I'm thinking of trying Linux... What should I expect? Using Lindows4.0
Linux - NewbieThis Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question?
If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!
Notices
Welcome to LinuxQuestions.org, a friendly and active Linux Community.
You are currently viewing LQ as a guest. By joining our community you will have the ability to post topics, receive our newsletter, use the advanced search, subscribe to threads and access many other special features. Registration is quick, simple and absolutely free. Join our community today!
Note that registered members see fewer ads, and ContentLink is completely disabled once you log in.
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us. If you need to reset your password, click here.
Having a problem logging in? Please visit this page to clear all LQ-related cookies.
Get a virtual cloud desktop with the Linux distro that you want in less than five minutes with Shells! With over 10 pre-installed distros to choose from, the worry-free installation life is here! Whether you are a digital nomad or just looking for flexibility, Shells can put your Linux machine on the device that you want to use.
Exclusive for LQ members, get up to 45% off per month. Click here for more info.
If you are looking for a gaming system, perhaps you should look elsewhere (Although, there are many good games for linux. I'm addicted to airstrike right now myself)
If you are looking for a stable desktop, then you most likely will get what you want.
Before you install, be sure to have a blank, or fat32 partition ready to install linux to. Perhaps its changed, but MDK's installer didnt used to cut the disk for you. Lindows will be fairly simmilar to what you are used to, as it is the most "Win like linux".
Dont go for lindows if you are looking to learn alot about linux itself.
BTW, mail order CDs are cheap. Buy a few. Or get a friend with highspeed to DL. If you must DL on dial up, be sure to md5 them, as there may be errors.
I tryed Lindoze for a few weeks and hated it. It was a pain to install programs unless you paid for the click-n-run and the thing seemed to be full of crazy symlinks that just were not linux like.
"I'm thinking of trying Linux... What should I expect? Using Lindows4.0"
Lindows is designed to be as close to Windows in the way that it behaves as it is possible for Linux to be. As a result it is not very good software. The only advantage that Lindows has is that a Windows user does not have to put very much effort into learning Lindows.
Rather than downloading a distribution on a dial-up connection I suggest that you buy a distribution from a discount CD store. Here is where I buy mine:
Type the name of the distribution into the search field.
"or would Mandrake 8.2 be better?"
I recommend that you learn Linux on either Mandrake or Fedora. Mandrake is probably the easiest distribution to install when you are first trying Linux. Fedora is one of Red Hat's brand names and you can get books on Red Hat at the public library.
"Can I run it and Windows Xp?"
Yes. You install both systems and dual boot. When you boot a menu appears asking which OS you want to boot into.
Distribution: Slackware, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Mac OS X
Posts: 5,296
Rep:
if your on dial up and trying to download an iso, more power to you. i'd suggest one of two things, order the cd's through the mail from several distros(which by comparison, is quite cheap), or find a pal or buddy, who has broadband. w/that said, the "which distro ? gets asked almost daily, and the real answer is try several, try them one after another until you find a good fit. there is a linux distro for every type of user, and every application. for the dual boot ?, a quicksearch of the forum will give you many success stories, and just as many nightmares. i have never had a problem, but, many folks have. so, decide for yourself. another reccommendation i'll make is a knoppix cd. i know you stated you don't want a live cd distro, but, it's a great way to see how your hardware will interact, as well as giving you a look at linux in general. hope i've left you w/more answers than ?'s.
good luck.
<edit>everybody here types faster than i do, killing me </edit>
Knoppix is 700Mb (+-50). A really well done live cd. Are you really new to linux, or do you have past experiance. If you are new, then knoppix is really your best bet. Or a debian Netinstall.... but that could take just as much time as a knoppix DL.
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing
Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute
content, let us know.