Explain why? I was taught in my computing class that Linux is up to 100% faster than Windows when doing any task. I have a nasty suspicion that my prof was a Linux fanboy

DK

I use Ubuntu for everything except gaming. It's extremely user-friendly, and much better for your average user's day-to-day applications than Windows is (not to mention guilt-free cost-free). Just having the rotating cube of desktops (via Compiz) is reason enough for me to use it, but it's also quicker and more robust in a lot of ways. Ubuntu is making big strides forward in each release.

Just do a dual-install, Niko. That way you can game under XP/Vista and do everything else under Ubuntu.

Quote from Jakg :

but what's the advantage of using software that's a copy of what i want to use - i don't see the point...

If your goal is to use the specific software then ofcourse there's no point. If your goal is to do a specific task which is facilitated by a tool (the software), then you'll use the opensource/free alternative to get your work done. Simple as that.

Quote from LFSn00b :

Well sorry, just read something a bit wrong. Thanks, i'll just turn off the updates and stick with Windows.

I just kinda thought that there is less processes running at the same time than in Windows, which has like 10 svchost.exes and all those crap running.

No problem man just giving you a heads up on the gaming situation in Linux.

You'll actually find there are many many more processes running under Linux, however they generally all sleep and don't use any/many CPU cycles. Performance is much better under Linux, however having to emulate games takes away this performance benefit.

Definitely go for a dual-boot setup if you have to space though, you can't really mess anything up.

I have to say I havn't tried Ubuntu lately, but I have in the past and it was pretty good. I like to get a bit more stuck in with my Linux usage as I like to explore and learn, and it's beneficial for my uni work.

Quote from DieKolkrabe :

Explain why? I was taught in my computing class that Linux is up to 100% faster than Windows when doing any task. I have a nasty suspicion that my prof was a Linux fanboy

DK

Because, Wine (and Cedega), are implementations of the Windows API (and DirectX API's) in Linux, so it has to take each function, and convert them into ones it can use, and that takes time/computing power, which in turn makes things slower.

(Atleast, that's my understanding, but it can't be that far off.)

Thanks Dustin, So basically it's an OS within an OS?

Ok, so hypothetically, IF Scavier made an LFS version of LFS, it would be faster than the equivalent windows version, right?

DK

Quote from DieKolkrabe :

Thanks Dustin, So basically it's an OS within an OS?

Not really. Think of it more as a compatibility layer. Or a translator if you will.

Quote from DieKolkrabe :

Ok, so hypothetically, IF Scavier made an LFS version of LFS, it would be faster than the equivalent windows version, right?

Not necessarily. You cannot say that using X, Y or Z is definitively faster than the alternatives, especially when it comes to computers as there are too many variables involved. It's allow down to how you set up the system, how LFS would be (re)written to take advantage of Linux instead, and so on.

niko you should only do it if youre willing to commit to linux and use a pc just for that
dual boot really isnt an option and i never figured how people could stand looking at a bios screen just to play a game ... not to mention all the complications with either not being available on icq/irc while playing or having to fiddle with 2 sets of logs
plus ubuntu has (had ?) a nasty habit of destroying its dual boot setup with auto updates

pesonally i gave up on linux altogether after spending ~2hrs trying to find a nice xpish grey colour scheme
having figured that all of them are too bright and flat i eventually gave up and gave my eyes the break they desperately needed

Quote from Becky Rose :

If you really want to have a PC that doesnt get infected with malware, which strikes me as Linux's only redeeming feature, then get OSX as your OS. It's suported better than Linux, is more intuitive, requires no setup and doesnt suffer the malware problem.

which is bsd so for what matters to the user its the same as linux with some apple magic and a gui designed by people who arent colourblind to sugarcoat all the unixness

Quote from pb32000 :

Now my mum and sister don't know what spyware is, they don't know where you can get it from, and they certainly don't remember how to remove it, despite me telling them numerous times. If they we're running Linux I can guarantee they'd never have had the problems, and without even knowing it would be much safer online.

of course by the same argument they would likely not be able to figure out how to set theit inet connection up in linux thereby solving the problem once and for all

I guess the biggest problem is still if you hardware that isn't supported linux. I was trying to get some all in one lexmark (yes i know) printer, scanner to work but failed. And as the person still wants to use it (not my pc) i had to switch it back to xp.

Apart from that I think Linux (or better Ubuntu in this case) has made a huge step forward to be a really easy to use (once all is set up ) system you can have.

The biggest pro for linux is that rights management so that the most stupid user can't break the os without a password... (or install any software)

Quote from Shotglass :

pesonally i gave up on linux altogether after spending ~2hrs trying to find a nice xpish grey colour scheme
having figured that all of them are too bright and flat i eventually gave up and gave my eyes the break they desperately needed

No offense intended, but that's a pretty lame reason to give up on an OS, especially when there are in fact plenty of pretty themes available if you dig a little more. (Were you looking for compiz schemes? metacity?)

See my Ubuntu (Gibbon) desktop below.

If you're interested in Linux it's a good idea to try one of the Linux Live-CDs first. They work without any installation, you run Linux from a CD (or an USB-Stick) without any changes to your existing system.

For example, Fedora (one of the major Linux Distributions) provides a Live-CD for gamers: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/Games/GamesLive

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

No offense intended, but that's a pretty lame reason to give up on an OS, especially when there are in fact plenty of pretty themes available if you dig a little more. (Were you looking for compiz schemes? metacity?)

See my Ubuntu (Gibbon) desktop below.

kewl...where did u get that theme from? linky?
havent found something nice myself :<

Quote from Test Driver :

If you're interested in Linux it's a good idea to try one of the Linux Live-CDs first. They work without any installation, you run Linux from a CD (or an USB-Stick) without any changes to your existing system.

For example, Fedora (one of the major Linux Distributions) provides a Live-CD for gamers: http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/SIGs/Games/GamesLive

ubuntu (or kubuntu, edubuntu, ect) offer a live cd as well.
but be sure that u have at least 1 GB of ram, otherwise u may get into problems.

Quote from [RCG]Boosted :

kewl...where did u get that theme from? linky?
havent found something nice myself :<

Here you go: http://www.compiz-themes.org/c ... d+Black+Mod?content=45402

That's just for the windows (Emerald).

The taskbar is just made transparent via the right click->properties. Text color is changed somewhere or other, can't recall at the moment.

Quote from DeadWolfBones :

See my Ubuntu (Gibbon) desktop below.

which is exactly what im on about ... its largely too bright has no contrast and both colour and contrastwise the actual window content of the file browser is virtually indistinguishable from the menus around it

sry but, if an os refuses to budge and insists on making me want to rip my eyes out of my skull even after hours of talking to it, listening to what its got to say and trying to trick it by changing themes faster than it can keep up with hoping that it wont notice ive selected something with the kind of contrast its apparently afraid of, im not going to use it as the desktop i stare at for large parts of my day

Sorry but if you can't distinguish between the filebrowser working area and the menus surely theres something fundamentally wrong there..

Maybe try the aptly-named high contrast theme?

I don't remember Windows being a whole lot different.

edit: Sorry Shotglass didn't see your quote of mine saying they wouldn't be able to set up the internet. I seem to remember the order goes something like, plug in the ethernet cable and turn the PC on.. Lo and behold internet works in Linux, wasn't too hard was it.

Quote from pb32000 :

Sorry but if you can't distinguish between the filebrowser working area and the menus surely theres something fundamentally wrong there..

Maybe try the aptly-named high contrast theme?

its not that im half blind or anything so i dont need a full contrast theme
its just that the bits where the actual info is and the frame are all roughly the same shade of gray with barely any colour in it at all other than icons painted in a wide range of barf
additionally the frame is far too bright making it stand out too much which draws attention away from the actual content of the window ... its just badly designed

Quote :

I don't remember Windows being a whole lot different.

it is ... took them until either 2k or xp to get the gray right but now its spot on ... for me anyway

Quote :

I seem to remember the order goes something like, plug in the ethernet cable and turn the PC on.. Lo and behold internet works in Linux, wasn't too hard was it.

i suppose it depends on how you connect
i had to go through pppoeconf on my machine which would probably be asking too much of your average mum (except her http://imgs.xkcd.com/comics/1337_part_1.png )

Quote from Shotglass :

it is ... took them until either 2k or xp to get the gray right but now its spot on ... for me anyway

Clearlooks to the rescue. Adjust to your liking:

i love knoppix, ligp, pc linux and ubuntu