06-03-2003 17:41									#1
	linux recommendations... Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

i'm installing mandrake 9 on a computer, and I was wondering if y'all could recommend me some good software, as i know nothing about linux...

thanks in advance...

	06-03-2003 18:23									#2
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

well, the install wasn't too bad, this is my first official post from linux

	06-03-2003 18:54									#3
	Full PM-box? Change here!

Install it all!

It'll take you months to learn about all the packages that come with Linux.
If you install ALL of Redhat, that's something like over a thousand packages.
Each package is a software product.

	06-03-2003 20:17									#4
	Got spare money?

Um... what do you want to do, that's the question. The programs I'm currently running (visibly) are xmms, Mozilla, a couple of Eterms and *****X - that is, a media player, a web browser, space to do random stuff in and start programs, and IRC. Nothing fancy. Generally, when you're using Linux, you don't have to download a lot of third-party software - what you need is already packaged and only needs to be installed with the package manager. Just find out how to get urpmi up and running (if it isn't already configured) before you start installing stuff - believe me, you do not want dependency hell.

	06-03-2003 21:32									#5
	Increase Your PM Length

Provided that you don't get into trouble with dependencies, you're fine. A bit of Mozilla, OpenOffice and the nice terminals can do the stuff. But, if you have the space, I highly recommend you install most packages. Things like GIMP are also cool.

	06-03-2003 22:08									#6
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

While we are on this subject...
Which is better? Ret Hat Linux or Mandrake Linux ?
I am about to get a computer that will be my Linux machine, so I want to make my money count. Thanks!

	06-03-2003 22:23									#7
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations

Flare, Linux is free, don't worry about money .

Mandrake is built on Red Hat, and has been enhanced with tools to make configuration much simpler. However, most Red Hat packages will also run on Mandrake, so you should be able to run just about any Linux software.

If this is your first Linux experience, you do want Mandrake.

	07-03-2003 07:40									#8
	Support Apolyton, buy Galactic Civilizations: Deluxe Edition

Linux is free, but the distros aren't

	07-03-2003 08:02									#9
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

They aren't?
All the distros I know offer some variation of it for free for download.

	07-03-2003 08:23									#10
	Support Apolyton, buy Civilization III: Complete

If you need a workstation and a workstation only, save yourself some headaches and stick with Windows.

	07-03-2003 12:37									#11
	Support Apolyton buy from Amazon

well, i have windows on this computer, but i built a computer for a chick and she gave me her old one (600MHz celeron). And i'm taking a class that involves unix, et al, so it would be nice to have a system to play with. I got mandrake 9.0 up and running on it, and i'm just starting to play with it!

What is dependancy hell??????

	07-03-2003 12:41									#12
	Increase the size of your Attachments

You want to get Program A. Program A requires Program B 2.38 and Program C 2.13.

You have Program B 2.10 and don't have Program C.

Program A stomps its feet and tells you you're naughty for not having the correct version of B and don't have C at all, and won't do anything...

It gets far worse the longer you run the OS too.

	07-03-2003 13:01									#13
	Support Apolyton

ah, that sounds like a lot of fun

	07-03-2003 13:05									#14
	Enter the AD-FREE zone

Unless you use Debian, which does it all for you if you can install it.

quote: Originally posted by Asher They aren't? All the distros I know offer some variation of it for free for download.

There are some that don't make it easy (ie buy the CD, or email us and we'll send you the source tarballs). RedHat and Mandrake aren't two of them.

SP

	07-03-2003 13:19									#15
	Increase the size of your Attachments

btw, is it possible to get the linux comp to see the shared folders on winXP comps on the same network?

	07-03-2003 13:29									#16
	Tired of ads?

You need Samba, IIRC.

	07-03-2003 13:30									#17
	Put an end to popups!

Sure, use a SAMBA client. But make sure, your kernel has all modules for the windows filesystem, at least "vfat" and "ntfs". The latter needs to be compiled with a special option checked, if you want write access too.

Want to like Linux? Prepare to compile your own kernels .

	07-03-2003 13:31									#18
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: The latter needs to be compiled with a special option checked, if you want write access too.

Which you are strongly warned against doing so, since with NTFS 5.1 (WinXP) in particular, it can cause massive data loss...

	07-03-2003 13:35									#19
	Browse Apolyton AD-FREE

quote: Originally posted by Asher You want to get Program A. Program A requires Program B 2.38 and Program C 2.13. You have Program B 2.10 and don't have Program C. Program A stomps its feet and tells you you're naughty for not having the correct version of B and don't have C at all, and won't do anything... It gets far worse the longer you run the OS too.

That sounds a bit like "You need the Internet Explorer version x.y or above to run this application" . I need what, a web browser, to run a simple program?

	07-03-2003 13:37									#20
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Sir Ralph That sounds a bit like "You need the Internet Explorer version x.y or above to run this application" . I need what, a web browser, to run a simple program?

You do if that simple program uses the IE .DLLs, and for some reason requires version x.y of them...

I don't think that's a very common requirement, not nearly as common as RPM dependencies...

	07-03-2003 13:37									#21
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Asher Which you are strongly warned against doing so, since with NTFS 5.1 (WinXP) in particular, it can cause massive data loss...

This worked fine with WinNT, I didn't check it with XP yet. It was somehow clear that M$ would change the behavior of the file system simply to create incompatibilities. Suits nicely in the pattern of deeds of this company.

	07-03-2003 13:40									#22
	Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

quote: Originally posted by Asher I don't think that's a very common requirement, not nearly as common as RPM dependencies...

Well, I'm a refugee of the RPM dependency hell. Since Debian gave me shelter, I have almost forgotten, that it exists. There's almost no DEB dependency hell. The dependencies still exist, but are 99.9% resolved by the packet manager.

	07-03-2003 13:43									#23
	Put an end to popups!

quote: Originally posted by Sir Ralph This worked fine with WinNT, I didn't check it with XP yet. It was somehow clear that M$ would change the behavior of the file system simply to create incompatibilities. Suits nicely in the pattern of deeds of this company.

Yes, we all know Linux has never had any new filesystems or modifications to theirs.

Like, say, ext2/ext3/ReiserFS, that kind of thing...

I use apt-get. It's not perfect, but it's better than RPMs. I still run into lots of stupid problems with it. For some reason it keeps upgrading LILO and wants to force it on my drive, when GRUB is already there, then bails out of apt-get because of some weird error when I kept saying "no" to putting it on my drive...

Then there's the time it removed KDE 3.1 completely out of nowhere.

	07-03-2003 13:48									#24
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Asher Like, say, ext2/ext3/ReiserFS, that kind of thing...

ext2 and ext3 are nicely compatible. You are always able to mount an ext3 fs with ext2, or to convert ext2 to ext3 on the fly.

Who uses ReiserFS, deserves to be punished.

	07-03-2003 13:49									#25
	Support Apolyton, pre-order Civilization IV

quote: Originally posted by Sir Ralph ext2 and ext3 are nicely compatible. You are always able to mount an ext3 fs with ext2, or to convert ext2 to ext3 on the fly.

And you can access NTFS4 and 5 from an NTFS 5.1 system, too, and convert to 5.1 on the fly.

	07-03-2003 15:30									#26
	Got spare money?

quote: Originally posted by Asher They aren't? All the distros I know offer some variation of it for free for download.

Not quite true. Let's take Libranet as an example. They used to offer their 2.0 version for free download and 2.7 for paying customers. Now I don't know how outdated 2.0 actually was - the only example of software I found them to be using was XFree86 4.1. 4.1.0 was released in December 2000 and is, as such, definitely outdated (although Debian probably does not consider it outdated...). And now you can't officially download even 2.0. I don't think there's a free download of Xandros, either. And, of course, if you want official support, you have to pay for it.

	07-03-2003 16:40									#27
	Support Apolyton or Terrorists Win

quote: Originally posted by Asher And you can access NTFS4 and 5 from an NTFS 5.1 system, too, and convert to 5.1 on the fly.

That's not quite the same. Can you, say, from a NT4 system access a NTFS 5.1 partition? That would be the true equivalent of ext3 being mountable as ext2.

	08-03-2003 00:47									#28
	Support Apolyton, buy GURPS/ Alpha Centauri

quote: Originally posted by Sir Ralph That's not quite the same. Can you, say, from a NT4 system access a NTFS 5.1 partition?

Yes, provided you keep up to date on the free service packs.

	08-03-2003 00:49									#29
	Tired of ads?

quote: Originally posted by Ari Rahikkala Not quite true. Let's take Libranet as an example. They used to offer their 2.0 version for free download and 2.7 for paying customers.

I said "some variation of". Libranet 2.0 is outdated (but not by Debian standards), but all you gotta type is apt-get ugprade when you're done installing it...

	08-03-2003 01:12									#30
	Support Apolyton, buy Alpha Centauri

Not meaning to go off topic into samba...

But how is XP at connecting to a samba drive on a linux box?

Or connecting to a linux box acting as a PDC?

I heard XP had problems with that. I have had few problems with everything up to 2000, but havent tried XP yet.

Anybody done that?