OT: New Virus?

[parabolize]

Debian is nice if you want to build your OS package by package. Ubuntu uses the same debian package management but will install a much better basic OS for you then debian. Ubuntu Starter Guide is a good place to start.

Wine will probably never leave alpha. By the time we get most win98se apps working longhorn will be out and nobody will build software supporting win98se. But SE4 works great in wine and thats all that matters. Wine Application DB is a good place to find out if a program will work or not. You can also do a search with Google Linux.

[Fyron]

A default install of Ubuntu is really bad for an old PC like he was talking about playing with. Same for Debian. Debian lets you do a custom installation.

Fine for a newer PC, just not old ones.

[Xrati]

How do these OS's function with the different motherboards and chipsets out there? Is it going to take days to get up and running once you install one of them? I wish I had a better understanding of Linux because I don't want to lose functionality of my computer for any great length of time while installing and configuring! [img]/threads/images/Graemlins/icon45.gif[/img]

[Thermodyne]

For a free first nix install, redhat is an easy install. After you have a feal for it then go to Debian. You can also dual boot nix and windows on the same system with ease.

For a web server I would recomend FreeBSD over a nix workstation build.

[parabolize]

For a free first nix install, redhat is an easy install. After you have a feal for it then go to Debian. You can also dual boot nix and windows on the same system with ease.

Many Debian based distros have easy installers (Ubuntu, Mepis, knoppix...). Redhat Package Management (RPM) has frightened a great many people back to windows.

For a web server I would recomend FreeBSD over a nix workstation build.

FreeBSD is unix based...

[Thermodyne]

[b]parabolize said:
For a web server I would recomend FreeBSD over a nix workstation build.

FreeBSD is unix based...

Sure, but it is a true full server build.

[parabolize]

Thermodyne said:

Sure, but it is a true full server build.

Not sure what your talking about.

[Jack Simth]

parabolize said:Many Debian based distros have easy installers (Ubuntu, Mepis, knoppix...)

I can't in good conscience call knoppix an install. I'm sorry, I just can't. I burned a knoppix disc - it "installs" by booting from the CD. When I'm done working with Linux for the day, I remove the CD from the drive, and reboot. About the only changes made to my machine are the ones I specifically told it to make. Knoppix runs from the CD; it doesn't really install to your machine. Quite the useful tool for your toolbox - almost no virus can touch a CD (espcecially if it isn't in a CD burner drive....) very little can attack linux anyway, and a virus that is on your windows system is unlikely to be able to deal with a linux boot. Very useful for cleaning up a system (provided, of course, that knoppix can write to it's hard drive format)

[Fyron]

Knoppix is most certainly capable of being installed as a normal installation, not needing the live CD anymore. Same with Mepis.

[Fyron]

Xrati said:
How do these OS's function with the different motherboards and chipsets out there?

99% of the time it will auto-detect everything and work right away. Might need to find the name of the chipset for your ethernet controller first, but it will give you a big list to choose from.

Xrati said:Is it going to take days to get up and running once you install one of them?

No, not really. Getting SE4 and other games running well might take some time, but other functionality will be ready as soon as the install is complete.

Thermodyne said:
For a free first nix install, redhat is an easy install.

I wouldn't recommend Red Hat. It is a very annoying distro, and it's RPM system is pretty aggravating in general. A real hassle of a distro, in my experience. Debian's Aptitude is just beautiful.