I would like to switch from Windows to Linux. My problem is I don't know which version of Linux is best for a newbie to Linux. I have played around with SuSE standard server 8 but it was hard and complicated. I think that has gotten me scared to use Linux. But would any of you suggest using those Linux/Windows hybrids like Xandros which is Linux, but it can run Windows applications and such (personally, I need this as AOL is Windows only). Before you say anything, I know AOL sucks. It is all I have currently. So would Xandros work for me?

Xandros is not w windows / linux hybrid. Its a commercial version of Linux, with a windows emulator, which is capable of running some windows applications like photo-shop or MS office (and a few games)

Almost all Internet service providers say that you *need* windows, but alsong as there is a driver your your modem, then it should work fine.

my ISP (NTL nottingham) says you need windows98 / 2k or XP.
and linux auto configured itself perfectly.

have a look at this link for distro's which are good for new commers (newbies)
http://www.astahost.com/The-Best-Version-O...-New-t3006.html

Xandros is not free, but is a very newbie friendly distro, for free alternativs, have a look at Fedora or Mandrake.

The windows emulator is not capable of emulating windows drivers, only applications, and is available for all versions of Linux. the emulator is called Wine (which stands for Wine is not an emulator) LOL.

Anyway, Wine is Free, unless you need directX graphics support, then you need to pay for a similar program called Cedeger.

What Modem / Network card are you using ?
you shouldnt have any trouble getting on the internet with linux.

If you want to just use Linux for the kernal you could try out Linspire, which was originally called Lindows before Microsoze took legal action against them.

It is not free to use, but it is 100% Linux and is ridicuolusly familiar looking for a Windoze user.

Ah, Thank you for correcting me on that. See, complete newbie to Linux, lol

Hmm, I will check that. My friend downloaded a mini-installer for SuSE linux (the regular one, not server like I have). Tomorrow I'll give him a blank CD to burn it for me and on another hard drive I'll install it and see if I can get the drivers for my modem. Then I'll try getting AOL to work... or will I need Wine first as AOL's main file is waol.exe?

Looking at it right now... thanks. I notice SuSE comesup several times. My friend asked around and also got told that SuSE was an easy one to begin with.

I knew Xandros isn't free. I saw a review of it in a Linux magazine (Linux Journal I think) and saw that it costs $60. I might play around with SuSE for a while and might place an order for Xandros if I don't like SuSE. Of course with the SuSE Linux Standard Server 8 which I got free at a Novell/IBM Linux training course last summer. From just playing around with it, it seems pretty easy to use except for all the server stuff.

lol, anyway, Wine should let me run exe files like in order to install AOL? Because when I tried installing AOL on SuSE SS8, nothing happened.... like Linux couldn't read it or something.

About how much does Cedeger cost?

My modem is a Broadxent V.92 modem... I have the drivers CD somewhere. So I will need that I guess?

Thanks for all the help so far!

i did a little search for "AOL linux" on google.com/linux.

You are correct, AOL uses a non standard portocol for dialing up to the internet. But like i said, emulating th windows dialer will be a nightmare.

Fortunatly, there is an AOL dialer for linux called "Peng" (full name PengAOL).
i would recomend using this.

Unfortunatly, what you habve there is a Soft-medem (or Win-modem).
Like Most PCI internal modems, its not a full modem, and is not supported by the linux kernel.

you have 2 options....
1) Buy a proper modem, (external serial modem)
2) Buy a driver from llinuxant.com ($15)

you can get a free driver from linuxant, but it is limited to 14kbps.

Alternativly... I still have the source code to the driver from linuxant.com when they used to release it for free, however it only works with the 2.4 series kernel. If you are feeling brave, you could get suSE to run on the latest 2,4 kernel from kernel.org and compile the driver yourself... but this isnt easy.

EDIT, ohh, you asked about Cedega...
Homepage Http://transgaming.com

you pay for membership, minimum membership is £9 for 3 months.
within those 3 months you can download the latest versions of the emulator.
After the 3 months is up, you can no longer download new versions, but the version you have already downloaded will still work for free.

there is a list of games that each version of the emulator is known to work with.

and while you are a member, you can vote for which games you want the developrs to work on next.

Gmes Like Quake, Unreal tournament, Unreal- tournament 2003 / 2004 and loads more work in linux, some OpenGL games like Half-Life 1, Counter Strike, will work on the free version of Wine.

But most people Dual boot... I keep a small 10Gig partiton on my linux disk with windowsXP installed, i can re-boot into windowsXP when i want to play games.

I just feel like I need to highlight this issue with AOL... They can't seem to use any "standard" methods... even their email ports don't use the "standard" ports...

Ok, I will look into that PengAOL

Ouch... 14k is pretty limited.... I am not sure of the full speed AOL gives me though as everything (like above) is non-standard. I notice when I download stuff, my connection goes from 10K to 2-3K and if I am lucky, 4K if it isn't peak hours. I think I will look into a "proper" modem.

Thanks for the link and other info... I will look into that.

I am not a big game player... I mostly use my computer for Web stuff and homework but just in case... I have a few games though

Hmmm... currently I'll just use Linux to test it before I fully move in... Some how I got my SuSE Standard Server 8 to give me a regular SuSE Linux now I have to see if I can do it again. But I think I will have my friend burn me a copy of the mini-installer that he downloaded since he has DSL.

Thanks so far!

Ahhh.. then my friend, you need Knoppix ! http://knoppix.org.

Knoppix is a full Linux Operating system with 2Gigabytes of software that boots from a CD.
you dont have to install anything or format or partiton your hard disk.

just boot the disk, when you have finished, reboot and remove the CD, and your pc is back to its old self.

its a 700 meg download, or you can buy it on ebay for £ 0.99 +postage and packageing or from knoppix.org for £5.

edit: ohh, the latest version of knoppix is 3.7 (soon to be 3.8). once on ebay i say someone selling old coppies of redhat 5 (which would be like going from windowsXP to Windows 2.0)

Ok... thanks... as soon as I have my heart settled on Linux, I guess I will go to SuSE and place that on an extra hard drive I have and go from there... but I would still like help before I make the move though... you know, pre-installation questions and such.


So RedHat 5 is like Windows 2.0? I have seen screenshots (very poor ones) of Windows 3.1 but never 2.0. And the oldest OS I have ever used is Windows 95...

Would anyone recommend those Linux versions that come with the books like the "For Dummies" books or the simallar books? I have been told before that those are junk copies and not to use them. Would anyone have any feedback on this for me? Thanks!

An advice: don't start with it without the assistance of an expert in it!

i was just saying that redhat 5 is a very old version of redhat.



i disagree. i bought a copy of redhat 9 when it was new from ebay, without any help or talking to anyone i jumped in at the deep end and started playing around.

eventually through trial and error i found my away around. Its a very steep learning curve at first, but within a few months i was compiling my own kernel's and all the other stuff you hear linux users talk about.

But if i had known about knoppix, i probably would have gone with that option.

to be honest, its very hard to learn about linux without actuall using it.

and like i said, its a steep learning curve, but i think its worth it to say goodbye to adware, virii, virii scanners, adware removers, defragmenting, re-installing, re-booting etc etc etc.

have a go, it you dont like it, you have only waster £1 +pp