ANy of you guys use a version of Linux, say Lindows for example? I know how good the stability is supposed to be, and software is not a problem either as that is readily available to buy/steal. Just wanted to know what the compatability issues are? For example, are there many hardware problems? Also how will games work, or is that a no-no if a game is for Windows?

Cheers for ya help ppl.

Scrap the shit about games, I just read up about it. The only concern I have really is my hardware as none of it is listed on the official sites as having drivers?!?!? Also, WTF do I do about codecs for my movies? There is so much to read up about that I would like some general advice and if the feedback is good then I will look into it further, if not I will not waste my time.

Home PCs (IDE disk, CD/RW, ATI/Nvidia GFX+ TV-Out...) usually work without much trouble. Download Knoppix Live CD distribution and try it for yourself without losing any data on your HD. If you're satisfied download a real distro (RedHat and Mandrake are beginner friendly, just stay away from lindows), repartition your HD so that you have about 5 GB of free space, get a friend that'll help you if something goes wrong and install the thing.

Windows will still work and that's fine because you'll still need it, at least for gaming. There shouldn't be any troubles with movie playback - stick to xine or mplayer for playback. Both are able to use Windows codecs if you can't find a native decoder.

There'll still be much to read though.

Fuckin eh mate, that was what I wanted to hear. I figured that it may be better to run both for a while, altho I only actually play one game LOL

The only thing I am really unsure of is my mouse, it is cordless but uses just the standard drivers I assume as I never installed the drivers and windows see's it as a mouse, plain and simple, would linux recognise this? I could not find any linux specific drivers for it.

Never call Lindows a Linux. It is not.

Rock stable. Software? Depends on what you need.


Define many hardware problems. You can have some problems with winmodems or some wlan cards, but most hardware works fine.

This I don't really know. There are several native games for Linux. I usually play neverwinter nights. But many games can be played with special wine versions. Not that I ever tried.

What hardware do you have? If I were you, I'd grab a copy of partition magic, shrink one of my windoze partitions and try to set up a dual boot system. So you can try one thing without giving up the other. Actually I set up many dual boot systems for friends. Usually a large windoze system and a tiny Linux system. The Linux system is for surfing and the Windoze system for working (for those who think the cannot without M$-Office). I always recommend never to connect a Windoze system to the internet.

99.99%: Yes.

Gonna set up a partition next week and have a go with Linux, all recommendations will be welcomed, as for Lindows, that was just the first name I plucked outta the air.

The reason I am looking to change is that I get pissed off with the constant stream of virii, the almost non-existant security, and the fuckin crashes every day.

My main uses are surfing, harassing ppl on usenet and downloading and watching movies.

I understand that linux, or atleast the software, can read all the main windows text format, and most of the shit I have is txt files, the only real concern I have is if it is possible to get linux to play wma and wmv files. I have fuckin thousands and converting them would be, to say the least, time comsuming.

USB devices are a mare, ie. alcatel modem etc. You'll probably need a guide to compiling and installing printed out. Printers, wlan cards, modems, etc. are the biggest problems.

Mice, network cards, etc. all are fine. A mouse is a mouse, so don't worry about drivers. If it conforms to standards it will definitely work (extra buttons might not, but 3 and mouse scroll probably will)

I don't have linux installed for a single reason, it does not support NTFS in any successful form (read only), as soon as it's cracked. When I last used kneoppix live, it didn't support my Audigy either

Linux is rock steady is quite an accurate program because, as you'll know wargand you nit picker you, when a process crashes, it vary rarely interferes with the core, unlike win32 where a crashed program brings the whole system down. However, being a linux user only at uni, I can tell you Taky that just cos it has nix in it, doesn't mean you aren't going have to work to get it to play, and everything is going to be stable

What Windoze do you use? I hate Windoze, but as far as I know at least under Win 2000 or perhaps XP there are far less crashes now. Could it be you hardware?


This can be done 100% perfect in Linux.



wma and wmv are no problem if they don't use drm.

Not sure, but I heard rumours that there is a projekt which allows NTFS write support using Windoze dll files. Have not looked because I have no Windoze anymore.

yeah its not stable

@ spud, I really have no qualms about learning new shit, and definitely have no problems with having to work to get it going just right.

@wargand, I have XP Pro, and it is way more stable than earlier incarnations, but I hate the way when one thing crashes it brings the whole system down, and it is just not stable enough for a person such as me that likes to tweak and has a lot of usage. I have heard ppl that can run Linux systems for weeks, hell my uncle can do that, I am lucky if I get thru 12 hours LOL I know it is not hardware related, maybe some of the soft I have on it, but I have ben informed that most Linux soft is way more stable too.

Weeks? My internet machine is running mldonkey 24/7. Its longest uptime was four month. Crashes: 0. I only shut it down, when I upgrade the kernel or a guest wants to sleep in the room where it stands.

Getting quite excited about this now. I take it wargand you use linux, which variant? Mandrake 8.2 OK? I have a fast connection so whatever version I go for can be gotten in a matter of 2 hours or less. Also, I see alot of popular games work well under winex, altho that is just a bonus.

You have to use mldonkey for linux? That the only mule proggy? Also updates, how does that work, similar to windows? AV and firewall easily obtainable?

Sorry for all the questions, but you seem to be the expert.

BTW, I will go for the dual boot set up initially, just to make sure my hardware is fine, all going well and I will prolly kill windows in a weeks time. When I install Linux to a new partition will that handle the dual boot aspect, or is that something manual I must do?

I use Gentoo. This is currently one of the best distris for experts. Most Gentoo users would not want to hear this, but for a newbie it is very hard to install. Expecially if there is a risk to destroy a Windoze partition you want to keep. So, best you start with Mandrake or RedHat. Don't know what version, but 8.x cannot be too wrong.


That's what I heard. But cannot confirm. Never tried.


I have to use mldonkey. Currently it is the only one with a usable client/server structure. The server is running on above mentioned machine. I refuse to call it 'firewall', because nothing where progs like mldonkey (or any other p2p program) are running can honestly be called firewall. But apart from mldonkey it is my minimal gateway through which my other two machines connect to the net. Though a webinterface or a special gui I can connect from everywere to my mldonkey server (theoretically, I have the ports filtered. The risk is too high, I think).

The other clients amule? lmule? are emule clones. Don't ask me which version. I don't like them because I'd have to run X on my gateway.


Cannot say how it works with Mandrake or RedHad. Is approx. two years since I used them. With Gentoo it simply is:

emerge sync
emerge -U world

After a few hours (a lot if you have a slow computer) you have a totally new up-to-date system

'emerge -U system' updates only the system files.
'emerge mldonkey' downloads, compiles and installs mldonkey. Later on: 'emerge -U mldonkey'. Updates mldonkey if there is an update available.

I believe that Mandrake and RedHad also have an online update system, but this might be commercial? Not sure.


Hey I answer gladly if I can hurt M$ a bit by convincing someone to migrate to Linux

With RedHat and Mandrake you will be asked during the installation process. In 99% of all cases it is easy. Of course, if you have strange hardware...... Best dl. Knoppix first and see whether it boots and finds all of your hardware. If it does you have very good chances that you won't have problems with RedHat or Mandrake.

I'm just taking a look at gnoppix now

DOwnloaded mandrake 9.2, not 8.2 LOL Just grabbing Knoppix, only 40 minutes download time, so will give that a whizz first.

Cheers for all ya help, you guys have got me started on an interesting journey.