Total newb (XP Addicted Loser)

[justaguy]

I feel a little bored with my current stuff and want to try to learn a little about Linux. The only thing holding me back is that I don't want to be without any games. I don't play a lot of things, but C&C and some others are must haves. I could always go dual-boot, but that doesn't seem that appealing to me. I have read about WINE a little, but admittedly not too much. Could somebody tell me if it is possible to run Win games through WINE and get any sort of reasonable results?

Also, I am thinking that Mandrake or Fedora is the best distro for me to get the "real" Linux experience without feeling like a complete moron who can no longer open his email. I know that there is ample information out there on this topic, but what do you guys think?

One specific question-will WINE run Microsoft Money 2003? That is a must for me.
Thnx for the help

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[Rob423]

he man im in teh same boat as you. I am like a XP nerd i know almost everything with this os and i want to get into linux heavily. From what i know KDE has some really good office type apps, and maybe it has something exactly like money2003 but not called that exactly.


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[justaguy]

Yeah, I could probably learn something new, but I don't want to force my wife to try another program. Plus we have an incredible amount of time invested in getting all the settings and all the accounts right. I guess I'm just gonna start loading stuff on a drive and go crazy. I've read that the -"Linux Community" whatever that means-places an emphasis on answering your own questions. I'm sure that means fixing bugs that you find yourself, but I'll go ahead and apply the principle to myself. Here goes...

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[TKS]

Could somebody tell me if it is possible to run Win games through WINE and get any sort of reasonable results?

Yes

I am thinking that Mandrake or Fedora is the best distro for me to get the "real" Linux experience without feeling like a complete moron who can no longer open his email

No...Mandrake and Fedora are not "real" Linux nor do they give a "real" Linux experience. They give a "basic" experience...but real Linux is without a GUI frontend and rc type BSD files...slackware and freeBSD would be the closest thing to getting a "real" Linux experience.

Would I recommend slackware and freeBSD to new users? No. If you want to "try out" Linux...use Knoppix or MEPIS which are both Live CD's. The one that is easier to use is MEPIS which gives you an option to install to your hard disk in a matter of a couple of clicks....otherwise, the LIVE cd's run in your RAM and don't insall to your hard disk. it would give you the opportunity to check out what linux is all about.

One specific question-will WINE run Microsoft Money 2003? That is a must for me.

Older versions of money ran (win95) but I don't know about newer ones. You'll have to check <A HREF="http://www.winehq.org/" target="_new">http://www.winehq.org/</A> for that one. Their forums should help you out.



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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[justaguy]

Thanks a ton. Your answer is very much appreciated.

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[TKS]

hOLD UP MANG!!!

Try a Live CD and let your wife get used to it. Or dual it up and see what she thinks. Or, get yourself an old computer and slap a copy on there! try <A HREF="http://www.retrobox.com/rbwww/home/" target="_new">RetroBox.com</A> for a cheap old computer that will work with Linux. Don't give up on it. It has everything you need. I use it to create PDF files, edit spreadsheets, I use Kmoney to track my finances. There isn't a limit to what you can do! For a easy to use Live CD most people will tell you to try Knoppix...but you'll have to pass a ton of parameters sometimes to get it to work for you. I've found <A HREF="http://www.mepis.org" target="_new">MEPIS Linux</A> to be the best Live CD out of the box. It detects just about everything. Give it a try, and see what happens. Plus, if you end up licking it a lot...you have an optional hard disk install.

Also, I promise you that you'll get a ton of help in the mepis.org forum... Look for me under the same nickname there and I will personnally help you with the install.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[Rob423]

lol.. yeah my smart move is going to be waiting till i get my Rediculous DELL XPS laptop 3.4ghz 1gb 15.4 lcd 60gb 7200rpm winXP pro and then turn my Desktop into a Linux dream machine!

Asus A7N8X Deluxe
80gb Maxtor
200gb WD 8mb cache..
Lian-Li PC-60
LiteOn 52X/LiteOn 811s DVD-RW
AMD XP2800+
LeadTek GF4Ti4200 128mb
Hitachi CML174
1GB Corsair XMS PC3200

 

[iccaros]

hmmmmmmmmmm.. fedora not real linux but FreeBSD is ... FreeBSD in Unix .... not linux no linux kernel and if you what to use fedora like a "real" linux start in init 3. or if you really what to learn linux BUILD it. try Linux from scratch and then beyond linux from scratch. Slackware great for a minimam linux and great starting point. but for a beginner??? I understand your point is if you don't know the command propt you don't know linux. not all people are hard core users. some just what to play games.


as for playing games... try winex http://www.transgaming.com/
or the best game to come out this year Unreal 2004 has a native Linux version..

Willaim S. Huskey
Network Engineer
SAIC
"there are 10 types of people in this world. They who understand binary and they who do not"

 

[justaguy]

Hey Guys-thanks for the help. No, I don't think that I want to go all the way to text-based Unix. I just want to seek out a way to break myself off of Billy G.'s monopoly and learn a little along the way. Not to start a flame war, but isn't saying text-based unix is the only real Linux a lot like saying DOS is the real windows? Basically somebody built a graphical front-end so that you don't need to know and type in all the commands that actually do the work. I'm not a programmer or developer, so I like and need the GUI. I am thinking I'll just get a new hdd and put Fedora on it in a dual-boot situation, that way I can learn at my own pace and hopefully not buy Longhorn!

Athlon XP 1900 (11x200) 42C (Load w/AX-7 & 8cm Tornado) - MSI K7N2 Delta - Corsair Value PC3200 - Gainward GF3 @ 250/550 - 80Gb WD 8Mb Cache -

 

[silverpig]

You can't get away from the command line in linux as easily as you can in windows. You will need to use it.

Some day I'll be rich and famous for inventing a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet.

 

[TKS]

You're missing my point. Slack is the best distro for BASE LINUX. No GUI. Linux to me is an OS that you should learn from the base up...just like I did microsoft as well. If I hadn't broke myself in DOS for the first few years I wouldn't appreciate what the GUI does for people. Hence why I feel that "real" linux is that closest to the base. Just like "real" microsoft was the last version that included DOS.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[silverpig]

You can kill the gui with any distro really. With bash it's all the same.

Some day I'll be rich and famous for inventing a device that allows you to stab people in the face over the internet.

 

[TKS]

Yeah but with slackware your there man...I mean..Its really just a preference. I've been a slackware user for so long...it's just the principle of it all. I don't expect anyone to understand....I mean...I learned on Solaris 2.0 and SunOS 5.3 for crying out load....bah..who cares.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[Sarissi]

I happen to disagree with your 'real' Linux. The kernel is the same whether or not a GUI is wrapped around it. People who want to come over from Windows are used to a GUI. I first got started in Linux, with Mandrake Linux 7.0 Powerpack Edition. I did some research first to find a distro that met my needs, mostly hardware support. I did not want a distro that was a nightmare to install and configure.

I had absolutely no UNIX exposure prior to my buying that Powerpack. The first thing I did, was read the manuals that came with it. Even with my research, I knew I was going to have a couple of hardware problems: winmodem and video card. Both easily solved.

Mandrake and Linux in general has come a very long way since then. Remember that modern PC OSes are GUI based. Text based is fine for those who want to go that route. Even with Mandrake, you can boot without X starting if you want it that way.

As far as MS-DOS is concerned, I started with 2.11.03 on the Tandy 2000 FD. Any OS that calls parts of itself from Disk, is a Disk Operating System (DOS).

I would advise all New Linux users to avoid Slashdot, since you will likely get the infamous RTFM from those fanatic propeller heads.

Mandrake Linux User (Windows too). I build PCs, one part at a time. {grin}

 

[TKS]

Actually, slackware IS the only real linux. Ask any slack user and they'll confirm. Slackware is the only distro that includes the intact kernel with no modifications whatsoever. This is why you still haven't seen the 2.6.X kernel in the current tree for slackware-current on package repositories...they test the crap out of everything and adapt TO the kernel instead of adapting it to them.

I won't argue that things have come a long way with mandrake and debian and gentoo and whatnot...they have. But, the most original and real linux kernel (hence real linux)...which is the entire reason linux exists today...is contained unaltered and utilized fully in every slackware distro out there. It's what Patrick Volkerding strives to do with every distro of slackware (since 1993)

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[silverpig]

Gentoo comes with the option of using the vanilla-sources kernel (you choose yours upon install), which is using the 2.4.25 kernel. AFAIK it's unaltered...



s signature has been formatted to fit your scr

 

[TKS]

I hate you



so Gentoo and Slackware.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS

 

[silverpig]

s signature has been formatted to fit your scr

 

[Johanthegnarler]

I enjoy command line, but i don't think it's good to throw someone into it all at once, which is why i chose redhat9. Unfortunately it's not working out as planned.

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[Spitfire_x86]

If you want to "try out" Linux...use Knoppix or MEPIS which are both Live CD's. The one that is easier to use is MEPIS which gives you an option to install to your hard disk in a matter of a couple of clicks....otherwise, the LIVE cd's run in your RAM and don't insall to your hard disk. it would give you the opportunity to check out what linux is all about.

Latest Knoppix distros contain 2 HD install scripts. Both are easy to use.

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[TKS]

gives you an option to install to your hard disk in a matter of a couple of clicks

Which is why I said the above and didn't say that Knoppix didn't have a hd install...just that MEPIS had an easier time for install.

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<b>It is always brave to say what everyone thinks. </b> <i>Georges Duhamel</i>

TKS