Linux - Debian - Ubuntu - Gnome
NeonSpyder
"Das est NTLDR?" Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17913Members
"Das est NTLDR?" Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17913Members
in Off-Topic
<div class="IPBDescription">What's your favourite, what do you recommend?</div>Hello, long time windows user here. This is going to be my first time with Linux and I want to make it special.
I already arranged the roses and the wine is a good '92, I thought the chocolates were too much but I ordered them anyway.
I figure a relaxing night in front of the fireplace with the install disc would be a good place to start, get ourselves toasted on the wine and finally retreat to the bedroom for some "open source" action, if you catch my drift.
My question is, which disc should I invite back to my place?
Debian? Ubuntu? Gnome? Slackware? something else I haven't heard of?
There are two things I want from a linux build.
- Graphics Application Compatibility. I currently use 3ds Max for 3d design purposes, however as I understand it this will not work under a linux environment. Will it work under WINE? I currently also use GIMP for my 2d image needs, but I believe GIMP is more of a linux native then anything else anyway, so no problems there.
- Gaming, so as I understand it very few/any games work natively under linux. Do they work very well with WINE? Is WINE even free? I understand Cedega costs money to register for! Heaven forbid I move to an open source operating system platform to be charged <i>money</i>.
That's about it. So long as the install process / general use has a relatively straight forward operation (but with options to customize when I get comfortable with wtf I'm doing in a linux environment.)
One more thing that interests me, I have an AMD64 bit processor, and I understand that Debian has a build that utilizes the 64 bit architecture. What I was wondering is it a very big hassle to find 64 bit compatible linux applications? Also, would I have to run a 64 bit version of a windows application through WINE in order to get it to work? Or does WINE emulate only a 32 bit architecture? If so, then it would only utilize a WINE-run application at a maximum 32 bits, and leave my processor being under utilized?
So many questions I have, but I'm really looking to get into Linux finally. I figure you guys are pretty knowledgeable about the subject, as you're all experts on everything
(except TychoCelchuuu, he doesn't know anything about star wars)
I already arranged the roses and the wine is a good '92, I thought the chocolates were too much but I ordered them anyway.
I figure a relaxing night in front of the fireplace with the install disc would be a good place to start, get ourselves toasted on the wine and finally retreat to the bedroom for some "open source" action, if you catch my drift.
My question is, which disc should I invite back to my place?
Debian? Ubuntu? Gnome? Slackware? something else I haven't heard of?
There are two things I want from a linux build.
- Graphics Application Compatibility. I currently use 3ds Max for 3d design purposes, however as I understand it this will not work under a linux environment. Will it work under WINE? I currently also use GIMP for my 2d image needs, but I believe GIMP is more of a linux native then anything else anyway, so no problems there.
- Gaming, so as I understand it very few/any games work natively under linux. Do they work very well with WINE? Is WINE even free? I understand Cedega costs money to register for! Heaven forbid I move to an open source operating system platform to be charged <i>money</i>.
That's about it. So long as the install process / general use has a relatively straight forward operation (but with options to customize when I get comfortable with wtf I'm doing in a linux environment.)
One more thing that interests me, I have an AMD64 bit processor, and I understand that Debian has a build that utilizes the 64 bit architecture. What I was wondering is it a very big hassle to find 64 bit compatible linux applications? Also, would I have to run a 64 bit version of a windows application through WINE in order to get it to work? Or does WINE emulate only a 32 bit architecture? If so, then it would only utilize a WINE-run application at a maximum 32 bits, and leave my processor being under utilized?
So many questions I have, but I'm really looking to get into Linux finally. I figure you guys are pretty knowledgeable about the subject, as you're all experts on everything
(except TychoCelchuuu, he doesn't know anything about star wars)
Comments
It has a very easy installation process, and also a very easy way of installing applications: Add/Remove programs or Synaptic, where the latter provides a more advanced interface.
The biggest three bumps I ran into with Ubuntu were:
-hardware compatibility, although that's rapidly improving.
-getting used to very different commands and OS ways (GUI will help a lot though)
-finding (open source) alternatives to my favorite Windows applications
You'll need Wine (free), Cedega (commercial) or some other Windows API emulating application to run Windows only applications.
Wine will sometimes work, although performance isn't the same as in Windows (can be better, but is mostly worse)
Wine keeps track of how well certain applications work, the database can be found at the <a href="http://appdb.winehq.org/" target="_blank">Wine AppDB</a>
3dsmark:
<a href="http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersionId=3626&iTestingId=9257" target="_blank">http://appdb.winehq.org/appview.php?iVersi...iTestingId=9257</a>
Games:
<a href="http://appdb.winehq.org/votestats.php" target="_blank">top 25 best working applications (mostly games)</a>
Also, there are a quite a few games that are Linux native.
Of the top of my head:
Most (if not all) ID games have Linux native versions.
The Unreal games have linux native ones as well.
America's Army
I was able to play Half Life, Half Life 2, Warcraft 3 (TFT) and some other games on Ubuntu.
Ubuntu has a <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/support/community/webforums" target="_blank">forum</a>, a <a href="https://help.ubuntu.com/community/InternetRelayChat" target="_blank">IRC channel</a> and a <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/" target="_blank">Wiki</a>.
Have fun with the penguin <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />
<edit>
Reason I'm an ex-Ubuntu user is because I still game a lot, and decided to only install Windows XP on my machine.
I should get back to the penguin again, so much fun stuff to try and learn with it.
About them desktop environments (Gnome, KDE, XFCE, etc) they are optional, and can be installed besides each other, try them all!
Gnome is more about simplicity in use and trying to keep things uncluttered, while KDE is more about features, both are very good.
</edit>
Ubuntu is a derivative of debian. It is available in a lot of architectures. I have it installed here at work on my second pc, at home in a vmware and at home on my PS3.
You can choose KDE or gnome for your ubuntu, I personally go for gnome every time, but the differences don't matter that much anymore.
I cringe when asked to help someone with their redhat install.
Then there's ricing, mmm... rice.
<!--c1--><div class='codetop'>CODE</div><div class='codemain'><!--ec1-->CFLAGS="-09 -march=s6000 -pipe=65536 -funroll-every-loop -mrice -mabi=rice -omg-optimized --disable-all-instructions -DREENABLE_FAST_EXECUTION"<!--c2--></div><!--ec2-->
I'd recoment it if you actually want to learn linux. And I'd recomend installing it the <a href="http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/handbook/handbook-amd64.xml?full=1" target="_blank">fun way</a>, not with the new fangled installer.
But that's me. Ubuntu is nice and easy though.
I seriously doubt you'll get Max working, but <a href="http://www.blender.org/features-gallery/features/" target="_blank">Blender </a>is pretty nice, <b><i>very </i></b>different from Max though, but pretty damn powerful.
Windows sucks, but in the end, every OS sucks.
On a side note, if you want to start easy I recommend Ubuntu. Gentoo may be a bit advanced for a beginner at linux. I personally use Ubuntu atm. Debian is good too, but as far as the Desktop Ubuntu has a lot more user-friendly features. Gnome is a personal choice. I hate the way KDE looks but others love it. You could also try XFCE. There is three Ubuntu branches for each, Ubuntu of course runs on Gnome by default, Kubuntu runs KDE, and Xubuntu runs XFCE. You can always install the others easily from installing Ubuntu. The packages for each (using synaptic) are named ubuntu-desktop, kubuntu-desktop, and xubuntu-desktop respectively.
As far as alternatives to Windows versions, they are endless. Also, you might find <a href="http://www.howtoforge.com/perfect_setup_ubuntu704" target="_blank">this</a> useful.
Also, you can even get NS running on Linux with wine. It runs pretty well too. The only problem is using Ventrilo, and having it play nicely with the game. (Audio is a pain in the ass in Linux).
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->why would you move off windows<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I've been using Linux and Windows since the early nineties, and they both have their advantages. The traditional advantages of Windows are eroding while the advantages of Linux are strengthening. Now that Dell will sell you a PC running ubuntu, you can finally avoid paying Microsoft a cut on a new PC. Other OEMs are set to follow, and there is a very very strong movement from them to require open source drivers on core components. AMD have open sourced their gfx drivers and NVIDIA are under pressure to follow.
Anyway, most people don't move off windows. They tickle their curiosity by dual booting both Linux and Windows. Some are happy to continue dual booting, some delete linux and others decide that Linux does everything they need and dump Windows completely.
So in summary:
Cost, Freedom, Power, Stability, and Curiosity.
Not everyone uses their PC as a youtube and irc enabled games console.
WINE is free, but it doesn't perform at anything remotely near an acceptable level if you play any games beyond the very most popular first person shooters or WoW. Hell, even if you do, every second update breaks compatibility with one of them anyway. Cedega isn't much better.
So true... gaming in Linux can be a pain in the ass. Hence why my gaming computer is running windows. Someday (dreaming here) popular games will have ports for *nix!
There is <a href="http://www.valvesoftware.com/job-SenSoftEngineer.html" target="_blank">hope</a>..
OH MY GOD!!!!!!!