What is the benefit of using Linux, for a non-programmer?
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I guess, I must "dip my toe in", before "wadding in, from the shallow end", instead of immediately "jumping into the deep end"
May I ask, if you know, is there a section or post, about getting started with Linux?
If you select a distro, the best thing is to just start with a google search of "*distroname* user guide".
One other thing I didn't bring up, but other people have, is that for me personally, it is easier to maintain my Debian box because all the software comes from the repositories. Security patches all come from the same place instead of having to update some from windows, some from adobe, some from... I also like that I can easily get to the root of a problem (both hardware and software) through human readable log files. In Windows I typically get a "Fatal Exception Error" crash, but nothing useful to me to figure out what caused it.
But administering linux is different than administering windows and I must admit that if I was hit by a bus, my wife and kids wouldn't know their way around fixing any issues. Of course, they wouldn't know how to administer their windows boxes either...
So, in the end, I'd say just jump in. You're already dual booting, so I would just try to do everything day to day in linux and see how far you get. When you run into a problem, search the web or ask a question here at LQ and we'll try to help you resolve it. If there's anything you desperately need in Windows, it's still there for you.
Last edited by pljvaldez; 05-20-2011 at 12:11 PM.
Click here to see the post LQ members have rated as the most helpful post in this thread.
we do now live in a world where hardware can be considered cheap and plentiful, especially given the number of "cast away" machines that are now out there.
This may be true if you live in Europe or the US of A (or a similar developed country), but most of the people in the world don't have that luck. Even if they have old machines without the capability of hardware virtualization it might be more comfortable to run low resource applications in a VM. Some people in this world don't have more than one machine.
I agree with TobiSGD. Not everybody has the resources to go out and buy a second PC, no matter how cheap.
I may have judged too harshly about the whole virtualbox/vmware thing in my earlier post, but I do personally believe that sticking with the dual-boot option is the better choice. But I have to add that it is the better choice only if you don't have to re-boot several time per day. We all know that windows is a resource hog and running resource intensive applications inside a virtual machine may not work. So if you only need change OS ones or twice per week, then dual-booting will give you the full experience of both linux and windows without having to share resources with a host OS.
But I think we've drifted of topic. The main question was "what's the benefit of using linux?". So to recap some of the earlier posts and adding some more. Benefits:
- it's free and does not require a license
- it's fast
- it's flexible
- it's stable
- it's secure
- it's easy to keep up-to-date (when using one of the major distribution such as Ubuntu)
- it runs most of the free software that you're used to on windows (browsers, email clients, etc)
- it has a huge selection of tools, applications, software
- it has a large community that is more than willing to help you out if you have a problem, a question, or a request
All this stuff does however require some effort on your part. As pljvaldez points out, administering linux is not quite the same as administering windows. But even a non-programmer can get the hang of that.
So pick a distribution, use it for a while either in dual-boot or as virtual machine, and don't give up to soon. I think in the end you'll find it worth your time.
I have been reading up, on Linux, and have found some, "how to's"
It sounds, please correct me, if I'm wrong, I can't simply save a document
I have to set up, my own filing system, before I can even save, say a word processing document or spreadsheet, is this correct?
I have been reading up, on Linux, and have found some, "how to's"
It sounds, please correct me, if I'm wrong, I can't simply save a document
I have to set up, my own filing system, before I can even save, say a word processing document or spreadsheet, is this correct?
Not factual.
When you install Linux (any distribution), it sets up a root login for you and optionally an ordinary (user) login.
Each login comes with its own filing system (HOME directory) and thus it is already set up for you.
If you use an ordinary login (as you should for security purposes), Linux (any distribution) will give you full rights in your file system and allow you to use all other packages and programs while making sure that you cant delete them even by mistake.
Can you tell us which "HOW-TO"s. (Provide the URL link) and we can help you set the context for any such assertions about Linux.
Of course the main advantage is cost. If you have some specific programs, you can run wine as suggested by some other posters and also refer the web for equivalent packages.
Well, I started "playing" with my "Ubuntu" edition.
So far, I have installed Google Chrome (Firefox came with Ubuntu)
I have also, made sure my printer works with it, and I didn't even have to try to find "Linux" drivers for it, hooray!
Next, I'm going to see how the "LibreOffice" compares to MS Office.
If I have to, I can install OpenOffice or use Google docs.
Thanks, for the advice, everyone, so far, so good.
This might be a "silly" (duh) Q?
How do I save a file, to an external portable drive?
I make a habit, to always store things, other than programs (documents, spreadsheets, scanned items, photos, etc) on an external drive.
Do I simply create a file, on that drive, for things, from my Linux OS?
[Note: I'm currently using a "dual boot", I just want to make sure, I don't mess anything up]
You should just plug it in, and it should mount automatically.
When you go to "Save" in your program, or "Save as" and the browser pops up, the drive should be on the left side with a little eject button next to it
if not, you can go to the shell and type "df -h" and it should show you where the disc is mounted
After I play with the "Ubuntu" version, for a bit more, I may just "jump into the deep end", and install it, on my desktop, completely (instead of as a "dual boot")
After all, I have 1 laptop and 2 net-books, that still have (Windows), that my wife can use, she has no intentions of switching, and that's her choice.
Her desktop, went dead, probably the power supply, which I intend to replace, soon.
When I do decide to "jump into the deep end" (as I call it), How do I go about it? (I have never attempted it before)
Do I make sure, and copy anything (ex. documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, etc.), I want to keep, onto my external drive, then use the Live CD to install "Ubuntu" version over Windows?
Or do I have to learn how to "wipe my hard drive" then install the "Ubuntu" version, from the Live CD?
After I play with the "Ubuntu" version, for a bit more, I may just "jump into the deep end", and install it, on my desktop, completely (instead of as a "dual boot")
After all, I have 1 laptop and 2 net-books, that still have (Windows), that my wife can use, she has no intentions of switching, and that's her choice.
Her desktop, went dead, probably the power supply, which I intend to replace, soon.
When I do decide to "jump into the deep end" (as I call it), How do I go about it? (I have never attempted it before)
Do I make sure, and copy anything (ex. documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, etc.), I want to keep, onto my external drive, then use the Live CD to install "Ubuntu" version over Windows?
Or do I have to learn how to "wipe my hard drive" then install the "Ubuntu" version, from the Live CD?
you might want to copy your files
but then other than that, the live cd can format and partition your drive, and install it
After I play with the "Ubuntu" version, for a bit more, I may just "jump into the deep end", and install it, on my desktop, completely (instead of as a "dual boot")
After all, I have 1 laptop and 2 net-books, that still have (Windows), that my wife can use, she has no intentions of switching, and that's her choice.
Her desktop, went dead, probably the power supply, which I intend to replace, soon.
When I do decide to "jump into the deep end" (as I call it), How do I go about it? (I have never attempted it before)
Do I make sure, and copy anything (ex. documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, etc.), I want to keep, onto my external drive, then use the Live CD to install "Ubuntu" version over Windows?
Or do I have to learn how to "wipe my hard drive" then install the "Ubuntu" version, from the Live CD?
On most of my machines dualboot works fine.
On my latest machine, I have wins on 1 drive Debian on the other.
Being that the latest machine is sata & windows Mbr is untouched I can either have dualboot manually switching the boot order of the drives within the bios, or just add the windows drive to grub. Ubuntu (like Debian) has os-prober, which in most cases will find additional OS.
Have fun linux can be addicting.
I have to set up, my own filing system, before I can even save, say a word processing document or spreadsheet, is this correct?
That's true for Windows, too. It's just that the installer does it for you (and the installers for most Linux distros do it for you, too).
Quote:
Originally Posted by socratesk21
Awesome, I'm liking this, more & more.
After I play with the "Ubuntu" version, for a bit more, I may just "jump into the deep end", and install it, on my desktop, completely (instead of as a "dual boot")
Great. As long as you have the mindset of wanting to learn Linux instead of having a free drop-in replacement for Windows, you will probably love it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by socratesk21
Do I make sure, and copy anything (ex. documents, spreadsheets, photos, music, etc.), I want to keep, onto my external drive, then use the Live CD to install "Ubuntu" version over Windows?
Yes.
Quote:
Originally Posted by socratesk21
Or do I have to learn how to "wipe my hard drive" then install the "Ubuntu" version, from the Live CD?
Ubuntu will simply overwrite Windows, you don't necessarily have to wipe Windows off first.
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