Arch Linux

fiod

Member

Registered: 2007-04-02

Posts: 205

Re: What other students do?

I am thinking of making myself something like this:

A mail server, to which I will send a file by E-Mail from wherever I am, and
it will convert (using a combination of linux and windows) the .doc file to pdf, and
will send the .pdf file back to me.

Native Linux solutions doesn't do the job good enough (use OO or other alternatives), which means
that windows has to be in the loop.

All the Linux part is pretty simple. Question is how to transfer the file to the Windows which is on VirtulBox, print it to PDF, and transfer it back to Linux.

Regards
Fiod

Last edited by fiod (2008-04-06 14:07:52)

skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,880

Re: What other students do?

Thanks for the file fiod. It seems like OpenOffice is almost there, but it's missing a few symbols or something. The slight alignment problems aren't really all that severe. Maybe there's just a package missing somewhere?

B-Con

Member

From: Frisco, TX

Registered: 2007-12-17

Posts: 549

Website

Re: What other students do?

Here at UC Davis it's impossible to find a Windows computer. All the engineering/math departments have their own favorite flavor of Linux they use in the labs. All documents are distributed in PDF or HTML.

I only have to boot to XP to run one program (Quartus) because it's annoying to get working on Wine, but not impossible.

---

- "Cryptographically secure linear feedback based shift registers" -- a phrase that'll get any party started.
- My AUR packages.
- I use i3 on my i7.

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: San Francisco, CA

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,201

Website

Re: What other students do?

Here at UIUC we have a highly mixed environment. There are tons and tons of windows labs available for people to use, along with linux labs running RHEL5 targetted mainly at the engineering department. I'm fairly sure there used to be a solaris lab too, don't know who ate it.

Assignments and other materials are typically distributed as PDFs/HTML by professors that recognize the formats' ubiquity (that's every one of my professors so far), and as DOC by those who don't (I'm sure there's somebody out there). Some assignments require the use of specific software, however the labs are open nearly 24/7, so it's hardly an issue if it's ${platform}-only. Remote access is also provided to both windows and 'nix boxes for those of us too lazy to physically move to the lab to get something done.

I've yet to have an issue with it.

---

The suggestion box only accepts patches.

el_zoona

Member

From: Argentina

Registered: 2008-02-01

Posts: 58

Website

Re: What other students do?

Here at UNLP (Universidad Nacional de La Plata), Argentina, they ask (sometimes, some teachers, mostly early years) for .doc files...or they give you software that only runs on Windows (wine if you are lucky, if not, virtual machines or dual-boot, complaining is useless here).

I run OOo for doc files, i had a few problems (margin problems, for being more specific...), but overall it works fine for me.

Anyway, i guess linux wins over advanced years (I'm not there yet :-P), there's even an own distro called Lihuen, based on Debian.

---

// Send more Chuck Berry

gnud

Member

Registered: 2005-11-27

Posts: 181

Re: What other students do?

Seems I am lucky -- almost all assignments assume we use the linux machines that the CS dept. provides. For some UML modeling, the teachers assume that we use Rational Rose (IBM) on windows. But a Windows terminal server is aviable, and we can log in from home if we set up the Cisco VPN client. Anyway, I just use Umbrello ==)

vistor

Member

Registered: 2007-11-29

Posts: 10

Re: What other students do?

Even though OOffice will handle .doc files in a good way its not perfect.
This is how i do it:

Write the paper in OO and when I consider myself finished i open MS Office 2003 with wine (works like a charm) just to doublecheck nothing looks odd.;)

Last edited by vistor (2008-04-13 14:16:43)

bslagowski

Member

Registered: 2008-02-23

Posts: 102

Re: What other students do?

None of my profs want papers turned in electronically. One has an online drop box where we can turn it in if we want, but I prefer hard copies anyways for my own personal record keeping. I guess I'd submit it as a PDF if I had to do it electronically. Otherwise running a virtual machine for MS Office isn't a terrible solution for the time being. I'm sure OpenOffice.org will have it down someday.

Last edited by bslagowski (2008-04-14 05:06:55)

blu3ness

Member

From: Edmonton, Canada

Registered: 2007-12-28

Posts: 169

Re: What other students do?

I feel a bias toward microsoft products as well here in Canada, our school wireless network uses proprietary MSCHAPv2 authentication method that so far I havn't been able to work around with wpa_supplicant. The school also use doc files extensively, especially in the arts/history departments. My solution is ... dual boot.. yeah it kinda sucks, but sometimes Virtual machines and linux just don't cut it. I do use LaTeX a lot tho, for note taking, papers, etc.

---

Archlinux on Compaq Presario v5000 laptop