Maybe I am a little thick but I look at all the postings and the replies are all goobly gook to me. I installed the system. O.K. But I can,t even figure out how to install drivers from a floppy or cd. The guide just confuses me. So the end result is that I have a system that I can,t use. Windows I am used to. As for the internet on a lan connection boy am I toast. I can see the potential of this system but am more than a little frustrated. You know what I am not stupid just unknowing

kinda in the same boat and i've been a NT administrator running DNS etc servers before now!

what ive figured about linux -

1. it ain't ready for people who JUST want to use their computer

2. when you install windows software it's usually a one time install, ocasionally needing a visualbasic runtime or whatever to make it work. With linux not only do you usually have to download the app but also all it's dependents. you download all the dependents (like dll's in windows) and then find out that to get these dependents installed you need additional dependents! - and it goes on.

3. you wear out your keyboard forever typing in the root password to get anything done - having said that, at least linux has security - something i know with experience windows (or NT ) never had.

however... linux is made by the people for the people and i for one can't knock that. on the other side is microsoft and digital copyright acts that are trying to make it illegal for a teacher to print out something from the web to educate their class.

all i can say is - your not alone - linux is far from perfect but not all it's users are programmers or hackers. i installed linux last week and have still got to get my tv card and 3d graphics working. i live in hope and know that people are making linux easier for non-hackers everyday.

stay with it...

well, when you have a problem you can describe, we can help.

as for drivers... you generally shouldn't need to install drivers, they should already be on the box.

you'll learn... that's often the best bit...!

If you stick with it you will find that you can do most everything with linux as you can do with NT. I am a tech and I very rarely have to boot to NT to do what I have to do.
I do have an advantage that is pretty helpful though -- Citrix. I can use my usermanager, netmeeting and other NT prop. apps.

I like Linux because it isnt Microsoft and because there are more cool ass apps for it (for alot less $$). For example nmap and tcpdump. Too cool. Much more configurable.

have fun,
jason

My two cents worth (I'm at work with not much else to do...):

Linux is not for those who just want an OS that will install and 'run.'

Linux is for the 'backyard mechanic' type person, those who love to tinker, take things apart to figure out how they work, then put them back together again, sometimes trying to make them work better than before.

I am not a hacker, programmer or sysadmin, but I really enjoy the absolute I-don't-have-to-answer-to-anybody-ness of Linux.

That, and if you tried to get the level of support for Windows that you get for Linux at places like this site, you'd have to pay HUGE!

I've recently become a member of the local Linux Users' Group, and I have to say that has also made a big difference. You might look around for one near you.

thats the thing... if linux is ever going to get one over on microsoft its going to have to cater for all users not just people who are interested in computers.

most people (inc myself nowadays) are only interested in pc's because they can help them do something - write a letter, build a web page, create animation etc. most people dont want to hack around a computer for 4 hours trying to get something to work as most people are used to pressing a button and everything works (sure the MS way but it does tend to work - badly : ). i can already see that linux is far better that windows ever was but it still - for the average user - is too networked based and too criptic to configure.

it may be a sad fact but most people dont want to be 'mechanics', they just want a computer that will do the things they want to run. i too am enjoying the challenge of linux but if i need to build webpages quickly (my job at the mo) theres no decent tool to do it in linux. theres great server tools, security, sys admin and suprisingly - well.. i was suprised, fantastic sound and music tools. on the other hand i hate what microsoft is doing to copyright laws - my reason to get into linux.

cheers for the advice on the linux group. yes theres probably one in my area.

It may be helpful if you want to continue to try to learn Linux to use the Guides at:
http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/linux/index.html

When I started with Linux, about 3 or 4 years ago, I did not even know how to log in. I have documented my learning process to help others like yourself.

Also, other helpful sites with Linux documentation have been posted in links at http://www.comptechdoc.org/os/linux/weblinks/index.html
Check out item 2 for links to the Linux Documentation Project and GNU manuals.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/22882.html

Here is an article by a guy that is trying his best to find the "MS killer" i.e. a version of Linux that even the most basic computer user could install.

He hasn't tried Mandrake yet (which seems to be the newbie standard, if this BB is any indication), but it sounds like RH was very difficult (my experience too, although I'm still with it), but SuSE the best so far.

nice article but having tried linux in my experience installation was relitivly pain free, it's the configuration and usability afterwards. it would be cool if there was a file manager type program that located all the config files so you could view and alter them if need be. having said that - there probably is. it would be also great if cut and paste worked accross all programs in linux and not just those from common sets - thats a major pain as the clipboard in Kde doesn't always work.

use gnome then, not crappy kde

not sure what you mean about finding all the config files...

there's various control centre apps which intregrate most thigns like that, and others like webmin, and icky icky linuxconf, all of which will abstract the conf files...

Hey acid, you don't want to go starting a flame war around here, do you?

I use Gnome, but for sake of diplomacy never use the term 'crappy' to describe another person's choice of window manager, or distro or what have you.

I have used webmin, and quite like it, easy to use, relatively intuitive etc. If you are looking for a way to configure just about everything (although I could never get the printer config'ed for some reason), give it a try.

i actually prefere gnome to kde - from what i have seen. mainly cos it doesnt try to look like windows. however, as a new user im 'learning' under kde as it makes the learing slope a little easier.

cheers for the tips on admin apps. as i'm new to linux all i see at the moment are the programs in the pannel menu - im sure thers loads of good progs that don't show up there.

is webmin a console tool? i just typed it in under su and got nothing back. i think the instalation of linux i did didn't install these tools by defult.

as for cut/paste - gnome to me is no different to kde. copying text from the browser (konqueror to a text editor never seems to work).

yes

webmin is a config program that operates over http, so you access it as a webpage.. naturally that can be stupidly insecure... so if you do like it, take care. it'snever installed by default, so you'll neeed to get it off your cdrs

It's true, it could be somewhat insecure. Make sure you choose a good root password


http://www.webmin.com