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why would i want to install linux, if i already have a capable OS in Windows

B

BlahBlahYouToo

Lifer
i've been using XP ever since its release and it's been great.
stable, excellent hardware/software support.

i want to dual boot with ubuntu, but i don't know why.
if i didn't already have an XP license, i could see why - for cost reasons. but since i already do, what are some reasons i would want to play around with linux.
geek factor?
 
Because there is a hole in your soul.

Unless you enjoy learning new things like this, don't bother.

Dual booting usually isn't worth the time. You'll spend all of your time in Windows and wonder why you're wasting the drive space on Linux.
 
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Because there is a hole in your soul.

Unless you enjoy learning new things like this, don't bother.

Dual booting usually isn't worth the time. You'll spend all of your time in Windows and wonder why you're wasting the drive space on Linux.
Click to expand...

i have 1TB with plenty to spare. space is a non issue. i enjoy tinkering around.
do i (should i) have to give it a dedicated partition?
 
If you just want to play around with it at first grab a couple of LiveCDs from some of the popular distros and try them out. If you like it enough to have it permanently then you can install to your hard drive... but for drive by trying out of Linux LiveCDs are the way to go.
 
Originally posted by: Crusty
If you just want to play around with it at first grab a couple of LiveCDs from some of the popular distros and try them out. If you like it enough to have it permanently then you can install to your hard drive... but for drive by trying out of Linux LiveCDs are the way to go.
Click to expand...

i take it with these, you can boot from cd straight to a linux os?
 
Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
Originally posted by: Crusty
If you just want to play around with it at first grab a couple of LiveCDs from some of the popular distros and try them out. If you like it enough to have it permanently then you can install to your hard drive... but for drive by trying out of Linux LiveCDs are the way to go.
Click to expand...

i take it with these, you can boot from cd straight to a linux os?
Click to expand...

Yep. Live CDs are okay, VMWare is better. 🙂
 
Correct. It's just a CD/DVD with all software needed to run the OS. You can make changes to the OS while you are using it, like install software or whatnot, but they won't persist through a reboot.
 
Originally posted by: n0cmonkey
Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
Originally posted by: Crusty
If you just want to play around with it at first grab a couple of LiveCDs from some of the popular distros and try them out. If you like it enough to have it permanently then you can install to your hard drive... but for drive by trying out of Linux LiveCDs are the way to go.
Click to expand...

i take it with these, you can boot from cd straight to a linux os?
Click to expand...

Yep. Live CDs are okay, VMWare is better. 🙂
Click to expand...

Yep. Live CDs are easy, VMWare is harder. 🙂


😉
 
i have access to vmware, i think i'll go that route.

just curious, how does a live cd work with hardware and drivers? it has a bunch of drivers on the disc and will load them as needed?
 
Ubuntu has the new wubi system. You install Ubuntu as an app inside of Windows, and it sets up a kind of fake dual boot. You pick which O/S you want at startup, and boot into it. It can be uninstalled through add/remove programs, and doesn't require you to partition your drive. I think that would be the way to go until you're sure you want to dedicate disk space to Linux.
 
Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
i have access to vmware, i think i'll go that route.

just curious, how does a live cd work with hardware and drivers? it has a bunch of drivers on the disc and will load them as needed?
Click to expand...

In that case definitely use VMware. It'll give you the most flexibility of all the solutions IMO.
 
Originally posted by: lxskllr
Ubuntu has the new wubi system. You install Ubuntu as an app inside of Windows, and it sets up a kind of fake dual boot. You pick which O/S you want at startup, and boot into it. It can be uninstalled through add/remove programs, and doesn't require you to partition your drive. I think that would be the way to go until you're sure you want to dedicate disk space to Linux.
Click to expand...

this is best way to try ubuntu. Or a usb live with some space
 
I would go with virtualbox over vmware.
Click to expand...

Doesn't VirtualBox still require a GUI? With VMware I can startup a VM, close the admin tool and just treat the VM as any other machine and login via ssh, rdp, etc.
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
I would go with virtualbox over vmware.
Click to expand...

Doesn't VirtualBox still require a GUI? With VMware I can startup a VM, close the admin tool and just treat the VM as any other machine and login via ssh, rdp, etc.
Click to expand...

It's also a PITA if you want to use a certain BSD (as in its emulation appears to be a bit broken)...
 
I find linux boots faster and is quicker to use for many things. Not to mention easier to set up and maintain. However, on a system with sufficient hardware specs (mainly enough ram) and already set up and booted, there's little difference between using windows or linux. Most of the good free software for linux is also available for windows anyway. Linux has some nice window manager options (multiple virtual desktops and the ability to pin windows so they're always on top is nice, as well as transparent windows) but most of the more useful desktop functions aren't included by default in most distros or require some asinine key command that you wouldn't know unless you looked for it.
 
Well, the driver support sucks. Even a laptop as mainstream as HP DV2000 has trouble getting the webcam work and other small stuff. I want to love linux but I wish could work right out of box.
 
Originally posted by: IHAVEAQUESTION
Well, the driver support sucks. Even a laptop as mainstream as HP DV2000 has trouble getting the webcam work and other small stuff. I want to love linux but I wish could work right out of box.
Click to expand...

I was just thinking last night how good the laptop support was for Linux :^D

You're right though. When the hardware's supported, Linux works very well; When it isn't, it's hell trying to get something working. It usually involves late nights for a few days in a row, and me being soundly defeated in the end :^D
 
Originally posted by: Nothinman
I would go with virtualbox over vmware.
Click to expand...

Doesn't VirtualBox still require a GUI? With VMware I can startup a VM, close the admin tool and just treat the VM as any other machine and login via ssh, rdp, etc.
Click to expand...

Require? No. I run a good chunk of my services in headless VirtualBox sessions on one of my HTPCs.

VBoxHeadless --startvm {machine_name}
Click to expand...

Then either RDP or ssh into the box as needed.
 
Linux is nice in that it's fast and less hardware intensive, plus you don't have to worry about viruses and it's way more reliable than Windows.
 
Require? No. I run a good chunk of my services in headless VirtualBox sessions on one of my HTPCs.
Click to expand...

I might have to look at it again if I have problems compiling the VMware kernel modules.
 
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