-- Posted by OzX at 9:55 pm on May 30, 2003 ? -- Posted by AndreBSD at 10:35 pm on May 30, 2003 Well, if you dont know why youd want to switch to it, then dont switch :P... Now id actualy recommend BSD over Linux/GNU Distros, as BSD is easyer for me and well it still runs Linux/GNU programs anyway. As for why i use it? well I do some software programing, I personaly dont trust windows with any important data as I pretty much grew up with *nix; and non microsoft os's... used amigas for quite some time; so windows was never realy a personal favorite for me. I do think windows assumes alot (*nix doesnt), I dont realy like that.. I want to say; heres a video card that i just put in.. let me set it to my exact settings, and not have windows assume im useing a monitor that can take 800x600.. if im running it on a tv thats going to look best in 320x240. So yeah, thats pretty much why i use BSD.. linux can do the same stuff ofcourse, i just never found linux to be easy as people say. -- Posted by XxCrazyDawg69xX at 12:45 am on May 31, 2003 what is linux? -- Posted by AndreBSD at 11:08 am on May 31, 2003 Linux is a kernel developed by Linus Torvalds. Linux/GNU Distrobutions are then an operating system that works on your computer. People always just say Linux as the operating system; I still dont realy get why they do that... as if everyone rightaway said, hey.. I use "Mandrake 8.0 [Linux/GNU Distro]" Then you dont get people in chat saying stuff like "Linux 8.0 doesnt exist" (and it doesnt).. or "What Linux/GNU Distro are you using then?" -- Posted by vitamin at 3:23 pm on May 31, 2003 Well it is an Operating system thought isnt it! -- Posted by vidchi at 6:47 pm on June 13, 2003 I seem to find FreeBSD harder than Redhat (obviously because Redhat easily probes and configurates your hardware automatically, thus there isn't much of a learning curve). I like Linux more as a desktop operating system, but most BSDs are not for desktops. Most BSDs are for servers, for the exception of Mac OS X. Mac OS X, an operating system based off the Mach, I prefer it over Linux simply because there is no learning curve and it offers the power of unix. If freebsd was any easier than mac os x i'd probably use it, otherwise i'd stick with linux. -- Posted by AndreBSD at 7:34 pm on June 13, 2003 Quote: from vidchi at 6:47 pm on June 13, 2003 I seem to find FreeBSD harder than Redhat (obviously because Redhat easily probes and configurates your hardware automatically, thus there isn't much of a learning curve). I like Linux more as a desktop operating system, but most BSDs are not for desktops. Most BSDs are for servers, for the exception of Mac OS X. Mac OS X, an operating system based off the Mach, I prefer it over Linux simply because there is no learning curve and it offers the power of unix. If freebsd was any easier than mac os x i'd probably use it, otherwise i'd stick with linux. Well you mention no learning curve for OSX and offering the power of unix... well inorder to actualy realy use the unix part, your going to have to learn something. Generaly if your sitting there just using the thing, it doesnt mater that unix runs behind it (and simply using the computer, isnt realy using the power of unix, lol); other than being more stable and in some cases quicker. As for Redhat probing your hardware, well FreeBSD does the same thing, just not as graphical as Redhat.. when you install Redhat itll in a gui ask what you want done. With FreeBSD after the os is installed, and while still in /stand/sysinstall you can configure most anything; but you dont have a mouse to do it with (other than configuring X server, witch does have a gui setup) ---- Well it is an Operating system thought isnt it! Well no, if you just take the linux kernel and slap it on a computer, theres no way thats going to do you any good.. as you cant just boot the kernel itself and bring up a terminal or gui. -- Posted by Starji at 10:58 pm on June 17, 2003 To the origional question, basically you switch to linux if you want some flexibility on how your comptuer works, than and if you don't like selling your soul to M$ (which isn't horribly far from the truth either).   As far as your distro is concerned, that's up to you.  Generally if you play around with the linuxes as much as I have you tend to find that some are more restrictive than others (Red Hat for instance and their RPM package management formats can make things VERY restrictive).   And on the BSD vs Linux thing, FreeBSD makes a great server, but not as good as a desktop OS.  I noticed when running X on FreeBSD it was consistantly using 10% of my processor for no apparent reason, and linux doesn't do that.  Mabye there was a misconfiguration but I thought that was unacceptable.   -- Posted by LOLatMe at 8:51 pm on June 26, 2003 Quote: from OzX at 10:55 pm on May 30, 2003 ? Because you'll be 1337 if you do.  And you'll get to be a part of the community.  (Of pasty white nerds living in their parents' garages).  And you'll get to be "cool" and replace the S in Microsoft with a dollar sign.  Because you're "cool."  And Micro$oft obviously isn't. I'm sorry.  Well, back to Slashdot I go. :D -- Posted by doctorcfaz at 11:41 pm on June 26, 2003 the newer versions of mandrake and redhat are really pretty user friendly...there is a learning curve, but if you consider yourself reasonably techie you should be fine... -- Posted by vitamin at 5:43 pm on July 4, 2003 And they are both real fun to play around with... just stay well out of root..... -- Posted by WhiteDwarf at 12:49 am on July 15, 2003 I'm a big Linux fan...Linux is an open source Operating system allowing for very nifty configs in the kernal, also all the apps are open source too (GNU license) meaning if you have programming skills you can basically make the OS what you want...the FreeBSD saying "tools, not policy" meaning we provide you with what you want not a set of guidelines...so it's up to you....Windows is a singler user single process kind of OS, while Linux you can have several users logged into your computer running several background processes...it's very different...if you'd like a taste of what running a OS that is great for services, you can login to my FreeBSD shell account....and try it out...depending on your Wind0ze OS i'm assuming you have that...Start>Run>Command or cmd.exe depending on your OS> than whence the black box opens aka DOS (disk-operating-system) type in "telnet m-net.arbornet.org"  Telnet is a old yet useful client/server used for logging into computers..it is insecure though due to the fact if a person set up a packet sniffer on the network they could pick up your password...SSH is much more secure....my login is: whitney Password:andrew    ...there is nothing really on their i believe make sure you make use of the "man" command ;D -- Posted by ajm51987 at 1:40 pm on July 16, 2003 huh well it would not let me enter a password. Oh well... -- Posted by WhiteDwarf at 4:16 pm on July 16, 2003 Didn't prompt you for a password? hmmm, i just logged into it...username is "whitneyz" not sure i have about 100 shell accounts though...if you're interested ;) -- Posted by pico at 4:14 am on Aug. 9, 2003 linux is for geeks who like to make things hard on themselves and see MS as 'big brother' - I admin 50 linux machines.   -- Posted by antimac at 8:43 pm on Aug. 27, 2003 yeah, open source is good.  im just too lazy to get it.  are windows apps compatible w/ it?  i dont think ive seen photoshop for linux.  in that case, its win2k for me.  tho its good for DB and server stuff -- Posted by the real anti christ at 5:55 pm on Oct. 26, 2003 [color=white] me, its just Im so lazy, all the time to install and to transer all my crap. naww Ill stick with windows -- Posted by boredMDer74 at 6:00 pm on Oct. 26, 2003 Quote: from antimac at 11:43 pm on Aug. 27, 2003 yeah, open source is good.  im just too lazy to get it.  are windows apps compatible w/ it?  i dont think ive seen photoshop for linux.  in that case, its win2k for me.  tho its good for DB and server stuff Using packages like Wine, WineX, Crossover Office, you can run many Windows apps under Linux, but there's no guarantee. I believe I've seen photoshop being run in Wine, though... -- Posted by ajm51987 at 7:12 pm on Oct. 27, 2003 Quote: from WhiteDwarf at 4:16 pm on July 16, 2003 Didn't prompt you for a password? hmmm, i just logged into it...username is "whitneyz" not sure i have about 100 shell accounts though...if you're interested ;) No i mean that after i enter the user name it will ask for a password and will not let me type it in. The cursor does not blink. -- Posted by vitamin at 2:47 am on Oct. 28, 2003 Linux is stunning the stability is great..... My redhat server stays on 24 Hours a day never a problem with it!!! -- Posted by radium at 6:53 pm on Nov. 18, 2003 I enjoy litestep.  Its just a win32 shell.  Has a linuxy type feel to it,  quite customizable and stuff. -- Posted by vitamin at 7:07 am on Nov. 19, 2003 Never heard of it!!! Where could i take a look? ;) -- Posted by radium at 4:06 pm on Dec. 7, 2003 Quote: from LOLatME at 11:51 pm on June 26, 2003 Quote: from OzX at 10:55 pm on May 30, 2003 ? Because you'll be 1337 if you do.  And you'll get to be a part of the community.  (Of pasty white nerds living in their parents' garages).  And you'll get to be "cool" and replace the S in Microsoft with a dollar sign.  Because you're "cool."  And Micro$oft obviously isn't. I'm sorry.  Well, back to Slashdot I go. :D You seem to have it about down to the letter.   /.  nerds ahoy. -- Posted by linuxdaemon at 4:14 pm on Dec. 9, 2003 >what is linux? instead of asking what is linux you should know what it isn't. it isn't an operating system that the average home user should use today to take care of every day tasks such as email, web browsing, chatting, word processing. windows os is perfectly fine for this type of work.  it isn't an os which should be used if you are into playing games - anyone happen to catch the VGA on SpikeTV the other night - because many games made for windows is not compatible with linux. yes some may argue that Wine Project is changing all this but still if you think about it realistically game companies are making games and converting games from game systems to the pc mainly for msft windows and not linux.  linux is not an OS to be used if you wish to save time NOT money.  i say time because with linux you have to put in some work to update packages and install security updates and what not especially the kernel.  as for windows you just run msft update once a week, month, whatever and voila your systems up to date with linux it is a much more enduring process where your bound to at some time lose your marbles.   now on to what linux is.  linux is an os which should be used for the security conscious.  linux is for those who wish to save money not time.  linux is great for those computer science majors or programmers. i find that gnu c/c++ gives you more power over the programs you write then do msft vc++ and other design software for windows.  linux is an os which should be used if you want to run a server of any kind: web, ftp, gopher, file, etc.. security vs ease of use. you decide. (Edited by linuxdaemon at 4:27 pm on Dec. 9, 2003) -- Posted by radium at 1:22 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 Quote: from vitamin at 10:07 am on Nov. 19, 2003 Never heard of it!!! Where could i take a look? ;) sorry about not answering sooner,  i forgot that i was in this thread.. heh. im using the one off http://ls-ots.cjb.net/   its rather user friendly (ed- my parents can handle it) compared to some of the other releases ive used. -- Posted by Cerberus at 8:53 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 I think Vitamin was being sarcastic... -- Posted by radium at 9:29 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 Quote: from Cerberus at 11:53 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 I think Vitamin was being sarcastic... perhaps,  but sarcasm doesnt really translate well over the net..    We could always pull out sarcasm tags.. -- Posted by Cerberus at 11:49 pm on Dec. 10, 2003 Why would anyone want to do that    ? (hope you don't need tags for that one ;) ) -- Posted by darkfollower at 11:00 am on April 14, 2004 Yea linux is not for the modern home computer at all yes it has very little viruses and if it stops your reprogram it I use all systems with all my work but I like linux mandrake 9.0 the best epecially the games I've got for it -- Posted by mephisto mortis at 2:25 pm on July 5, 2004 Quote: from antimac at 8:43 pm on Aug. 27, 2003 yeah, open source is good.  im just too lazy to get it.  are windows apps compatible w/ it?  i dont think ive seen photoshop for linux.  in that case, its win2k for me.  tho its good for DB and server stuff well lindows os is a good linux distro to run windows apps, but wine is available for all distros to emulate windows.  oh and MS is big brother to whoever who said that www.linuxiso.org    - to learn about the many different distros www.linux.org        -duh! www.google.com/linux       - to search things that are related to linux