asking about Lycoris
 

have anyone here tried that linux os
i am a new user for linux and want to work on it intsead of windows

so i am asking if anyone using it
can tell me about that dist?

1) it's crap.

2) there's plenty of info about it on this site, just search for redmond. that's what it used to be called.

3) it's crap.

well most experienced linux users will tell you that it is crap, this is a distro that is trying to make it very easy to convert from windows, with easy installation and configuration.

though very heavily bloated with stuff your never going to need, it is a good starting point for a newbie, then you can move on to a more well developed distro.

and if you want a better and more user friendly newbie distro, might want to just use mandrake or try it.

-trickykid

I tried if for a while but found it somewhat lacking. One of the benefits of using Linux is that you can 'fine-tune' it to your needs, should you want to do so. Obviously, if it works and you're not too fussed about tweaking, then you don't have to. Redmond/Lycoris, however, offers very few tweaking utils for the newb. Yes, you can go right down into the config files and edit them manually, but if you're happy to do this, you might as well be going for a Slackware distro.

MO: It could potentially be a good starting point for newbs, except that it doesn't really represent anything about Linux. It is seems to be, quite literally, Windows for Linux.

I would advise that if you want to try a Linux distro, but not be thrown in the deep end, go for Mandrake (or possibly SuSe, but I've not used it so I can't say).

Why are you all even talking about Config files and customization? All this person asked is what's a good starter distro for a Windows user, this person has to be convinced that Linux is worth while, before there going to invest anytime learning about config files, etc...

Check out Lycoris...
Get comfortable with it...

Then move up to a distro that gives you more control over things like customization and tweaking config files, a good distro for this(as mentioned above) would be Mandrake 8.2

The reason I was mentioning them is that at the moment this is where Linux is at. If someone really wanted a distro that is exactly like Windows, why not just use Windows?

I'm sorry, but IMO Lycoris/Redmond does no favours to anyone. If you're used to the Windows environment and you then try a Linux distro that is exactly like Windows, when you do decide to 'go up a gear' to a distro like Mandy you will still be in the same situation of not knowing anything about Linux.

Lets take a fairly common example: sound cards. I refuse to believe that this small upstart of a distro has solved all the problems that Linux has ever faced with regards to sound cards. If you install Mandy then you have some config tools to help you get things sorted. If you install Lycoris/Redmond, what have you got? A non-working soundcard -- not a very good introduction to the Linux world, me thinks.

Point well taken...

However, you have to remember that Lycoris is barely 6 months old... right now there focus is on other aspects of the distro (Install Process, Hardware Recognition, Etc...) I think that once they get the "bigger" parts of their distro fixed then they'll start working on configuration tools and such...

You have to remember too that there is always the control center in KDE to configure such things as sound cards, etc...

These are my thoughts on Lycoris, summed up...

Is it bloated? Yes.
Is it as slick and configurable as RedHat or Slack? Definitely not.
Are the default menus and desktop familiar to a Windows user? Definitely.
Is it a good "First Try"? Definitely...

Like I said, check it out, learn the termanology, etc...
and once you're comfortable move on to something better...

:D

I would suspect that lycoris will swing more windows users over to linux than having them totally bewildered by slack or red hat. I dont use it, but have recommended it to a few friends based on only what I have read about it.
I use mandrake 8.1 Intallation was the easy part. I struggled for a week with Knome, got pissed off and swiched to KDE. What a difference!!! Now im beginning to like it! I might buy a lycoris pack and install it just to see what it is like. If it is as user friendly as it is advertised, great. I cant understand the hard noses attitude that if it looks anything like windows, it must be no good. I have very little against MS OS's, rather a problem with Microsoft business practices. If Lycoris is really user friendly, what is wrong with that? In order to operate a computer the way an average user does, surf the net, email, office chores, play music ect, why is the most difficult linux the best? Whats the matter with the odd nice picture, good graphics and sensible point and click? If it feels good, do it!!

I get a kick out of you people at times...
 

Apparently Thymox, acid-kewpie and trickykid have forgotten why Microsoft holds 90%+ of the desktop market share and Linux is left with a piddly little 2%.

Why would you be so critical of another Linux distro? Development of Linux is forked with over 100+ distributions. Are you going to complain about everyone of them? Those distros meet the specific needs of certain people, just as Red Hat, SuSE and Mandrake do.

Lycoris represents another branch in that development tree. It is no more "crap" than Slack or Mandrake. You seem to forget that an operating system is simply a cog in the tool we call a computer. Like millions of other users I use my computer to accomplish tasks not to learn about operating systems.

If you want Linux to be popular with the masses, I guarantee more distros will embrace Windows users with similar tactics. Just as KDE is a smoother transition than Gnome for nearly every Windows user, Lycoris includes attributes to help with the transition. Linux will always be second rate on the desktop until it becomes popular with the masses. Those people are running Windows right now. And without those millions of users, support for hardware and development of applications will be lacking or lag behind the leading competitor.

It could be argued that every distro thus far is (as you put it) "crap" for desktop users. Why? Because not a single one of them has been able to gain any real market share on the desktop. But with each new advance by the many thousands of developers, Linux will improve in a myriad of ways enabling it to capture market share for users at home and in the office. Those changes and advances will come whether you like it or not.

Those are the facts. Now to my personal experience: I have run several distros over the last year and found Red Hat (7.3b) to be my favorite. However, I also have Lycrois d/lx on a system right now and it's been just as stable. And my wife, computer illiterate though she is, loves it. Point made.

I agree with what you say rodda. I dont think that the majority of people are really interested in mastering the most complicated concepts in linux. Most that I know and talk to are interested in finding a usable alternative to windows because of being very pissed off at their business practices. (and their eventual demise if they continue with their arrogance)
So what if it looks like windows for linux? At least it is a way to get out of the microsoft grip. The majority of average users are not even slightly interested in programming, compiling kernels or many of the exotic things possible with linux. (exotic at least to a layman) What if someone wants to get away from microsoft, but simply wants a friendly, usable OS? Thats where distros like Lycoris shine. The goal, at least for me is not to become an expert on linux, but rather have an OS (non microsoft) that is capable of doing what I want it to do. No more, no less. If down the road sometime, I decide to further my knowledge of linux, I can choose from over 100 or so, with different levels of skill required. As I said many times, I am not really dissatisfied ith windows xp, I have had very good results with it. I AM very upset with the business practices of the corporation that produces it, that is my reason for wanting to change.

well...

I couldn't reason my way out of a paper bag, but i do still stand by my point. Linux is more than an OS, it's about society and all that stuff. It's not there as nothing more than a windows replacement. Linux should take over the desktop on its own terms, not by big companies buthering linux and pretending it's something it's not. Lycoris/Redmond utterly butcher linux, they even pretend that KDE isn't KDE, and is actaully called DesktopLX. and that there is no choice, they've hacked it to make it as similar to windows as they can manage, and they think that's a good thing. Whilst it is a way into understanding and learning about linux, going after linux just because it's free or whatever... nah. Yeah distros like Mandrake and Redhat do generally edge towards *suggesting* you use KDE, but they don't force you to wear blinkers and to not be able to use anything else. Lycoris is crap. thankyou. :D

The best to start on The worst to learn on
 

Lycoris is good to start on but that is where you will stay. Even with all the stuff from the devtools iso you cannot install much software. This wouldnt be so bad if they had a team working on getting software easy to install (one of the premises of the distro i believe) While trying to install a simple program I get complicated and cryptic error "Compiler cant compile binaries" WTF what is the point of it then? They have made it too much like windows but not enough like linux. SO yer try it out but then ditch it and go for RH or something similar as you can have the ease of win to lin conversion it brings and also the possibility of expanding it further. My experiences where good untill trying to expand my knowledge etc Its your chpoice not mnine so go for it

Linux is more than an OS its about society and all that stuff?

Im sorry but I dont worship at the alter of linux, or windows for that matter. They are both OS's for gods sake!! A tool to work with on a computer!! I do use mandrake 8.1 now and quite sucessfully i might add, but I also use windows. 2 versions of it. When I told some friends that I was using linux now, one of them said "oh you have joined the linux cult!" I wondered what he was talking about. Now im beginning to understand. Does your life rotate around a computer OS? Mine sure as hell doesnt. IF and when I try lycoris, it will simply be to see if I like it. If I do, I will keep it. If not I will "zap" it. Im simply in the market for (as I stated before) a friendly, usable OS to replace window, that does everything I want it to do. I have no real desire to become a linux guru and "master" the most difficult distro of linux. I simply want to get some work done, and play a bit.

The LINUX way of life (as someone on here put it)???
I HAVE a life thankyou!!!

You may ask... . what the hell am I doing on here then??
Answer.... attempting to find out as much meaningfull information about linux as I can. Not to become a member of a distinct society.

i agreeeeeeeeeeeeeee
 

with alebrtaboy
i am also searching for an OS which i ca use instead of windows and give me what i want
i have comleted d/l the lycoris and as soon as i burn it and install it
i'll tell u all what i think about it;) ;)

I just ordered Lycoris.. I decided against downloading it. After giving it some thought, why not send them some money. It costs to develope these things and I dont mind pitching in my 39 bucks to help them out. I will see if its worth it when I get it installed. If not, im not out much.

hey it's up to you. i'd be fairly sure that the money you pay is only going back into a mini microsoft... not gonna help linux as a whole.

ACID_KEWPIE I dont know how many times I am going to have to state the fact that I am not here to promote linux, microsoft, or anyone else. I am here to get a usable distro. As far as helping Linux as a whole, perhaps I should purchase every single distro they have out. Or, by purchasing one of the ones YOU approve of would that be helping LINUX as a whole?
You are absolutely right about one thing
ITS UP TO ME!!!

sorry i didn't mean to sound like that, i do mean it, it's your choice. i just really don't like orgs like redmond and lindows that only seem to see linux as a way to make money. i don't wanna come across bigoted and all that. sorry if i did.

Well Lycoris isn't very usable IMO. It lacks simple editors and other basic things. Why you give a damn about this? well lets say you got a system crash or something it will be hard to recover...

No problem Chris...... Perhaps I am on here for a different reason than most. I am not totally against the windows OS, particularily windows xp, it has served me well.. Never crashed yet in 4 months and except for swithing from OS to OS, my computer is on 24/7. The reason, and the only reason, I want to boycott microsoft is because of their sleezy business practices. So to me, it matters little if Lycoris LOOKS like windows, as long as it does what I want. I dont have a clue as yet, if it will or not, but time will tell. I am using mandrake 8.1 now and will probably upgrade to 8.2 in the not too distant future. I dont have too much trouble with mandrake, but there is a lot I dont like about it. No linux product to date has ever been known for its "user friendlyness" and for everyday use, for one who is not a computer hobbyist, that is very necessary.
Im probably one of the few on here that considers a computer something like a car, fridge, tv or any other applience. Its a tool to play with, or to get work done with. I obviously enjoy playing on the computer, but my life doesnt rotate around it. An old saying my poor old granny used to use "to each thier own"

Been there
 

Tried Redmond/Lycoris, the only distro that I liked less was Corel.
It was clunky and slow.........................................felt like Win95 on 32 megs of ram.
I was running 256M at the time. If you don't like Mandrake....................you will probably be either 1) nauseated by Redmond
2) your nipples will get hard about it

Bottom line....................................get it try it. If you like it, keep it.

But don't get your feelings hurt by the gurus when you ask their opinions.

Apparently Thymox, acid-kewpie and trickykid have forgotten why Microsoft holds 90%+ of the desktop market share and Linux is left with a piddly little 2%.
No, I know full well why MS holds the majority - because companies that make hardware refuse to support any other OS which breeds ignorance in the general public. A recent example: I was trying to get my PCI-ATA100 card sorted (it crashes each and everytime I umount the ZIP drive) and my brother - someone who is supposedly experienced in computers, he did do a BSc in CompSci, afterall - suggested that I should ditch Linux and just settle for Windows because "it'll work properly straight away - you won't need to fiddle'. No, I wouldn't need to fiddle if the manufaturer of the card supported anything other than Windows and Windows-only.

Why would you be so critical of another Linux distro? Development of Linux is forked with over 100+ distributions. Are you going to complain about everyone of them? Those distros meet the specific needs of certain people, just as Red Hat, SuSE and Mandrake do.
I'm not gonna complain about all the others, but I do think that Lycoris is a waste considering the maturity and ease of use associated with Mandy. I've said it about Lindows and I'll say it about Lycoris - if these people can make a distro so damned good, why don't they put their efforts into something that is already around, rather than trying to re-invent the wheel.

With regard to Lindows: I think if the authors/programmers/hackers (delete as appropriate) can get their version of Wine to run virtually every Windows programme around, why not put their efforts directly into the Wine project?

With regard to Lycoris: If they can make a distro that is such a piece of piss to install and run that you'd think you were running the Linux equivalent of Windows, why not put their efforts into bettering a distro that is almost there anyway?

The answer to both: MONEY.

I dont think that the majority of people are really interested in mastering the most complicated concepts in linux.
No-one was suggesting that the majority of people should master the inner-most complexities of Linux before being able to use it. If that was the case, I would be banginging on about Slackware - or better still, why not let everyone make their own LFS? No-one at all was even insinuating that you should become a guru to run it! I (for one) was saying that Lycoris doesn't have to tools available to fix problems that might arise. These problems are more likely to arise in Linux because of lack of hardware-manufacturer's support.

So what if it looks like windows for linux?
Your point? I think that KDE is more than acceptable for most people. My personal preference is to run a very minimalist desktop - but that's just they way I like it. I haven't, and I haven't heard of anyone else stating that "Thou shalt no use KDE/Gnome" - I may bang on about SawFish, Acid_Kewps may bang on about BlackBox. Does this mean that you should not be happy with KDE? These are our preferences. These are out opinions.

Linux is more than an OS its about society and all that stuff?
Im sorry but I dont worship at the alter of linux, or windows for that matter.
Was he suggesting that you should? I, for one, am a good example of the Linux-culture. When I first started using it (about 18m/2y ago) I wasn't really into the 'culture' or anything. I asked a question (or two) here about how to get a particular sound-card to work. Whilst I waited for a reply, I had a poke around and discovered some thing of my own. I read some questions here and thought 'Ah, I can answer these'. So I did. And so it goes on. I still ask questions, and I still answer them. There is no reason to believe that one should worship the OS, but Human nature is to share, and in general to help each other. Linux matches this nicely, and so the Linux-culture works well.

I am not here to promote linux, micro$oft, or anyone else. I am here to get a usable distro.
Well, there are plenty to choose from. Lycoris is but one. Should you go with Lycoris and find that it is the bee's knees, then good for you. I hope, for your sake, that you don't run into problems with it.

But don't get your feelings hurt by the gurus (or us plain ol' non-guru users) when you ask their opinions.
That is just it: they are opinions. Nothing more. Linux is all about choice, and to remove that would be heresy.


Sorry about the length of this post. I had to play 'catchup' - hadn't checked my email for a while.

I just would like to state my point of view here... I have Red Hat 7.2 installed with KDE as my window manager, honestly this is as close as you can get to windows without running windows. Any Linux distro where you run KDE or Gnome is going to be a basic Windows clone while you're in X, and it's as plain and simple as that. Now as far as the underlying services that are available to the user, that's another story. If you want to compile programs, configure the kernel, write scripts, run network administration tasks, ftp, etc... then something like lycoris isn't for you. You need something more advanced like Red Hat or Slack. There are people out there that just use their computers for reading email, word processing, web surfing and games. They don't need 2 gigs of compilers, debuggers and source code. All they simply need is a basic, stable, and secure OS, like Linux. A full Windows install may take up, say 1gb (I'm not sure because I've never done a full install) but if you were to do a full install of Red Hat or Mandrake it would easily take up 3 gigs. I understand the ire of you more advanced linux users that need that kind of power that a more advanced distro offers, but for the casual or even middle of the road windows converts don't want or need that kind of power.

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*Oh, I just would like to make one, smart comment though: *
*If lycoris is the linux equiv. of windows, does it have to be * *rebooted every 2 hours, does it get blue screens, and does it* *crash unexpectedly for no reason what so ever?? Just * *wondering... *
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Please make sure you describe your comment more clearly, you make it sound as if ALL windows versions are terrible and im not defending M$ or anything but win2k and xp are very nice and can run for days on end.

About your question or comment, No its still LINUX, but its been so disguised as windows xp its terrible.

erm... it's a joke...

justiceisblind: i recommend you put big flashy lights around any such comments in future. some people don't process it correctly by default. something to do with their .config i think :D

Yes, its still bad but the way he described it makes it seem like a plague or something. Windows 2k/XP is almost as stable as linux, and has worldwide acceptance too.

haha.. now that is funny. tell that to my win2k box.. he would be jealous. :D

***RANT****

Um, all the Windows OS's I've ran have been nice to look at and easy to do things, but for whatever reason they find really good times to crash and burn. I had a physics paper due in 3 days and Win 98 crashed and burned, effectively destroying over half of my term paper. (now I know the importance of a good backup) The only thing I was left with was the first five pages and my VERY rough draft that I had stored on the school's network, which I had no access to until the day the paper was due. (crashed Fri morning, paper due monday afternoon). After getting the hard drive wiped by the recovery disc and getting Office 2000 up and running again I had two days to type up about ten pages of nonsense about nuclear weapons. After saving to disc every five mins or so my sister downloaded some virus from MSN Messenger, therefore frying Windows again. This is Saturday night, while I'm at work, and I'm very pissed and fusturated at this point... so I go to a friends house and finish up what I have to type, print the damn thing up and turn that bad boy in... For all my effort I only get an A. No A+... UGH!! That was the best damn paper I have ever written! And Windows 2k? Crap, what about Code Red... Real secure. But then agian that wasn't really the OS it was that IIS thingie... I haven't seen XP in person, but honestly I would rather run a superior product that I can purchase for half the price or download for FREE and get a ton of software that is equal to many expensive MS windows titles.

erm?
 

I really wonder why a lot of ex_windows users want a linux distro that works as windows. guys get a break it's linux.. designed to be a server OS. For Example: X is more then a GUI its a server.. like most of the components has network accessability.
maybe linux has a chance to gain share on the desktop. but that is not the most important thing about *nux.
I hear windows users talking about how stable their XP is. it didnt crash for me in the last blabla.. well there is a difference in two things in stability.
A: working with win2k or XP every day , putting cpu on.. work for 8 hours and then shut if off.. or maybe leave it on for the night..
B: getting a box running as server with 500+ users on it that runs for like 365 days stable.
at home I run linux both as desktop and server. while I am the server working I see friends logging in with SSh. compiling things and even working with a remote X using cygwin @ home on there win machine. While I am on Enlightenment or blackbox they are on KDE for example. I only notice that when I look in the process list. for the rest..hmmm maybe the bandwidth. are those features possible, the things we all want?

those two things are totally different from eachother.
also the reason why I don't like disto's like Lycoris, is that if something happens where is your power to restore it? believe me if some component is messing up. I want to fix it without doing a rm -rf * .
that is a big difference that u will see in distro's like slack, debian, redhat etc. but not in lycoris or in lindows, both give me money quick OS's that rather steal things and give it another name. although gpl allows this I call this sneaky business. they wont get my support

if u want a linux OS for stability. plz don't go with distro's like lycoris or lindows, but come with the facts: stability and user friendlyness are two thigs that can't be merged into an OS that quickly.

about the statement that linux is more then an OS, I disagree. Linux has features that all OSs should have. I don't consider linux as more then an OS, but I ask myself the question: is for example windows a (good) OS? because I miss strong features in most windows OS's like multi-user things, and the integration with the user's brain and the technique.

I just found this thread. I know this issue has pretty much been beat to death here but I'd like to throw something in here.

This kinda turned into who likes what distro better than the other distro. I think a key point got missed during this whole debate. Linux is about FREEDOM. The freedom to choose. Think about it.....what freedom of choice do you have with Windows? Aren't they all about the same.....really? Linux is about choice. If you don't like one distro, flush it......try another. What the heck. And best of all, you can try all of them for free. Try that with Windows.

Just my $0.02 worth. Great debate though.

freezinbutt

what if the users dont care about linux much and are just want an os that will work and be as easy as windows, i think many people feel that way ,,, if yur an windows user ,,, u hate windows normally ;) ,,, im buyina mac , screw all this ,, windows just sux ..., though i wanted lindows since i still want winmx ;( and winamp ... sux to have to decide between theses things .. good programs or good os, why cant mac make a winamp look alike , why itunes , it sux, and winmx kicks limwires ass ... kazaa crashes to much ,, this sux ,,,,,