Operating Systems

[Brij]

I've had it with Windows. It makes me sad.

So I'm gradually changing my programs to be less and less dependant on it... pidgin, mozilla and openoffice.org are all good starts.

But I'm seriously thinking about changing operating systems, only I don't really know which one I'm looking for!

I'd much rather have something with a few icons for the programs I use most often (along the side of the screen, I have a widescreen laptop), and I specifically want something that I can tune to allow inactive windows to go transparent rather than disappearing... pidgin has this function and I much prefer it to minimising/maximising all the time.

So does anyone have any ideas?

I'd gladly program it myself (well, maybe start with some open-source script, and adapt it rather than starting from scratch), but I have no idea which programming language(s) I should be learning to do that! Anyone have any ideas on that front?

[MKG]

Despite my rantings elsewhere, you should look at one of the Ubuntu packages - as long as your setup allows you to connect it directly to the internet (don't even think about it otherwise). If you make the change, no matter what you read, you WILL have teething problems (hardware not recognised etc.), but they're easily overcome. And there is a host of open-source free software out there, some of it a whole load better than the closest Windows equivalents.

You don't have to install Ubuntu and get rid of Windows altogether - it installs easily as a dual-boot system, so you'd get the best of both worlds.

[Brij]

Yeah, I was looking at installing it through Wubi to start with. That way I can see where the teething problems are and I can take it from there. I have two hard drives (one external, one internal) so I guess that would make the transition easier, too.

When you say connecting directly to the internet, how do you mean? The setup I have at the moment is wifi, but I have to go through IE or Firefox to get the router to authorise my connection. Presumably the ubuntu browser would behave in basically the same way?

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Edited to add: I just read the thread on Wubi/Ubuntu from a while ago, where Martin seems to have happily converted... getting more and more determined![/i]

[MKG]

What I meant was the situation I'm in - BT (my ISP) doesn't accept any Linux-based operating system. I have Ubuntu installed but I have to go through Windows to get onto the net. Getting Ubuntu applications easily depends upon the use of net-based repositories. You can download from these via Windows but you don't get the automatic downloading of other bits of software on which the application depends. You have to do it all by hand, find the right place to put them within Ubuntu and even then get Ubuntu to recognise the fact that they exist - it's all a pin in the a**e.

[Brij]

So theoretically, if windows' firefox connects, should the linux version connect too? I know for a fact that my ISP has no issues with macs, I'll have to see if it says anything about linux.

[MKG]

No, it's the OS which is crucial, not the browser (basically, can your ISP give you the software to run their system under Ubuntu?). BT's supplied software is Windows-only, so I'm stuffed.

[Brij]

I don't use special software for it, I just connect direct through my browser. And I checked, and it does support Linux-based OSes... Yay!

Installed Wubi, I'll have a play with it once essay season's over (it just isn't worth risking a crash before then... keyboards in this country are wierd!)

[Thurston Garden]

The problem I had with the previous version of Ubuntu was that it would not recognise my wireless card. The current version does so installing Wubi on a live CD and running it all is grand. My next problem was getting Ubuntu to recognise my NAS networked hard drive where all my choonz are. I could not find any guidance on tinternet and various other people were looking for the same answer.

My current problem is marginally more fundamental and could see me as a Gates Slave for the foreseeable future: I am about to cease being self employed and enter the world of employment again. I will be selling my new employer my laptop (although I will be the only one to use it) so Linux may be off the cards for a while.

[Brij]

Sorry to hear that, TG! Have you spoken to your boss about compatibility etc.? My flatmate and I have been using openoffice.org and found it 100% happy with Word files (and vice versa).

Anyway, I made the switch to Ubuntu, though I will try Kubuntu, and apart from ironing out a few little niggles, it is beautiful!

Lovely and sleek and efficient and it all looks pretty and works fast those are the technical terms!

[Thurston Garden]

Brij - It's a small firm (only 4 employees, me being the fourth!) and they have an outside man do their computers. I think he charges £100 per month per computer and although is on call for when things go wrong, he comes in and does a monthly Norton scan I have already told him that he is not putting Norton on my machine (his reply was, although joking, "it's not your machine") I am bugg3r3d if he will get to. It goes like a train and I like it that way.

Linux will be out. One of the two bosses only uses Outlook. He has no folders or files on his c drive. Everything is stored as an attachment in outlook! Not seen how the other boss operates yet, but I guarantee that they wont know what Linux is, and ask their IT guy who will shiver because he knows nothing about it and that will be the end of it!

That's not to say I could not have a dedicated machine for it and home use in the future though.....