Linux Is A Handful

[DemonStar55]

I assume any distro has a bootloader that can see Windows and allow me the option to boot to that...

Every distro has its own pluses/minuses, and I'm just testing the Mandriva waters, and they're kind of cold. I do like the option to load into either KDE or GNOME or more, that offers a lot of options on how I use my computer. I don't think Ubuntu is a good choice, simply for that fact. As I recall, you have to have Kbuntu to use KDE, and as of now, I'm not sure which UI I like better.

SuSE seems really good, I hear it's bundled with a lot of nice things that max out your PC's potential in Linux, which I like.

I'm having troubles with WINE, I tried to run a really simple NES emulator and the screen went wacky. So I've been afraid of WINE since. At least I got it to install and run...

I'll have to give XMMS a go... If it gets skins and a media library, It'll definitely be my choice..

One problem: Whenever I install programs, I can't find them to use them... Where did XMMS install to? Where did all the other things I un-rpmed install to? I know, Linux Noooobb

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just open the run menu at least that's what it is in SuSE (Alt+F2) and type it in, you can also type stuff in the consoleor you can creat a short cut some where and just type in the apps name to run it

I had a problem with this too, but then I figured it out

 

[darkman]

I have tried a lot of different Linux distros. It really boils down to, "Is this the one for me?" I finally settled down to SuSE. I still use that old spare computer to try new releases and other flavors of Linux. Distrowatch on the net will give you a lot of info on different Linux distros.

 

[Rayek]

How do I add a shortcut again? I'd like it in the nice menu where I find all the media players.

Once I get past this big block in my brain, Linux won't be too bad.

Edit: This is hilarious, but I'm getting more help here, and quicker than on any Lunux help forums.

 

[Rayek]

To 'configure' the xmms library plugin, it says it needs glibs version 1.22 or greater to give me the make file. I can't find this anywheres. help me.

edit: nevermind, got it to work

 

[Rayek]

I'm going to try SuSE out. It looks cool, plus the budled package installer looks really sweet.

I'm just wondering if it has something similar to Mandriva, where you choose between a few UIs before you start. Or if I will have to use KDE, which I don't want to do.

 

[Trip]

One thing u've got to realise with Linux is that you're never against a brick wall.
If the distribution u choose doesn't come with Gnome/KDE or others pre-installed, then u can always install it later (I use Gnome myself as I found it a decent halfway point between the Windows desktop & the command line).

If u want to ease the transition into Linux a little more, then feel free to install cross compatible apps on your Windows partition too (or on another computer).

Open office
Firefox
Thunderbird
Gimp
Gaim Messenger
Audacity
NVU
Sunbird
Mplayer

There are plenty more out there, but u get the general idea
These will make sure that u don't have to learn all of the software, aswell as a completely new operating system.

Not tried SUSE yet, but I hear rearly good things about it & I can't see u going too far wrong with that choice. I'm pretty sure that it uses KDE as the main desktop though

***EDIT***
Sorry I got side tracked from what I was responding to..
One of the biggest pains of Linux is the fact that each distibution places installed programs & files within different folders. Check with your distribution on this, but I think that the main program files are stored usr/bin/, the main program folders in usr/shared/, anything that can't be wrote to & only read from in usr/libs/ & any program that let's the user change options in home/user name/name of prog

 

[Rayek]

Yeah, I know I can install GNOME later if I want to, I'm just wondering if SuSE comes with a certain boot system where when it asks you for your user name/password, it also asks what type of desktop environment you would like to use, and then in order to switch later, you can log out and log back in. If I install GNOME later, will I not be able to use KDE after that at all?

Edit: Thanks for the edit, this is really helpful. What about creating shortcuts?

 

[DemonStar55]

SuSE has a Session option in the bottom left that you can select KDE and some other things, but KDE is default but ti has some other things too that I haven't tried

 

[Trip]

Not the case with Linux mate.
If u install another desktop, then it doesn't cut u off from the first completely.
some times u might have to change a simple config file but that's about it.

Like I said before.. not tried SUSE yet so I can't speak from experience with that particular desktop (they all do things differently to some extent), but I started out using Slackware which is supposed to be one of the hardest to learn & that only took one line of code to change the default desktop from the command line so I can't see u getting stuck.
From what i've read (& seen on other systems) KDE has the better bootloader installed by default.

***EDIT***
Sorry DemonStar55 posted before me

Shortcuts in Linux are something that seems to be different for every desktop (adding to the start menu anyway).
Sh*t my servers down due to dodgy hardware so i'm tryin this from memory sorry!
In Gnome u can add an application launcher by right clicking on one of the desktop bars & u should see an option to add the normal command line code (XMMS or the name of the program), select an icon, fill in the name of the program & u should be away?
Been drinking tonight so don't be surprised if I get it a bit wrong <_<
What u normaly know as short cuts are refered to as system links in Linux (I think).

 

[Rayek]

Thanks everyone... This has been a really neat organic experience, and is leaving me feeling really nice about Linux.

But more questions...

Does someone have a multiboot SuSE system? Did you have to edit the bootloader (grub in this case) to see Windows, or are you presented with a menu, much like with Mandriva? Can I choose a different bootloade than Grub if it doesn't?

And if Grub doesn't do it like that, is it okay if I just leave the Mandriva bootloader onto it?

 

[DemonStar55]

Thanks everyone... This has been a really neat organic experience, and is leaving me feeling really nice about Linux.

But more questions...

Does someone have a multiboot SuSE system? Did you have to edit the bootloader (grub in this case) to see Windows, or are you presented with a menu, much like with Mandriva? Can I choose a different bootloade than Grub if it doesn't?

And if Grub doesn't do it like that, is it okay if I just leave the Mandriva bootloader onto it?

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I got SuSE with dual-boot, works fine, auto sets up everything, that's the point of suse anyways

EDIT: just found out SuSE 10.0 and up has GNOME

 

[darkman]

One thing about SuSE, and I know you can do this with some of the other distros, is that I can go into my computer on my desktop icon and access my Windows partition and "drag and drop" files. This is really neat if you use your Linux side to surf the net and do downloads for Windows.

 

[DemonStar55]

One thing about SuSE, and I know you can do this with some of the other distros, is that I can go into my computer on my desktop icon and access my Windows partition and "drag and drop" files. This is really neat if you use your Linux side to surf the net and do downloads for Windows.

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I like that feature, because my windows partion is bigger than my linux one and I put my music there, but that's almost gone now too
It's also useful for things like if you get a .ngr file and you have Nero on Windows but not Nero Linux (actually own the windows version, came with my CDROM drive)

 

[Rico]

My problems involved sound libraries... on KDE, almost nothing would play. On Gnome, music/movies did work but the UI didn't give me (or appear to give me) the flexibility I needed. Bear in mind this was after hours of messing around... from what I remember they'd ditched the old Linux sound system for a newer one but you had apps using both. It wasn't always obvious how to recompile an app to support a different sound system, and it certainly wasn't a 'just works'.

I actually prefer using Windows because the 3-4 times I've installed different distributions (Mandrake, Debian, Gentoo) something has always gone wrong and I haven't had the patience to fix it.

I'll check out Ubuntu/Kbuntu, though. Much nicer to have a fully working system BEFORE you start digging around the advanced stuff.

 

[Rayek]

I was having problems with sound, too.

Apparently, under Linux and using XMMS, you can't have two programs accessing the sound card at once? Kind of rediculous. But hey, it prevents other stuff interrupting my music, so not many complaints here.

I've 4 out of 5 disks downloaded for SUSE, and I'm almost ready for a new partitioning! This will be loads of fun. Later today we'll see how it works.

Rico, how long ago did you use the distros you listed? All those distros you chose have a nice bundled package now... I hear SUSE's is the best, that's why I'm trying it second. If that doesn't work well, then I'll have to go to the dark side... Ubuntu.

 

[moz]

try the live cds

 

[Rico]

Rico, how long ago did you use the distros you listed? All those distros you chose have a nice bundled package now... I hear SUSE's is the best, that's why I'm trying it second. If that doesn't work well, then I'll have to go to the dark side... Ubuntu.

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About a year ago; I recall that uninstalling Gentoo caused Windows to reletter my hard drives, and because I didn't know you could change them back via the admin console, I had to reformat

The newer of the two sound systems supports mixing, I'm sure. You probably need to change a setting in XMMS.

 

[Trip]

ALSA's the newer sound system & OSS is the old one.
Sound on a Linux system can be a real problem depending on the hardware u are using.
Newer computers/soundcards should be fine as the sound system has been greatly improved in the last two years, but i've read quite a few tutorials that tell u to disable one or the other if u keep runnin into trouble.
Try disabling OSS if u're installin on a newer computer or ALSA if your installin on an old one.

 

[DemonStar55]

some distros come with ALAS pre-packaged but it's recommended to compile it yourself. also with KDE it starts with the sound system in use or something and it's recommended to disable that feature if yyou run into problems.

 

[deadlychicken22]

I am new to linux as well. I have tried a couple different distros in the past and am now running on ubuntu. So far I really like ubuntu. It has a very simple feel to it that makes it less intimidating. I haven't actually installed anything by myself with it yet, as synaptic (the package manager it uses) has found everything I have searched for so far and then it will download and install it for me. Every few days a little help thing pops up in the upper right and tells me that there are newer versions of some of my software and I click on it and it downloads the new versions and installs them without making me do anything.

If you want a simple distro I would definitely recommend ubuntu.