Is Linux going to work for me?
Hi folks,
Don't even know if this is the right place for this, so if not please point me elsewhere. Now, currently I use Windows XP in extended desktop and so-called Windows Classic modes - can't do with these fancy graphics things. Program wise I use Thunderbird, Firefox (with an occasional foray into IE), Libre Office, Paint Shop Pro, Design Cad 17.2 & Masterfile Professional (a DOS based database). Of these, the first three all have Linux equivalents so no problem there; Paint Shop Pro I don't use that much so don't see any problem changing to The Gimp. However, I do use the last two a lot which does pose problems, however I would be prepared to use DOSEMU or equivalent if it worked satisfactorily, and apparently someone has got Design Cad working under WINE. I tried SUSE 9.1 some time ago, liked it but didn't proceed any further. Tried SUSE 10.3 but couldn't find any way of using an extended desktop. Am now trying SUSE 12.1 which does do extended desktop, but KDE is absolutely horrible - the version in 9.1 was far better. Am now about to reload to try Gnome. That's the background, and apologies for the long read. Now for the question. Given that the DOS program is a must, the CAD program is extremely highly desirable, extended desktop is also very useful and hence almost esential, and I want a simple easy to use desktop suite which will give me a simple menu system for program access and a windowing system similar to Windows Classic, no background, blank screensaver, white text, am I simply bashing my head against a brick wall? Should I be even considering SUSE (I do have three books dating back to v.9.1)? Be honest now. Regards, ten0rman |
Dosbox ran sc, a DOS/UNIX spreadsheet just fine for me. It also runs Word Perfect 5.1 fine (it seems), and I often use a Norwegian-English dictionary in that emulator too without problems. The command 'keyb' in Dosbox changes keyboard layout in case you need that. Give it a try in XP before you switch to Linux. Dosbox runs fine in XP.
Quote:
Edit: Unless you like command line. I have a feeling you do though. |
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
|
If you like the old-style windows and hate KDE, you probably won't like Gnome either. Try Xfce or Mate. The latest version of Mint has Mate and will be supported for 5 years. SalineOS is based on debian and uses Xfce.
Use a live disk and check that you must-have programs will run under Wine. You might have to try several versions: my essential Windows program runs in 1.2.1 but not 1.2.3, 1.3.1 but not 1.3.7, etc! There are Linux CAD programs: see Wikipedia. |
Hi, and thanks for the replies.
1. Use of command line. I have used the DOS command line quite successfully in the past, even when W3x was being used by other people. Amazing how other people were simply not capable/aware of basic DOS commands. Therefore, not fazed by it, although onbiously I would have to learn it. However, let's face it, for normal usage, a GUI does make things easier. 2. Ability to multi-desktop. No, I was not aware that one can have different desktops without reloading the OS. Which is what I did to try Gnome. 3. Extended desktop. By this I mean that the two screens act as one super-wide screen and windows (not the OS) can be moved from one screen to the other seamlessly. My main VDU is 1280 x 1024 whilst the secondary VDU is 1280 x 800. In Windows XP, I can move windows from one screen to the other albeit with a loss at either top or bottom but this is easily resized manually as necessary, or if I leave them at a max of 800 x 1024, then there is no need to resize. In addition, as the 800 x 1024 screen is actually the laptop, disconnecting the larger screen causes the main screen effect to immediately revert to the laptop, and whilst I then have to set up the extended desktop again when I reconnect the main screen, this is now not a problem. In KDE, I found that windows automatically resized when moving from one to the other, possibly a bonus. In Gnome, I found that when set to the correct optimum sizes, the system slowed to a crawl and whilst not exactly unusable, was well on the way to it. 4. KDE & Gnome desktops. In KDE, I tried down loading alternative wallpapers, but none seemed suitable, and whilst I well appreciate that some people do like fancy things, I don't - I find it distracting and on occasion makes the text difficult to read. As far as I am concerned, black wallpaper and white text is more than adequate - the computer is a tool, not a plaything. Interestingly, my 23 year-old son uses the same and for the same reason, although to be fair he does also have a photo of the current favourite female popstar as well on the screen, but only occupying perhaps half the available area. Similarly with screen blanking. Here again, the original idea of screen blanking, or screen saver, was to protect CRT's from screen burn and presumably the idea of the moving picture, whatever that may be, would also act as a reminder that the machine was on. As far as I am concerned, a blank, hence black, screen is fully acceptable - I know from the lights that it is switched on. I have tried to change things with KDE but was unable to easily find out how to do it. I did end up at one stage with black & grey - not very pretty. KDE3.x I found very easy to change to what I liked. Gnome, as I have already said was almost unusable with the correct screen sizes in extended, or non-mirrored, mode. 5. Windows Classic This refers to, if you know it, the pre-Windows XP desktops which did not use fancy icons with, or even without, tiny lettering. Here again, I prefer to read the text. I also set up all my window displays to give full alphabetic detail as I find it considerably faster to, eg, select Control Panel and rapidly scan down the list to find what I want. 6. Future. I have now downloaded Linux Mint, Ubuntu & Mandriva, all of which I will be trying. I take the point about the Gimp v. Paint Shop Pro, but something with the name "...Paint" does make me wonder just how basic it actually is. The reason for keeping DesignCad is that I simply do not wish to attempt to learn another CAD program. I tried once with TurboCad - and never again! This apparently is quite common in that if one learns TurboCad from the off, then it becomes easy, but the other way round is not. And that was my problem in that I started on DraftChoice, a DOS & W3x program, then moved onto DesignCad which has a lot of similarities to DraftChoice. Hence, when I saw that someone had got my version of DesignCad working under WINE, I thought I may be in with a chance. In fact, the DOS program may be the real killer. Although nominally a DOS program and it is supposedly limited to 25 lines & 80 columns, the program itself does have the ability to provide 43 or 50 lines and can scroll sideways to give 255 columns. Coupled with Windows XP, a 1280 x 1024 VDU and judicious use of Windows based fonts, I can get a very reasonable display on either of the screens. The program itself does all that I want and I see no reason to change to another database program. So provided I can get it to work using a DOS emulator, then ok, but if not.... Final comment is that Windows XP does indeed work 'out-of-the-box' for me. I do not get any BSOD's, or indeed any other problems. Nevertheless, I am well aware of the ever increasing modifications etc to the basic program and that in a few years time I will either have to stick with XP as it finally is, or upgrade to some other Windows versions which will either require a new computer and/or probably contains a load of unwanted fancy garbage which does nothing for the user but inflates Microsoft's bank balance. In short, what I want is a plain, no-frills, reliable GUI shorn of all the dross being inflicted on us. I had hoped that Linux might do just that. Regards, ten0rman |
Hi,
An update. Been trying Linux Mint. It seems much more user friendly. Think I might persevere a bit more with this one. Regards, ten0rman |
Quote:
(Even with Ubuntu...the names make this less apparent, but while, eg, Kubuntu, Lubuntu, Xubuntu are marketed (?) as if they were separate things, they are not as separate as they seem, because you can always have, say, Ubuntu and select KDE for install and have this choice. This is essentially having both Ubuntu and Kubuntu installed, but in only one OS install, which doesn't sound as if it would be possible.) Quote:
After that, you go to 'almond'/desktop settings > and set the wallpaper to a colour. (By 'almond', I mean the vaguely swirl shaped, almondy-coloured thing in one of the screen corners.) So, really, what I expected to hear was 'I found this thing that was vaguely similar to what I want, but I still have to alter this detail...' Quote:
|
Linux will work for you. You already are aware that some things are different in Linux. That is about halfway as compared to other users.
The other part of the way in front of you might give you a hard time but as long as you realize that sometimes you have to put in some effort to get things done for the first time that is ok. About CAD programs, there are about 40 (if not more) 2D and 3D CAD programs available for Linux in various degrees of compatibility and usability. I haven't tried them all, and the ones I am using for 2D and 3D serve their purpose (my purpose) but are not perfect. There exist also some pay programs which seem to be compatible and get good references. If you have to run production, keep a virtual machine installed running XP. Over time you will be using it less. jlinkels |
If you want a plain GUI then use some kind of window manager instead of Gnome, KDE or XFCE. However, be advised that those window managers are not very user friendly. So I'm afraid you don't get a plain GUI and user-friendlyness at the same time. Not in my experience. And I have twelve years of experience with Linux.
If you really want that extended desktop and want it to work fine without having to configure xorg yourself, then use KDE and try to sort the other things out. Setting a black background should be possible. Try turning off the background and choosing a background color instead. Try setting a high contrast theme. As for GUI's, I'd say that's the direction the world is taking. 3D glass effects on my antivirus GUI annoys me as well. Which is why I only use Linux now. And a window manager. However, that means using some programs which even to the Windows 98 user might seem 'ugly', such as ghostview for pdf viewing and midnight commander for a file manager. I think you're better off starting with KDE, then take it gradually from there. At least in KDE your monitor setup is working. And while KDE's control center can be confusing (been there), you'll sure get used to it. |
Quote:
Quote:
That having said, there is definitely no need to stick with "ugly" programs because of your window manager. Programs like Okular for PDF viewing and Krusader run well in XFCE or whatever. I know some consider those bloated, but you have a choice. jlinkels |
Quote:
http://www.trinitydesktop.org/ |
Quote:
Also, KDE programs are hardly bloated. They just require a lot of libraries which may seem like a bad thing if you're not gonna use KDE and enjoy the integration with the rest of KDE. |
Right, let's see if you can easily get me up and running with an easy on the eye desktop.
Here's what I've done so far: Couldn't see any way of installing KDE when Gnome was already installed. Found somewhere where it said that stuff could be installed, but couldn't find out how to actually do it. I also came across a couple of reviews which were not exactly good about SUSE12.1 so I reloaded with Suse 11.4 + KDE. First thoughts are that it doesn't seem any different to 12.1. Found the little 'almond' thing - incorrect term by the way, but ne'er mind eh! - hidden away in one corner and thus managed to change the desktop to black. It concerns me that out of the box there is this litle thing tucked away almost hidden in one corner, looking for all the world like a colour malfunction. Crazy! Especially given the basic colour scheme supplied. Also, found the command to change the screensaver to blank. Presume that's ok but haven't tried it - insufficient time. Tried to change the panel (?), ie the bar along the bottom of the screen. At present, it's a number of variable shades of grey which does nothing for easy readability. And no, although I may well be getting on a bit, my eyes are still completely satisfactory - for an old 'un that it. No, seriously, there's nothing wrong with them. I did find somewhere to change the Kicker, Kickoff, whatever, icon back to the nice bright blue KDE icon. So, here's what I want - light grey panel, black writing, small and colourful icons. Can it be done? If so how? Change the icons on the desktop to brighter colours, and to have white writing. Individual windows to be white or very light grey with black lettering and small but colourful icons if present. Ideas? With a bit of luck, getting round these hurdles should help towards understanding the system. One other thing. Tempus is fugitting (sorry you Latin experts) a bit too fast these days, eg I only have limited time available now until a weeks jollies next week. And tonight, Friday night, Saturday afternoon and evening are also out of the question. Regards, ten0rman |
Quote:
Quote:
In Suse, the visual app installer is part of Yast, but there is also an icon for 'install and remove software', so you don't need to know about Yast. One slight complication is that you might find it difficult to work out which of the things with Gnome in the name is actually Gnome itself and which are packages for Gnome applications for it. So, if you see a 'Gnome window manager' or a 'Gnome window manager meta package' rather than 'music player for Gnome', you'll be on the right track (installing the music player will probably bring in some of the Gnome libraries as dependencies, but not the whole thing, unless some of it is already there). KDE with 12.1 vs 11.4: that's probably kde 4.8.4 versus 4.7.2, so you wouldn't really expect a massive difference, but 4.8.4 will have some detail refinements and bug fixes. I think (but I'd have to check) that even 4.7.2 is recent enough to have the more recent kwin (post a big rewrite, which made a difference), and that improved smoothness of operation. There is a big change in how the OS itself starts up, but, if they work, they work (although 12.1 should start up faster). Quote:
(What seems is a bit weird to me is that people sometimes select a distro based on the colours that are the defaults, out of the box, or the wallpapers. Odd.) Quote:
As far as the panel is concerned, look at the various themes and one will have something suitable (I quite like transparent and vertical). Then modify the colours... All this stuff hides in 'system settings', as earlier. Quote:
|
Quote:
Masterfile looks like abandonware to me, I'd look for a more modern solution that's actually supported and maintained. |
All times are GMT -5. The time now is 02:58 PM. |