149 replies to this topic 2 votes

[n_K]

I've gotta say, having switched to cinnamin from gnufail 3.6 recently, I find it pretty outstanding, it's still not perfect but it's darn close thanks to everyone that suggested to try it!
At the moment, the most limiting factor of linux in terms of graphics is that it uses X11 still, which is just old old OLD! OK so it does work on the world's oldest hardware and it doesn't need hardware accelleration at all, but because of that it doesn't support a lot of stuff. Once wayland becomes improved (it's still in it's infancy) then you'll be seeing very slick GNU/Linux graphics, and you even run multiple X11 sessions inside of wayland too.

[giannisgx89]

Has anyone tried the new Elementary OS Luna Beta 1?
I tried it on virtual box and i have to say this is the only linux distro that actually made want to keep using it instead of windows!

http://elementaryos....beta-1-released

[+patseguin]

I'm using Linux Mint in a VMWare box full screen right now (typing this from there). Even in a VM, it runs great and what a polished OS! I'm still scared to switch to it as a main OS because I fear the command line and it seems you need a computer science degree to install any new drivers or software, lol.

Anyone here compared Mint to ubuntu? I have both installed and like Mint better, why I'm not sure yet.

Here's a question: My system has 2x 256GB SSD's and 2x 3TB HD's (Windows RAID0). Would I be able to install Linux on the second SSD and then have a dual boot menu? If I understand naming conventions, my SSD's are sda and sdb and the 2 HDD's are sdc and sdd. I would want to format sdb and install it there right? How can I make sure I'm not making a mistake and formatting my Windows 8 drive, like maybe Windows 8 is actually on sdb?

[Ph1b3r0pt1c]

Always been a Fedora fan myself, I just wish Ubuntu would give the option to download an installer with Gnome shell instead of unity so I don't have to play in dependency hell. They were going to at one time.

[NightScreams]

Never cared for Linux much. I like some key factors about it in general. I try some distro's out every few years but always feels a step behind with 1 leg. Still no Netflix or even ITunes in Wine, I laughed at Banshee..etc for my Ipad, like really?. Never could get .AAC conversion to work in my car. Still had to google for things I wanted or needed to change only to still be forced to copy n paste command lines. No, not in 2012 I won't. THE main drawback for me was the software itself, either lacks some features/too basic or the UI is oldschool compared to some commercial apps that i'm used to on Windows, like Any video converter..etc. Thankfully Nvidia FINALLY released a decent and proper driver thanks to Valve's Steam. Not for Valve, NV wouldn't have done crap. Likely Steam will never offer the library selection like Windows but one can hope.
meh, w8 does everything I need it to, using Start8 and Decor8 to make the UI nicer, I can buy hardware and any software on a shelf, see its compatable and just plug it in with little to no fuss, no commands, no tricks or hours of google hunts.

[Mindovermaster]

Linux isn't an "easy-go" OS. You have to work at it. You learn Linux as you do Windows. If you had originally started with Linux, you would be calling Windows a bunch of crap.

[Max Norris]

Mindovermaster, on 24 November 2012 - 21:22, said:

If you had originally started with Linux, you would be calling Windows a bunch of crap.

Personal preference. Grew up with Unix before there even was a Linux, and I personally still prefer to use Windows. As flexible, no not even close, but there's a lot to be said for the "it just works" factor.

[xorangekiller]

patseguin, on 24 November 2012 - 18:46, said:

Here's a question: My system has 2x 256GB SSD's and 2x 3TB HD's (Windows RAID0). Would I be able to install Linux on the second SSD and then have a dual boot menu? If I understand naming conventions, my SSD's are sda and sdb and the 2 HDD's are sdc and sdd. I would want to format sdb and install it there right? How can I make sure I'm not making a mistake and formatting my Windows 8 drive, like maybe Windows 8 is actually on sdb?

The drive naming is somewhat subjective. One of your SSD's could be sda one time and sdb the next time you reboot. That is why they are normally identified and mounted by their universally unique identifier (UUID). However, you don't need to worry about that because virtually any modern Linux installer will identify and mount them for you properly. As for installing Mint or Ubuntu on your secondary SSD, the easiest way to make sure you have the right drive is to go by partition labels. If, for example, your Windows installation on the first SDD has the partition label WINDOWS, the second SSD has a partition with the label RAR, you can use Disk Utility, GParted, or maybe even the installer from the live install disc to identify which drive contains WINDOWS and which contains RAR. The two 1 TB drives are easy to discard because of their size. Format the SSD containing RAR and install your Mint or Ubuntu. Each partition will be mounted properly from then on based on UUID.

[+patseguin]

Well, I tried first installing mint from a DVD from Windows 8 and it rebooted to complete then gave me some error. I uninstalled it then booted of the DVD and went to install, "didn't detect any installed operating systems". I'd hoped I could install this and dual boot.

[xorangekiller]

Max Norris, on 24 November 2012 - 21:30, said:

Personal preference. Grew up with Unix before there even was a Linux, and I personally still prefer to use Windows. As flexible, no not even close, but there's a lot to be said for the "it just works" factor.

I definitely agree with you: to a large extent its personal preference. However, I, like many others here, I think, went the opposite way; I started with Windows and moved to Linux. While the "it just works" factor is certainly very important, I place more value on the customization aspect of the operating system. I like its open-source nature. I like the way that the operating system works. I don't mind the fact that it is not quite as easy to use, although Ubuntu is challenging even that, I value the other things that I mentioned more.

patseguin, on 24 November 2012 - 22:29, said:

Well, I tried first installing mint from a DVD from Windows 8 and it rebooted to complete then gave me some error. I uninstalled it then booted of the DVD and went to install, "didn't detect any installed operating systems". I'd hoped I could install this and dual boot.

Try installing Mint by booting off of the installation disc directly. Don't install it from within Windows. Based on the setup you have described, using your secondary SSD as the boot disc, you probably want to install it natively, not using Wubi.

[Yogurtmaster]

Mindovermaster, on 24 November 2012 - 21:22, said:

Linux isn't an "easy-go" OS. You have to work at it. You learn Linux as you do Windows. If you had originally started with Linux, you would be calling Windows a bunch of crap.

I really disagree with this. Linux UI has been dreadful in the past and I am very unhappy even now with Unity.
Out of the many problems with Linux and a lot of open source programs, programmers have designed UI and it's obvious.

Programmers should never be allowed to make UI as they never have understood good UI standards.

I always disliked the way Linus always wanted to model Linux after Unix. I really wished he would have had UI designed design the default UI as a standard and let people modify look and feel from there.
He could have taken some of the ideas like security from Unix, but not the command set and programmer look and feel.

[Tyler R.]

I was thinking about trying SUSE or Fedora myself and checking out Gnome 3. I'm really likeing KDE, but it just weird sometimes in terms of drivers and what not. I installed the latest NVIDIA driver and I can't enable kwin anymore plus my boot screen looks ugly--instead of having the sexy silver k-gear with dots, its a pixalated white screen that looks like it's straight from 1985. I realize it's most likely NVIDIA's fault, but I'm tired of Linux getting treated like a 2nd class OS---like Windows and OS X are any better...pffftt....I hope Wayland really fixes a lot of the graphical glitches when we finally jump over and Valve bringing Steam over opens developers eyes and changes Linux for the better. I really love and enjoy Linux.

[Mindovermaster]

Linux is and always will be driven by the terminal. All the GUI does is make things easier for noobs.

And yet, here we stand.

[+TruckWEB]

The problem is not the OS, it's the software... I know, I know there is "alternative" to everything, but most of the time, those "alternative" are not as good, incomplete or plain crap.

Since Windows is the dominant standard, followed by MacOS, it's hard to find "corporate" software for Linux, you know, like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, good programming tools like Visual Studio, iTune (hey, I have an iPad and iPod), AutoCAD, .... and the list goes on....

Again, I know WINE exist, but why "emulate" Windows? Just run the real thing instead and you'll have less bugs...

[Mindovermaster]

I've been on Ubuntu for a good 3 weeks now, and never went back to my Windows side yet. You know why? 90% of my programs were already open source. Open/Libre Office, VLC, Firefox, Minecraft, etc. The only programs I could not carry over was Photoshop CS5, but I find Gimp to be rather nice, once you start messing with it.

If it was plain crap, why would they put it in the repositories? Heck, you can run Windows in a Virtualbox from Linux...

Again, you have to learn it for it to work the way you want. Same way you start with any other software, no matter what OS.