Posted on 02/11/2014 4:52:32 AM PST by ShadowAce
OK, so which one should I use? :-)
I’m a former unix admin, so none of them scare me. However, I use a Win7 system due to software. I LIKE Office and windows gaming....
Is there a decent emulator available for those progs that are not Linux-native?
As for Office, LibreOffice is quite good, and it comes in a Windows version, so you can try it out before you make the OS switch.
There are quite a few games available on Linux--including Steam. I use Wine to run the one or two Windows games I like (Civilization, mainly), and Wine usually comes with the distro's repository, so you can install it with a single command.
I appreciate the info. I used an early iteration of Wine years ago and it sucked pretty bad; is the newer flavor ok? I have a love-hate relationship with winblows... love the applications, hate the OS.
love the applications, hate the OS.
I definitely understand that. There are days when I kinda wish I ran Windows, so I could play a game I'm reading about, but Windows just keeps getting in the way. I'd much rather be free from prying eyes/big brother/registration/etc.
I use the predecessor of Libre, openoffice.
IMHO...
Many, many, many file formats, covers all the bases I need.
In other words, you have word docs, excel, project management, graphics, slide presentation files in the m$ format, or in the native openoffice / libre formats.
They are a full office suite, you can exchange files with people using windoze, just save in their format.
Download a powerpoint presentation from a website ? Just run it ! It works. Your bank has the ability to download Excel files of your bank activity ? Download and boom, openoffice / libre can read them.
Also very cool is that there is a windoze version of openoffice (I assume so for libre). You know, that version is a windoze program that runs on M$. So you can get friends & family to run that version even if they don’t switch to unix (oops, linux) right away. I find the user interface to M$ office programs, every new version, wacks out with all these cutesy graphical junk things - and everything changes in where its located. A new version of Excel is thus a pain in the neck to re-learn how to do what you used to do. My old openoffice does not try to be cute, it is pretty straightforward. I hope after I upgrade it will be just as easy - I think it will.
In addition to openoffice, Linuxes have a decent working email client as well, just point it at your email server and go.
Linuxes also allow you to download software like Gimp that lets you create or edit existing pictures.
As always, learn about the operating system you are running in terms of security ! Lock down your PC.
Most windoze users simply don’t do that. And to a large extent, windoze is designed to have more open doors and be be more confusing for the local admin (you). But linux/unix also needs to have its security doors closed. Hour for hour spent learning, you’ll be more effective on linux at doing that. Linux has more upfront learning time since it’s such a broad operating system. But the nice thing is your old knowledge for the most part does not have its usefulness disappear with the next version. People who worked with unix in the 1960s could sit right down and be productive on a modern unix. If you knew Win95 well, a lot of your knowledge was win95 specific and has been superseded by 1,000 times more things you should learn. There are whole “frameworks” that never existed in win95, things work very differently.
Of course, if you’re on linux brand 1, then want to blow it away and install linux brand 2, etc., you’ll want to have all your files under one directory. Then you can just copy that to your new install and you’re right back where you were.
Of course, you should keep backups of your data should anyhoo as a matter of routine.
I’ll probably leave mine dual-boot, just so I can use winblows natively when I want to (games) and a Linux environment for the rest of my computing. I have used openoffice before. The version I used was a little cludgy, but I understand the later editions are better.
I played with debian and Ubuntu before, and Have setup a CentOS webserver for a nonprofit I work with, but personally I am looking for a simple desktop OS that allows me under the hood for small custom stuff (cron, shell scripts, etc.) I may want to crank up a httpd for a temporary use or setup an inhouse email server. Again, nothing major, but I don’t want to have to babysit a Linux OS any more than I like to debug and secure my Winblows machine.
Kubuntu KDE all the way ;^)
Per Distrowatch:
Ubuntu, Linux Mint and PCLinuxOS are considered the easiest for new users who want to get productive in Linux as soon as possible without having to master all its complexities. On the other end of the spectrum, Slackware Linux, Arch Linux and FreeBSD are more advanced distributions that require plenty of learning before they can be used effectively. openSUSE, Fedora, Debian GNU/Linux and Mageia can be classified as good "middle-road" distributions. CentOS is an enterprise distribution, suitable for those who prefer stability, reliability and long-term support over cutting-edge features and software.
That being said, I think I opt for one of the "middle of the road" distributions.
Any recommendation?
Agreed. I have wanted to switch to a Linux desktop for a long time.... just never seemed to find the time to get one the way I wanted it, though I have come lose.
I spent some time with RedHat and fedora, early FreeBSD, Debian, etc. Set up a CentOS webserver for a non-profit.
Really just want a simple desktop for 80% of my computing needs with the ability to get into the weeds as the need arises.
Neither of the previous replies to you mentioned that you can install (or boot LiveDisk without having to actually install) on a USB too... I install all of my OS’s from USB.
Download an ISO, boot with it (either from DVD or USB) and mess around with it to see if you like it (meaning the different distros)..
If you like it, you can choose to install. Mint, for sure, is pretty automatic with detecting and using your ‘net connection upon boot (has a weakness to one brand of wireless, can’t remember which one, since the one I use worked with no problems).
Also, since you are limited, I suggest either Mate or XfCE, it works wonders on old laptops and PCs.. and I am talking about 10+ years old; XfCE is Not as user friendly though.. Next, I would recommend KDE.. a little bit more resource needed, but is manageable... Cinnamon (and Unity/Ubuntu) are both resource hogs (eye candy stuff)).
I still have a RedHat CD from around 2000 (or so) buried somewhere.. I should stick it in and see how it performs on my system now :)
BTW, have you tried out Mint XfCE? It may be what you are looking for...
MINT KDE.. You have the experience.. that’s all you need to be up and running in NO time. From booting the LiveCD (USB), through getting the updates.. no more than 20-30 minutes (and only 1 reboot.. that was after the initial install).
The most flexible Linux I know of, as long as you can use terminal comfortably (don’t even need the terminal, but it helps).
(And, it doesn’t have to be Mint either... there are Debian based KDE distros out there with rolling updates so you don’t have to go through the dev update every few months... But, I stick to the Kubuntu since it gives me an excuse to do a fresh install every few months..).
I will definitely check out OpenSUSE KDE.. I am pretty partial to KDE.. not many of the others give the flexibility of KDE.
Lol XD
I was wondering what Linux 8.1 was ;^)
Libre can run M$ Office docs... WINE (WINE Is Not and Emulator) can run many, if not most games (for free)... and there is another that is called Crossfire (sets up and install pre fixed configs for apps and games), but it is pay and play.. :p
One more option we haven’t mention.. VirualBox... You can run Windows inside your Linux OS.. some slight limitations (case-by-case).. but it is what I use for PhotoShop.
Middle of Raod.. in my experience, would be any KDE Distro.. not beginners stuff, but very easy to catch up with the differences.. As far as I know, it is the most flexible.. you have complete control of what and where to put things... you can even make it look like WinBlows, if you want.
Any idea what’s up with CentOS?
Wanted to test it out, but it seems to be gone now :/
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