). Took alot of distro-hopping but Gentoo is what I settled on and am happy with. The only thing that is keeping XP on one of my systems is my need to download music (legally). If I can ever find a service that has a large enough library and just as cheap ($0.99/song) then windows will take the long flush down a forgotten drain.

Welcome to LQ

This is what makes me mad about the whole DRM thing. If you want to download music legaly, your told what kind of computer system you can run it on. The illegal downloaders have no such restrictions. I read that DVD Jon, wrote some software that could get around iTunes copy protection -- allowing someone to play it in other formats. But the DMCA says you can't cercumvent copy protection. I don't think it's ever been challenged in court, but it still would be a violation of iTunes Terms of service.

What about Realplayer? Real makes a player for Linux, can you use it to subscribe to their service?

Personally I choose not to download music from places that use DRM. I usually buy the CD and make my own mp3s or ogg files.

Hello there and congrats for making the switch. As for Justanothersteve, I kept saying that to myself too, just one little thing, and windows will be flushed out, tossed out, gone for life. It happened.
After using Linux for a while, I too made a full switch. That happened just the other day. I used Linux maybe once or twice in a week, but has time went on, I saw myself spending more time on linux. I figured more out with it, used more of the programs, got all my files into linux, work around things, etc.
before you know it, I was using linux all week, with only a few minutes on windows, or to play a game.
Just the other day, I tossed out Windows XP, and decided to remove it from the harddrive, with suse as the replacement.
So now, it's just Mandriva 2006 and suse 10.1.
I'm glad I made the switch. It went from using linux maybe once in a week, giving it up, hating it, and wanting XP, all within 5 months, tossing out windows and only sticking with linux.