are you actually a nerd? or just on the computer alot?? I am anerd myself, I know c++ qbasic Visual basic java, html stuff like that...and will soon be learning pearl...I am also smi decent with hardware...I can rip apart and rebuild a computer in about 10 minutes at max...that is taking everything out and putting it back in...

 

I am working at becoming a nerd [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img]. I've mainly been focusing on troubleshooting windows and apps, that kinda thing. That's what people usually need help with (and will pay for help with) but I know some c++, enough html to get by, and am in my second year of Java (for AP exams).

Also decent with hardware, can dis/re assemble a computer and replace whatever. But again I focus on the real "useful" stuff like setting up HT's and stereos and whatever.


I don't mess with languages im not taking classes in becuase I figure I'll just get into bad habits; once I've had some schooling with them I start messing around on my own. I still have quite a few years of school so I figure I'll have time for classes in whatever I want to take.

 

ive never actually used a linux so i know nothing about them are they good in anyway? and whats the main reason you switched to linux? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

Its free [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img][img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img], as are many of the apps for it. Stable, well supported, it can do a lot.
http://linux.about.com/od/linux101/l/blnewbie0_4.htm

 

Actually Linux itself is just the kernel. The very lowest level of the OS. Up until just recently you could actually put the kernel on a floppy ready to go.

On top of that is the GNU system of utilities, and other basic programs. GNU stands for GNU is Not UNIX. It's a recursive achronym. You'll find a LOT of resurcive achronym names in the Open Source/Free Software community.

There are probably over 300 distributions of Linux out there. Anything from a standard distribution (Red Hat, Debian, SuSE/Novell, Ubuntu, Gentoo, Mandrake, etc.) to very specialized distributions (Knoppix (and it's derivatives) is a live distro on a CD/DVD, IPCop is a firewall distribution (there are serveral firewall distrobutions out there), and some rescue CD distributions for fixing installs (AND Windows).)

Personally I use Fedora Core (it's a version that's community supported that eventually develops into Red Hat's Enterprise Linux distributions) and some old Red Hat releases. I can take a Fedora Core release and install "Everything" (4 nearly full CDs, or about 2.5GB on a DVD), or strip it down to a very basic install (about 400MB or so).

As far as user interfaces go, the best way to describe how things are set up is much like Windows 3.1x on top of DOS. You don't need to run the GUI (X Window System). Most people installing servers bypassing installing X as you don't really need X to manage a server. I manage mine from the command line. And in fact, none of my servers actually have monitors attached, let alone a keyboard and mouse.

There are two main desktop environments in use: GNOME GNU Network Object Model Environment (or something like that) and KDE (K Desktop Environment). Each of these have their own widget sets and programming (GNOME uses GTK/GTK+ (GIMP Took Kit) and KDE uses QT). Most of GNOME was originally written in C, whereas KDE uses C++. Personally I like KDE. I just have never liked GNOME. Previously it used Enlightenment as the window manager (how the windows look, which can load themes, like XP and WinAMP can) and it was a steaming pile of dog..., IMHO. The nice thing is, just because you use one, doesn't mean you can't use an app designed for the other as long as the support libraries are present. Little trivia: the rendering engine on the back side of Apple's Safari web browser was built by the KDE Team for use in the Konquerer web browser. Most Linux users usually opt for Mozilla Firefox for a GUI browser.

That's kind of a primer, but it goes much further.

The first time I switched full-time, I hose my Windows 95B install and wanted to try something else. I had tried Caldera[1] OpenLinux 1.2 Lite in about '97 when I was in Jr. College. Wouldn't work well with my graphics card at that time. So I went back to Windows. Then the hosing happened in April of '99. Ended up picking up RedHat 5.1. Jumped in for a while, then switched back to Windows for some stuff. I've gone full-time Linux on a few occasions. This time I'm thinking it will be permanent. I like the flexibility that Linux provides. And for tinkering it's easy on the pocketbook. Give me broadband and a CD/DVD burner.

UNIX-style systems do things differently than Windows apps. You have a tool and it does things well. You have another one, and it does it's thing well. You put them together and create a tool chain. Pretty much most CD/DVD burning is handled by one or two command-line programs (cdrecord and growisofs). There are different graphical front-ends (Xcdroast was the first and is still very popular, with K3B (a KDE App) and GCombust now popular as well.)

Video editing is one area where this is evident. There's about 3 main packages that people use: MainActor which is a commercial package/trial app. Does a decent job. Next is Kino. It works great for basic editing. The higher end app is called Cinelera, which is actually developed by ONE guy. Most people are scared off by the hardware spec: 2x AMD Opteron 4GB RAM and like a TB of storage. Note: that spec can actually handle real time editing of HD streams! I used Kino to make a DVD and it took about 8 hrs (could have been 7 hrs, but I was still using the system for 2 hrs) to encode from DV (Sony D8 camcorder source) to DVD Spec MPEG-2 video of 1 hr. Nice thing about Cinelera: Render farm! And you don't have to pay for each node. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img] I haven't done it yet, but I plan on it. It will actually use the render farm to do real-time background rendering (like for previews.)

Kino especially uses small tools on the backend: dvgrab to pull the DV over Firewire/iLink/IEEE 1394, mplayer package to encode the video, outputs XML for a program called DVD Author that actually builds the menus and filesystem layout. Then you use growisofs or mkisofs and cdrecord to burn the CD.

If you really want to take a look at Linux on the desktop, download Knoppix. It's a live CD (runs off the CD w/o needing to be installed). It won't touch your existing install.

Probably one of the biggest issues is lack of vendor support for hardware. It's very evident in the printing dept. But when I'm looking to buy hardware, I make sure it's supported first. (I have a SanDisk CF card reader at home: Linux doesn't support the revision I have (or didn't.)) I also have a USB 2.0 card that has issues sometimes. However my Adaptec Firewire card works great. Printing is one of the worst ones to deal with. I specifically bought an HP LaserJet 1200 because it supported PostScript (nearly all Linux apps will output PostScript natively) and I really only printed text and it's MUCH cheaper for laser to do text than an inkjet.

Any questions? It's easier to answer questions than to just start yacking about it. You can always try to find a Linux Users Group in your area and go to a meeting. They are open to the public. I belong to a local one here.

One thing to watch for is the use of Free. There's a saying in the community: Free as in speech, not as in beer. It's about Freedom. Do what you want, not what your vendor wants.

[1] Caldera is now known as The SCO Group. They lost in the Linux marketplace. Per seat licensing was one reason people were bailing on Microsoft. They have now changed from a software house to a litigation company. And they wonder why they keep losing business. People don't want to do business with a company that's going to sue them. SCOG (they are NOT SCO (The Santa Cruz Organization, now known as Tarantella), they bought SCO's UNIX business) has sued: IBM, DaimlerChrysler (the only thing left of that suit after DC whipped them like a red headed step-child) is whether they took too long to file a license report with SCO because they had stopped using the licensed software years ago.) and AutoZone. The IBM case is win or die. If they lose that case, expect to find SCOG stock in the men's restroom at Armonk, NY. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] RedHat answered the IBM suit with a "put up or shut up" case against SCOG. So far SCOG hasn't put up or shut in any case. They keep changing why they are suing IBM. See http://www.groklaw.net

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PC, never tried a mac. You can get a decent pc for $700.00 these days. how much for a mac?

 

Only your first born if you have a coupon.

 

The Mac Mini starts at $499.00.
iBooks start at $999.00 for a laptop.

 

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...uct_id=3946852 Compaq Presario desktop with a 17" monitor. $458.

Not my computer of choice, but it's specs are not bad at all:
17" flat screen CRT monitor
2.93 GHz Intel Celeron D Processor 340
256 MB DDR SDRAM
Integrated CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo drive
80 GB hard drive
9-in-1 memory card reader
Integrated 10/100Base-T networking interface