I think it?s entirely dependent on what you use your PC for. If it?s just for web browsing and simple MS office documents and you don?t have unusual or exotic hardware then yes one of the Linux variations with star office or open office will be ok, and fast and cheap. If you use a lot of MS specific applications then No it will not be suitable
Now this is a personal opinion, based on professional experience, and will enrage Linux activists but Linux on the desk top for non technically savvy people is not yet
a viable alternative. No ordinary user should have to re compile the kernel to make things work, or hunt around the internet to make things work, still a common occurrence I am afraid.
Ducks for cover.
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I'm right behind RF on this, all these propellor heads banging on about how much better Linux is, when all you get is a hand cranked OS which can't natively support much at all, but requires a lot of support and knowledge to make it work. And a bunch of free or cheap programs emulating the functionality of Microsoft Office.
For a cheap easy-to-install-and-run all singing all dancing operating systems with good range of bolt-ons, you can't do better than Windows (preferably XP).
All you need do is keep abreast of the security updates and keep your virus scanner up to date. What's the big deal in that? Linux hasn't become the target for script kiddies and the like solely because it hasn't got such a large and attractively easy to hit population - it isn't intrinsically safer. Most people that use Linux are more savvy about how to protect themselves - I'm sure if people put their minds to it then Linux could be proved just as vulnerable.
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I've been using Linux for just over a year now for everything. I write and edit books using Open Office, use Scribus for page layout, and there is a GNU/Linux product for just about everything else--only Photoshop is not yet quite matched, though The Gimp is getting there. However my wife works for an employer that won't allow anything other than Microsoft proprietary files, so she has a computer running Xandros Linux. For $90 Xandros installs a full system in twenty minutes (I am not exaggerating), fully automatically. It even handles partitioning the hard disk. The bonus is it comes with a program called CrossoverOffice, which allows you to install Windows programs in Linux. I'm using her machine right now and it has XP Office installed and running fine on it--it installed using the Windows installer. It can apparently also handle stuff like Photoshop. You also get free with Xandros a program called Win4Lin, which allows you to run Windows 95/95/ME natively inside Linux.
As for the security, well, Linux distributions usually come with all the ports closed by default, no servers running by default (there are loads running in Windows), and nothing will install automatically (so no spyware). Plus every user has a separate user account with limited privileges, so no user-controlled programs run with administrator privileges, so they can't be taken over easily and used against you (MS Outlook/IE anyone?). Linux has its vulnerabilities, sure, but worms won't spread with the speed they do on Windows simply because the architecture is designed to stop them. Windows was never meant to be networked, so the architecture is more open, for ease of use.
Anyway, it's free, so why not try it? Download Mepis or Knoppix and run them from the CD while you try them out, so no changes to your hard disk. What's not to like?
Linux is different, and some people find that scary, but it's not difficult any more. If it was I wouldn't be using it because I'm certainly no geek.
Chris
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I'm an ex-geek (used to burrow deep in the internals of operating systems and core dumps diagnosing problems and writing fixes, and recover data on crashed disks manually for a living...!).
Having spouted all that stuff further up, I realised that it's probably a year since I looked at Linux so I will take your advice and give it a free try (when I have time).
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Chris, I have seen a couple of your and other BR's posts on this subject and downloaded Knoppix as a result, I've only had one 'play' with it so far and apart from not being able to find my wireless network connection and my display being a bit fuzzy it all seemed pretty good considering how it is delivered. I am very tempted to instal Linux as a main OS as I only really use my PC for Web Based transactions /Browsing,Email and Multi Media Stuff etc, but the one thing that I thought would give me a problem was the kids PC games, would the Crossover program that you mention manage these ? On this basis is Xandros preferable to Mandrake or is there something else worth considering..........many thanks
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Pezzer
Firstly, to your most important point: your kids' games. Most Linux distributions include a disk partitioner so that you can have Windows and Linux on the same hard disk. That way if your kids want to play they can boot Windows if they want from a menu that you see when the computer starts up. There are some quite good, simple games for Linux (Tux Racer and Frozen Bubble are totally addictive) but this is one area where it's weak, largely because of market share. Crossover will run some games, but it will be hit or miss as it's primarily designed for the big commercial Windows-based apps.
I'm generally a Mandrake Linux fan, but I must say for ease of install and documentation Xandros is by far the best I've tried. I installed it at the weekend. You have to pay for Xandros, but you get every piece of software you could imagine from a trusted download source (Xandros Networks), plus the commercial Crossover program which itself retails for $90, the same as Xandros with Crossover built in. Have a look at some of the forums for these products--they are where you will get most of the help--and work out what looks best for you. If you go for Xandros I recommend getting a box set so you have the manuals, but a broadband connection is useful for the software repository.
In terms of hardware compatibility, Xandros is based on the Debian distribution, so Knoppix, or better still Mepis Linux (also a live-CD based on Debian) should give you an idea of whether your setup will work. If there's anything you have that seems flaky, ask in a forum to see if it is supported. As with games, market share means that major manufacturers have been slow to support Linux with their own drivers, but HP and NEC, to name a couple, now provide drivers and others will surely follow. HP even sells Linux-installed PCs these days.
The main thing is to check first that your hardware is supported and don't be afraid to ask. As far as I'm concerned Xandros wins in the ease of use stakes, but Mandrake is more fun for tinkering (it installs easily too but its automatic hardware detection is not as good). We have three computers here, ranging in age from seven years to one year old and various flavors of Linux are running on them, all connected to a wireless network, so the hardware issue is fading fast. In any case, you can "dual-boot" so you don't have to go 100% Linux until you are good and ready. I never made a decision to stop using Windows, I just discovered I had.
I hope that helps. Just keep in mind that Linux is different. It does take a while to get out of the Windows way of doing things, but it's no harder once you have. As you may be able to tell, Linux has awakened an interest in computers that I never had before.
Chris
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Hmm - I couldnt get either Mepis OR Knoppix to instal via CD. Requests for advice on the Mepis forum met with no response!
The CD could boot part of the way - even to showing the cute little penguin -but failed in recognising something (can't remember what exactly) and as I am 2000 miles from home & using my daughter's PC I can't look it up!
Oh well I guess I'll stick with Bill's stuff for now
Roger.
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I'm really surprised by that Malteser. I've been handing out Mepis disks like boiled sweets and nobody has yet reported a problem--mostly people are amazed by it (and slightly worried by how easy it is to access "password protected" files from Windows using it). A friend of mine is a sys admin at a major UK university and he uses Mepis to repair their Win2000 network!
The only time I had trouble was with an old VGA monitor, which Mepis didn't detect correctly. From my fairly limited experience Windows soldiers on with incompatible or marginal hardware, often in an unstable and unreliable state. When Linux finds something it doesn't like it just won't work. Which is better in this respect I don't know. I wonder if the machine you're using has something esoteric or very Windows-specific lurking in there.
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As with anything, the important thing is whether or not the OS will do the tasks you want in a way you're comfortable with.
Linux has come a long way in the last few years (and by that I mean the linux kernel - the core of the operating system). It supports far more devices than ever with less fuss, although it can still throw you sideways when something goes wrong. Linux desktops (KDE, Gnome) now have functionality at least on a par with Windows XP and in some senses actually better (give or take a few minor quirks) and are far less intimidating than they used to be. Software is largely free, or at least very cheap, and the coding community seem to be very proactive when it comes to bugfixes - it's more a matter of pride than income to many.
Is it all rosy though? Well.. no, unfortunately. Whilst it's a remarkably cost effective system, there's still a beast lurking under the snazzy facade. When Linux goes wrong, it often goes seriously wrong, and you won't be fixing it through control panels. Even getting your screen back if you inadvertantly set a wrong graphics mode can be an exercise in configuration file hacking and biting your tongue.
You may also find that Linux will either throw a wobbly with certain hardware, or the drivers may not give you the same level of functionality you're used to. Be prepared for some older printers and scanners not to work at all.
Then there's the security issue that people often rant about. I'll stick my neck out here and say that a typical Linux distro is just as prone to holes and vulnerabilities as a typical windows setup, but ther issue is that it's often harder to patch for those vulnerabilities. Newer systems (current Red Hat and SUSE, for example) do have one-click patching systems similar to Windows Update, but these don't rule out the potential for getting your hands dirty at some point. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, of course, but it all depends on whether you want your OS to work for you, or the other way around.. ;)
It's horses for courses when all's said and done. If you want to keep clear of Microsoft products for whatever reason, you just carry out day to day tasks (photo editing, internet, word processing & office type activities, maybe the occasional desktop game to kill time) and you run a fairly simple setup with well known hardware then Linux will probably do you just fine for very little money. If, on the other hand, you want something well known with high street off-the-shelf software support and consistency with almost any other computer you'll work on day to day, then it has to be Windows.
No substitute for experience though - grab a hold of Knoppix for free, test drive it alongside Windows for a while and see how it goes :)
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I wasn't going to bother adding to this topic because ChrisR has covered it pretty well. I'm mildly concerned that Kuang's post, while accurate, might frighten people unnecessarily.
Most of my recent Linux experience has been with Mandrake (www.mandrakelinux.com/en/ ). I'd say it's easier to install than almost any version of Windows - you do it all from a graphical installer. You need to have some basic computer knowledge but you would when installing Windows. Of course the main difference is that most people buy their PCs with Windows already installed. PCs with Linux pre-installed are still rare in this country.
On the subject of security, Linux is more secure than Windows because, like any Unix-derived system, it enforces security measures by default. On most Windows systems (especially 95/98/Me) any user can do anything, however destructive. To perform changes to the system under Linux you have to enter the root (admin) password. For this reason it's harder for malicious code to take control of your system. Also, most of the nasties out there attack Microsoft Windows/Internet Explorer/Outlook/Outlook Express simply because they are so common. Any malicious code therefore has the potential to affect most of the world's PCs.
Mandrake has an update tool which patches any vulnerabilities when they're discovered and it's really no harder to use than Windows Update.
If you're the sort of person who's happy to tinker with your PC you'll welcome the new tinkering opportunities afforded by Linux. If you're the sort of person who doesn't, and just want to use your PC for the normal everyday tasks, you'll probably be OK because you'll be happy with the huge range of software that comes with a modern Linux distribution. The people who'll probably find it a chore are those who fall between the two types of user.
Having typed all this, I wonder if I've added anything useful to ChrisR and Kuang's excellent posts.
I use Linux some of the time on my home computer because I believe there should be an alternative to Microsoft and I'm curious as to what that may be.
It depresses me not that the average home PC user uses Windows, but that most people don't even realise that it's not compulsory. In a way it's a shame that Apple don't produce a version of their operating system that works on computers that they don't make. Of course by allowing their OS to work on cheaper hardware there'd be less incentive for people to buy their expensive machines.
If this isn't straying too far into geek territory, anyone interested in these issues may like to look at the reviews among the features at www.osnews.com .
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Hehe :)
I try not to cause panic, but in my line of work I often get 'well why didn't you WARN me of that BEFORE I did it?!?!' so I tend to err on the side of caution ;)
Mandrake is a very nice distro, which I got on quite well with - I had 9-point-something on the machine under this desk until recently when I blanked it to try Lindows. I think there may be a cd-bootable version around now. SuSE is also very nice, and I'd say it has the edge for usability and overall 'completeness'. There's definitely a CD-bootable version too, which is supposed to be quite good. Red Hat is ok, but I find it to be terribly quirky with certain things - admittedly I don't have a great deal of experience of it though.
Overall, Linux is definitely a good thing and I'm glad to have it out there :)
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a.) Buy a PowerMac G5, run OS X; Unix like Linux, without any of the hardware/driver issues ....
:-))
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