thinking of changing to linux in the future?

Question

i have always used vista but i know that linux is actually programmable so i would like to change to that. can someone tell me the main differences?

some of the main things i would like to know is if you have a recent game (all seem to require vista) is there an easy way to play it on linux?

is comparing vista to linux the same as comparing internet explorer to firefox? (in the sense of basically the same but firefox has useful addons)

what are the good benefits of running linux over vista?

do you need to know an extreme amount about computer programming to be able to customize linux?

are there many viruses out there for linux?

Answer 1

WHY LINUX IS BETTER http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/



Linux is now in a position of offering a viable alternative to proprietary platforms and more than capable of offering a full desktop experience.



Take a look at Linux Mint 6 (Main Edition) its easy to install easy to use and has much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled.



Install it or RUN IT LIVE !



Linux Mint 6 Release notes

http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_felicia.php



Linux Mint 6 Download

http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=31



Linux Mint 6 installation tutorial (if you like it)

http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-6-felicia



You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 6 then you need to create a Bootable CD from the ISO. This can easily be done using Nero Burning ROM or similar software. Linux Mint 6 can also be run straight from the LiveCD you have created without touching your Hard Drive.



Screenshot of my custom LiveDVD of Mint 6 running Beryl 0.2.1

http://s266.photobucket.com/albums/ii256/Linux_Ubuntu_geek/?action=view¤t=Screenshot-1.png



Remember you can RUN IT LIVE !





LUg.

Answer 2

"i have always used vista but i know that linux is actually programmable so i would like to change to that. can someone tell me the main differences?"



There are really too many differences to list. It's better if you try it out yourself. The best thing is that it's free, and there are easy non-committal ways to install it:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/virtualbox (virtualized)

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi (dual-boot)



Whatever you do, do not install it over Vista or install a dual-boot without Wubi.



Virtualization is a great option, and a Wubi dual-boot can be removed just like uninstalling any regular Windows program.



"some of the main things i would like to know is if you have a recent game (all seem to require vista) is there an easy way to play it on linux?"



No. That's why you'd virtualize or dual-boot, so you can keep Vista for gaming.



"is comparing vista to linux the same as comparing internet explorer to firefox? (in the sense of basically the same but firefox has useful addons)"



Sort of. Right now, it's more like IE and Firefox from 2003 or 2004, back when a significant portion of websites did not support Firefox. Now that Firefox is 30% of the browser market, webmasters would be morons not to make their websites Firefox-compatible. Non-server Linux isn't anywhere near 30%, though, so some peripheral hardware and commercial software support isn't there yet.



"what are the good benefits of running linux over vista?"



Freedom. Centralized package management. Easy customization.



"do you need to know an extreme amount about computer programming to be able to customize linux?"



No. I've been using Linux for years and I don't know anything about programming.



"are there many viruses out there for linux?"



No. And if there were new ones that appeared, having antivirus installed wouldn't stop them. For more details, read this:

http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/security



"oh and i just found out that there are different versions of linux... which is best?"



Best is a matter of opinion. A good one to start with is Linux Mint. It's based on Ubuntu but comes with popular proprietary codecs (Flash, MP3, etc.) preinstalled. After you get comfortable with Mint, you can explore some other options (vanilla Ubuntu, PCLinuxOS, Fedora, Mandriva, Sabayon, Mepis).

Answer 3

You really won't much notice in the way Linux and Windows actually look. The menu's are practically the same.



If something goes wrong with Linux though, you may find it harder to put right again. This is because Linux have version dependent "depenencies". For eample, you may install a program that needs a cartain version of Python. You install that version and find another program will stop working because it needs the older vesion. It's annoying to put right, but it can be done.



Linux still has problems with hardware. This is because most manufacturer's do not produce drivers for Linux, preferring instead to go for the bigger user base of Windows.



There are no real benefits of running Linux over Windows or Macs - they are just operating systems and the GUI's have all now matured and look mostly the same.



The advantages of Linux are nearly all the software is free and there are far less viruses around for Linux than for Windows.



You don't need to know much programing knowledge to customize Linux, like Windows it comes with it's own tools. It's true that you can even fiddle around with the source code. However, a typical Linux kernel has around 6 million lines of code, Open Office has around 9 million, a typical Linux install altogether has around 250 million, so you better know what you're doing before you start messing around with it.



There are loads of different versions of Linux. Ubuntu is the most popular but I prefer Fedora, i've been using it for around 6 years. You can always try one of the many Live CDs before actually installing it, just to see which version you prefer. http://www.livecdlist.com/



I hope you enjoy Linux, it's pretty good, but it is only an operating system and anything useful you do with it is going to depend on the quality and useability of application software.

Answer 4

In a sense it is almost like comparing IE to Firefox.

Firefox, like linux, is free and open source.

Internet Explorer, like Windows, is created by Microsoft and is insecure.



Though I warn you, switching to Linux will get some getting used to so hang in there if you're having a tough time.



Some programs don't work in Linux but there are many open source alternatives to commercial programm. Some commercial games don't work on Linux but you might be able to use WINE to convert games. There are also a ton of free open source games ranging from tetris to many FPS and realtime strategy games.



Also expect your computer to go faster if you do switch. Many Linux distros are less resource hogging then Vista. For example, I use Ubuntu and I have a lot of eye-candy on and my computer still runs the same speed as my Windows XP computer.



For the different versions, I'd go with Ubuntu but the choice is yours. If you have a bunch of CDs and a CD burner then test out all the distros that sound good to you. Also remember some distrobutions have different features. DSL and Puppy Linux are VERY lightweight and make your computer go extremely fast since they barely use any resources at all. Some distros do really cool stuff but require a lot of resources. Some are designed to look exactly like Windows. There is also the matter of desktop enviorments. The big ones are Gnome and KDE. I like gnome for it's simplicity but be sure to look at screen shots of both to see what you like better.



There are hardly any viruses for Linux. Linux is one of the most secure and stable OSs out there.



You don't need an extreme amount of programming but it still takes a lot of knowledge of C and other languages that are in linux. But even if you can't program you can change the OS's appearence and the way it acts. There are a lot a ways to costumize your OS.



Good luck switching to Linux!

Answer 5

In order to customize an operating system - any operating system - requires a pretty good knowledge of programming, and a lot of experience with the language the system is written in. Of course, with Windows, there's no customization of the operating system at all - you run what you buy. (There are add-ons in any OS, but that's adding things, not cusomizing the OS itself.)



The differences? Windows is written to maximize profits for Microsoft. Linux is written to be the best OS the people writing it (and there are thousands) can make it. Linux is both more secure, and less annoying about it, than Windows. It's written by the people who are going to use it, not by people who could care less, as long as their Microsoft stock is still worth lots of money.



From the user viewpoint, it takes more work, and more knowledge, to run Linux. Most people who know Linux, while they're capable of writing some pretty devastating viruses, would rather write devastating software. Install Ubuntu (you can install it with Virtual PC 2007, so you can run it in a window while Windows is running) and look at the programs available in the Synaptic utility. (They're all free, too.) And those are only the programs packaged for Ubuntu (or Debian) - there are many programs for Linux that haven't been packaged for Debian (so you download the source code and compile them yourself).

Answer 6

Ubuntu is the best version. Wait a week for the update, though. There are viruses for every system, but there are also firewalls.



Comparing Vista to linux is very similar to IE and Firefox. One sucks and gives you no rights, and the other gives you tons.



One benefit of linux I love is that you're not bound by any liscences. You can do whatever you want with it.



You don't need to know that much to customize, I suppose.



Main difference: Vista sucks. Ubuntu doesn't.



Go ahead. Do it. You won't regret it.

Answer 7

I had a PC running XP, a PC running linux and a mac on my desk at work for years. The problem with Linux is that there isn't any software for it like there is for macs and PC's. I hate PC's because they're always breaking and you can never figure out how to make them do what you want.



If you like the programmability of Linux, try a mac. The Mac OS X is based on BSD Unix, which is virtually identical to Linux. Most Unix/Linux programs will run on a mac by just recompiling.

Answer 8

i tried linux for a while

it's just a poor man's version of windows for the uneducated.













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