How does LINUX work? If I go to L from Windows, will I be able to run my software (IE: games, etc…)? If not, how much software is available for LINUX, both in games and in utilities (word processors, etc.)?
I am really starting to hate windows, but am reluctant to think of changing because all of the software that I use is configed for windows…
Help!!
software made for windows will not work in linux without MAJOR massaging (windows emulators, dos emulators, etc…) if at all. and even then you’ll be on your own. there is software made for linux and its usually free. not a whole lot of games out for it, but there have been ports of quake and the like. beware if you’re thinking about just ‘making the switch’ from windows to linux, because there’s a definite learning curve involved.
Yeah, muppetsoup is right, you can’t run Windows software on Linux without an emulator. There aren’t many games for Linux, but there are a few Office suites (and they’re free).
I wouldn’t recommend ‘making the switch’ though; why not use both? You can set up your machine so that you can choose between Linux or Windows at bootup, and this will give you time to check out Linux, while still keeping all your current software useful.
Some versions of linux are quite easy to install, just stick in a CD and follow the directions. So there’s not too much of a problem in that aspect.
The real problem I find, as others have mentioned, is the commercial software available. You can get Corel’s WordPerfect Suite for linux, but that’s pretty much it.
There is quite a bit of software available that is not commercial, but you have to be prepared to invest LOTS of time in configuring it. For example, I wanted to have something like Microsoft Developer Studio for Fortran. There are a number of major components that this requires (text editor, fortran compiler, debugger, the studio that ties them all together). In windows, just stick in the CD and it sets it up for you. In linux, you have to get these components and configure them so they all work together yourself. After many hours of working on it, I just gave up.
One trick you can do if you partition your hard-drive for both windows and linux is to run the windows programs in linux through an emulator called wine. It doesn’t work for all programs so you have to try it out and again there is some configuring you’ll have to do. I got it working for Microcal Origin, which kicks gnuplot’s arse. I beleive it can even work for Quake.
You are dead with linux unless you have a good book.
Most of the people I work with have both Linux and Windows, and use Win only for games. They call it “Wintendo.”
One of the biggest chores facing someone who is moving from Windows to Linux is the repartitioning of their harddrive.
Fear not.
There is a version of Linux called ZIPSLACK (a form of SlackWare) which will mount on any DOS partition (FAT32), so you can simply install it without any repartitioning.
You would boot the computer normally to use Windows, or use a bootdisk to boot the machine for Linux.
To me, the best part about Linux is that it’s modular. If I don’t need a GCC compiler, I don’t have to install it. The same goes for Emac or X-Windows stuff. If I do need it, it’s easy to find.
Oh, and ZipSlack is free. (beat THAT, Bill!)
WARNING – you probably need at least some knowledge of *nix before using this package, or at least be willing to learn on the fly. Otherwise, you’ll be totally lost when dealing with Gimps and Gnomes and Bashes. Make sure that you understand what the terms Image, Kernel, and PCMCIA mean. Know the difference between a Boot disk and a Root disk.
Go here:
Before You Begin
And here:
DOS/Windows to Linux (chapters 7 & 11 deal somewhat with running Win apps from Linux.)
Best of luck,
David
Erm…don’t go there.
What I meant to say is…
Go here:
http://www.control-escape.com/lx-before.html
(Before You Begin…good introduction)
And here:
http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/DOS-Win-to-Linux-HOWTO.html
(chapters 7 & 11 deal somewhat with running Win apps from Linux.)
-David
FWIW–I have heard, although I have never seen it, that there is a version of Linux that actually works within Windows. It is supposed to install as a file within Windows and all you have to do is double click the file and your in Linux.
I can’t say how good it is or even if it works.
It would really, REALLY help if you have a few close friends who run and know linux pretty well. I was going to set up a linux box just to use as a fire wall/server for my assorted win boxes. I never made it, so I sold it to a friend 3 months ago and he has yet to get it to work right either. We are both linux newbies but we know lots of people. The best way would be to have someone come over and walk you through everything. I have decided I hate linux(JOKE). For all the shit microshaft gets, its never as bad or as good as people say it is. Win 95/98 gave them a really bad name. Win 2k and Win ME are actually (so far for me) very stable. I have been running 2k since Feb and have yet to reformat. I was going 3 to 4 weeks between them when I was running 98. If you dont have a clue about Linux and know nobody that does, it will take a lot of work for you.
deadman
Thanks kids! I’m gonna do some serious research on this before I decide… just a while ago I had to reinstall win98 AGAIN! (3rd time in a week!)…
" just a while ago I had
to reinstall win98 AGAIN! (3rd time in a week!)…"
I would love to read your system specs. You shouldn’t have to do that. Why are you reinstalling?
Yeah, reinstalling often doesn’t help because you keep a lot of the configurations from the previous install. You may have to reformat first. Try to get a copy of Norton Utilities (I don’t know what the 98 version is called) and run the WinDoctor, it’s pretty good at fixing things.
For a good program to partition your hard drive, look into Partition Magic. It starts in windows and will repartition your drive without erasing all the existing files, just moves them all into the new partition (if the parition is big enough). You can do a lot of damage if you’re not careful though since it’s so easy to use.
I would also second the advice to get some help for your first try at installing linux. If I didn’t have some real wizards helping me, I would have been lost.