New to Ubuntu Linux--Windows XP user

[jukingeo]

Hello All,

I recently became interested in the Linux operating system and come across a rather large article on the newer form of Linux called Ubuntu. It seems that this operating system was favored in some music recording groups and also for embedded control applications. Supposedly its streamlined format takes up very little space and runs very fast. What more is that unlike other forms of operating systems, Ubuntu can be run from a disk without altering the current computer set up.

I recently picked up a book called Ubuntu Linux for Dummies which included a disk that has the self booting version of Ubuntu on it.

That is as far as I got.

Now for a little background:

I am a Windows XP user right now and for the most part I been happy with Microsofts products, but lately they are getting very expensive and programs such as Internet Explorer are very susceptible to spyware and virus attachments from surfing on-line. The Windows operating system has become very bloated and there are functions on the OS that I seem to just never use. It is also a slow operating system and with each new version usually requires the upgrade to a faster machine.

For audio recording applications and embedded control Windows is usually frowned upon over the use of a Mac. However, a Mac has it's issues too and that it really isn't compatible with anything unless you take a really heavy sacrifice in power to run Windows programs.

Linux I have heard about but never delved into deeply. I know that it is an operating system and it is a free, community supported project that is open sourced. I find this as an interesting concept to offer an operating system like this for free to the community. At first I didn't pay it any mind, but Linux has been around too long for me to not take notice any more. What more is that with Ubuntu being able to be loaded on without altering my system further increases my interest in trying out the operating system.

Ok, so I bought the Ubuntu Linux for Dummies box and I have booted up Ubuntu from the disc. So far, so good, the interface looks nice and it seems like it is a nice graphical interface.

So what do I do now? Where do I go from here? That is why I am posting here.

So let me start things off by asking a few questions:

1) What is the advantages of Ubuntu Linux over Windows XP?
2) What is the difference between Ubuntu Linux and regular Linux?
3) What can you do with Ubuntu Linux that you can't with Windows XP
4) Can Ubuntu Linux (or regular Linux) run Windows programs? What do I look for in terms of system requirements? Are commercial products also made to run on Linux (or Ubuntu)?
5) How does Ubuntu handle hardware, drivers, and the like? Most of my peripherals were made with the intent to run on Windows XP. Will I loose any use of my printers, soundcards, etc?
6) In terms of quantitive comparison's how much faster is Linux/Ubuntu in comparison to Windows XP.
7) Can game programs work on Ubuntu? (an extension of can Windows programs work with Ubuntu). I know other open source programs should work with Ubuntu such as Mame, correct?

Ok, I will stop here for now, I am sure more questions will come up as I go along, but if anyone could provide some answers or some links on getting started with Ubuntu and what it can do for me would be very much appreciated.

Thank You,

Geo

[robalcorn]

Hello All,

I recently became interested in the Linux operating system and come across a rather large article on the newer form of Linux called Ubuntu. It seems that this operating system was favored in some music recording groups and also for embedded control applications. Supposedly its streamlined format takes up very little space and runs very fast. What more is that unlike other forms of operating systems, Ubuntu can be run from a disk without altering the current computer set up.

I recently picked up a book called Ubuntu Linux for Dummies which included a disk that has the self booting version of Ubuntu on it.

That is as far as I got.

Now for a little background:

I am a Windows XP user right now and for the most part I been happy with Microsofts products, but lately they are getting very expensive and programs such as Internet Explorer are very susceptible to spyware and virus attachments from surfing on-line. The Windows operating system has become very bloated and there are functions on the OS that I seem to just never use. It is also a slow operating system and with each new version usually requires the upgrade to a faster machine.

For audio recording applications and embedded control Windows is usually frowned upon over the use of a Mac. However, a Mac has it's issues too and that it really isn't compatible with anything unless you take a really heavy sacrifice in power to run Windows programs.

Linux I have heard about but never delved into deeply. I know that it is an operating system and it is a free, community supported project that is open sourced. I find this as an interesting concept to offer an operating system like this for free to the community. At first I didn't pay it any mind, but Linux has been around too long for me to not take notice any more. What more is that with Ubuntu being able to be loaded on without altering my system further increases my interest in trying out the operating system.

Ok, so I bought the Ubuntu Linux for Dummies box and I have booted up Ubuntu from the disc. So far, so good, the interface looks nice and it seems like it is a nice graphical interface.

So what do I do now? Where do I go from here? That is why I am posting here.

So let me start things off by asking a few questions:

1) What is the advantages of Ubuntu Linux over Windows XP?
2) What is the difference between Ubuntu Linux and regular Linux?
3) What can you do with Ubuntu Linux that you can't with Windows XP
4) Can Ubuntu Linux (or regular Linux) run Windows programs? What do I look for in terms of system requirements? Are commercial products also made to run on Linux (or Ubuntu)?
5) How does Ubuntu handle hardware, drivers, and the like? Most of my peripherals were made with the intent to run on Windows XP. Will I loose any use of my printers, soundcards, etc?
6) In terms of quantitive comparison's how much faster is Linux/Ubuntu in comparison to Windows XP.
7) Can game programs work on Ubuntu? (an extension of can Windows programs work with Ubuntu). I know other open source programs should work with Ubuntu such as Mame, correct?

Ok, I will stop here for now, I am sure more questions will come up as I go along, but if anyone could provide some answers or some links on getting started with Ubuntu and what it can do for me would be very much appreciated.

Thank You,

Geo

to answer each of your questions:

1) You gave a few good reasons already, also it's free
2) there is hundreds of linux distributions out there but Ubuntu is the most popular
3) Save your hard earned cash
4) Use a program named Wine to run some Windows programs take a look at http://www.winehq.org/ and yes there is commercial software.
5) Most hardware will run but you may have the odd one that won't. running a live cd is a good way to test.
6) over time linux won't slow down the way windows does unless you keep investing your cash on apps to take care of that operating system.
7) again look at wine you can play alot of games other programs as well is Cedega.

[mmb1]

1) Look here:

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/index.php?lang=

[eeeandrew]

Welcome to ubuntu! Thats a long list I'll see what I can tell you based on my experience of linux so far.

1)linux is more secure. Its completely customisable. Most importantly everything on linux is free.

2)basically theres more than one kind of linux. theres other versions like gentoo and debian. ubuntu is just one particular version(distro) of linux. Ubuntu was designed to be very user friendly with great community support.

3)ubuntu gives you more options in terms of customisation. It also protects you from viruses.

4)There are a few ways of getting windows programmes to run on ubuntu. Unfortunately its not always possible. The method I use is a programme called WINE which stands for the "windows Emulator"

5)This is the main draw back of switching to linux. Not all hardware will run on it. Theres various workarounds to get them running if its possible. Its a good idea to search the forums with the make and model of any hardware before trying to install

6)Depends on how you set it up and the spec of your computer. if you were to use XUbuntu it would be a lot faster. Using regular Ubuntu its slightly faster and on my laptop gave me an extra half hour battery.

7)I use WINE for games as I mentioned above.

I would recommend that to start with you dual boot ubuntu with XP. I've been doing that with ubuntu and vista since last september. I've found as time went on I booted into vista less and less and I'm removing it completely next week.

Best of luck getting started with ubuntu. The forums are more like instant messaging so if you need any help then please do not hesitate to ask.

hope that helps,
Andrew

[jukingeo]

1) Look here:

http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net/index.php?lang=

Wow! Thanx for the link. I been getting quite a bit of info from this site.

However, even this site doesn't tell me the different "flavors" (as the site puts it) of Linux.

So I still have that question. What ARE the main differences between the versions of Linux? Is one better for games? One better for networking? Is that how it works?

So I do need a bit more info here.

I know that it may seem funny that I homed right in on Ubuntu, but as it was pointed out here already that it is one of the nicer ones to get started with and also it was featured in some articles on audio recording and embedded control.

Anyway, if someone could give me a quick rundown on the main differences that would be cool.

Geo

[jukingeo]

Welcome to ubuntu! Thats a long list

7)I use WINE for games as I mentioned above.

I would recommend that to start with you dual boot ubuntu with XP. I've been doing that with ubuntu and vista since last september. I've found as time went on I booted into vista less and less and I'm removing it completely next week.

Best of luck getting started with ubuntu. The forums are more like instant messaging so if you need any help then please do not hesitate to ask.

hope that helps,
Andrew

Thanks everyone for the tips so far. Especially on WINE. I just put that site on my tab-bar. Wow! I am amazed at how many programs WILL run using Wine. Sadly...one of my favorite programs, "Roller Coaster Tycoon 3" will NOT run. It is listed under the "Garbage" list . But many of my other favorite Role playing games such as Kotor and Neverwinter Nights WILL run.

Anyway, I found the "Why Linux IS Better" website to be very informative as well.

I am sure I am going to have more questions as time goes on.

Thanx,

Geo

[ardvark71]

It is also a slow operating system and with each new version usually requires the upgrade to a faster machine.

Hi...

This is most operating systems, including Linux. Although, in Linux's case, it is a slower progression, plus there are distros out there that are specifically produced for the benefit of older machines.

A point that I should make clear to any one considering migrating to Linux with no prior experience (which I learned very well) is that Linux operates VERY differently when it comes to installing software and drivers! In the old days, one had to learn the art of compiling, make and make installing and Linux command line language in a terminal almost exclusively.

It's gotten better with programs like Synaptic and Adept but it's still not like Windows. There isn't the "point, click, install, it works" with anything that catches your fancy that Windows offers. With Ubuntu, you either install it from the repositories, which is easier, or you go the old fashioned "tar.gz" route as I've described above.

Other comparisons I have found:

1. Ubuntu has better memory management than Windows.
2. You can get a whole lot of software for free that under Windows would cost you thousands of dollars, although quality can vary.
3. The quality of technical support is about the same, although with Linux, it is mostly through the forums as opposed to one on one phone support.

Hope this helps...

Best Regards...

[ardvark71]

Thanks everyone for the tips so far. Especially on WINE. I just put that site on my tab-bar. Wow! I am amazed at how many programs WILL run using Wine. Sadly...one of my favorite programs, "Roller Coaster Tycoon 3" will NOT run. It is listed under the "Garbage" list . But many of my other favorite Role playing games such as Kotor and Neverwinter Nights WILL run.

Anyway, I found the "Why Linux IS Better" website to be very informative as well.

I am sure I am going to have more questions as time goes on.

Thanx,

Geo

Cedega (which is a version of WINE geared more for gaming) may offer better support, although it didn't appear Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 wss performing any better. However, Roller Coaster 2 was rated ok with an older version.

http://www.cedega.com/

Best Regards...

[Dark Aspect]

1) What is the advantages of Ubuntu Linux over Windows XP?

Few Viruses,the few that do exist are about worthless since you have to log in as a root and execute them.

2) What is the difference between Ubuntu Linux and regular Linux?

Ubuntu is Linux for human beings and is meant to be more user friendly.However I find Ubuntu to be equally as user friendly as Mint Linux or Fedora.Its a preference really,like choosing between KDE or gnome.

3) What can you do with Ubuntu Linux that you can't with Windows XP

Hm.....aside from security nothing really,every application out there has some form of windows equivalent IMO.However with Linux you don't have to pay for most application where as with windows you do.

4) Can Ubuntu Linux (or regular Linux) run Windows programs? What do I look for in terms of system requirements? Are commercial products also made to run on Linux (or Ubuntu)?

To be on the safe side,its a good idea to assume windows applications DON'T work on linux.However there is a Linux progarm called wine:

http://www.winehq.org/

Check wine's database to see if your app works:

http://appdb.winehq.org/

5) How does Ubuntu handle hardware, drivers, and the like? Most of my peripherals were made with the intent to run on Windows XP. Will I loose any use of my printers, soundcards, etc?

Boot the live cd and run it for a while before installing to see if everything works.Just realize its going to be slow being a live cd.A good bit of hardware works out of box but there can be a few issues.

6) In terms of quantitive comparison's how much faster is Linux/Ubuntu in comparison to Windows XP.

This is really just an opinion like #2 but I find Ubuntu to be faster.

7) Can game programs work on Ubuntu? (an extension of can Windows programs work with Ubuntu). I know other open source programs should work with Ubuntu such as Mame, correct?

Depends on the progarm check wine's database for windows applications.Crossover might work for you as well:

http://www.codeweavers.com/products/

For audio recording applications and embedded control Windows is usually frowned upon over the use of a Mac. However, a Mac has it's issues too and that it really isn't compatible with anything unless you take a really heavy sacrifice in power to run Windows programs.

Mac has a wine version so it might not be very different from Ubuntu,IDK though I have never ran a Mac

[mmb1]

Disregard this, I accidentally posted again, sorry guys.