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Five Reasons to Use Linux
FOSS Force ^ | 5/28/15 | Christine Hall

Posted on 05/29/2015 3:37:12 AM PDT by markomalley

click here to read article


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To: markomalley

I cant say enough about how great Linux is. I’ve put it on 3 laptops that were using XP but were not suitable (financially or technically) for Win7 upgrade.
Feeling confident,I tried to install Unbuntu on my new Laptop alongside its current Win8 and the hard drive crashed. Just wondering if anyone else had a problem similar to this??


21 posted on 05/29/2015 5:37:36 AM PDT by Don@VB (Power Corrupts)
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To: CommieCutter
If you want to try Linux again on your Vostro 1000, read up on this site:

LinLap - The Linux Laptop Wiki

22 posted on 05/29/2015 5:50:02 AM PDT by Doug Loss
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To: NY.SS-Bar9
Ummm, you do know that Android is Linux, right?
23 posted on 05/29/2015 5:51:42 AM PDT by Doug Loss
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To: CommieCutter
Sorry, I just saw that you might try Linux on an old Acer. Maybe you can find your system on this list:

List of Acer systems for Linux compatability

24 posted on 05/29/2015 5:56:03 AM PDT by Doug Loss
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To: ClearCase_guy

Actually, most people do email and web browsing. There are countless old people using computers to only do that. Linux is perfect for them.


25 posted on 05/29/2015 5:57:21 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: NY.SS-Bar9
Customizing the UI is not "versatility".

That's correct.

Versatility is being able to run on PCs, phones, mainframes, supercomputers, watches, cars, Rasberry Pi SoC, TVs, DVRs, and just about anything else that requires an OS--with or without a UI.

Welcome to Linux.

26 posted on 05/29/2015 5:58:24 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Don@VB

“Feeling confident,I tried to install Unbuntu on my new Laptop alongside its current Win8 and the hard drive crashed. Just wondering if anyone else had a problem similar to this??”

Never saw your problem, but once I screwed up a dual boot install one time, but all it meant was that Windows was not bootable. Having said that, I never underestimate my chances for screwing something up so I always do a full backup before installing an updated OS.


27 posted on 05/29/2015 5:58:40 AM PDT by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)
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To: AppyPappy
There are countless old people using computers to only do that. Linux is perfect for them.

Although I actually agree with you, I expect that Linux's market penetration within that particular demographic is remarkably low. I know a lot of old people who struggle with Windows and Microsoft Windows or Outlook. Too complicated. I fully recognize that Linux would be no worse and may actually be better -- but convincing some old folks may be challenging.

28 posted on 05/29/2015 6:01:59 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy (Claire Wolfe should check her watch. It's time.)
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To: ShadowAce

“Versatility is being able to run on PCs, phones, mainframes, supercomputers, watches, cars, Rasberry Pi SoC, TVs, DVRs, and just about anything else that requires an OS—with or without a UI.

Welcome to Linux. “

In fairness, you could extend that welcome to include FreeBSD


29 posted on 05/29/2015 6:07:03 AM PDT by markomalley (Nothing emboldens the wicked so greatly as the lack of courage on the part of the good -- Leo XIII)
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To: markomalley
In fairness, you could extend that welcome to include FreeBSD

Agreed, but the topic is Linux. :)

30 posted on 05/29/2015 6:08:07 AM PDT by ShadowAce (Linux -- The Ultimate Windows Service Pack)
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To: Doug Loss

Great. Thanks!


31 posted on 05/29/2015 7:16:18 AM PDT by CommieCutter
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To: markomalley
This is an interesting article. I have switched over to Linux Mint Rebecca 17.1 64bit and it works very well. One advantage that is not mentioned in the article is that the Mint distribution has all the hardware drivers I have needed.

I have been able to do everything that I want with Mint. I can install Mint on a hard drive and then take that hard drive and put it in a different computer or a laptop and Voila! it boots up and runs.

Try that with Windows and you would have to make a call to India and plead for a key or buy a new key. I have been learning to use the Konsole commands. It is a little like the old DOS days and very powerful. With the Internet help is usually a click away.

Good Hunting... from Varmint Al

32 posted on 05/29/2015 7:39:03 AM PDT by Varmint Al
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To: NY.SS-Bar9
Linux will remain a small niche market

Yeah, a 'niche' market, like the vast majority of database, DNS, and webservers on the internet.

Free Republic is Perl running on Unix.

If you want to play a game, use windows. If you want to do real work, Unix just works.

33 posted on 05/29/2015 8:34:59 AM PDT by zeugma (Are there more nearby spiders than the sun is big?)
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To: zeugma
If you want to play a game, use windows. If you want to do real work, Unix just works.

Yeah, everybody would be more productive with a Unix server on the desk.

34 posted on 05/29/2015 8:47:06 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: tacticalogic
Yeah, everybody would be more productive with a Unix server on the desk.

For the most part, if they took the opportunity to learn the tools it comes with.

I often have to deal with massive numbers of files, text, and data. I couldn't imagine trying to do what I do in windows. Something that is a 5-minute affair with unix, would be an all day task, if not more in windows, because it just doesn't come with the kind of basic tools for manipulating data that are standard fare in any Unix.

35 posted on 05/29/2015 9:03:14 AM PDT by zeugma (Are there more nearby spiders than the sun is big?)
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To: zeugma
I often have to deal with massive numbers of files, text, and data. I couldn't imagine trying to do what I do in windows. Something that is a 5-minute affair with unix, would be an all day task, if not more in windows, because it just doesn't come with the kind of basic tools for manipulating data that are standard fare in any Unix.

What basic tools would those be, and what would be the advantage for the vast majority of people who don't often have to deal with massive numbers of files, text and data?

36 posted on 05/29/2015 9:20:33 AM PDT by tacticalogic ("Oh, bother!" said Pooh, as he chambered his last round.)
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To: zeugma

I think an impediment to learning/uptake is terse/ridiculous command names and switches.


37 posted on 05/29/2015 9:35:55 AM PDT by Ray76 (Obama says, "Unlike my mum, Ruth has all the documents needed to prove who Mark's father was.")
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To: markomalley

Yes, I knew if I screwed up one laptop it would be my new “first team” computer.


38 posted on 05/29/2015 10:31:40 AM PDT by Don@VB (Power Corrupts)
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To: AppyPappy
Actually, most people do email and web browsing. There are countless old people using computers to only do that. Linux is perfect for them.

Actually, they're better off with a Chromebook--a laptop that runs on Linux but its interface doesn't require you (mostly) to access the Linux kernel at the lowest level with command-line operations.

39 posted on 05/29/2015 10:47:04 AM PDT by RayChuang88 (FairTax: America's economic cure)
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To: tacticalogic
The "average" user doesn't need much more than email, a browser, and an editor/spreadsheet, all of which are readily handled under linux with no need whatsoever to go to a command line.

Some others would want something to manage photos from their camera. Plenty of tools for that. Some are actually pretty good from an organizational standpoint.

Other folks would have a large MP3 collection they'd like to manage. There are more options for this than you can shake a stick at. There are also several servers you can configure to stream audio to your local LAN that doesn't take much knowledge to get working.  Biggest drawback for this is no itunes support. I think you can make that work, but I've never had the need or desire.

For me, the fact that windows doesn't have anything near as powerful as sed, awk and grep is a deal killer, but then, my computer does actual work as opposed to playing games.

OTOH,. If you dig games, you can always use Steam.

 

40 posted on 05/29/2015 11:05:10 AM PDT by zeugma (Are there more nearby spiders than the sun is big?)
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