First of all, for someone unfamiliar with linux, it is not just as easy to install, and it is debatable if it is "just as easy to use"... otherwise there would not be other distros like Xandros and Lycoris either.

I suspect you are looking at his situation through the eyes of a Linux user.

Regarding live distros, many Live CD versions of the the Linux OSs are available for exactly that purpose.

Certainly Linspire 4.5 is and it is always worth a try.

Be careful even with a live distro, they have been known to hose a perfectly working computer.

You don't make any sense, your telling me that there is no reason to make a easy to use Linux distro if there is one already available, thats just retarded. Second, I never said that Linspire wasn't worth a try, Linspire is what I used when I first got into Linux, and Yes Mepis and PCLinuxOS are just as easy to use, just because you have more freedom with them, doesn't mean that their not as easy a distro that limits your choices.

Ok, further problems exist. I have took your advice to burn it as an Image, however, as I try to boot with it, it still does not boot into the installation. It does not boot period. I have to put a boot disk in the 3.5 floppy to boot with. I have it set to boot cdrom, A:, C:. I can boot up with a floppy and view files that are on the cd and all the files/directories appear as though they are extracted and burned on the cd, so it should by all means boot up to the install. But, will not boot up with a windows install cd either. Anyone know where I can get a bootable floppy D/L that will kick Linspire install into effect? I never had the money to get the CNR so do not have an accoount with it and so, that is not an option. I did not register the OS when I got it and installed it either, over a year ago, so no logs of me would be on file in thier system as ever having the OS. I am pretty sure that the problem is that there are no cd drivers installed on my, fully blank, hard drive. I am thinking bout installing windows ME 2morrow and then try to boot up with the ISO cd and see if it will start the install then. even thinking bout leaving windows ME on the hard drive with the extreme minimum space needed for it to exist. That way if ever another problem unvails itself, I may boot in windows and ovserve it, or correct it if need to be. PLEASE if anyone can get me a download for a bootable floppy, I would be all so gratefull forever.

If you burnt the ISO and set to boot from your first cd tray it should work, it doesnt matter if you have registered a copy with them or not. I will ask around their forums and will get back to you as soon as possible.

Ok, the problem was the cdrom went bad. Thanks for the help. I have linspre 4.5 on my compaq but I thnk the computer, 466mhz with 128mb RAM, is to slow for the OS and so, I am thinking bout formatting and installing either peanut or SUSE. It seems as though those are meant for slower computers. Thank you all for all the help with getting linspire on my computer, sorry it was all for naught.

Be sure you check the system requirements. If I remember right, Linspire requires more memory that what your system holds..

SuSE 9.0 should work. SuSE 9.1 may work. SuSE 9.2 definitely will not work. It needs 256M minimum.

Try adding another 128Mb of RAM if you can - Linspire should run okay. I can run 4.5 on 192Mb of RAM on a 400MHz machine.

You have bashed Lindows like hell. When our father "Linus Trovald " started LINUX, he gave programmers the free will to expand it, integrating dynamic ideas to come up with a flawless OS. You who know how to program have done just that and come up with thousands of flavors of LINUX. These couldn't have been achieved if you hadn’t contributed in one way or another in the open source idea.
Now if you see a problem in Lindows, why don't you take the initiative of improving it? You should be part of the solution not part of the problem. Remember our good old MINIX? It was really dumb and small but it contributed a lot in the development of our modern day LINUX.


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Remember:
It only takes good men to do nothing for evil to triumph. --- For LINUX to die.

Lindows wasn't a compromise of values for an easier life, it was an attempt to make linux available to normal home computer users. as far as i know it's not supposed to steal users away from more solid distros i'ts meant to steal people away from microsoft, and that can never be a bad thing.

samatman you hit the nail on the head

Not only that but it provides a choice of another simpler to use distro amongst all the ones you need a degree in programming to install as well as to use.

Welcome to this part of the forum where we hope sanity will prevail lol.

Actually, it's not so much to steal people away from microsoft but to move them towards a solid, secure, dependable operating system that anyone can use without having to get the instructions out before doing anything.

The boxed version even comes with a nicely assembled printed instruction book with the basics in - to suit people who just want to plug the computer in and use it.

Probably many people will first encounter it on a new machine with the OS pre-installed, and will be pleasantly surprised to find they can take the installation CDs and also put it on to whatever other machines they have at home, all quite legally.

Ok, comghod, I agree that anyone whom encounters a problem should do as was intented and improve upon any situation that is not to thier liking. But I do not know how to program nor do I know anything of Linux to begin with. I would love to do just as you suggested, if I had the capability at this time. I am wanting to get into linux to learn linux and then to learn c++/python/java scripting. As matter of fact, the main point that got me wanting to learn linux was the fact that they have c++ tutorials for beginners, as well as the fact of how stable a linux box is.Which brings me to the next quote upon this reply:

I am hoping to learn enough of c++/linux to get a degree and possibly one day contribute to a linux distro. Free rarely ever means FREE but in the case of linux, IT IS POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN FREE SOFTWARE, BE FREE IN WHATEVER YOU MAY CHOOSE TO DO, AND FREELY ROAM THE ENTIRE SOURCE which is really really nice for someone learning programing/linux, such as myself.

P.S. sorry if anything came off as smart, did not mean for anything to be of a smart mouthed nature. I never intend to insult or upset anyone and if I do, I am sorry.

Hello,
I just recently heard of linspire.. I usually just use Red Hat or Mandrake, I have both of the newest copies of both. My question is that I have heard a rumor that Linspire runs both windows and linux applications. Is this true? I am kind of confused about this. If anyone has any information about this please email me and let me know. I know you can run windows apps with WINE as I do with my Mandrake 10.1, Speaking of WINE is it possible to run Final Fantasy Online with Wine. That is the only reason I still use windows is to play FFXI. Anyways sorry for the questions..

Thanks,

Dustin

They use crossover office so it's no different from distros like xandros that ship with crossover in their deluxe box sets. The downfall of running Linspire is that it runs as root by default so your system isn't really secure in my opinion.

reddazz show me any linux distro that does not have you create a root account before a user account?

If you actually had used linspire, or its predecessor lindows, you would know that you are creating FUD with that remark.

Immediately after you log in the first time after installing the product you are prompted to create at least one user account. The look of the message screen that tells you to do this has varied between versions. But they all have it.

Please let us dispell this dumb continuously repeated falsehood crud once and for all.

BTW I have versions 2, 3 4.0, 4.5 on my shelves, and am a beta tester for 5.

I also own, and use, SuSE and Knoppix, and have experimented with a range of others including Redmond Linux (now called Lycoris), Xandros, Sun Java Desktop, and QNX which is an Unix derivative. So I'm not biassed. I also use Microsoft Windows and used to be an OS/2 user.

The very outdated rumour about running windows applications stems from the enthusiasm in the early days that several distros went in boots and all into the WINE project, out of which sprang Crossover Office and the gaming equivalent. The difference was that being a commercial project by definition, Lindows Inc (as it was then called) provided not just coders to work on WINE but also $$$money.

fatenabu please go visit linspire.com where you will find a lot of information. Just like you visit mandrake and red hat websites. Perhaps reddazz might find some accurate stuff there too

The raison d'etre for Linspire (name change 9 months ago) to exist as a different distro is to provide a simplified user interface that non-technical people who don't wish to bother with what goes on under the hood can use without continually rebooting and having security and virus problems. The distribution is actually Debian Linux, modified a little to suit their mission.

Hence their development of Click-n-Run (known as CNR).

There appears to be as much FUD about Linspire that comes from Linux posters as Windows posters. The concept of hating what other people use and spreading misinformation is not restricted to Redmond, it seems.

eagles-lair, I am in no way sreading FUD against Linspire(Lindows) and I do know what I am talking about because I have used it before. If you have a problem with my post spell it out instead of making unfounded assumptions that I have never used Linspire or that I hate it. It is true that Linspire (Lindows) runs in administrator mode by default unless they have changed this recently (after 4.5). Also if you have used the number of Linux distros you claim to have used, you will have noticed that most distros require you to create a user account during installation so that you run the system as a normal user (some even have warnings not to login as root). Do a simple google search and you will find a large number of articles discussing this particular weakness with Linspire. If you claim to be a long term Linspire user, then how come you don't know this.

Next time, don't go on scathing attacks and make assumptions about people, when you yourself don't know the facts. I will give you the same advice in your post, go to the Linspire website and do some research and you will find that you are wrong. I won't stoop the same low level as you and make a personal attack, but the facts speak for themselves and I stand by my previous post. In the future if you think someone has posted wrong information, there are better ways to communicate this than the method you chose. Obviously your interpersonal skills are lacking somewhere and you are not good at putting across your points or opinions in a good manner.