General questions

[lalo_abx]

Hi,


I tryed ubunto 4.1, suse 9.1, and mandrake 10.1 and now i´ve started to wonder....
I always used windows...why should i change?

I dont even quite understand the linux way of doing things. such as....how do i install general linux stuff on certain distros.

I cant find stuff on how to compile files for instalations that i couldn't install with the specific distro instalation file, how to do things with rpm´s and srpm's (and the diference between them), What the files are for. i.e. it looks i would have a far too big learning curve and must learn far too much about low level programming to get things working.

I´d like to go to free software but i dont thing free software but its starting to get dificult.

My main software usage is adobe cs suite(PS,IR,IL), macromedia studio mx(FL,DW,FH), and corel 11 suite(DR,PP), and some third partys that complement this suites.

I´ve looked up gimp, scribus and inkscape for graphics, and bluefish for html, couldn't find anything on flash except 1 program that adverted against non-technic linux users, and if i cant install inscape or scribus in suse 9.1 so i imagine this one.

And after that I dont think this software is ready for high-end tasks for this kind of work or i´m not ready to make it do so. The files dont seem 100% compatible with the Win based software except jpg's, and were I live....well people hardly know about working with win software, much less linux.

Please give me some hint´s, i´'d like to go to linux SO not just for an hobbie.
If anyone could advice on a distro or some website that could make me change me opinion i would be very thankfull, since

For know, i think i´ll stay testing Suse9.1 and ubuntu 4.1, but still working on XP pro.

regards

[DCR]

Free is one thing. Time consuming is another.

If you enjoy using your time to fine tune an OS, then the free ones are the way to go. I am too easily frustrated, so I stick with Windows and try to not be stupid about what I do with it.

[wallijonn]

If you are happy with Windows then there is absolutely no reason to change. If all you need is a browser and to be able to read mail then all you really need is Windows 98SE. If you have an older machine you may not be able to use WXP, so you should stick with W98SE or Linux. If you are into gaming then you should stick with Windows. If you can afford a powerful machine and are willing to pay $400 for Photoshop then by all means do so. If however you wish to try a free app, then GIMP is probably the way to go. If you don't mind paying $300 for MSOffice, then by all means do so. I prefer Evolution to Outlook because that keeps $100 in my pocket. I prefer OpenOffice because that keeps another $100 in my pocket. I run Ubuntu because I do not have to buy another $100 WXP license. (I run W98SE, W2KP and WXPP along with MSOffice2k. I refuse to upgrade to MSO2003. I would rather run Word Perfect and its Lotus like Excel program. AT least it is much cheaper and I sind Word Perfect to be vastly superior to Word). There are many multi-media apps. in Windows that are not in Linux. But likewise there are many programs in Windows which you have to pay money for to demo and run. Here Linux pulls ahead for there are many applets and widgets which you can try without paying. It wasn't so long ago that we had to know DOS to be able to do things - you still have to know how to fdisk/mbr and xcopy, for instance. Linux is much more powerful than DOS. Those who have a mind for working at a DOS-like prompt are well served by Linux. You can create a Windows program to do a database search which can take hours or you can create a Linux program to do the same thing in Linux which can be accomplished in minutes. It all depends on how deep into the bowels of the OS you are willing to dirty yourself.

Basically you will be restrained by what is native to a distro and the how the interneals of each distro works, whether it is Red Hat based (RPM) or Debian based or Slackware based. In the Windows world you have .zip files, but you have other compressors and extractors. It's the same thing in Linux. Each distro does things just a little bit differently from the other; they are layed out differently; they are optimised a little differently, some based on C+, others on Python, others on some other programming language. Windows used to attack Apple for making people write their code according to their specifications, years later Windows mandated that all programmes have to follow a standard, whether it be .dll's or DX, etc. Linux is not quite there is there is no one standard, save the kernel which is governed by one man. Beyond the kernel programmers are basically unrestrained. Distro publishers have their own programmers which tailor software according to their benefactor's wishes. With SUSE you use Novell's repository of programmes, with Debian you use Debian's repository, with Red Hat you use Red Hat's repositories, with Gentoo you use Gentoo's repsoitory, and with Slackware you basically use the most rudimentary and most open source code and apps. The Problems start with customising an app. from one distro to be used on another. Now we all know that not all W98 programmes and drivers work on WXP (and visa versa). It is the same with different kernel versions. In Windows you're likely to get a blue screen of death (BSOD) when a driver goes bad or a Dr. Norton when an app. dies. Linux doesn't crash as often as Windows, but more things are likely to break and not work from the "get-go" ("get ready, get set, go"). Just as you have to seek out & search for a program for Windows you also have to do the same with Linux. With Linux there is a community of like minded programmers who work collectively to resolve problems. That is something which is not always present in Windows.

Your first option is the distro repositories. If it is not there you will usually end up in "dependency hell". A good distro will see what is necessary and will tell you what libraries are necessary to compile the app. It is then up to you to install the correct libraries. Within the libraries the correct paths will have to be set up - you have to tell 'it' (via PATH) where other parts of the files are. It wasn't so long ago that programmes did not standarise where their programs were nor how to clean up after themselves, especially in the registry. Yes, Linux is harder - but you also have more control. I still manually clean up my registry even after using Windows registry cleaners; I still have to delete directories after un-installing programmes. If you have a music card and there is no Linux driver or utility you may be out of luck. But then why did you buy that sound card in the first place? Or that NIC card? Or that router? Or that disk drive? etc. Your first line of defence is to ask if such and such utility exists for Linux at the distro forum. You did it with Windows - you didn't learn Windows in a vacuum - you shared your problems and fixes with others, you shared your joy when using an app., you condemned or outgrew an app. when it came to it. Linux is changing. If you look at OpenOffice it uses a setup.exe file to install. Other apps. are sure to follow.

Even in the Linux world there is not-free software - that's because of licensing concerns. Then you end up paying just like in the Windows world. You mentioned Corel - if you find an applicable app. you're very likely to have to pay for it. Are you willing to pay for the rest? There are quite a few CAD / CAM suites that work better on Linux than they do on Windows. For Multi-media work I always suggest Apple OS and apps. But people don't buy Macs because they see them as too expensive. That is not the case with business - they will pay whatever will do the job in the least time and therefore have the greatest return on investment (ROI, profit). With Windows we tend to do a little bit of 'this' and a little bit of 'that'. But if you do a lot of 'that' you will likely need tailor the workstation to do one function only or maily. Compatiblity with Windows is not an issue - what you want is an end result, a receipt, a worksheet, an animation, a graphic, a blueprint, etc.

With Suse9.1 you'll most likely be working with KDE and with Ubuntu 4.1 you'll most likely be working with GNOME. Each has their own suite of apps. I myself like Ubuntu's FireFox over WXP's Firefox - there is a difference in window size and fonts. I find that I prefer working at 1280x1024 with Ubuntu but I must use 1024x768 with WXP on my 21" CRT. I've outgrown Netscape, Galleon, Konqueror, Mozilla and IE. With Linux I basically do not have to worry about spyware or viruses or trojans. Just as I relegated my Mac SE to astrology work, I have relegated Windows to gaming and writing the odd resume. For internet I prefer to use Linux. When I had a webcam I preferred W2KP over WXPP. I do not have a digital camera or a scanner - so it doesn't come into the equation.

First you have to decide what function you wish your workstation to perform. Then you chose the software and finally the hardware.

http://www.google.com/search?q=why+c...en-US:official

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