Mike the Brewer

Rapidly becoming disillusioned with Microsoft, especially after the release
of Vista and all the built-in restrictions,
I think it's time to look at the alternatives.
I know nothing about Linux, some of the screenshots in the mags look good.
I am into video capture and editing, sound files, photography, and use the
PC for net browsing and various office type apps.
Can anyone advise as to the best version to try, how and where to download,
how to install etc. ?
I am partularly concered about drivers for my various hardware.

--
Mike W

ac

Mike the Brewer wrote:
> Rapidly becoming disillusioned with Microsoft, especially after the
> release of Vista and all the built-in restrictions, I think it's
> time to look at the alternatives. I know nothing about Linux, some
> of the screenshots in the mags look good. I am into video capture
> and editing, sound files, photography, and use the PC for net
> browsing and various office type apps. Can anyone advise as to the
> best version to try, how and where to download, how to install etc.
> ? I am partularly concered about drivers for my various hardware.
>

Welcome!
The modern distributions are very competent and will almost certainly
get you up and running quickly. What may take longer though, is your
own knowledge, which is understandably heavily about microsoft
approaches and culture.

Drivers for hardware are usually not much of a problem now. Often more
a problem with Vista I hear. Keep fingers crossed anyway.

Use of some of the many Live CDs which are available will let you
explore if your hardware is ok. I have become so happy with open
source that I would go out of my way to obtain the hardware I wanted,
now.

How do you connect to the internet? ethernet wired cable (easy with
linux) or wireless (sometimes not so easy, but try it)?

Easy ones first:
1) net browsing and various office type apps: no problem, and probably
less trouble than with MS apps.
2) sound files - many options using linux, though less choice if you
do specialist things such as composing I think.
3) photography - popular activities are no problem, and Gimp is near
on a par with photoshop although with a very different approach.
4) Video capture and editing - I dont do any of this but some apps
exist. It may depend on how much and what type of work you do.

Consider two machines or dual boot windows linux at least initially,
you will have a lot of decisions to make, and experience to gain -
microsoft has had your full attention for many years - there is a
little catching up to do.

I favour Ubuntu (or Kubuntu) version 7.10 is current and this would be
a good initial starting point - the forums and support community is good.
Derivatives include Mint.
Also consider http://www.dynebolic.org/ - it is aimed at media users
I think.

BTW you do not have to stop at only one distro!
see http://distrowatch.com/

hth
--
ac

Martin Liddle

In message <A7k2j.21308$7k5.5013@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net>, Mike the Brewer
<mike.tech@sysmotor.org> writes
>Rapidly becoming disillusioned with Microsoft, especially after the release
>of Vista and all the built-in restrictions,
>I think it's time to look at the alternatives.
>I know nothing about Linux, some of the screenshots in the mags look good.
>I am into video capture and editing, sound files, photography, and use the
>PC for net browsing and various office type apps.
>Can anyone advise as to the best version to try, how and where to download,
>how to install etc. ?
>I am partularly concered about drivers for my various hardware.
>
So tell us about any hardware that you think may be a problem.
--
Martin Liddle, Tynemouth Computer Services, 3 Kentmere Way,
Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3TW.
Web site: <http://www.tynecomp.co.uk>.

Andrzej Adam Filip

ac <"aec$news"@candt.waitrose.com> writes:
> [...]
> I favour Ubuntu (or Kubuntu) version 7.10 is current and this would be
> a good initial starting point - the forums and support community is
> good. Derivatives include Mint.
> Also consider http://www.dynebolic.org/ - it is aimed at media users I
> think.
>
> BTW you do not have to stop at only one distro!
> see http://distrowatch.com/

I personally suggest using distribution used by friends for first Linux
install. As usual there are a few "simple after" things that it may help
to fix without needless stress.

--
[pl>en Andrew] Andrzej Adam Filip : anfi@priv.onet.pl : anfi@xl.wp.pl
The very remembrance of my former misfortune proves a new one to me.
-- Miguel de Cervantes

Mike the Brewer

"Martin Liddle" <news09@tynecomp.co.uk> wrote in message
news:gOOk7jNILdSHFwCG@tynecomp.invalid...
| In message <A7k2j.21308$7k5.5013@newsfe1-gui.ntli.net>, Mike the Brewer
| <mike.tech@sysmotor.org> writes
|| >I am partularly concered about drivers for my various hardware.
| >
| So tell us about any hardware that you think may be a problem.
| --
| Martin Liddle, Tynemouth Computer Services, 3 Kentmere Way,
| Staveley, Chesterfield, Derbyshire, S43 3TW.
| Web site: <http://www.tynecomp.co.uk>.

When the new build is complete , based on Asus P5VD2-X and Intel dual
core 1.6Ghz
PCI-E x16 graphics card,
Main concerns are: Pinnacle usb tv tuner stick, Lexmark X1270
all-in-one.
Also Virgin Media cable broadband specified Win XP, I wonder if I
will have to use
different software to connect with Linux, also what web browser and
email software are needed
( including newsgroups ! )
--
Mike the Brewer

"The secret of a good job is in the quality of the swear-words used"

Andy Cap

On Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:50:27 +0000, Martin Gregorie <martin@see.sig.for.address>
wrote:


>Don't forget there other ways to slice and dice if all else fails:
>- WINE is a package that can run some Windows apps on a Linux desktop.
> Its a set of DLL equivalents that map Windows system calls onto Linux
> system calls.

I was using Agent for mail and news and thought I'd have to give it up until I
found Wine, under which it works perfectly and of course it makes migrating
data, a breeze.

Andy

John Taylor

Mike the Brewer wrote:

> Also Virgin Media cable broadband specified Win XP, I wonder if I
> will have to use
> different software to connect with Linux, also what web browser and
> email software are needed
> ( including newsgroups ! )

You don't need any special software to connect with Virgin Media cable
broadband.

They supply you with a router.
You just need to tell your system where it is, and thats it!.
If you install Linux with it connected, the install will probably find
it and configure it for you.

You can also connect to it to configure it with your web browser:
http://192.168.100.1
username/password default is root/root

Just don't tell Virgin support that you have Linux and all will be OK.

I'm using Firefox and Thunderbird, but you can use any regular Web
Browser/Email prog.

I also have my machine set to act as a DNS forwarder.
This means that I have DNS cached, and so rely on the Virgin dodgy DNS
less. No point being a full-blown DNS server, as they use a transparent
DNS proxy :-(

Regards
JohnT

Chris

Mike the Brewer wrote:
>
> When the new build is complete , based on Asus P5VD2-X and Intel dual
> core 1.6Ghz
> PCI-E x16 graphics card,

No problems there. To get the most out of your graphics (i.e. 3D
acceleration) you may need to use proprietary drivers from ATI/nVidia,
but that is trivial these days on most distros.

> Main concerns are: Pinnacle usb tv tuner stick, Lexmark X1270
> all-in-one.

I've just bought an HP C5180 AiO and would heartily recommend that. HP
are very supportive of Linux and all new hardware will work faultlessly.
Other manufacturers can be patchy and are usually dependent on the
community reverse-engineering drivers. See these links for some
specifics on Lexmark:
http://www.sane-project.org/sane-mfgs.html#Z-LEXMARK
http://openprinting.org/show_printer...=Lexmark-X1270

I don't do Tv capture, but I know it is very possible in Linux. MythTV
is a Linux application to turn your PC into a media centre and has a
fair amount of info on hardware compatibility for media-based hardware.
You don't give any specifics about the model of your pinnacle stick, but
have a look here anywat:
http://www.mythtv.org/wiki/index.php/Tuner_Card

> Also Virgin Media cable broadband specified Win XP, I wonder if I
> will have to use
> different software to connect with Linux, also what web browser and
> email software are needed
> ( including newsgroups ! )

You will find that Linux is very different to Windows so try not to have
too many pre-conceptions: you /will/ have to spend some time learning to
get the best out of your Linux experience and posting here is a good
start

I say this because all Linux distros come with practically all the
software you will need either pre-installed or easily added through a
package manager. Broadband connections are usually just plug and play
(literally!) So to begin with just use the browser and e-mail client
that's supplied with your distro. Once you're comfortable then you can
consider changing to something else.

I would personally recommend SimplyMepis as it's hardware detection is
second to none, runs from a LiveCD for easy hardware diagnosis and it's
community is very responsive and friendly at:
www.mepislovers.com
HTH

Daniel James

In article news:<NGo2j.5779$B97.3735@newsfe7-win.ntli.net>, Mike the
Brewer wrote:
> When the new build is complete , based on Asus P5VD2-X and Intel dual
> core 1.6Ghz
> PCI-E x16 graphics card,

None of that should be a problem, as far as it goes ... possibly
depending /what/ graphics card you're talking about.

> Main concerns are: Pinnacle usb tv tuner stick, Lexmark X1270
> all-in-one.

Those are good things to be concerned about ...

linux support for USB TV devices has improved a lot with recent kernel
releases and I believe that at least some Pinnacle devices are
supported. You should be able to check for your particular device by
looking at http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki

As for the printer ... mixed news. Google found me this in a matter of
seconds: http://facorread.150m.com/lexmark.html

> Also Virgin Media cable broadband specified Win XP, I wonder if I
> will have to use different software to connect with Linux, ...

If your cable connection is via a wired ethernet router (which is, I
think, what Virgin supply) then any linux will just see it as an
ethernet connection and it will just work. If you're using wireless you
will have to have a supported wireless adaptor in your PC. Wireless
support in linux is another thing that has come along in leaps and
bounds recently, but isn't perfect yet.

> ... also what web browser and email software are needed ( including
> newsgroups ! )

Firefox works ... though it may be called iceweasel in some distros
(similarly Mozilla Seamonkey may be called iceape) as does opera. If you
use a linux version that runs the KDE desktop you will also have
Konqueror which is a file-manager-cum-browser that's not bad (though I
find it annoying/confusing to have the local file management and web
browsing functions in the same app).

There are dozens of mail and news programs for linux, and all have their
followings. Mozilla Thunderbird (aka icedove) works (for mail and news),
KDE comes with KMail and KNode, and there are far too many more to
mention ...

See:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naming_...an_and_Mozilla
for the mozilla naming thing.

--
Cheers,
Daniel.

Chris Whelan

Mike the Brewer wrote:

> Rapidly becoming disillusioned with Microsoft, especially after the
> release of Vista and all the built-in restrictions,
> I think it's time to look at the alternatives.
> I know nothing about Linux, some of the screenshots in the mags look good.
> I am into video capture and editing, sound files, photography, and use the
> PC for net browsing and various office type apps.
> Can anyone advise as to the best version to try, how and where to
> download, how to install etc. ?
> I am partularly concered about drivers for my various hardware.

Perhaps the best place to start is here:

http://distrowatch.com/

Links will take you to all the various distributions' sites, and to
independent reviews.

The various distributions can have different window managers, so the look
and feel can be quite varied. The big two window managers are Gnome and
KDE. Without offending the experts (which I am not!), Gnome is a bit
simpler to understand, but KDE is more configurable. Some distributions
have versions pre-configured with either window manager, for example Ubuntu
has Gnome, Kubuntu has KDE.

IMHO, if looking for a similar feel to Windows, KDE may well be the best
bet.

One thing to bear in mind is that an XP install, to the point where you have
a usable system including an office suite, anti-virus and anti-spyware
software, a means of burning optical discs and all security patches in
place can take all day. I can, and have, downloaded an ISO file, burnt it
to CD, installed the distribution, and had a secure, fully functioning
system in an hour.

WRT how to create the CD from the ISO file you download, how to install, and
how your hard disk will be partitioned, the best thing is to pick a
distribution from the mainstream somewhere near the top of Distrowatch's
page hit ranking. Links will take you to that distribution's website where
you can read the information you need, usually in the form of a wiki.

If you have the resources, by far the best way to try Linux is with a second
machine. This can be one that is a few generations behind in hardware
terms. The hardware requirements are significantly lower than for Microsoft
OSes, so something abandoned in the loft or garage as too old may well work
great.

I have tried a number of different distributions over the last couple of
years; I have ended up using SimplyMEPIS as my operating system for all I
do online, all my office type needs, and for music management. I like the
fact that it is created by one person, Warren Woodford. This does mean
release cycles are a bit variable! One caveat about trying it at the moment
is that a new release is expected before the end of the year.

Other distributions that I have tried in the last couple of weeks include
PCLinuxOS, Mint, and Kubuntu 7.10. These have all installed faultlessly,
and have picked up my admittedly limited hardware set without difficulty.

I still use XP for a couple of things, but am gradually finding Linux
solutions. My aim is to never have to use Vista; I tried the release
candidates, and hated it.

In the main, you will find plenty of help is available to you here or in the
forum of the distribution you are using.

Let us know how you get on.

Chris

--
Remove prejudice to reply.