Linux Ubuntu

[cleverlymadeup]

You should note that Ubuntu does not support mp3's.
this should help: https://help.ubuntu.com/8.10/windows/C/index.html

ummm yeah it does, you can just install the xmms or any other media player out there for linux

as for ubuntu i've never really tried it, i've been running either slackware or gentoo on one computer for about 10 years now. i can't say enough about how good it is. when they upgrade kernels there is a lot of times it SPEEDS the os up, unlike windows that has only had 1 os that has done it and it's not even out.

as for security, it's no brainer really, the only other consumer os that is more secure is openbsd. and the stability is great, there are times when certain aps aren't that stable, kde 4.0 i'm looking at you tho 4.2 is supposed to be great, even when apps such as x-windows crashes it won't crash your os, just the app.

as for window managers, i'll have to say try out kde or E, they are great window managers and have some pretty darn cool eye candy. tho gnome isn't that bad, i found it a bit clunky compared to the others. you don't need to keep the same window manager that it's installed with, i'd say change it

 

[Phantom2595]

So how much computer resources does Linux take?

One major reason I'm considering not going with Windows is because it takes and entire GB of RAM just to run, so how does Ubuntu compare?

 

[cleverlymadeup]

So how much computer resources does Linux take?

One major reason I'm considering not going with Windows is because it takes and entire GB of RAM just to run, so how does Ubuntu compare?

not very much, even less when idle. the great part with linux is it runs well with little mem and the more it gets the more it likes it, the more ram the better. with more than a GB of ram in the box there's not much stuff that will require it to touch the swap drive, yes linux has a drive and partition dedicated to swap memory, so everything will be running off of ram instead of swapping out

 

[AgentZed]

I've been using Ubuntu for about 2 years, and Gentoo for about 4 years before that though I've always had Windows either as a dual boot or separate machine, so from my experience, here's a little list of the pros and cons of going with Linux.

Pros: Stable as anything, vastly more secure than Windows out of the box, completely free, all the software for it is also free (with a couple exceptions, to which there are still free alternatives), package managers that make it piss easy to find & install pretty much any kind of software you can think of, lower system requirements with (in some cases) more eye candy, and endless amounts of tweaks and customisations you can use to make your OS unique to you.

Cons: Games is the big one. You said that wasn't a concern, I know, but it still bears mentioning. WINE is fantastic for running Windows apps, but you should have a look at http://appdb.winehq.org/ to see how well it is supported. Though this is still no guarantee it will work. I tried WoW (which occupies the #1 slot on the "Applications which install and run flawlessly on an out-of-the-box Wine installation " list) on my mighty gaming rig under WINE and it averaged about 5fps, and even with several weeks of poking around on forums, I never resolved the issue.
Other than that, the only thing I'd hold against it is that if you want to do any tinkering around with it, you'll wind up getting very intimate with the command-line. Though most distros have been getting better, there are still many things you just plain can't do without pulling up a terminal window. Oh, and there's the Dependency Tree of Doom, which occurs when you download some new piece of software not available from the package manager, and the install fails because it's missing a couple other bits of software, so you go download those, and each of them has a couple other bits, and each of those as another couple, ad insanium. Package managers automate this for you, which is why they are pure, undistilled awesomesauce, so you'll hopefully never run into this problem but when you do it can become a big nightmare very quickly.

As for an overall recommendation, if you don't intend to play any games, Linux is awesome.

 

[WolfThomas]

Nah, I'm not really into pokemon.

 

[Phantom2595]

Nah, I'm not really into pokemon.

LOL nice!

Anywho, since I've already asked quite a few questions. How easy is Ubuntu to use?

 

[Yog Sothoth]

Anywho, since I've already asked quite a few questions. How easy is Ubuntu to use?

from my experience as a new Ubuntu user, it's very user friendly for most light applications, but as someone else has already stated, you'll probably have to eventually use the terminal if you're going to do any heavy lifting with it....

but if you're just using it for homework and web browsing, it's as intuitive as any Windows OS if not more so.....

 

[Phantom2595]

Anywho, since I've already asked quite a few questions. How easy is Ubuntu to use?

from my experience as a new Ubuntu user, it's very user friendly for most light applications, but as someone else has already stated, you'll probably have to eventually use the terminal if you're going to do any heavy lifting with it....

but if you're just using it for homework and web browsing, it's as intuitive as any Windows OS if not more so.....

That's good to know, besides, I think I'm savvy enough to be able to use the terminal.(Fallout 3 reference?)

right now i'm setting up Ubunutu with wubi to test it out.

Anyway, would anyone else like ot share their experiences with Ubuntu?

 

[Yog Sothoth]

That's good to know, besides, I think I'm savvy enough to be able to use the terminal.(Fallout 3 reference?)

no, it wasn't a Fallout reference, that's actually what the command line interface is called....

 

[Kikosemmek]

I've been a GNU user for the better part of three years, now, and I mainly have that experience through Ubuntu. While using it I rarely ever ran into difficulties doing anything I'd be doing on my Windows machine. I even got Wine to run Warcraft 3 on my non-GPU Toshiba laptop using OpenGL.

For documents, there is OpenOffice, which handles the same functions Microsoft Office has. For multimedia, the default audio player is Rhythmbox, but I'd recommend deleting that and acquiring Amarok (also free software) which I personally prefer to iTunes and Rhythmbox. Ubuntu comes with Totem Media Player, which I don't use often other than for plugins, because it has its limitations. I recommend using VLC (also works on Windows) because it plays everything you can throw at it, including pure .vobs.

By the way, you don't really need to buy a laptop fresh with Ubuntu from Dell if you prefer not to do so. If you'd like another brand, simply install Ubuntu yourself. You can download the system for free and burn it onto a CD. Just tell the BIOS to boot off of the CD and you'll have a very friendly interface. If you have any questions, head over to the Ubuntu forums and manuals. The coolest thing about using free software is that chances are whatever problems you run into already have a workable solution from the community.

 

[Phantom2595]

Thanks for the responses,I've even learned where the whole terminal thing is.

Ok another question. I found another Linux vendor "system 76". Does anyone have any past experiences with system76?
In particular I've been looking at this notebook.
http://system76.com/product_info.php?cPath=28&products_id=86&osCsid=4d2f974c5941d5a4a3b5436bc6414835
Any thoughts?

 

[Xvito]

So, I've been looking at laptops for a while now, and have come across Dell's Ubunutu line of PC's(http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn)

So I was wondering if anyone here has had experience with Linux Ubuntu. What are the pros and cons of Ubuntu vs Vista. Linux is open-source, so that's a bug plus, and since I don't expect to do much gaming on my laptop, the whole Windows has games thing doesn't matter.Really, I wan't something that can browse the web, do e-mail, maybe play some flash games,and that I would be able to do schoolwork on.

So apart from gaming, is there anything that I won't be able to do on Ubuntu that I could do on Wndows? Any insight into this matter would be appreciated.

P.S. Does itunes work with Linux, or will I have to stick with my desktop with my ipod?

You can game on Linux if you use Wine.

 

[Phantom2595]

So, I've been looking at laptops for a while now, and have come across Dell's Ubunutu line of PC's(http://www1.ca.dell.com/content/topics/segtopic.aspx/ubuntu?c=ca&cs=cadhs1&l=en&s=dhs&~ck=mn)

So I was wondering if anyone here has had experience with Linux Ubuntu. What are the pros and cons of Ubuntu vs Vista. Linux is open-source, so that's a bug plus, and since I don't expect to do much gaming on my laptop, the whole Windows has games thing doesn't matter.Really, I want something that can browse the web, do e-mail, maybe play some flash games,and that I would be able to do schoolwork on.

So apart from gaming, is there anything that I won't be able to do on Ubuntu that I could do on Windows? Any insight into this matter would be appreciated.

P.S. Does itunes work with Linux, or will I have to stick with my desktop with my ipod?

You can game on Linux if you use Wine.

Well, Wine doesn't work flawlessly. I might try to get Civ4 running on it tho.(It's the only game that I can imagine playing well with a track pad)

 

[cleverlymadeup]

I've been a GNU user for the better part of three years, now, and I mainly have that experience through Ubuntu.

it's linux and NOT gnu, the gnu project is something else entirely. there are some that will chew your head off if you don't say gnu/linux

but both gnu and linux are different things

 

[Phantom2595]

So does anyone else have experience with Ubuntu?

OK, before I make the plunge, do you guys recommend that I that Ubuntu over Windows.

 

[Kikosemmek]

it's linux and NOT gnu, the gnu project is something else entirely. there are some that will chew your head off if you don't say gnu/linux

but both gnu and linux are different things

No, it is GNU. GNU is the operating system, and Linux is its kernel. The kernel is part of the operating system. GNU is the umbrella term for what most people mean when they say 'Linux,' encompassing all of the distributions of that OS, such as Ubuntu, Ututo or Gentoo. GNU/Linux is an acceptable (more correct, I'll give you that) alternative to just 'GNU' simply because Linux is not made by the GNU Project, which built everything else in the system, and thus credit is due to Linus Torvalds who made a great kernel where Stallman and the GNU Project have failed. You can bet that they're still working on Hurd.

So, when I say that I have used a 'Linux operating system' I mean GNU, and so I say GNU. We are only fortunate to have Linux as a free kernel, and a great one at that.

 

[Phantom2595]

Anywho, does anyone have experience with system76, I've been thinking of buying from them.

 

[vede]

I don't have any experience with system76, but I suggest you head to Newegg. They have a few linux laptops there for very cheap if all you plan to do is work-related stuff and no gaming.

I do recommend Linux for productivity and stability.

I'm using Windows, but only because my primary use for my PC is gaming. (Although I have been contemplating trying to plunge back into Linux.)

EDIT: And why does your avatar still have holly?

 

[Akas]

Just out of curiosity, (kinda related but still a bit off-topic), would anyone recommend me switching to linux (probably ubuntu) if my computer is still under warranty? Would doing so void any chance of repairs/etc.? I'm ridiculously sick of Vista, but I'm not sure if I should switch.