tired of windows want to switch to linux

[Ulfwald]

Ok, I am running a Windows 2003 server in my home and it is my active directory server, also running dhcp, dns, and web server.

My wife's laptop, my desktop, and my son's desktop are all running xp pro.

I want to first take all the desktops over to linux, so I figure mandrake for those.

But then I want to set up a server for my home. the only problem is that I also use one of the commercially available media players. The Dlink music player, and as far as I know it has no linux based software so the box can access the music.

I would need to use a graphical interface until I learn my command lines for linux, so what would be a good distro for a home server?

 

[MrChad]

Ubuntu is pretty easy to setup from what I've heard, and there are lots of good resources online. It could probably serve your desktop needs and maybe your server needs as well.

You may be able to get your DLink software to run under WINE, but sometimes that can be hit or miss.

 

[cker]

To start with you might want to just dip your toes in without the committment of a full install. Check out Knoppix -- it's a bootable Linux CD, with lots of apps and a GUI desktop. You can boot a PC from the CD and work in the Linux environment, then when you're done reboot and go back to Windows. Some people carry around such a CD, and run it on various computers, using a USB flash drive for their document storage.

As a bonus, Knoppix as based on Debian, so it's a fair bet that if your hardware works under Knoppix then it will work with Ubuntu.

 

[MrChad]

Originally posted by: cker
To start with you might want to just dip your toes in without the committment of a full install. Check out Knoppix -- it's a bootable Linux CD, with lots of apps and a GUI desktop. You can boot a PC from the CD and work in the Linux environment, then when you're done reboot and go back to Windows. Some people carry around such a CD, and run it on various computers, using a USB flash drive for their document storage.

As a bonus, Knoppix as based on Debian, so it's a fair bet that if your hardware works under Knoppix then it will work with Ubuntu.

Ubuntu also has a live CD version, I believe.

 

[Pabster]

Let us know when you return to Windows :laugh:

If you are a media junkie Linux is the last place you wanna go.

 

[kamper]

Originally posted by: Pabster
If you are a media junkie Linux is the last place you wanna go.

At least if you're going to transition that quickly. You've got a distro picked to replace all your desktops before you even know how to use a command line? Like cker said: go slower.

 

[drag]

I would need to use a graphical interface until I learn my command lines for linux, so what would be a good distro for a home server?

For most administrative tasks command line is optimal. For desktop stuff a GUI is nice.

If you learn GUI stuff the only system I know that has a lot of that would probably be Redhat (or CentOS). But even then the vast majority of people prefer to use the command line.

Setting up a server system is pretty simple. Your going to have a hard time doing central authentication of users like it is done with Active Directory, but otherwise it's fine.

For a server a older computer with Debian Stable is nice. Or you can go ahead and use CentOS. Both can be easily setup so that they have a GUI. But the for most part you probably don't want to spend any time sitting in front of one. Ssh is a nice way to go from your desktop to a Linux server. Putty.exe is a nice ssh client for Windows (also aviable for Linux)

For good overview documentation you can go to "The Linux Documentation Project" at www.tldp.org and check out the 'guides' section. In there are various guides for getting started and some advanced topics for Linux. Probably of interest is 'Introduction to Linux -- hands on guide'.

Also some others to look at is:
"The Linux System Administrators' Guide"
"Bash Guide for Beginners"
"Linux Dictionary"
and
"Linux Filesystem Hierarchy"

Don't have to read them deeply. Going over them and finding out were to look up stuff and understand the terms is enough to get started.

For the Desktop then Ubuntu is a good choice. It's based on Debian and very similar to it. The Ubuntu folk have a large and friendly online forums. They also have unofficial wikis and quite a bit of documentation for handling Ubuntu-specific tasks like package management. It doesn't take long for people to get adjusted pretty well to it.

The Dlink music player, and as far as I know it has no linux based software so the box can access the music.

What sort of device is it? Got a model name?

 

[Hyperblaze]

Originally posted by: MrChad

Originally posted by: cker
To start with you might want to just dip your toes in without the committment of a full install. Check out Knoppix -- it's a bootable Linux CD, with lots of apps and a GUI desktop. You can boot a PC from the CD and work in the Linux environment, then when you're done reboot and go back to Windows. Some people carry around such a CD, and run it on various computers, using a USB flash drive for their document storage.

As a bonus, Knoppix as based on Debian, so it's a fair bet that if your hardware works under Knoppix then it will work with Ubuntu.

Ubuntu also has a live CD version, I believe.

So do a bunch of other distros.

Mandrivia is a good distro to start off with.

I gave Debian (father of ubuntu) another shot the other day, it only lasted a few days. How folks can actually enjoy using it is beyond my understanding. But hey, that's just me.

 

[ronnn]

Good luck! Not to be negative, but I was too dumb to install sun java.

 

[Nothinman]

If you are a media junkie Linux is the last place you wanna go.

I can play all the media I want to listen to on my Linux boxes, infact I think the only stuff I can't do right now is encrypted WMA/WMV.

 

[Quasmo]

can I have your 2003 CD key? I'm in a bind ATM....

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: Pabster
If you are a media junkie Linux is the last place you wanna go.

Why? Waht's wrong with media on Linux? What's wrong with MythTV for example?

OP: I wouldn't move all the machines over to Linux at the same time. I probably wouldn't move them _all_ over at all - what if there's some app you need to run that will only work on Windows? And you know Windows games don't work under Linux, right?

Personally I'd move the server over first. Servers is what Linux is for, so you shouldn't have the kind of problems some people have when setting up GUI distros. It would show you a lot of the best things about the OS and give you a chance to learn the (powerful) command line too.

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: Ulfwald
Ok, I am running a Windows 2003 server in my home and it is my active directory server, also running dhcp, dns, and web server.

My wife's laptop, my desktop, and my son's desktop are all running xp pro.

I want to first take all the desktops over to linux, so I figure mandrake for those.

But then I want to set up a server for my home. the only problem is that I also use one of the commercially available media players. The Dlink music player, and as far as I know it has no linux based software so the box can access the music.

I would need to use a graphical interface until I learn my command lines for linux, so what would be a good distro for a home server?

whow..you want to replace all/most of your families comp's OS w/ Linux ?

And then...how to tell them there is nothing out on software ? 🙂

Also...you might read my comments somewhere since i was complaining about ubuntu - which didnt even boot all the way to the CD because the X-server had problems with my (very, very boring and standard) X850XT. Which kind of contradicts that it is a mature and stable OS.

Also..much fun teaching your wife/kids how to set-up linux, setting up an x-server etc....for the sake of TWO or so available programs under Linux.

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: Pabster
Let us know when you return to Windows :laugh:

If you are a media junkie Linux is the last place you wanna go.

Linux is the LAST place i'd let my GF (or kids ,if i had some) even NEAR 🙂

 

[Nothinman]

And then...how to tell them there is nothing out on software ?

There's lots of software and most of it's free and better quality than what's available on Windows.

Also...you might read my comments somewhere since i was complaining about ubuntu - which didnt even boot all the way to the CD because the X-server had problems with my (very, very boring and standard) X850XT. Which kind of contradicts that it is a mature and stable OS.

It says nothing of that sort, all it says is that ATI is a bunch of dicks for not providing any specs so good drivers can be written.

Also..much fun teaching your wife/kids how to set-up linux, setting up an x-server etc....for the sake of TWO or so available programs under Linux.

But that's the thing, they'll never have to do any of that.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: flexy
whow..you want to replace all/most of your families comp's OS w/ Linux ?

And then...how to tell them there is nothing out on software ? 🙂

Also...you might read my comments somewhere since i was complaining about ubuntu - which didnt even boot all the way to the CD because the X-server had problems with my (very, very boring and standard) X850XT. Which kind of contradicts that it is a mature and stable OS.

Also..much fun teaching your wife/kids how to set-up linux, setting up an x-server etc....for the sake of TWO or so available programs under Linux.

Wow, I thought you knew what you were talking about in that other thread, but I guess not.

What software do you want for Linux that is not available? Why should people spend their valuable time hacking around to make your X850 display pretty 3D graphics when, a) ATI could do it easily - they just choose not to, and b) there are far more important things to do with a Linux machine. Linux is a serious OS, for actual work, not a little boy's game console.

 

[Nothinman]

Why should people spend their valuable time hacking around to make your X850 display pretty 3D graphics when, a) ATI could do it easily - they just choose not to, and b) there are far more important things to do with a Linux machine. Linux is a serious OS, for actual work, not a little boy's game console.

Actually Linux is a good game console too, if only more games would come out for it. I don't know about ATI since I avoid their stuff at all costs, but I'm using the nVidia drivers on 2 machines and have virtually no problems with them. I'd prefer if they were OSS, but I'll deal with them for now.

 

[pkme2]

I've converted old windows machines to Linux for the past 3 years.
All my recent machines have been Ubuntu coversions.
Since all Linux software is free and requirements are about 1/4 of Windows.
P3s and some older P4s make excellent candidates for Linux.
Popularity wise and the ease of use imakes Ubuntu the popular OS.
You can get a Ubuntu Install about anywhere free, online or around home school or work, a free CD is usually available.
Just ask.🙂

 

[Seekermeister]

If it were me, I would just install Linux on one PC as a dual boot, which is basically what I have done. Linux has a learning curve, and unless you are alot smarter than the average geek, you would soon find yourself lost, if you only had Linux. I can't make any recommendations about distros, because so far, I have only used Mandrake and SuSe. I'm not too happy with either, so I'm going to try another also.

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: Seekermeister
Linux has a learning curve, and unless you are alot smarter than the average geek, you would soon find yourself lost, if you only had Linux.

And unless you have a lot more determination than the average geek, keeping Windows around as a dual boot makes it more likely that you'll react to problems by booting to Windows rather than by learning how to solve them in Linux. Yes, it can be a little rough at the start, but you'll learn much faster by jumping in feet first than by dipping your toes in the water.

 

[Nothinman]

P3s and some older P4s make excellent candidates for Linux.

I love when people describe P3s as ancient machines, the machine I'm typing this on right now is a dual Athlon 1.2. As long as you have enough memory the CPU speed isn't that important for things like email, web browsing, etc.

 

[flexy]

Originally posted by: Atheus

Originally posted by: flexy
whow..you want to replace all/most of your families comp's OS w/ Linux ?

And then...how to tell them there is nothing out on software ? 🙂

Also...you might read my comments somewhere since i was complaining about ubuntu - which didnt even boot all the way to the CD because the X-server had problems with my (very, very boring and standard) X850XT. Which kind of contradicts that it is a mature and stable OS.

Also..much fun teaching your wife/kids how to set-up linux, setting up an x-server etc....for the sake of TWO or so available programs under Linux.

Wow, I thought you knew what you were talking about in that other thread, but I guess not.

What software do you want for Linux that is not available? Why should people spend their valuable time hacking around to make your X850 display pretty 3D graphics when, a) ATI could do it easily - they just choose not to, and b) there are far more important things to do with a Linux machine. Linux is a serious OS, for actual work, not a little boy's game console.

uhm..yes....back in the server-room, where it belongs 🙂 On some router.

But i might approach my GF right now and tell her i will (force)-install Linux on her laptop...and then SLOWLY let it sicker thu to her that there is not ANY of the games she's playing for Linux 🙂 I'd be curious what she'd say 🙂

I don't deny you can have a nice desktop under L (when it works, that is)...and standard apps like staroffice and Webbrowinsing.

Ask yourself why Linux is under "non revenue generating" in any PC store.

Btw. i also do NOT deny that Linux is a serious OS, neither is Windows an effective one 🙂 But it comes down to software IMHO.

 

[flexy]

as for the OP...i dont know how proficient he is w/ Linux if he has to learn working under the cmd-line first.

I'd HIGHLY recommend only converting ONE PC to Linux for now, preferrably dual-boot and make a decision THEN 🙂

 

[cleverhandle]

Originally posted by: flexy
But i might approach my GF right now and tell her i will (force)-install Linux on her laptop...and then SLOWLY let it sicker thu to her that there is not ANY of the games she's playing for Linux 🙂 I'd be curious what she'd say 🙂

You know, some people don't play games. Or they play the ones that work under Linux.

I don't deny you can have a nice desktop under L (when it works, that is)...

WTH does that mean? My Linux desktop works far more reliably than my Windows desktops. My last Debian install was used day-in-day-out for over 3 years, living through multiple motherboard changes and countless major version software upgrades. The only reason I did a fresh install was that I switched to 64-bit when I built my Opteron machine.

and standard apps like staroffice and Webbrowinsing.

What exactly is a "non-standard" app, apart from games? And in answering that, please limit yourself to apps that you would actually pay for on Windows. I'm rather tired of the "GIMP sucks compared to the $600 Photoshop I pirated" arguments some people toss around.

Ask yourself why Linux is under "non revenue generating" in any PC store.

Um... probably because anybody who knows what Linux is usually also knows that it's freely available online and wouldn't bother paying for it? That would be why Red Hat ducked out of the retail market years ago and basically everyone else but SuSE followed suit. It's not rocket surgery... the money in free software is in support and services - home user retail purchases aren't part of that.

 

[Pabster]

Originally posted by: Atheus
Why? Waht's wrong with media on Linux? What's wrong with MythTV for example?

Absolutely nothing. MythTV rocks. But it isn't for newbies and it sure isn't something a total idiot can operate (like Windows MCE, for example.)

Despite the best efforts of the open-source community there remains a plethora of formats which are unsupported, devices which are unsupported, and various other quirks. In most cases it isn't their fault, but that is the way it is.

Linux is a great OS and it does have its uses, IMHO, not as a desktop OS and certainly not for a box tailored to multimedia activities.