# Linux



## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Anyone using it ?

I installed it today and I am trying to get to grips with it to free me of Windows.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Linux







. Is that like posh linoleum







?

You need a Stanley knife Roy







.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Paul (SH) will know what I'm talking about.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

Indeed I do


















Great as a server platform, but you're a brave man Roy, if you're using it as a Windows desktop replacement.









Nothing wrong with it and maybe you'll be OK...but sooner-or-later you'll come across a piece of software that you want but it will only run under Windows....

...OK, you can try things like Wine...and that might get you out-of-trouble.....but one day....
















So I'm afraid it's still Micro$oft for me...









Paul


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Just playing with it,

Still have Windows on another disk.


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## Roger (May 17, 2003)

Our IT Guru at work reckons playing with Linux is like learning parts of the Old Testament.........lots of work for not a lot of benefit...

Me?? I dunno...( I am a member of The BA Club)


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Roger said:


> Our IT Guru at work reckons playing with Linux is like learning parts of the Old Testament.........lots of work for not a lot of benefit...


 I can see why,


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

Sounds much too frightening for little ole me







.

I'll understand if you get my next order wrong







.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm using it (Mandrake 10). Stick with it Roy









Once you get used to it you'll find there's little you'll really miss on Windows that you can't do under Linux (and probably better, quicker and much cheaper too).

If you install it with a decent desktop environment (I like KDE) you can make it behave like Windows too so the learning curve is a little shallower.

The only downside for new users is that at some point you'll need to use the command line to perform some tasks. This can be a little intimidating at first, but if you remember any old DOS / Windows commands you'll find that many of the Linux/UNIX commands are very similar (as Windows pinched many of them from UNIX in the first place!) The Linux/UNIX commands are usually much more powerful though so you have to exercise a little care.

Happy to assist at any time if you need any help. Just drop me a line









By the way, you could always install something like FacetWin or Samba on your Linux box and Windows Services for UNIX on your Windows machines, then they can talk to each other so you can run both whilst you're learning Linux.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I have only tried Redhat 8 which I think is a little old now and does not recognise most of my hardware.

I may try to download Mandrake 10 as it has the best reviews, and if your using it it must be good.







Too impatient to download 5 cd's so I was looking at some one disc solutions.

There are so many distro's , I am a little bewildered as to which to go for.









Is Mandrake the best ?


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I've used Mandrake since version 5 so I'm probably a bit of a die-hard fan, but yes, I think it's the best one for a desktop system. Red Hat is very good and is something of an industry standard. If you're going to be using Linux in some commercial capacity you might try OpenBSD. OpenBSD is very secure but everything is locked down by default so it's trickier to set up.

I've installed Mandrake 10 on three seperate machines now and have not had a single problem with hardware detection, including sound and 3D graphics cards (albeit not the latest ones.) I only have four CD's though, not five









I can send you the disks if you want, no problem. May be quicker for me to copy them than for you to download all of them. Just let me know


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

That is very kind , it sounds like this is the one I need.

I will of course pay for the disks and your postage and time.

Thank you.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

I'll put the discs in the post tomorrow









Don't worry about the cost of discs/postage/time. I have thousands of blank discs and am burning copies like this all the time for work. One more copy wont hurt at all









I just hope you like Mandrake


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I've had a play with some distros of Linux over the years when I get (often) disillusioned with Windows. The big problem has always been Linux inability to recognise hardware, I think this is still the weak spot.

I downloaded Knoppix v3.4 a couple of weeks ago as this is the system that Amiga Forever 6 uses to self boot from cd. I was quite impressed but hardware recognition still seems to be a problem.

If Linux could overcome these problems I think more Windows users would migrate. I started computing with Amiga dos and Workbench but I don't want to get bogged down with trying to cure compatibility problems with operating systems these days, I just don't have the time or patience now.

It would be nice to dump Bill Gates and his "I will rule the world" attitude, not to mention the security issues with Windows and the hacker's/ virus writer's.

One day, I hope.


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> Linux . Is that like posh linoleum


No its a character from 'Charlie Brown'

Jason


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> No its a character from 'Charlie Brown'


Oh yes, that's right! And wasn't Knoppix that dog with the big nose, always lying on top of his kennel?


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Don't worry Rich, the world seems to have forgotten the Amiga too.
















Funny that Linus was a character in Charlie Brown cartoons, how the world works.























Funny that Windows doesn't have a dual pane file manager built in like Directory Opus 4? Nah, that would allow Windows user's too much control and Micro$oft couldn't make one anyroad.
















Time for a new Jay Miner, I think.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> I'll put the discs in the post tomorrow
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Thank You Very Much,


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Linux is generally used by people having a professional pc use, and know a great deal about the workings of operational systems. The problem with it is that it is not as easy to use, nor anything like as versatile. For instance, although Linux can work with a word processing package, it can't run Microsoft Word, where the editing and header features etc. are so useful.

A shell cover can be put in with it to simulate an icon system, but it will be more hassle than it is worth, in all honesty.

For overall ease of use and versatility, the average person is far better sticking to Windows IMO, where the great no. of application programmes are so readily available and easy to operate.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> ...nor anything like as versatile


Whaaaattt!!!?




























I need to go and lie down; I'm in schock









I agree with you on the ease of use front though. But the new Linux distributions are simple. You no longer _have_ to be a real expert (although it does help I grant you.)

By the way, the latest versions of Open Office are very similar to MS-Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint etc.) and can save documents in MS format so they're interchangeable with MS users









On another note, I've never once encountered a UNIX/Linux virus in the wild. But Windows viruses come piling in here by the thousands every day.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Been playing with it for a couple of days and it looks and feels very secure which is what I want. I think I could easily stop using Windows once I have more confidence with it.

Imagine no more Virus's , heaven.









I can't wait to try Mandrake,


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

It's on its way


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Thank You,


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> > ...nor anything like as versatile
> 
> 
> Whaaaattt!!!?
> ...


I really mean there wont be the same range of programmes available, and that many of the free programmes available for Linux are ok, but there wont be the same help available when things go wrong.

I'm amazed if the latest version of Open Office allows you to do the same things as MS-Office, with editing and pasting etc., but the world out there is Windows, whether we like it or not as individual users, and especially if you want the full range of applications and games etc.

I'm not denying a forum provider may like to opt for a more virus free environment, but as individual users who log onto the forum I feel Windows is still the best option, unless the person is someone like you who appears to be a pc enthusiast with quite a bit of knowledge.

Windows XP seems a good bet


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## Jezzag (Oct 29, 2003)

You could always try a Mac. OSX is built on Unix; rock solid, no viruses, elegant front end and you can even get MS Word for it if you are that way inclined.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Agree on that, but Macs are very expensive, such as their laptops







, and getting them repaired is a nightmare!!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Ahhh, Operating System Wars!
















The defence for Linux rests! All other arguments > /dev/null


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> and getting them repaired is a nightmare!!


Saw somthibg on T.V regarding that....Some bloke deliberatly broke a Mac and a PC and found out you cant buy bits for your mac....macs have to go to Mac sevice centers to be fixed...at huge cost compared to pc's









Jason


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I'll try Linux and not a Mac then,


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

As far as Linux is concerned I must agree with Griff and his impression of the Windows target audience. Most donâ€™t know how to use or are too stupid or lazy to use even Windows properly. I know that sounds harsh but it is true in my experience of selling items that connect to computers.









Few understand the need to update software regularly, many that own anti-virus and firewall software donâ€™t update it. They donâ€™t use Windows update either.

If a vulnerability in Windows is identified then it is swiftly dealt with by MS (mostly) but the updates need to be installed.

There are many very clever but twisted individuals who take great pleasure in hacking Windows based computers just for the hell of it, thatâ€™s why updates are important. Service pack 2 for Windows XP is mostly to do with security and getting people to think more about protecting themselves.

I donâ€™t think that the average Windows end user could cope with putting the effort into using Linux, they canâ€™t even be bothered to protect themselves by updating their virus checkers.









Linux would have to be a lot easier to use before the average Windows user could migrate, IMHO.

I quite like Linux and I could be tempted into installing a copy but if I got too interested in it I would spend less time on the forum.

I expect Iâ€™ll get ten copies of Linux in the mail real soon then?


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2004)

I know nothing of all this computer geekishness but my eldest son works in a magazine publishing environment as an editor and he has two computers on his desk a PC and a Mac.

According to him most creative, artistic and musical companies and users prefer Macs.

Don't ask me.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

I have used Windows for years and it is now time for a change.

Everyone who uses Linux, and there are thousands, swear by it.


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## raketakat (Sep 24, 2003)

neil said:


> According to him most creative, artistic and musical companies and users prefer Macs.


 Macs fit in better with their designer decor







.

Plus being creative, they have to be different, the little darlings







.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

rhaythorne said:


> Ahhh, Operating System Wars!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rich,

Don't you mean (and I never get this syntax right) > /dev/null 2>&1

and since I'm on an Oracle 9i course this week, let's throw this one in for luck:

*select 'Linux Rools, OK!' from dual;*

















Cheers

Paul

BTW: Still don't think Linux/Unix is suitable for *most* home users as a Windows replacement.

And who said there weren't Unix viruses (Bliss)? In 1998, "Strange Brew" was the first Java Class virus....good name, eh!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Well, I know I said I'd rest the case for Linux but I'm compelled to respond to Stan's post







Imagine me waving banners and screaming and shouting outside the courtroom











> Most donâ€™t know how to use or are too stupid or lazy to use even Windows properly.


I agree. That's how I earn my living, so I'm not complaining









But then why does does it matter if they're using Windows or Linux? They're going to be calling me for support anyway, whatever they're using! But if they're using Linux, they wont have spent hundreds of Â£/$ on MS software and there's a very good chance that if I don't know the answer to their question that someone else will, because it's Open Source.



> Few understand the need to update software regularly, many that own anti-virus and firewall software donâ€™t update it. They donâ€™t use Windows update either.


 As above! I can't deny that there are daily vulnerabilities announced for Linux products just as there are for Windows. The difference is that, at the moment, the Linux vulnerabilities are less likely to be exploited. By the way, there's actually a "Mandrake Update" tool within the Mandrake distribution of Linux that performs the same function as "Windows Update". F-Prot provides a free Anti-Virus program for Linux. There are numerous free Firewall programs for Linux too.



> If a vulnerability in Windows is identified then it is swiftly dealt with by MS (mostly)


 Don't you believe it







That's another benefit of the Open Source idea. Vulnerabilities are spotted relatively early and can be fixed by anyone who has the source code. The latest patch for IE issued by MS fixes a cross zone scripting problem that has been causing me grief for at least a month!



> I donâ€™t think that the average Windows end user could cope with putting the effort into using Linux,


There's really no more effort. A user that doesn't understand what's going on underneath his Linux GUI is no more disadvantaged than one that doesn't understand how Windows works.



> Linux would have to be a lot easier to use before the average Windows user could migrate, IMHO.


I agree. It is! (compared to earlier versions)



> I quite like Linux and I could be tempted into installing a copy but if I got too interested in it I would spend less time on the forum.


No you wouldn't. Because it would make almost no difference at all.

And that _really_ is my last word on the matter







You'll have gathered that I'm a bit of a Linux fan


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Silver Hawk said:



> Don't you mean (and I never get this syntax right) > /dev/null 2>&1


Even better







Standard error goes to /dev/null too!



> and since I'm on an Oracle 9i course this week, let's throw this one in for luck:
> 
> select 'Linux Rools, OK!' from dual;


 Now you got me







I avoid "'Orrible Oracle" like the plague














I'm not very good at databases







But as you're on an Oracle course, note that there are new privilege escalation vulnerabilities announced in Oracle 8i/9i today!! Ask your course tutor; might be important?????


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

OK Rich,

I'm convinced, I'll look at Linux more closely.







But I would want to know a little of what's happening behind the interface, I would devote some time to that.

One point, most home users of Windows can't afford to pay for support other than that provided free. I once needed to contact Intel with an obscure question, the telephone support cost $25 a minute.







I told them I would work it out myself.
















I can't help you earn a living, sorry.









I suspect that there is a lot of free support in the Linux community for people that migrate from Windows?


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> the telephone support cost $25 a minute.

















I always knew I was cheap


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I bet you don't work for Â£5 an hour Rich.
















I've had another play with Knoppix, it found the TV card in my old pc but I couldn't get it to find my USB ADSL modem. Not that I'm suprised, I wouldn't expect a "live" CD version of Linux to find it without a suitable driver.

Modems seem to be a problem for Linux.









I could live with Linux if it found all my hardware.







Shame more hardware makers don't build Linux drivers.









You may have started something here Rich.









Now I need a good installable distro and my old hard drive.

Which distro is most Windows-like and free?


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## Guest (Aug 3, 2004)

raketakat said:


> neil said:
> 
> 
> > According to him most creative, artistic and musical companies and users prefer Macs.
> ...


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Stan said:



> I bet you don't work for Â£5 an hour Rich.


When it comes to the little private work I do, I usually just get paid in beer











> You may have started something here Rich.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Me and my big mouth (beak?)









Here's a screenshot of Mandrake 10 using the KDE desktop environment:










Note the Windows-like layout. Some familiar icons top left on the desktop; a "Taskbar" along the bottom with a "Start" button from which menus containing various programs and program groups appear; a "Quick Launch" section with icons for commonly launched programs; a "System Tray" on the right with a clock.

On the desktop I'm running a couple of OpenOffice programs - a word processor and spreadsheet program. Look familiar? A game of Patience is running too.

What do you think?


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Looks good to me,


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## Jezzag (Oct 29, 2003)

Griff said:


> Agree on that, but Macs are very expensive, such as their laptops
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Not so, Apple's customer service is second to none.

My laptop failed recently. Apple Fedexed a box for me to pack the machine into. Fedex then came back and picked up the box, whisked it off to the repair centre and back within four days. Turned it on to discover the latest version of the operating system installed (saving Â£100) and some other software updates. Now that's service.

Macs ain't badly priced anymore. Cheapest desktop is Â£550, cheapest laptop Â£800. When you consider that all Macs come installed with brilliant photo, music, video editing and music making software (as well as an MS Office compatiable office suite) and there is zero configuration problem with soundcards, CD/DVD burners etc the costs look pretty keen.

As for that dumb stunt on Channel 5, how often do you throw your PC out of the window?


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Silver Hawk said:



> select 'Linux Rools, OK!' from dual;


Ahaaa, now I understand







um, I think.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Jezzag said:


> Griff said:
> 
> 
> > Agree on that, but Macs are very expensive, such as their laptops
> ...


I'm afraid it is so!

You can't buy Mac spares....they wont sell them to you.........you have to send the machine back to them so only they will repair it..........bloody hopeless!!!

A Mac mouse is about Â£40, and so is the keyboard!! A keyboard with built in mouse is about Â£70. A pc keyboard can be got for about Â£4!!

An eMac can be bought with educational discount for about Â£500, but if the monitor goes the whole bloody thing is useless.

For Â£500 you can buy a superb pc from the likes of Dell

You have to have virtual pc on a Mac so it can run pc programmes.

Getting a mac repaired is a load of hassle with non standard spares, and spares that can't be bought. Waste of bloody time IMO

If Mac were viable they would be the standard option for use in Universities like ours. They are not, and can't be supported by our IT people.

Some people have a thing about them, and will argue Mac v Pc until they are blue in the face, but buy one as a private individual, and see what hassle they are when something goes wrong!!


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## Mrcrowley (Apr 23, 2003)

I've had my Mac for a few months now, & like it.

One thing I feel i've been misinformed over though is the processor speed.

I heard or read that a 1GH Mac processor is just as good as a 2GH on a PC. Not so in my mind.

Unless i'm doing something wrong or have clogged my my memory up, I see a definite difference in speed. Downloading is OK, but the Mac is considerably slower when loading some web pages. I'm still getting used to the OS as well, after using PCs since I was 13 or so........

I have a bluetooth mouse, which only has one button. So when getting properties of pics to post etc, I use the PC. One day i'll get the hang of doing it on this as well









BTW I put Firefox on my PC to replace IE. Was this a good move?


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## Jezzag (Oct 29, 2003)

Griff said:


> I'm afraid it is so!
> 
> You can't buy Mac spares....they wont sell them to you.........you have to send the machine back to them so only they will repair it..........bloody hopeless!!!
> 
> ...


As I said, excellent and prompt customer service, no questions asked. Why would you need to do it yourself when they make it so easy?

What Mac spares do you want? Extra memory, hard drives, CD burners etc all available from reputable sources. Okay, the processors are not Intel but how many people change them anyway? One of the reasons they are less easy to customise is to ensure that there are not any hardware / software incompatibilities. A PC friend of mine recently bought a big external hard drive, USB2 port, DVD burner and movie editing software to make some home movies. Could he get it to work? No! (and he knows his stuff). I plugged my video camera into my Mac, I didn't even have to open the application, it did it all for me.

Any USB or Firewire peripheral works the same on with a Mac or a PC (in fact Apple were the first manufacturer to advocate their wide use).

Got a keyboard for Â£4? Plug it in to a Mac, it will work! No one forces Mac users to buy their keyboards!

If the eMac screen goes wrong, see above! And who would want to run PC programmes on them anyway? Just about anything you need is natively supported by OSX (or good PC file compatible versions available as with Linux).


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Our Marketing Dept. uses Macs. They have their own mini-support team and look after them themselves as absolutely nobody in our main IT Dept. (including me) really has any idea at all about how they work! On the two occasions I've sat in front of a Mac I was pretty much dumbfounded with no idea about how to drive it









I've heard that Mac OS X is actually based on BSD and is very UNIX-like underneath. How you actually get to the "underneath" on a Mac is something I've always wanted to know









Mrcrowley said:



> BTW I put Firefox on my PC to replace IE. Was this a good move?


I'd say Yes and No. I've heard very good things about it although I've not tried Firefox myself yet. On the downside there are currently two quite nasty flaws with Firefox (and Mozilla too I think) which can allow spoofing of Certificates and using XUL to create a forged website (like PayPal or an online bank for example). Allegedly, Mozilla has known about the latter bug for over five years but never done anything about it







On balance, I'd say it's gotta be better/safer than IE though.


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Jezzag said:


> Got a keyboard for Â£4? Plug it in to a Mac, it will work! No one forces Mac users to buy their keyboards!


 So if you want to replace a Â£70 Mac keyboard, use a Â£4 Pc keyboard........!!
















Hysterical!!!...........and if the Mac itself goes down, replace it with PC equipment also!!!


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## Jezzag (Oct 29, 2003)

Griff said:


> So if you want to replace a Â£70 Mac keyboard, use a Â£4 Pc keyboard........!!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 Wow! I know Apple get accused of charging top dollar (generally justified in my opinon - I shan't bore you why) but that is some inflation! A minute ago they were Â£40, now they're Â£70!

BTW Dell's start at Â£20 (Â£18 for one that is only compatible with a laptop?) going up to Â£60+!


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Read the post..........Â£70 when the mouse is integrated.

We've had this Mac v PC debate at the University many times over, with stuff like this used over and over. It's old hat.

The PC wins hands down for the widest use.....and always will!

Pleased for you if you are happy with your Mac.............I wouldn't give one house room!


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Does the Mac have a command line interface? If so, where and how do you get to it with the one-button mouse? I'd be genuinely interested in having a play with a Mac if I knew the answers to these questions. It's one of the few machines I'm completely lost on.


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## chrisb (Feb 26, 2003)

Griff said:


> Read the post..........Â£70 when the mouse is integrated.
> 
> We've had this Mac v PC debate at the University many times over, with stuff like this used over and over. It's old hat.
> 
> ...


 Griff,

More people drive Toyota Corollas that any other car, but it doesn't make Corollas the best car, or make me want to go out and buy one









However, security issues aside , our IT people reckon that Mac is better for graphics-oriented stuff, and Windows/PC/Intel are better for number crunching and idiot proof office applications.

The ground modelling programmes that I use will not run on Mac or Unix, the ones that do cost 4 times as much, my programmes run at Â£5800 per licence, so it ain't worth it to change


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## Griff (Feb 23, 2003)

Toyota Corolla did win car of the year once, as did Skoda Fabia























PC graphics have caught up with Mac

Macs are a pain to maintain, update, and repair


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

> Read the post





> Â£70 when the mouse is integrated.


But if your comparing like for like a Â£4 pc keyboard wont have an intergrated mouse









Jason


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

See what I've started now,


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)




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## Jezzag (Oct 29, 2003)

Griff said:


> Read the post..........Â£70 when the mouse is integrated.


 Be interested to see that? Is this a new product? Never seen it.

PC graphics have caught up with Mac - debatable. Windows just can't do what OSX can in that field.

Macs are a pain to maintain, update, and repair - only if you need to repair them. - Most people wouldn't know where to start with repairing a PC and the hassle involved in finding someone to do it, getting ripped off with service charges, non-original incompatible parts etc makes it a right royal pain. As I've already stated, with Apple its painless.

Does the Mac have a command line interface? - open Terminal in applications. That will get you there.

You're right, each to their own. But its no coincidence that Mac users tend to evangelise about the machines. They're built to last (how many 6/7 year old PCs could run XP well? Macs of that ilk can run OSX no problems), incompatibility between hardware and software tends not to be an issue, the operating system is rock solid - apart from the odd software update, I haven't rebooted my Mac for over 6 months, they also innovate (I won't reopen the first commercial use of windows rather than command lines but how about all that translucent plastic crap that has infiltrated life in the last seven years? Love it or hate it, it all came from Apple.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> Does the Mac have a command line interface? - open Terminal in applications. That will get you there.


Thank you. I'll take a look


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Rich,

Mandrake 10 looks very impressive, I'm going to give it a go I think.









Thank you.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Hi Rich,

Just managed to set up internet connection sharing on my networked machine running Knoppix 3.4 live cd. In fact I'm typing this in Konqueror.









I'm also watching tv on the installed Pinnacle PCTV.









As the Mandrake machine will be networked I won't need to worry about modem installation.

I think I may be getting an interest in Linux very soon.


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Good in'it Stan,


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

It sure is Roy.







But, knowing me, I'll have to find out what's under the bonnet.









Back to being a geek again.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Stan said:


> Hi Rich,
> 
> Just managed to set up internet connection sharing on my networked machine running Knoppix 3.4 live cd. In fact I'm typing this in Konqueror.
> 
> ...


 What language is that Stan
 






????


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Geek talk, John.









I'm just larnin'.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Stan said:



> Back to being a geek again.


I don't think I ever stopped being one


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## Roy (Feb 23, 2003)

Thank You Richard for the disks, Mandrake is superb.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Glad you like it Roy, I got Mandrake 10 today and have just built up my old PIII 550 ready to install it.

I may not be around too much tomorrow night.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Tux sends his apologies that he can't be with us today, but he asked me to tell you that he's thrilled that you like his new Operating System and he wishes you a long and happy association with Linux


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Tux seems like a nice young fellow.







I know he's always worked hard and I hope to see the fruits of his labours by the weekend.

I know many people love Tux and he has very many friends, I hope to be one of them soon.


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## Silver Hawk (Dec 2, 2003)

OK, I'm up-and-running with Fedora Core 1 Linux on my spare PC...







and I've posted this message with Mozilla running on top of it.







....

But I rest my case, it was not a pleasant experience in getting this working with my hardware....the network card would just not work....and it's taken me a good 4 hours to identify the problem and get it working.









And the cause....a bug in Kudzu....you can read about it here. If Kudzu is loaded before my particular NIC, then the NIC fails to work properly. Load the NIC before Kudzu and everything is fine...but to find this out and fix the problem, you need to understand boot sequences in Unix, runlevels etc etc







... and I've been working with Unix off-on-on for nearly 15 years,









It's great when you get it working though.























Cheers

Paul


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> It's great when you get it working though.


...and it's made you a much stronger person! Well done Paul
















Be interesting to see if Mandrake 10 (or the next release of Fedora in September) has the same issues with your NIC.


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

We got a Mandrake Root it's some thunder in my brain, feed it to my babe ,she thunders just the same food of love sets her flame









What are you talking about Stan please explian


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

I installed Mandrake 10 last night and had two problems with an otherwise flawless install.

Even though Mandrake detected my sound card it failed to utter a sound. Secondly, the Pinnacle PCTV was found but the programme (xawtv?) was unable to find channels. I put this latter poroblem down to Mandrake not allowing me to inform it which tuner module is embeded in the card, this is often seen with third party software on Wintel boxes too as Miro/ Pinnacle used several tuners on this card and the product id does not seem to inform the OS correctly as to which tuner is onboard.

Knoppix does allow tuner configuration and with some minor tweaks the sound card works.

These are issues that can be resolved with the right information on configuration I suspect.

I believe Knoppix can be installed to hard drive via a simple script so I may have a bash at this, I do like Knoppix it's a very nice looking OS.

Linux is not quite ready for general (not idiot proof) use but it has come on leaps and bounds since my last encounter. This time I feel like putting the effort in to getting it working 100%.

I'll have another go when I'm in the mood.









But not tonight.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

JoT said:


> We got a Mandrake Root it's some thunder in my brain, feed it to my babe ,she thunders just the same food of love sets her flame
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 John,

Since when have I known what I'm talking about? Like I should know, already?

All smoke and mirrors to me.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

> We got a Mandrake Root it's some thunder in my brain, feed it to my babe ,she thunders just the same food of love sets her flame


Deep Purple, yes? Somebody please confirm or it'll annoy me all night


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## JoT (Aug 12, 2003)

Rich .... you are correct


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

Thanks John









Stan said:



> I believe Knoppix can be installed to hard drive via a simple script so I may have a bash at this, I do like Knoppix it's a very nice looking OS.


It certainly can. I've tried Knoppix 3.2 on CD and liked it a lot. I think there's a newer version out now.


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## Stan (Aug 7, 2003)

Thanks Rich,

I've got sound on the Mandrake box now, just a settings issue. I put the TV card back in the other machine but I'll have a bash at reinstalling it later. I will need to edit the config manually so that will be part of the learning curve (I find how that's done in due course).

I got Knoppix 3.4 recently and it looks very smart, I might have a go at a HD install soon.

I said I wasn't going to play with Linux tonight, I lied.


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## rhaythorne (Jan 12, 2004)

To save you a bit of time Stan:

Click the STARt button, then go to Sytem, Configuration, Hardware, HardDrake. You'll need to log in with the Root password. Then, all your hardware is listed and you should find your TV card. From there you can run the Configuration Tool.


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