bullgoose

Do any other TFP members use Linux as their only O.S.? I use Debian "Woody" as my everyday system; I do everything that Winders-users can except generate BSOD's. Just for shits & giggles, I have Redhat 9.0 installed and also Knoppix 3.2 as a hard drive install. Purely to have something to laugh at, I have WIN98SE on an unused partition.
I boot everthing with GRUB.
BTW: the only O.S. I don't use on-line is WIN98; got no use for virii.
How about it Linux-users?

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oblar

i switch back and forth.. Although I predominantly use Linux for day to day usage.. The only things I do in windows is the occassional game (Starcraft, Unreal Tournament) or a bit of p2p action...

but I could go all linux, but I am just too lazy to go through the hassle... I guess mainly because Ido my work in linux and the less "distractions" i have then the better off I am.

i dont think a single one of my computers has windows only.. they are all either linux/winxp or just linux.

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SecretMethod70

While I don't use Linux exclusively, I'd say I use it about 85-90% of the time. Windows is here for the occasional game or other thing I have not taken the time to get working in Linux yet. Each day that list of things is dwindling as I get the motivation to learn more.

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yotta

None of my computers have windows on them.

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Dave

I'm not linux exclusively, but I'm m$ free. Almost everything here runs some form of *nix, but there are exceptions (vms, wierd embedded systems, etc.).

yotta

UT has a Linux native version. WineX can run starcraft, and Kazza lite with some tweaking

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oblar

yotta: Nods, like I said before, don't like messing with wine I tried using vmware for a little bit, but was too much of a hassle. I know about the UT linux version, I just don't have a copy, and I am not really sure how well that would play.

as sad as this may sound, but Windows seriously rules Linux for 3d acceleration. This is mainly due to Windows drivers being much more effective... If only the hardware manufactures could release the technical data so Open Source can reign

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twister002

oblar, not Wine. WineX from Transgaming. I'm sure you've heard of it.

I used the 2.1 version and found it played most of the games I wanted to play. I haven't gotten a chance to try out the 3.0 version but it looks like it works even better and comes with a nice little GUI launch app.

If I could wean my wife off of Windows, I'd be as close to 100% Linux as I could get.

SecretMethod70

*shrug* I guess your mileage may vary with this. I find Quake3 runs a LOT better in Linux for me than in Windows. Perhaps it's because I have an nVidia card and use their Linux drivers.

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bullgoose

I think you've hit it right on the head; nVidia has really become Linux friendly, and from what I'm hearing, the performance is astounding. I've got a 3 year old Diamond Viper II that is not a real good choice for Linux; as soon as I can do it, I'm replacing it with an nVidia card; I'm not a gamer, but I want to support companies that are supporting Linux. Maybe that way, we can give Bill Gates a couple of sleepless nights! >Judy Tenuda voice ON< It could happen!>Judy Tenuda voice OFF<

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Krycheck

I have a linux laptop and dual boot on my desktop.
I'd like to go pure linux someday. But it's hard with all the new games comming out soon. Not all games run well on WineX but most do so I have hope.
Like SecretMethod said. Each day I come a little closer to being MS free

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vevaphon

i don't use linux at all.

FreeBSD desktop at work, OpenBSD servers at work and home (i don't want to muck around, i want things to just automatically be locked down). I was 100% windows free for a long time, but i gave in by having a Win2k desktop machine at home for the occasional game. I abuse shell accounts for as much as possible (IRC, email, AIM, etc), though.

The blessing that is screen to the UNIX shell is amazing.

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Nooze2k

I use Windows the most actually, although not by choice. Its about 65% Windows, 35% Linux, but only because of Win32 programming in school, plus ATI's Linux drivers suck gonads compared to their Windows drivers (bout time they got them working properly.... maybe Nvidia will get there's back in shape again as well) Personally, I use Linux as much as possible, but Windows for everything else. I play a fair amount of games, and in my honest opinion, games just run alot better in Windows than Linux.

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Antagony

No you don't. Can you play more than 5% of any of the current PC game demos? Do you use Adobe Photoshop? Or how about run any GUIs on an 8x AGP video card?

Look, Linux is great and I enjoy it. But saying that "you do everything that Winders-users can" is a load of crap. I would love to be able to live without Windows, but alas, I cannot.

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bullgoose

OK, I can't run games like Windows can, but since I'm not a gamer, it's a moot point. Regarding Photoshop, why would I want to? I've got the GIMP. No I can't use an 8X AGP card, but that's really only an advantage for games; I'm stuck with a 4X AGP card; can you customize your desktop the way I can mine? How often do you shell out $$$ for new software that crashes regularly? I rarely have a problem getting a device to work; I wish that would have been true when I was running Windows; I mean, it only makes sense that a dedicated device driver should just allow you to use the device you've just installed, right? Not in the wonderful world of Windows; 9 times out of 10, it'll crash your computer, and frequently it'll crash it to the point of having to do a complete re-install; that has never happened to me since I started using Linux. Oh, yeah, by the way: I have absolutely no formal training; I taught myself how to use Linux, with the help of the open-source community; Y' can't do that with Windows.

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SecretMethod70

www.transgaming.com


Anyway, you CAN do everything you can do in Windows in Linux. If you don't have hardware which supports Linux, that's your problem, there are equivalents for everything. Have an ATI video card? There's nVidia instead - and it's better anyway. Not to mention it's not Linux's fault ATI doesn't work to support it. That's like saying you can't do everything you can do in Windows on a Mac because you can't use some certain type of video card. Well, there are others that will work for Mac that are just as good.

There is only ONE thing I've come across that one cannot do as well in Linux as in Windows and cannot be remedied by simply using proper hardware that supports Linux, and that is CAD. AutoDesk's AutoCAD is simply the best CAD program out there and it does not support Linux and does not have a match in Linux. Everything else you've mentioned boils down to weather the hardware suppotrs Linux, and if there were only one choice in hardware, well, why do so many people have different computer configurations?

You wouldn't buy hardware that's made to support Mac only and try to use it with Windows, so don't buy hardware that's made to support Windows only and try to use it with Linux.

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Antagony

Holy Jesus, please try crucifying someone who is actually against Linux next time.

Over-zealoutry, ahoy!

Certainly Smeth would remember that I am a Linux user.

Also -- You say that "because I'm not a gamer, it's a moot point." It's not a moot point because it is in direct violation of what you claimed, that you can do anything Windows users can do.

And to Smeth, TransGaming doesn't release binaries, or even code compatibility for the vast majority of PC game demos. While the full version is likely to get some of their attention when it is released, you can't do hardly any demo testing in a Linux environment.

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bullgoose

I give you the fact that in a GENERAL sense, gaming capability is important; personally, I don't game, I use my computer as a tool, not as an entertainment device.
Secret Method, you might want to look at Vari-CAD; it has the most potential as a Linux-based CAD system. I don't know what your interest is in CAD, but I work in the Aero-space industry; the company I work for builds Primary Fight control systems for aircraft; the MicroSoft overhead is STAGGERING, that's my interest. I'm working on a Linux application suite that's based on Debian; it's oriented toward small machine shop owners- I think Linux could level the playing field, as far as cost of operation goes.

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SecretMethod70

In the sense of demos, you are right Antagony, you can't play game demos in most cases.

Let's put it this way - yes, there are a *few* things you can do in Windows that you can't do in Linux. In my experience with myself and others I know - Linux and non-Linux users alike - 90-100% of the things we do are perfectly capable of being done in Linux. Maybe not the same way, but it can be done. For example, Gaim's file transfer support while leaps ahead of other Linux clients is still sometimes flaky, but there is still IRC, FTP, etc to transfer files through. I can't play demos, but then again I don't think I know of anyone - in real life at laest - who has ever tried - in Windows OR in Linux.

Didn't mean to "crucify" you by any means - to be honest I got a little carried away because, while your argument wasn't exactly like it, it reminded me of people complaining about things like "my winmodem won't work in Linux"


bullgoose - I don't use CAD, however my dad is the VP of a plastic mold engineering company, so they use Solidworks and AutoCAD a LOT. (read: 100% of the time) His response to Linux is - and understandably so - "when I see other companies switching, then I'll look into it."

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twister002

For everyone who is stating that every Windows program has a Linux equivalent: Where is the "Print Shop" equivalent?

Not asking to be snarky, I'm asking because I'd like to find a Linux based program that will allow my wife to create greeting cards, calendars, etc...

I've been looking for one for a while, tried Google, Freshmeat, SourceForge, no luck so far.

Except for this one area, personal productivity, I'd agree with the statement that every Windows program has a Linux counterpart. Sure I could use the GIMP to create a Calendar, but for that matter I could use any image editing program to create that stuff. A personal publishing program makes it easier.

yotta

That got brought up on my LUG's mailing list a while back. Don't belive a solution was found. You could try running Print Shop in wine (an older version my work better.)

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yotta

I'd just like to point out that you can do a LOT of things on linux that you can't do on Windows. Like run without a GUI (Correct me if I'm wrong). Or run on a 386 with 16 MB of ram (good for firewall/routers). Most of all, try running windows on a non x86 computer. I've also never seen a linux botxriddled with spyware.

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Krycheck

I just got Half Life running in Linux via WineX3 today. I love it, plays great even on a Radeon Mobility video chipset.

Now if I could just get DoD to work....

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Krycheck

While cruising for linux game installers I found this: http://www.linuxhardware.org/feature...8/169209.shtml

Nice to know bout the future of linux gaming. Looks good, cant wait for Americas Army to come out for linux.

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Orionath

Linux only here, too, both by me and my fiance', who I am impersonating right now by sitting at his computer using his login. I am Unsung.

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Jerry Manderine

I have to mix and match - Linux/Windows/OS x - I work with whatever tool is right for the job. Adobe seem to get on with Macs so at work all my graphics are done on either a mac or my (relatively stable) Win2000. Linux is for programming/emailing/web design etc...

I've just setup a dual boot with Windows Server 2003 and have been very impressed - by far the most stable OS I have used.

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bishop7

Running Linux exclusively ... i've done it a few times but usually not for long.

Linux has potential but I think Windows (in many cases, as much as I hate to admit it) outclasses it as a Desktop OS.

Windows XP is stable. Windows 9x never really was, but they've improved the stability by leaps in bounds. My Windows XP installation hasn't crashed yet. Linux is easily just as stable as XP.

Windows XP is also very responsive and the GUI is very intuitive now (like night and day compared to the GUI in Windows 95 classic). Explorer can be a little brain-dead at times, but file management is (IMO) more easily done on the command line anyway (at least for a fast typist like me :P) Linux is easy enough to use if you're used to the Windows 3.1/Mac interface[G] The GUI isn't nearly as intuitive, but it's getting better. The Windows interface is more consistent as well.

Windows is fairly easy to configure (unless you have to dig into the EVIL Registry) Linux configuration is easy in some cases but in others it is a micromanagement nightmare.

Security sucks in both Operating Systems but the Linux community is far more responsive to security threats (and far less inept than Microsofts "security" team in doling out patches)

The entire Windows product line only WISHES it could be as versatile and configurable as most any Linux distribution out there.

The application support is probably what keeps me coming back, however. If you're a hard-core gamer you're more or less going to have to get used to the fact that a few of your favorite games may never be adequately playable on Linux ... if they are playable at all (yes i've had a WineX subscription before)
Also, many applications just aren't as good as their Windows counterparts although some of the major ones (Gimp, Openoffice comes to mind) are probably good enough for most people.

I hate Microsoft. The worse thing about Windows is that fact that Microsoft makes it. I would claim that Bill Gates is the devil if I didn't believe that Satan would look like such a LOSER.

Personally, I use Windows as my main desktop OS, Netware for File/Print/Groupware servers, and Linux for everything else.

mpedrummer2

OK, don't kill me, because I don't use Linux, but I have a point here.

Microsoft, while of course inherently evil has a few things in its favor over the open source community, and I think as the years go by, we'll see this.

The biggest one. Everyone says how much more secure Linux is than Windows.

BULLSHIT.

There's just as many holes, it's just that not too many people have bothered to exploit them yet. Sooner or later, though, virus writers are going to get bored with Windows, and start targeting Linux, especially as it becomes more and more prolific for webservers.

Microsoft has a multi-million dollar a year programming team than can (and has) churn out patches to fix vunerabilities within hours of the problem being identified. The open source community really doesn't have this. Sure, Mandrake and Suse etc have their own programmers who can make patches, but not necessarily with the speed that MS can.

Dunno...I forsee this being a problem for Linux peeps, someday.

MPEDrummer

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Vaultboy

Linux as an only OS would be a waste for me. My machine is built for graphical use, since I use GIS and other related products. And I'm a heavy gamer.

I do run mandrake 9.1 on a 10gig partition, and while I would say that its perhaps the equal of XP, I only use it to pass the time, since I have no actual use for it.

I run XP as my main OS, and I also use Win2000.

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SecretMethod70

When people say that Linux is more secure than Windows, it's not to mean that Linux doesn't have its security holes. This is open data - unlike Windows, the known security issues are fully disclosed to the public.

The difference comes in exactly what you takled about - only thing is your assessment was incorrect. The Opes Source nature of Linux is what makes it more secure because, instead of waiting for MS to get off their butt and make a patch to the security hole, anyone can do so in Linux. Because of this, most security issues are fixed faster in Linux than in Windows - not giving them enough time to be fully exploited.

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Antagony

Smeth is right. But not only that, coders behind Open Source software fix those holes really fast. I don't remember which group it was (I want to say sendmail), but it was a particularly interesting case.

They did a new public release. Something like 6 hours later, an exploit was found and posted. Then in like another 6 hours a new release was out to fix the problem.

12 hours to hole discovery AND fixing? The day Microsoft pulls that off is the day flying pigs freeze Hell over and bring Apocalypse.

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bishop7

Not only that, but you can actually count on those patches to WORK! On top of THAT, with the exception of kernel patches, these security updates can be applied without having to reboot the server.

I agree with the sentiment that both OS have a plethora of holes ... it is the RESPONSE to security issues that matters.

ratbastid

I have windows on one laptop (the one I'm currently typing on, in fact), just because of the occasional stray PowerPoint presentation I absolutely have to look at for a client.

Everything else is either RH 7.2 or Mandrake 9.0. Just pulled down the MDK9.1 isos, ready to upgrade the minute I simultaneously have the time and the marbles.

redman

Games I'll give you, but photoshop I won't. Unless you're a graphic artist by profession (in which case you'd be using photoshop on a MacOSX box ), gimp is plenty fine for most things. In fact, even having MacOSX and photoshop I still do pleny of things using gimp on linux to do easy things faster.

The best tool for the job.

As to the thread:

I have several Linux boxen running my home network. I do almost all my work from my laptop, running linux. I use an ancient 486 laptop with it's own built in uninterrupable power supply off of one of the non-battery plugs on my UPS to monitor the UPS in case of power failure and talk to the non-essential boxes on the network to power down in order to save battery for the main server machines.

However, I have several older boxes running older versions of BSD, and I have both a MacOSX and MacOS9 box that are mainly used by the wife and kids (Okay, I find that more and more often I try to horn in on the MacOSX box myself.

Most of my hardware comes from frustrated Windows users who are throwing away Pentium, Pentium 2 and other hardware in their futile quest to keep up with the resource usage of Windows OS's. I can make 486's do useful work with Linux. It's also useful to keep current on even old technology. It's still in use in tons of places.

I'm a geek. Probably irradiated every time I go in my office.

redman

Not only that, but the word tends to get out and fast and because it's easier and quicker to get up and patched, more people actually keep current rather than be 0wned by some script kiddie.

I loved a report by http://www.netcraft.com/ where they been keeping tabs on the number of exploits in deployed IIS servers over time. There are significant holes that are widely unpatched. There are even several that went down after M$ had a patch only to go up again as people either reinstalled or built new machines with IIS on them without keeping current.

kg4dsx

I am trying to go 100% Linux, the only thing holding me back is a few of my games, but I am still looking for ways to dump Microsoft. I just recently upgraded to Redhat 9.0, just having a little trouble getting my wireless card to work, but everything else seems to work fine.

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txd

OpenBSD on everything bar my workstation at work