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How do I live solely off Linux?

I consider myself still new to linux, and I'm intrested, how many use linux as their only OS?  Can you survive without microsoft?  I don't think so.  Its sad to say, but though I would love to use just linux, microsoft is required for compatability (for me).  But perhaps you guys can help me out here.

How do I play UT2K3 or SWG on linux?  An emulator?  Are you serious?

Also, I am a coder of several languages, how can I go about writing a utility for my friends on a linux platform and compile for a windows platform?

How do you (if any of you are out there) handle these problems?

zen_guerrilla

Member

From: Greece

Registered: 2002-12-22

Posts: 259

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

how many use linux as their only OS?

I use windows only on my desktop & only for scanning 35mm negatives (which translates in 0,4 % of the whole usage ), since I can't get the color right on sane under linux, epson's software makes automatic color adjustments. All my other boxes have only linux installed.

How do I play UT2K3 or SWG on linux?  An emulator?  Are you serious?

UT2K3 has a native linux version in the 3rd cd & works great. SWG=?, I'm not really a gamer...

Also, I am a coder of several languages, how can I go about writing a utility for my friends on a linux platform and compile for a windows platform?

If you write C code make it as ansi-compliant as you can & it'd compile without errors using gcc (linux) or even visual c.
Java/php are cross-platform, or are u using something different ?

sarah31

Member

From: Middle of Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 2,975

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

I consider myself still new to linux, and I'm intrested, how many use linux as their only OS?  Can you survive without microsoft?  I don't think so.  Its sad to say, but though I would love to use just linux, microsoft is required for compatability (for me).  But perhaps you guys can help me out here.

i have never ever relied on microsoft for anything. i have t use it at work not because i want to but because none of the tasks that we need done via the computer (except generic office work) can be done on a mac or 8nix because the programmers only program thinking all that is out there are windows users.

at home where i mostly do all of my real computing i only ran windows for eight months and then only because i needed it for school. it was cheaper for me to get a PC that Office for OS X.

Other than that i have never really like windows. i don't need it or like so why use it i say.

How do I play UT2K3 or SWG on linux?  An emulator?  Are you serious?

ut i think you can play natively if not both work well if not better via an emulator like wine. i can't confirm this because i use consoles for gaming or play all native linux games.

Also, I am a coder of several languages, how can I go about writing a utility for my friends on a linux platform and compile for a windows platform?

hum i would think if you know C and C++, perl, python, etc you would have learned how to do this.

How do you (if any of you are out there) handle these problems?

heh i don't use or need windows at how so i don't think about it. i don't even promote emulators as if it isn't native i don't want it.

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AKA uknowme

I am not your friend

hApy

Member

From: Victoria, BC

Registered: 2003-04-13

Posts: 194

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

I consider myself still new to linux, and I'm intrested, how many use linux as their only OS?  Can you survive without microsoft?  I don't think so.  Its sad to say, but though I would love to use just linux, microsoft is required for compatability (for me).  But perhaps you guys can help me out here.

Easily. Once I switched over I never missed windows. It just takes a bunch of setup and configuration to get your system to the point your windows system is probably at -- finding the apps you want, etc.

The only thing I need to use windows for is for Sony's MiniDisc software, which is both proprietary, and is complete shit. Wine doesn't run it, and it's so slow on VMWare that it takes an hour to upload a 5 minute track so it's not useful. It's crapy and slow on Windows too though..

Most apps either have a linux equivalent, or you can run it with wine or VMWare (if your computer is reasonably fast) -- I've run the development system RationalRose perfectly fine (was not bothered by any slowness) on VMWare.

How do I play UT2K3 or SWG on linux?  An emulator?  Are you serious?

If you consider yourself a serious gamer (running the latest high-end first person shooters, etc) you will likely want a dual-boot system to run the latest games. If you aren't you will probably be ok with the native linux releases, and running less demanding games via wine/wineX.

Also, I am a coder of several languages, how can I go about writing a utility for my friends on a linux platform and compile for a windows platform?
quote]

Lots of programming toolkits are multi-platform. if you write it in a platform independent manner using standard libraries you will be fine with compiling it on windows too. SDL is cross platform as well if you want to write graphics/games software, there are cross-platform GUI toolkits as well (gtk for example)

In the end it is up to you, if you are too attached to the software/OS you run now then switching over will not come easily. If you only care about functionality then linux will usually do everything you need.

Hapy.

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RdsArts

Member

Registered: 2003-10-17

Posts: 32

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

Can you survive without microsoft?

Yep. All my boxes run a GNU/Linux distro right now. But then, I guess I'm a walking corner case: only used Windows because OS/2 died and I didn't have access to any non-AMD/Intel hardware/software...

Well, that's not true. Can't forget the Amiga. *mourns*

I don't think so.  Its sad to say, but though I would love to use just linux, microsoft is required for compatability (for me).  But perhaps you guys can help me out here.

How do I play UT2K3 or SWG on linux?  An emulator?  Are you serious?

UT2k3 is available natively. icculus.org has a metric ton of native apps, including native clients for UT2k3 and America's Army. Starwars Galaxies requires Windows, but I'd assume it runs in WineX if you had to. You know, if someone had you at gunpoint or something. Keep a Windows part if you can't give up the games. Or a PS2.

Also, I am a coder of several languages, how can I go about writing a utility for my friends on a linux platform and compile for a windows platform?

IMHO, if your coding any userland apps in C/C++/ect, your missing out. GTK+2 or straight QT (not KDELIB) plus Python or some other interpeted language seems a better solution as it's a lot easier to port them across archs, and takes care of the stupid stuff for you. Plus, it future-proofs for you as well.

They don't make coders lazy, they realize they already are lazy and work with that.

Of course, as I just said, QT is cross platform, and WxWindows is as well. GTK+2 has a ton of backends, so porting with that's easy as well I'd assume if you must do C coding. There are also a good number for GCC ports for Windows, some even able to handle native Windows GUI stuff.

And there's Mono if you don't mind questionable patent licenses.

But hey, don't "switch" just to switch. Stick with what works for what you do. Use the right tool for the job. There's Free sofware tools for most every closed OS now, and using them will help you to be able to switch to whichever one you want if it offers you some better tools/whatever.

rasat

Forum Fellow

From: Finland

Registered: 2002-12-27

Posts: 2,296

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

On internet I read (some time ago) there are two major reasons why many Linux users use dual boot (Linux and Windows). Users want Windows games and Quicken (accounting software).

I am a Quicken and MS Excel user (not games). Though I still have Windows patition on my machine I rarely use it because Win4Lin (no emulation) runs Windows '98 within Linux. 

I could replace Quicken with Moneydance and Excel with KSpread as what hApy said (most apps either have a linux equivalent) but my work when interacting with the non-Linux world, requires to keeep Windows.

The table of equivalents / replacements / analogs of Windows software in Linux.
http://linuxshop.ru/linuxbegin/win-lin- … able.shtml

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Markku

hApy

Member

From: Victoria, BC

Registered: 2003-04-13

Posts: 194

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

Well, that's not true. Can't forget the Amiga. *mourns*

*joins in mourning*

I still have my a4000/030 sitting under my desk... I miss all the multiplayer games me and my friends used to play

I got nostalgic recently and had to build a UAE package so I could mess around with it again.

Hapy.

jlvsimoes

Member

From: portugal

Registered: 2002-12-23

Posts: 392

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

i dont work on my computer so this os is all i need

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dp

Member

From: Zürich, Switzerland

Registered: 2003-05-27

Posts: 3,378

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

...
I am a Quicken and MS Excel user (not games). ...

sorry, but i disagree: Quicken is a Horror-Shooter game and MS Excel is a Adventure game --- you never know where the functions are hidden and sometimes you become surprised when the "game" does something totally unexpected :-) // sorry, but i couldnt resist commenting your comment that this are not games //

... and about working windowsfree:
there were now a lot of very usefull infos i this forum ... the only thing i want to add is my experience:

i started with dos+windows/linux/BSD at the same time (because of my environemment) ... in the beginning, sure you feel confortable using windows (when it works) because in the beginning linux and BSD were both not that fast to learn (because they have more features to learn), but after about a year, some lost documents, some lost data and about 14 reinstallings of dos5/dos6.22/win3.11/win95/win98/winnt4-5.1 you really fast become motivated to learn using the power of something ... something ... well ... "better"

i now work for about 97% on (arch)linux ... for only 2 things i have to keep my windows
-> scanning of dias/negatives (the sane module for my scanner (HP 5490) do not support the negative/dia-lamp ... "not yet" is a better therm in opensource sector)
-> watching TV over a hauppauge wintv-usb device (the "usbvision" module works only under 2.5.x kernels, and i do not want to use a devel kernel for daily work ... but this will be solved soon -> so "not yet")

... and one last thing about programming:
ever found a good editor in windows? i cannot mention one --- on the other hand: ever found a bad editor in linux? i know at least 8 that are great (emacs, vi, pico, kwrite, ...)

--
A is for awk, which runs like a snail, and
B is for biff, which reads all your mail.
C is for cc, as hackers recall, while
D is for dd, the command that does all.
E is for emacs, which rebinds your keys, and
F is for fsck, which rebuilds your trees.
G is for grep, a clever detective, while
H is for halt, which may seem defective.
I is for indent, which rarely amuses, and
J is for join, which nobody uses.
K is for kill, which makes you the boss, while
L is for lex, which is missing from DOS.
M is for more, from which less was begot, and
N is for nice, which it really is not.
O is for od, which prints out things nice, while
P is for passwd, which reads in strings twice.
Q is for quota, a Berkeley-type fable, and
R is for ranlib, for sorting ar table.
S is for spell, which attempts to belittle, while
T is for true, which does very little.
U is for uniq, which is used after sort, and
V is for vi, which is hard to abort.
W is for whoami, which tells you your name, while
X is, well, X, of dubious fame.
Y is for yes, which makes an impression, and
Z is for zcat, which handles compression.
                -- THE ABC'S OF UNIX

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The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed.

zen_guerrilla

Member

From: Greece

Registered: 2002-12-22

Posts: 259

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

ever found a good editor in windows?

VIM .
not bundled with windows, but easily installable .

dp

Member

From: Zürich, Switzerland

Registered: 2003-05-27

Posts: 3,378

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

ever found a good editor in windows?

VIM .
not bundled with windows, but easily installable .

vim=vi? if so i never known that vi runs under windows ... mostly because i never needed a editor under windows now i know that there is actually one usable one available, thanx

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The impossible missions are the only ones which succeed.

Xentac

Forum Fellow

From: Victoria, BC

Registered: 2003-01-17

Posts: 1,797

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

Vim is VI Improved.  Most distros ship that and let you access it with vi.  It's amazingly better.

I use vim at work for just about all of my text editing.  You guys are going to laugh, but one of the things I do is write ASP code.  I've got VIM set as my default editor in visual interdev.  That way I don't have to use their crappy editor.

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I have discovered that all of mans unhappiness derives from only one source, not being able to sit quietly in a room
- Blaise Pascal

Dusty

Schwag Merchant

From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Registered: 2004-01-18

Posts: 5,986

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

... and one last thing about programming:
ever found a good editor in windows? i cannot mention one --- on the other hand: ever found a bad editor in linux? i know at least 8 that are great (emacs, vi, pico, kwrite, ...)

JEdit. (Vim too, I agree)
I'm not saying that Windows is good because they have great editors. I'm saying these two editors are so good that they even run on windows!

As for using Linux exclusively, I have Win2k installed, but I never use it unless one of my courses has set me to use proprietary software that can't be run on Linux.  When I graduate (6 months!), Windows will be the first to go so I can reclaim my lost disk space!

IMO, Emulators are bad for Linux, since they create the impression that Linux can't run without Windows programs and because programs that can't be run in Linux are probably not worth using (otherwise some developer would have written a Linux-Native app). I mean, do we really want a Visual Basic for linux!!?

Of course, I'm an opinionated SOB, so here's a grain of salt.

Dusty

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** Arch Linux Apparel and more ** Arch Linux stickers, laptop bags, jewelery ** I wrote a book on Python 3 ** and one on mental health **

sarah31

Member

From: Middle of Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 2,975

Website

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

IMO, Emulators are bad for Linux, since they create the impression that Linux can't run without Windows programs and because programs that can't be run in Linux are probably not worth using (otherwise some developer would have written a Linux-Native app). I mean, do we really want a Visual Basic for linux!!?

i hope you have more luck convincing people of this than i do. i almost always get hostile responses when i say something like this.

emulators are bad in another sense as well too. it does not encourage software or hardware developers to support linux. all developers see is the bottome line and if that bottom line for them doe snot say develop for linux or whatever other os then they won't.

linux developers seem to rarely force manufacturers and developers to develop design with linux in mind. until this changes and user change linux will be a minor desktop OS.

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AKA uknowme

I am not your friend

ubermartian

Member

From: Edinburgh

Registered: 2004-02-06

Posts: 32

Re: How do I live solely off Linux?

I dumped windows for about 8 months and loved it.

I had to go back to win2k though and found it to be this clunky, awkward system that I couldn't make do what <B>I</B> wanted it to do.  It really is horrible.

The reason I went back is simple.  MSoffice. 

I spent ages making my cv in Latex, it was perfect, looked very proffesional.  My friend who is a proffesional headhunter at exec level said it was brilliant and stood out.  A typical job application went like this:

Apply for job in computing, sending cv in PDF format

Get reply: please send cv in doc format.

Reply: Sorry, I do not run an operating system that has MS office for it, I can send you it in HTML, PS, PDF, Openoffice or any open standards format you want.  I physically can not create a cv in doc format. PDF is a very common format, most computers will have a reader installed.

Get reply:  Please send cv in doc format.

.....

So I used opneoffice to write my CV and sent it off, thinking it looked fine.  Opened it one day on my brothers computer in MSoffice, it was terrible.  No matter what they say, Openoffice isn't any where near compatible yet.

That is the only reason I have win2k on my pc.[/list]