Posted on 06/14/2004 6:50:00 AM PDT by Tuxedo
A friend stopped by yesterday and showed me the Knoppix CD and introduced me to Linux. Now I am very computer savvy when it comes to Windows XP and hardware, but not so much with Linux. Truth is, I loved what I saw! So, now I am thinking of switching or at least going dual boot. My dilemmas are that I usea lot of mapping software (Microsoft Streets and Trips, Garmin Mapsource, Delorme Street Atlas and Topo USA), and I do not know how these would run under Linux. For the Linux users out there, what would be the best approach? My wife uses AOL IM, and I see that Knoppix provides a 3rd party version that ports in well. Any advice would be appreciated. Laptop is a P3-1200 with 40GB drive, 256MB RAM, desktop is P4-2.53GHz with 100 GB drive, 512MB RAM.
While I liked Knoppix, would prefer to run off of a hard disk instead of a CD. How do you test for Linux compatibility of Windows apps?
Any and all feedback welcome!
holler ping
Name the specific applications you are talking about.
Well, I've had XP Pro on my two computers for the past six months and have yet to have a lock-up. I can't imagine why I would go elsewhere.
i run vmware for those apps that don't run in linux
clearly, dual boot would be a good idea for you; linux has available excellent boot managers which will allow this, and the linux kernel allows you to read windows partitions.
running your windows software under linux is problematic. there are a couple of commercial virtual-machine programs which allow you to run real windows under linux; there is also wine, which is a translation layer that emulates windows system calls and that allows the use of many windows applications directly under linux. whether the apps you use are among those that run well with wine is a matter of trial and error.
linux is not subject to the kinds of security flaws which have nearly brought down the internet due to the vulnerability of windows, and linux distributors are very good at staying on top of security issues when they do arise.
maybe the best thing would be for you to run the knoppix live cd for a little while and see how well linux suits your needs. i've used nothing but linux for more than six years now and wouldn't dream of using anything else.
hope this is of help.
Just load it on a psare computer, and see what it does, or doesn't do.
Go with a linux internet server!
http://www.spadata.com click on the computers in the top center and watch the presentation
There is software called vmware that lets you run windows inside of linux (or linux inside of windows if you choose to go that direction). Dual booting is another possibility, but that is awkward if you want to go back and forth between one system and the other.
My experience is that linux makes computing fun again. Go for it!
Sorry, meant spare...
How do I get my computer to remember my usernames and passwords?
Specific Apps: Delorme Topo USA, Microsoft Streets and Trips 2004, Garmin Mapsource, Ahead Nero, and Shareaza (which is now open source). The rest are Microsoft Office XP, but those appear to be compatible with Open Office except for some font issues.
Linux is NOT a better Microsoft Windows. It is its own product. Linux comes with its own suite of software. If you have Windows-specific software, run it in Windows.
Write them down and keep the list nearby. It's safer.
SO9
I'm bumping this simply because it's interesting.
i use a Mac, but have wondered about trying Linux
I agree it is not a better MS WinXP, but after dealing with a PC infested with adware from hell and continuous security patches from MS, I am getting a little sick of it all. My first look at Linux was way back with the early versions of X-Windows, which looked really clunky. Knoppix blew me away, and from what I understand, there are even better Linux-based systems out there. Have also heard of FreeBSD but know nothing about it and how it differs from Linux. A majority of my friends have been running Linux for years now, and now I have to ask what have I been missing? The option of several browsers and e-mail progs (Outlook sucks) and lack of worry abut viruses and adware/spyware/barfware is what is luring me to the world of open source.
After many months of having a dual boot system, I hardly use Linux anymore. Windows XP does what I need it to do
If you really, really, really must run all those Windows apss under Linux, I would recommend Win4Lin.
You will need a copy of Windows 98 to install inside of Linux. I have used Win4Lin and it works quite well. It does not support higher versions of Windows, but all those apps you mention should run under Windows 98.
WINE is an open source Linux program that allows you to run Windows applications. It works reasonably well, from what I understand, but it can be difficult to configure and it will not run all Windows apps.
Those are my two recommendations.
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