Memoirs of a Linux Convert

[Dozer]

I've made a concerted effort to use a Linux-only box for my essential computing needs at home. I am currently posting from a Mandrake 9.1 box running KDE 3.1, Opera 7.21, and a slew of applications ranging from OpenOffice, CrossOver Office, Samba, Xmss, and Xine.

I've been using this machine for my home needs for about a month and a half with no major issues. Configuring most of my hardware was easy--Mandrake recognized all major devices (HDD, Printer, etc.) The only thing I had to tinker with was my digital camera, sound card, etc. I can pull images off my Sony DSC-S50 with ease, I am networked with my Win2000 File Server through Samba, and I can control my other boxes through VNC.

CrossOver Office (basically a streamlined WINE version) allows me to run Photoshop and some other Windows apps, so I have complete functionality for what I need to use.

The only thing that I still am using Windows for is gaming, and watching television here in the office (I'm still trying to figure out how to run the television feature of my All-In-Wonder card under Linux).

All-in-all, after making the effort to learn how to use Linux, compile applications, and tweak the hardware settings to make it work, I am very happy with the system. Hardly ever have a crash, I can do all the things I did in Windows (some better), and I have a world of open source software at my disposal. It may not be for everyone, but for this convert, it was a satisfying move.

 

[timwhit]

That's all well and good, but what about speed? How do the different applications compare to comparable windows alternatives? How about native Linux apps versus running real win32 apps under emulation?

But, if it's working well for you then you have had far better luck than I. The last time I tried to use Linux it was a nightmare. I think it was Mandrake 8.?; and things didn't go too well. A lot of my hardware was completely unsupported and I couldn't even get a simple Internet connection to work so I said f___ it, and deleted the partition.

 

[The JoJo]

I'm glad to hear that Dozer. The step to jump over to Linux is getting smaller and smaller all the time.

One of my friends tried using gimp for a while, but then went back to Photoshop again. Have you had any problems with Crossover and Photoshop?

And I'm sorry to hear you had such a bad experience, timwhit.
I'm pretty glad with the autodetection in RH 9, btw, the support for hardware is getting quite good I think (No talking about Nforce here though, as I understand from threads in TechSupp... )

 

[Buck]

Good experiences guys. I think that this Linux business is getting easier to manage too, although I've had some problems myself. In the meantime, I'm using Firebird and OpenOffice on a Windows platform.

 

[Dozer]

That's all well and good, but what about speed? How do the different applications compare to comparable windows alternatives? How about native Linux apps versus running real win32 apps under emulation?

Most of the application I use at home are comparable in speed. I am extremely pleased with the way Opera works for browsing. OpenOffice applications function as well as Microsoft Office. Nothing seems to be too laggy. The only apps that I’ve tried using emulation are Photoshop and IE 6 (Photoshop because I need to be able to run it, IE just for kicks). I have tried to find comparable Linux applications to replace Windows apps (i.e. photo gallery software = K Gallery, budgeting software = K Budget, etc, etc.) And I’ve found solid replacements for most of my Windows apps. You do have to be patient in looking, however, and sometimes you’ll find several promising apps that turn out to be pretty cheesy once you get them installed. But that’s part of the fun of it, anyway, at least for me.

But, if it's working well for you then you have had far better luck than I. The last time I tried to use Linux it was a nightmare. I think it was Mandrake 8.?; and things didn't go too well. A lot of my hardware was completely unsupported and I couldn't even get a simple Internet connection to work so I said f___ it, and deleted the partition.

I don’t blame you, I think I would give up if I couldn’t get an Internet connection. My first experience was with Mandrake 8.1, which is currently installed on my web server. It took some work to get that box configured with a working connection, and then a lot of tweaking to get Apache running correctly (running three different web sites).

Have you had any problems with Crossover and Photoshop?

Crossover and Photoshop 6 work beautifully. My trial is about to expire with Crossover, so I’ll have to pony up the thirty or so dollars that it costs to register, but I believe it’s worth it. They seem to have worked out a pretty solid emulation system.

 

[CougTek]

Drake is Mandrake's strong point IMO, so I'm not surprised to read that configuring your hardware was a breeze.

Last time I tried Opera on Linux wasn't a good experience, but I think it was back in the Opera 6.x days so things can have changed now that 7.x is here.

I also tried Mandrake 8.0 and 8.1 and desktop user experience since then have improved tremendously, especially on the speed and responsiveness level. KDE 3, followed by Gnome 2.4 and impromevents to the kernel like the possibility to have pre-compiled version for recent x86 architectures were all big steps for the achievement of making Linux a viable desktop solution. Responsiveness is still not up to par with Win2K though, but it's no longer so annoying as to become a major issue IMO.

Many obstacles still exist before Windows' like point and click easiness, like application installations and upgrades for instance and the dependancy of the terminal to set up the OS conveniently.

 

[CityK]

The only reason why I still need MS Office is for VBA with Excel. Once OpenOffice achieves some sort of VBA compatibility, its see ya later forever for Bill.

In the meantime, although I do like W2K, I am starting to find it a little slow and looking a little archaic. XP really doesn't do much for me (with the exception of the speedy boot process and a few other little features that I can't think of right now), I just find it too bloated and filled with useless eye candy.

Although Linux isn't quite up to par with W2K, its nice to see and hear about it progressing along. I'm going to try to switch over in earnest fairly soon. I'll probably start my endeavour off with Mandrake and then make my way over to Gentoo or something once I'm a little more acclimatised.

To tell the truth, I'm rather looking forward to the adventure....that is, sticking it out, problem solving any difficulties that crop up, searching apps equivalent to those in Windows land etc. etc.

 

[CougTek]

Try Fedora Core guys. First official release is scheduled for November 13th, but so far, their Test 3 release has been the best distro I've installed. Fedora is Red Hat, but with all the latest packages, even more bleeding edge than Mandrake and Gentoo. Red Hat, if what I read is correct, is planning to replace their common desktop Red Hat version by Fedora Core in the future (there will be their Enterprise version and Fedora, but Red Hat desktop will vanish).

This is quite different from what we've been used to by Red Hat.

 

[CityK]

Thanks Coug, I'll definitely give that a go.

 

[SteveC]

From OSNews:

Just a couple of weeks into a new release, Mandrake Linux 9.2 users have encountered all sorts of problems. First, it was the problem of the missing kernel-source from the original ISO's as reported on the Mandrake Club site, then it was a slew of a major bugfix set of patches, including fixes to KDE and the kernel, and now reports are surfacing on Cooker (and which has been confirmed on Mandrake's site that Mandrake Linux 9.2 is killing some cdroms made by LG Electronics.

and from Mandrake's page:

Error scenario: Installing 9.2 and being told unable to install the base system and subsequent reboot reveals that CD-ROM drive is physically dead.
Why: According to LG Electronics, their ODD (Optical Disc Drive) products do not support Linux nor do they test with Linux. Unfortunately, many Dell computers (possibly others) come with these CD-ROM drives.
Solution: Currently there is no solution or work-around for this issue; it is still under investigation. Damage occurs even when doing a network install. At this point, please do not install Mandrake Linux 9.2 on any computer containing a LG-based CD-ROM drive or it will damage your CD-ROM drive! We are actively looking for a solution to this problem.

Something to keep in mind for those that want to try Mandrake 9.2.

 

[CougTek]

Oups, sorry SteveC. I read the same news not long ago and I posted a thread about it. I didn't see your post or I would have giving you the credit for it.