Anyone runing Linux?

Adillo303

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Last night, I was surfing around and bumped into Linux. Actually, I have been researching it for a project that I have assigned myself. I downloaded Ubuntu and burned the CD. I was going to load it on a spare computer. All of a sudden it popped up and said :Would you like me to install inside Windows?". Well, OK sure shy not?

It tool half an our or so and then rebooted my system. When it restarted, I was asked if I wanted Windows or Ubuntu. I loaded Ubuntu and found myself at a desktop looking like a cross between an apple and windows. I found that I already had a mail clinet, a word processor, a spreadsheet, a photo editor and could print PDF files out of the box. There is actually a lot more, all set up and ready to go. It took all of 5 minutes to add my printer. It already reckognized my external hard drive, so I have an easy way to transfer files.

I have been poking around it all morning, It is pretty nice. It seemingly does not need antivirus software or anti spywware. (I am still looking into this).

Best of all, the cost is absolutely nothing. I can put a functional computer on a desk for nothing more than the cost of the hardware. If you consider a low end computer and subtract the cost of Windows, that is pretty inexpensive. It will also run on the old machine that you just replaced.

PS> My windows is still intact and I can run it at will.

Anyone else have comments?
 

Doc

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Ubuntu is cool. I run Red Hat and CentOS but they are primarily server OS's. I'm building a new home computer and plan to use vmware and run Windows as the primary with a couple flavors of Linux as virtual OS's.
With virtual's you can have all your OS's up and on the internet at the same time. A big advantage for me. I hate to reboot. :D
 

Lefty

Yank
I have been using Unix and Linux for years. It is a very robust system and can run for many months without requiring a reboot. I plan on putting it on a discount laptop for full out testing for a customer of mine that is looking for an alternative....
 

Adillo303

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Well then, you might find this interesting. I got into this because, a potential custoer asked for an Asterisk phone system. After looking it over, I do believe that it and system slike it are the future of telephony.

I set out to load an asterisk system, they have a complete package including Linux called Asterisk now. In the middle of the install, it blew up and said that one fo my files was missing. Wit5h little else to do on the train, I started reading up on Linux. Since I have several systems laying around doing nothing, I was going to load Linus on one just get my feet wet, After it loaded on my home system with Windows, I thought that was cool.

Now Doc, just exactly is this VM ware and where do I get it?
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Unix has come a LONG way over the years. I used to run it back in the early 90s when it was more of command line and scripting OS. It X-Windows and other graphical GUIs then, and was a bit difficult to setup. But these days, it's definitely a viable choice over the other OS's. I know several people with laptops that came loaded with VIsta - they dumped Vista completely and went with Ubuntu and never looked back!
 

Fisher's Mom

Mother Superior
Super Site Supporter
Two of my sons were running Ubuntu exclusively for a while, but they have both set up a dual boot thing now. There is some software that they really missed that would only run in Windows. But there is a lot of stuff for Linux that is amazing - and FREE!
 

Doc

Administrator
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Here is a link for vmware:
https://www.vmware.com/virtualization/

Virtualization is the future. They used to have a free version that loaded right on top of Windows. Easy to install and add OS's and run all the OS's at once. Very slick.
 

Doc

Administrator
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Unix has come a LONG way over the years. I used to run it back in the early 90s when it was more of command line and scripting OS. It X-Windows and other graphical GUIs then, and was a bit difficult to setup. But these days, it's definitely a viable choice over the other OS's. I know several people with laptops that came loaded with VIsta - they dumped Vista completely and went with Ubuntu and never looked back!
I still use it and still prefer the command line. You can do so much more from the command line than clicking here and there with the mouse.
 

YeOldeStonecat

New member
I've been running various versions for a long time.
My main appreciation for them is the various router/firewall/UTM distros out there..you can build yourself a danged potent router that will give you the performance and features of a $5,000.00 plus enterprise system, for free (just use old hardware). I usually run PFSense at home, most of my business clients networks are protected by Untangle. They'll kick the snot out of any store bought home grade router like Stinksys, Nutgear, and DStink.

There are some cool open source "server/firewall" packages..sort of like an open sourced version of Microsoft Small Business Server Premium. eBox and ClearOS (previously know as ClarkConnect) are two fine examples.

For desktop/laptop OS's....I like OpenSUSE for my preferred *nix flavor. Unbuntu is an oldie..it came out with the goal of making a pre-canned easy to use hand holding *nix distro to get people warmed up to linux coming over from the Windows world.
Mint is another good one...it's based on Ubuntu, just has a few more things built into it.
PCLinuxOS is another popular entry level distro.

For a good bookmark for those who might want to dabble in them...
http://distrowatch.com/

If you're curious to try...with many of them, the ISO you download supports a "live CD" environment..boot from the CD...it will not touch your hard drive, it boots from the CD and lets you "test drive" the OS to see how you like it. (it will run slower this way..since CD drives are slow).

Most of them come with an installation wizard which will automatically setup your hard drive to "dual boot"...repartition, etc. Be smart and make a backup of your drive before doing this, once in a while it can have a hiccup and your system may have boot issues requiring repair. But generally they're fine.

And a few have an even easier "install through Windows" method, like mentioned above, Ubuntu has the WUBI installer.
 

Adillo303

*****
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Gosh darn you Doc, but, that VMWare looks good. It doesn't look like any free rides are available.
 

Maverick2272

Stewed Monkey
Super Site Supporter
I used to run Linux Red Hat, still have the box, CDs, and manual for it. On my old desktop I had two drives, one booting Windows and one booting Linux. After I got rid of it and went to all laptops I stopped using it.
If I remember right, it had X-Windows and had to be built up from the command line. But once you did this, it was way faster than Windows. Only drawback then was lack of software to run on it, but these days there are more and more programs out there for it.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
I looked at their site. They have lots ov versions. They have a workstation version that does just what Dov spoke of.
 

YeOldeStonecat

New member
Yeah there's a workstation version....it runs inside of Windows. Sorta like a hyped up version of Microsofts Virtual PC.

It's OK to learn on...but it's no ball of fire, since...you have the initial overhead of the primary OS...and then the VMWare runs inside of it...and then you have the overhead of each virtual machine that's running. And direct access to the hardware components sorta goes "through" the primary OS. In other words..the virtual machines sorta just get the leftover resources.

Versus running ESXi...which itself is a base OS...but very lean and mean, it presents the hardware and resources more directly to the virtual machines, they perform much better because there is not an OS standing in line in front of them.
 

Doc

Administrator
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They used to give out the workstation version simply to learn on. Xen on the otherhand is a freebie, but harder to set up in the home environment. You would have to use two computers to set up a Xen virtual server. It works good but is a trickier to set up than vmware.

http://www.xen.org/

Wiki on Xen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xen
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Thank you both. Doc, I have a few computers laying around and doing nothing. That part is easy. As you know, the problem is enough time to play. LOL. Still, I am wondering about all of this for a small / solo office environment that needs to run on a shoestring. Could a workable office be provided for a cost that would pay the consultant that set it up and be a workable office that end users could use with minimum training? In today's economy, this seems to me to be an idea worth exploring.
 

Doc

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Heck yes. I've been a proponent of this for years now. With Open Office .org's office products (spreadsheet, word processor etc) and the point and click interface of the gui's for most linux distro's I think this is a very real and money saving alternative.

I only mentioned the virtual software as a way of testing / playing with Linux without having to give up your regular OS. For the office scenario you sure do not need a virtual environment at all.
 

Adillo303

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I agree with all of your technical points. What I am concerned about is if end users are now ready to use something that is "different" from what they are used to seeing. Looking at the Ubuntu that I installed last weekend, I can see that it is certainly a viable office, for free out of the box.

Some bells and whistles are not there immediately and for the most part, they are not what is needed for a meat and potatoes office.

It issue is and always has ben user acceptance. For the cost savings, it is certainly worth it.
 

Doc

Administrator
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I think they are ready for it. Every Windows release changes stuff around, and makes things hard to find at first. This plays right into swaping the users over to Linux. The office users would complain because they are not used to Linux and can't bring in their favorite game or whatever and load it on the workstation. All a plus to my way of thinking.
You would need meetings to decide what all they need and figure out how to provide it in Linux. This sure seems more doable now than ever before. :thumb:
 

Adillo303

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I think so too.I see many customers (management) less willing to let employees use the computer as they see fit.
 

YeOldeStonecat

New member
Still, I am wondering about all of this for a small / solo office environment that needs to run on a shoestring. Could a workable office be provided for a cost that would pay the consultant that set it up and be a workable office that end users could use with minimum training? In today's economy, this seems to me to be an idea worth exploring.

Once you cross over into SOHO/SMB...you're talking a business. And businesses require more specialized software. Accounting, contact management, specific LOB (line of business) apps that your industry uses (whatever your business may be). Accounting, law firm, healthcare, sales, blah blah. Business networks are usually standardized because they need to build the network around the LOB app that they use. The client I just came from...he runs his metal fabrication ship aroud 3x biz apps...Quickbooks Pro for accounting, SolidWorks (design/CAD-like) and JobBoss (Job Costing/Tracking jobs) for his daily use. All are Windows apps.

So...point is, many (most) times you're held to Windows because it's what's required by the software you run your business on.

Also, it's hard to find support for opensource/linux. For any business, support is #1. Important to any business is the ability to call some computer/network propeller head who will parachute out of the sky to save the day when something breaks. With a Windows Server, Windows Workstation network with widely supported applications...this is easy. For a specialized *nix network...good luck finding some tech dude to help you.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
we use ubuntu in our netapp storage systems. i need to start using it more to get more comfortable with it.

also, a new area that we cover, media syndication, is using opensuse linux. i was thinking of creating an opensuse bootable drive on a sled for my work desktop to get more exposure with it as well.

from what i've learned, they both were selected for being robust as well as stable, something microsoft and apple can only dream of.
 
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