I started with RH and learned very little. I then tried Gentoo and learned more than I could digest. After that, I eased into Mandrake but I got fed up with rpm's. Now after all this playing around, things started to congeal and slack seemed nice and clean. BTW, I just ordered the 'Linux in a Nutshell' book and it's been 6 months since I used Windows as a main OS.

I feel like I'm giving a speech at a Windoholics Anomious meeting

congradulations! however, "windows as a main OS" indicates you still have windows somewhere on the box. take the plunge! scrub that filth off of your hd! i did it and haven't looked back since.

lol... I will, once I'm finished picking through its bones. How long were you using Linux before you dumped Windows completely?

dual booted for about 2 weeks. then i caught myself rebooting into windows when i couldn't figure out how to do something in linux, so i decided that if i kept the safety net there i'd never learn.

I was using linux for about 3 months before I dumped windows.

I should've done it sooner

VectorLinux I think is the perfect learning distro -- just enough "helper" tools, and based off slack... So the transition was easy.

Now I'm just a slacker.

-Shade

I have been duall booting for the last 4 months and basically the only reason i'v kept windows around is cause of hardware; my wireless network adapter and winmodem havent ever worked for linux.

but recently i got a driver from http://www.linuxant.com/ that makes my modem work at 14.4 kbps and if i buy the thing for 15$ it is suposed to work at 56k. (i hate spending money on linux but cheeper this than an entirely new modem). plus i think i have the correct driver for my 802.11b USB connection (although i havent been able to test it yet).

Once i get on my homes network and can share my dads printer i should be able to completely jump to slack!

the whole reason i even posted this is cause im SO HAPPY that my winmodem works in linux.

PS.. HA HA!!! im posting this edit from slackware! its slow as hell, and i havent even configured a firewall but im still happy, I now KNOW im buying that driver (damn halfware taunting me with added functionality)

I installed linux, reliased in the month sence I had installed slackware (first distro and only distro I have ever used as primary, except my current custom) I had not gone into windows at all, ileft it there encase I wanted to play a game or something that didn't work, but they all worked in wine and winex. afterabout 3 months of linux nly i decided i wanted more space and ditched windows. been about 5 years now and only had a 1 month period with windows in (only as secondary) and that was to play morrowind before I got board with it.

Hi Olias, I'm a Linux newbie too, but not so happy (until now). You see, I like the Slackware distribution but it's pretty hard to learn how to do... anything!
For dbkluck, exodist, e1000 and shade (Hi guys! ):
You know perfectly that if you need some specifical softwares for working, or -why not- just play with great videogames, you have to use Win32 operating systems.
I'm a Dos/Win veterane, but still I think it's too early to get rid of Win systems, the approach to Linux is far difficult than any Windows, yet.
I liked and accepted the challenge, but for the first I NEED to configure the internet connection and the printer! I'm tired of changing hard disks.
Wishes!

true, for some specific programs you need windows, but if you want a genrral type of program linux has several just as good as the windows ones.

as for games true, most games are windows only.. but the realy good ones have native linux versions or work in winex

ut2003 - native from epic
ut classic - loki free binary
q3 - loki sales (dead, but available)
jkII & III - winex
morrowind - winex
many others, thats all I use though, not a big gamer, for instance I am currently converting legal media formats to other legal media formats for personal legal use ;-) try playing a game with 100% cpu usage

buyt I have found that everything I could ever need has an open source alternative.

I haven't dumped windows completely yet. I use linux for almost everything but games (okay, got a a few native games on linux) Anyway, for the rest i use slackware. Though it took me a while to feel comfy.. but like now i discover every day new programs/functionality that comes standard with slackware.

I must say Slackware brought back fun in computing again (for me)
I see it just works, it stable, I don't have to use spywarekillers and other crap, and it makes me more productive again! the last thing i mentioned is the most important thing for me.

However, still haven't found any way to run my games on linux if i could get them work, i could dump windows completely

exodist, yes "specific" but not too specific, I mean technical softwares for engineering, professional CAD drawing, advanced graphic, hydraulic, architectural, administration and so on, not a simple spreadsheet or a word processor. I fear there's no many alternatives with Linux now. Same for the games. I like strategy games like Total War or Age of Empires and generally RTS style, I saw no such RTS games around in the net.
I don't know Wine, I notice that is a kind of Win emulator (?), but I wonder if this Wine work, and how.
Anyway I wish I'll dump Win soon.
Good job!

However, still haven't found any way to run my games on linux if i could get them work, i could dump windows completely

winex, look into it, www.transgaming.com, so many supported games

professional CAD drawing, advanced graphic, hydraulic, architectural,

autocad and photoshop both work in wine, as well there are several native cads for linux (I work for an architect and have to know this.

I've always duel booted

As a highschool student, I live with my parents and little brother. Even though I built the computer from the ground up, I still have to let my little brother use AOL on windows 98. Also, 98 is nice to have for games. I'll never go past 98, though -- no SE, no XP, no ME, nothing.

I just built a computer for my father as well, now I can stay booted into linux until my little brother steals it to IM his friends on aol

a/s/l? lololololol kthxbi

I'm currently running Vector, but I'm seriously considering moving to Slack.

I used dual booting for about 1 month, then I thought of re-partitioning, which accidentally lead to the demise of MS-Windows on my computer. I used Linux exclusively at that time for a while, but since I & my wife share the same PC I had to revert to dual booting. As soon as we got two computers i uninstalled it.