Greetings Linux Old Salts from one exploring Linux,

First, thanks to all, for all the info on Linux of all flavors.

This is a ton of useful information that will take some time to digest. I do have some specific questions which may apply to all Linux distros. This is my initial post, so bear with me please.


a) I mostly do word processing using Corel WordPerfect 8.0. I have the 2000 version and the WP 8.0, most recent update. I have quite a few peripherals, ranging from scanners, external dialup modems (which I hope to replace soon with Cable modems), webcams and security cams of all sorts, printers, etc.

-- Will Linux support older (1995-forward) peripherals?

-- Also, and more specifically, will Mandrake ver. 8.2 and Mandriva import those wordprocessing file formats? Will I lose all formatting, such as what happens when you save a WordPerfect document in TEXT or WordPad (.doc)format?


b) Can I import my existing and archived word processing files, dating back to WP5.0? This is very important since I have to be able to retrieve old files.

I do understand that PCI modems, specifically WinModems won't work under Linux, but this is not a major problem if my collection of NIC cards can talk to a cable modem.



c) My machines run the gamut from an aging Dell Latitude to a 64-bit Athlon. I will assume that I will be learning on Mandrake and upgrading to Mandriva.

-- Will the older Mandrake work on a Notebook with about 128 MB of RAM and still be able to communicate with a Mandriva-based 64-bit system?

Many thanks in advance.

K.J.




Some background on the Linux transition quest, thus far, below.

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I've been attempting to make the jump from Win98se (I did actually have an XP system for awhile, but it was a complete POS, so I sent it and the CD back) over to Linux for some time now, but I will say that the task, to date, has been daunting.

1) Went to a local Linux Users Group and spent all day at an install party with a set of RedHat CD's which, for one reason or another, refused to complete installation.

2) Bought a Sam's "Teach Yourself Red Hat Linux 8.0" which came with two install CD's. Upon going back for a second shot at an install party, the Linux Old Salts determined that the CD's were flawed. Sam's sent me back a nastygram saying that they weren't liable for any problems with the install disks. I should've read the fine print disclaimer.

Alrighty then....

3) Got a buddy to burn a 7-CD set of Red Hat install disks. My Win98 box couldn't read a gosh-darned one of them. Falling back and punting by freshly fdisking to FAT32 and formatting to a simple command prompt, the copied disks couldn't read that the install disks either (a tad of arrrggg coming out here).

4) Now I've got a boxed set of Mandrake 8.2, complete with users' guide and factory-fresh install CD's. Granted, it's old and long since replaced by Mandriva, but it DOES have the literature that will give me a fighting chance at making a successful install on a test bed machine that I have set aside expressly for the purpose of being my instructional LinuxBox.

If all goes well, I plan thereafter to get the latest version of Mandriva and load it to the 64-bit AMD machine.

Welcome to LinuxQuestions.

linux still supports most older hardware.

I was not aware of any included application with Mandrake 8.2 that would read/convert WP files. Open Office is the latest linux suite and it has a filter for WP files but do not know how well it works and if it supports the older DOS file format. http://wp.openoffice.org/filter.html. abiword has some support but I do not know which version, status or how well it works.

Many winmodems now work in linux but it depends on the chipset. Checkout http://linmodems.org/

Yes, your older Mandrake will be able to talk to newer linux distributions but can not guarantee 100%.

IMO there are several better distributions then Mandrake 8.2. like vector linux.

Thanks MichaelK.

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