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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Gubz on 12 August 2009, 17:19:57

Title: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 12 August 2009, 17:19:57
anyone here use a linux based operating system? or any of the free operating systems out there?
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Kevin Wood on 12 August 2009, 18:09:10
I've got a few Linux machines floating around... ::)

Kevin
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: TheBoy on 12 August 2009, 19:33:45
Sadly, yes, I use Linux a bit.

Fortunately, on my primary machine, I use Windows.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: KillerWatt on 12 August 2009, 21:08:11
My NAS box uses Linux, as does the Xbox and Dreambox.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: TheBoy on 12 August 2009, 21:22:55
Quote
My NAS box uses Linux, as does the Xbox and Dreambox.
I think the OP was referring to Linux as a desktop, rather than niche server or special use :y
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: dbug on 12 August 2009, 23:25:11
Quote
Sadly, yes, I use Linux a bit.

Fortunately, on my primary machine, I use Windows.

Avatar says it all
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 13 August 2009, 09:06:00
is it hard to download has i need an operating system for a computer that will be playing powerpoint at our shop front dont fancy spending £95 on windowns just to operate powerpoint ;D
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Plomien on 13 August 2009, 09:07:38
Quote
is it hard to download has i need an operating system for a computer that will be playing powerpoint at our shop front dont fancy spending £95 on windowns just to operate powerpoint ;D
It is easy to download and some places will send you out a disk http://www.ubuntu.com/ :y
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Chris_H on 13 August 2009, 09:20:29
Quote
is it hard to download has i need an operating system for a computer that will be playing powerpoint at our shop front dont fancy spending £95 on windowns just to operate powerpoint ;D
You can even get Linux images that boot from CD/DVD so you could test on a Windoze m/c.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Kevin Wood on 13 August 2009, 09:29:35
If you need it to actually run powerpoint you're probably better off with a Windoze machine although you might get pptview to run under wine. There are free Linux-native applications that will do the same job though.

Kevin
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 13 August 2009, 10:46:14
ta lads! :y

yea was goin to use open office :y
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Kevin Wood on 13 August 2009, 11:04:18
Quote
ta lads! :y

yea was goin to use open office :y

I've used Open Office Impress (IIRC?) for a few lectures.

It's just like power point (bloated with features you don't need so you can't find a way to achieve the basics you do need).  ;D

Should do the job. :y

Kevin
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: TheBoy on 13 August 2009, 19:19:10
most linux distros, the holy Ubuntu included, are full of crap, bloating out the system so it makes Windows look lean.

For OpenOffice, being X11, no matter what the Linux distro claims, 512Mb minimum.

This is where the 'proper' Linux distros score, but sadly, the likes of RedHat are far more expensive that Windows.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Andy H on 14 August 2009, 00:37:25
I use debian.

Download a net install image http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ & burn it to a cd. Boot the offending PC with the cd & follow the instructions. You might need to do some reading ;)


Personally I started with dos, then windows 1, 2, 3, 98 & XP. With every iteration from Microsoft I have come across situations where the system does mysterious things but you can't fix it because the code is secret. With Debian there is always a solution (but you may need to get your hands dirty to fix it).

Ubuntu & Knoppix are based on Debian. Knoppix is good if you want to boot from a cd without making any changes to an existing pc. You can use a Knoppix cd to boot an unbootable windows pc to investigate & fix the problem. http://www.knoppix.org/
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 14 August 2009, 09:13:17
Quote
I use debian.

Download a net install image http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ & burn it to a cd. Boot the offending PC with the cd & follow the instructions. You might need to do some reading ;)


Personally I started with dos, then windows 1, 2, 3, 98 & XP. With every iteration from Microsoft I have come across situations where the system does mysterious things but you can't fix it because the code is secret. With Debian there is always a solution (but you may need to get your hands dirty to fix it).

Ubuntu & Knoppix are based on Debian. Knoppix is good if you want to boot from a cd without making any changes to an existing pc. You can use a Knoppix cd to boot an unbootable windows pc to investigate & fix the problem. http://www.knoppix.org/

but i can't read :-/

 ;D ;D
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 14 August 2009, 09:18:28
Quote
I use debian.

Download a net install image http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ & burn it to a cd. Boot the offending PC with the cd & follow the instructions. You might need to do some reading ;)


Personally I started with dos, then windows 1, 2, 3, 98 & XP. With every iteration from Microsoft I have come across situations where the system does mysterious things but you can't fix it because the code is secret. With Debian there is always a solution (but you may need to get your hands dirty to fix it).

Ubuntu & Knoppix are based on Debian. Knoppix is good if you want to boot from a cd without making any changes to an existing pc. You can use a Knoppix cd to boot an unbootable windows pc to investigate & fix the problem. http://www.knoppix.org/
[/color]

i tried using it but couldn't work out how to start downloading it has it just showed me files on more files :-/
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: TheBoy on 15 August 2009, 12:24:32
Quote
Quote
I use debian.

Download a net install image http://www.debian.org/CD/netinst/ & burn it to a cd. Boot the offending PC with the cd & follow the instructions. You might need to do some reading ;)


Personally I started with dos, then windows 1, 2, 3, 98 & XP. With every iteration from Microsoft I have come across situations where the system does mysterious things but you can't fix it because the code is secret. With Debian there is always a solution (but you may need to get your hands dirty to fix it).

Ubuntu & Knoppix are based on Debian. Knoppix is good if you want to boot from a cd without making any changes to an existing pc. You can use a Knoppix cd to boot an unbootable windows pc to investigate & fix the problem. http://www.knoppix.org/
[/color]

i tried using it but couldn't work out how to start downloading it has it just showed me files on more files :-/
Without meaning to sound rude, if that is the case, you may well be better off sticking to Windows  :-[

To be honest, unless you have specific needs, 99.9% of people are better off sticking to a Windows PC anyway
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 17 August 2009, 10:33:37
we did has i got bored of lookin  :)
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: dippydave on 17 August 2009, 17:34:38
I had a conversation with a PC tech last week, while he uncorrupted my bios and updated stuff, about how Windows is engineered to slow up. Mostly to make us buy the new version. He seemed to like ubunt and apple stuff a lot more as they 'dont go wrong'.

He said stuff like:
'The windows process of moving data constantly, which may help the lifespan of a hard drive, clogs up log files and swap files' and a whole host of things i was not really understanding. He said 'de-fragging can just cause confusion as then the pc is looking in the wrong place for data'.

'Some 6 year old machines which used to take 30 seconds to boot now take 15 minutes. They've only been used for one program, never been updated or connected to anything that could be malicious. Oh were defragged regularly until it was discovered it wasn't helping. Left to themselves they've stuck at the 15 min boot up for two years'

I was very confused! he reckons windows 7 isn't that great either, better than vista but nothings as good as '98  ;D

think i'll stick with xp!
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Kevin Wood on 17 August 2009, 17:36:25
Quote
I had a conversation with a PC tech last week, while he uncorrupted my bios and updated stuff, about how Windows is engineered to slow up. Mostly to make us buy the new version. He seemed to like ubunt and apple stuff a lot more as they 'dont go wrong'.

He said stuff like:
'The windows process of moving data constantly, which may help the lifespan of a hard drive, clogs up log files and swap files' and a whole host of things i was not really understanding. He said 'de-fragging can just cause confusion as then the pc is looking in the wrong place for data'.

'Some 6 year old machines which used to take 30 seconds to boot now take 15 minutes. They've only been used for one program, never been updated or connected to anything that could be malicious. Oh were defragged regularly until it was discovered it wasn't helping. Left to themselves they've stuck at the 15 min boot up for two years'

I was very confused! he reckons windows 7 isn't that great either, better than vista but nothings as good as '98  ;D

think i'll stick with xp!

The man needs help.  ;D

Kevin
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: dippydave on 17 August 2009, 17:40:31
 ;D ;D
I did start to thing his slant on things wasn't quite right, but was very grateful my pc was up and running again. :y

although, i've just remembered he took out 1 GB of ram saying xp doesnt need 2, and it probably caused the unstability.

hmmm. it was fine for over two years with 2......
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Chris_H on 17 August 2009, 18:28:45
Quote
I had a conversation with a PC tech last week, while he uncorrupted my bios and updated stuff, about how Windows is engineered to slow up. Mostly to make us buy the new version. He seemed to like ubunt and apple stuff a lot more as they 'dont go wrong'.

He said stuff like:
'The windows process of moving data constantly, which may help the lifespan of a hard drive, clogs up log files and swap files' and a whole host of things i was not really understanding. He said 'de-fragging can just cause confusion as then the pc is looking in the wrong place for data'.

'Some 6 year old machines which used to take 30 seconds to boot now take 15 minutes. They've only been used for one program, never been updated or connected to anything that could be malicious. Oh were defragged regularly until it was discovered it wasn't helping. Left to themselves they've stuck at the 15 min boot up for two years'

I was very confused! he reckons windows 7 isn't that great either, better than vista but nothings as good as '98  ;D

think i'll stick with xp!
I've always wanted to prove that but haven't had the time.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: dbug on 17 August 2009, 20:15:19
Quote
;D ;D
I did start to thing his slant on things wasn't quite right, but was very grateful my pc was up and running again. :y

although, i've just remembered he took out 1 GB of ram saying xp doesnt need 2, and it probably caused the unstability.

hmmm. it was fine for over two years with 2......

Man's an rsol - windows has always loved lots of memory!!  Xp and 2Gb should run well ok!!
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: TheBoy on 17 August 2009, 20:59:27
Quote
I had a conversation with a PC tech last week, while he uncorrupted my bios and updated stuff, about how Windows is engineered to slow up. Mostly to make us buy the new version. He seemed to like ubunt and apple stuff a lot more as they 'dont go wrong'.

He said stuff like:
'The windows process of moving data constantly, which may help the lifespan of a hard drive, clogs up log files and swap files' and a whole host of things i was not really understanding. He said 'de-fragging can just cause confusion as then the pc is looking in the wrong place for data'.

'Some 6 year old machines which used to take 30 seconds to boot now take 15 minutes. They've only been used for one program, never been updated or connected to anything that could be malicious. Oh were defragged regularly until it was discovered it wasn't helping. Left to themselves they've stuck at the 15 min boot up for two years'

I was very confused! he reckons windows 7 isn't that great either, better than vista but nothings as good as '98  ;D

think i'll stick with xp!
And you let this idiot touch your PC :o
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Allenm on 17 August 2009, 21:04:08
Quote
I had a conversation with a PC tech last week, while he uncorrupted my bios and updated stuff, about how Windows is engineered to slow up. Mostly to make us buy the new version. He seemed to like ubunt and apple stuff a lot more as they 'dont go wrong'.

He said stuff like:
'The windows process of moving data constantly, which may help the lifespan of a hard drive, clogs up log files and swap files' and a whole host of things i was not really understanding. He said 'de-fragging can just cause confusion as then the pc is looking in the wrong place for data'.

'Some 6 year old machines which used to take 30 seconds to boot now take 15 minutes. They've only been used for one program, never been updated or connected to anything that could be malicious. Oh were defragged regularly until it was discovered it wasn't helping. Left to themselves they've stuck at the 15 min boot up for two years'

I was very confused! he reckons windows 7 isn't that great either, better than vista but nothings as good as '98  ;D

think i'll stick with xp!

What utter 'dangle berries'! numpty obviously knows nothing! 
Windows is "engineered" to be an operating system, nothing else, by virute of that fact, developers are able to write code, drivers, libraries etc that get very close to the underlying architecture of the machine.  This is what slows the machine down, not the OS, but what else is being loaded, initialising and generally making itsself available to a program where the author believes the end-user wants it to respond without intialising its own stack.

Frankly I wouldn't let this bloke near a sodding abacus!
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: KillerWatt on 17 August 2009, 21:07:54
Quote
Frankly I wouldn't let this bloke near a sodding abacus!
I'm in full agreement.
Making statements such as "regular defragging extends the life of a hard drive", and "anything more than 1GB of RAM probably caused instability" simply puts him in the same league as a PC World techie that uses AOL as a service provider.
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: dippydave on 18 August 2009, 13:59:44
hmm points taken.

will take more care in future :)

but he did uncorrupt my bios and sorted a non working pc into a working one. Couldn't work without it! was only glad we didn't have to restore the data drive from backups. 1.4TB takes ages to copy!!!
Title: Re: Operating Systems
Post by: Gubz on 18 August 2009, 17:28:07
Quote
hmm points taken.

will take more care in future :)

but he did uncorrupt my bios and sorted a non working pc into a working one. Couldn't work without it! was only glad we didn't have to restore the data drive from backups. 1.4TB takes ages to copy!!!

that would've taken a bit of time alright ;D