LINUX chatter

[shikamaru]

I'm using Linux Mint, which is based on Ubuntu, and it's fantastic. My geek skills are lacking, so I wanted something user friendly with community support.

Linux has come a long way. The "live CD's" allow you to test drive it on your system before installing it. I dual-boot, using Linux for all internet activity and keeping winblows in isolation (still using win2k).

Linux is much more secure, a firewall is all that is needed. No more screwing around with windoze updates and the adware/spyware BS. Actually, I'm getting to the point where I don't need winblows at all anymore. Woohoo!

I, myself, am migrating to bare metal hypervisors and cloud computing.

I like to run too many different OSes from Windows to Linux to UNIX. The above meets my needs nicely.
Working on whipping up some sort of SAN implementation too.

[shikamaru]

I wish I could afford the downtime...

I ran across a software engineer from Laser Magnetic Storage International, knew him from there, and bought Red Hat, hired him to set up a dual boot on my laptop. That turned out to be pretty time costly in itself. The guy was out of work and bought a cell phone with what I paid him. The cell phone got him a job in Atlanta with T-Mobile...

I never did get it up and running.

I'd forgo the dual boot.

Find the OS you are most comfortable with either Windows or Linux. Install Virtualbox. You'll be able to run any OS of your choice and as many as your resources can handle in virtual machines.

If you need help doing this, just let me know.

All my laptops are setup this way.

[shikamaru]

Yes, that is not an easy thing to do, MS Windows always fighting for the boot partition even though you are trying to use bootloader from the linux package, next thing you know cannot even get into linux, that is one of the main reasons I keep windows on a separate system all together then I use remote software Teamviewer 6 so do not have to do any major configuration changes hardware wise to switch between systems, don't even have to get of the chair.
The windows computer is used as a print server so I can spool off print jobs to that system rather then slowing down resources on the main linux system.

I had no problems setting up dual boot Linux and Windows.

Just make sure to install Linux first.

[shikamaru]

Yeah, two computers. I could learn a Linux system on a second computer and slowly transition when I am ready.

Installing Linux in a virtual machine in Virtualbox on top of Windows is an excellent way to go.

[stoneFree]

Ubuntu here. Easy, good support, auto-updates and it's free. I dual boot with Windoze. I first installed Windows, then shrunk that partition to free-up some space on the hard drive, then installed Linux. So either way will work.

[shikamaru]

Ubuntu here. Easy, good support, auto-updates and it's free. I dual boot with Windoze. I first installed Windows, then shrunk that partition to free-up some space on the hard drive, then installed Linux. So either way will work.

Depends on whose boot loader you want to control the bootstrap process .

[allodial]

I wish I could afford the downtime...

I ran across a software engineer from Laser Magnetic Storage International, knew him from there, and bought Red Hat, hired him to set up a dual boot on my laptop. That turned out to be pretty time costly in itself. The guy was out of work and bought a cell phone with what I paid him. The cell phone got him a job in Atlanta with T-Mobile...

I never did get it up and running.

How long ago was that if you don't mind asking? RH used to be preferred. Nowadays I can install from scratch but... I prefer to just roll out Debian or a flavor thereof (apt get is awesome). Ubuntu is about rock solid. I remember the days when Linux was moreso unstable and questionable in use. But Ubuntu is rock solid. There are free virtual machines that allow you to run MS Windows and your favorite Windows apps. Or you can use the WINE (a Windows Emulator). Thusly you can have your cake and eat it too. Ubuntu + Windows running underneath in a VM.

Re: MacOS. Its funny how many people are just figuring out that MacOS is just BSD with Apple-flavored lipstick on.

For those who are sick of MS, its possible to install MacOS on a PC. Or still, one can run MacOSX in a VM under Windows (I have!) or under Linux.

Agreed: Ubuntu + Virtualbox or VM Ware + MacOS or Windows 7 VM-images = win. Dual core or better with lots of RAM is probably the way to go.

[shikamaru]

How long ago was that if you don't mind asking? RH used to be preferred. Nowadays I can install from scratch but... I prefer to just roll out Debian or a flavor thereof (apt get is awesome). Ubuntu is about rock solid. I remember the days when Linux was moreso unstable and questionable in use. But Ubuntu is rock solid. There are free virtual machines that allow you to run MS Windows and your favorite Windows apps. Or you can use the WINE (a Windows Emulator). Thusly you can have your cake and eat it too. Ubuntu + Windows running underneath in a VM.

I forgot about Debian! That's what I run my Xen server on.

Re: MacOS. Its funny how many people are just figuring out that MacOS is just BSD with Apple-flavored lipstick on.

Funny .

[allodial]

OpenBSD, IMHO is the best if not of the best OS's. The problem was the lack of a Java 2 VM for a loooong looooooong time. I figure it would have done the readers an injustice if OpenBSD had gone without mention. However Debian/Ubuntu have it for usability.

[Banja]

How funny. Spent a couple hours looking into Linux yesterday evening, and then I see this thread this morning !! Looked into Linux a couple of years ago, the Linux offerings seem to have come a looooong way in a short period of time, or am I wrong ?

Debian really peaked my interest along with Linux Mint. Does anybody have any experience with Debian ?? After reviewing the various Linux offerings it sure looks to me that once you made the transition, that now you could leave Windows way back in the rear view mirror.