Linux

  • Thread starter Thread starter Terronium-12
  • 20 comments
  • 1,866 views

Terronium-12

For My Mom, Always
Moderator
Messages
28,461
United States
Brooklyn, NY
Messages
KR_Viper
Messages
I Renown I
So, I'm officially sick to death of anything Windows, I go to change the name of the computer as it keeps bitching about the other computer I have having the same name on the same network, and after I change the name and restart it needs to be re-activated...because apparently solving a small problem shook the foundations of the previous activation.

So, I'm hear to ask anyone who uses Linux how it works: Does Creative support Linux with any of their soundcards, preferably the Audigy 2 ZS? I used Yellowdog for a short period of time on the PS3 and while I didn't have any problems with it...it was a bit open command for my tastes. Not that I have a problem with it at all...but if I need to get used to it on a long-term basis I'd love to know. I can see ATI supports it with only the drivers but without Catalyst, perhaps I'll use Overdrive or any other compatible OC software...tips on that would also be appreciated. All in all, what's the overall experience - does it require activation of any kind? How good is the UI? I understand that each version of Linux is different in some capacity than the next, which would be a good version to start with?

Basically, anything else you remember that I should/want to know as I can't think of anything else at the moment.

Thanks, again.
 
That depends on what linux you'll be using. I'd suggest ubuntu or linux mint. And, if you want to use linux, you'll have to get used to using google to solve problems. As for your compatibility issues, I think there is a list of supported hardware somewhere in http://help.ubuntu.com If you have a lexmark printer, it won't work, because lexmark is too lazy to write a driver.
As for ATI, they drivers sucked, but since 2008, they've gotten a lot better, check http://www.phoronix.com for ati reviews and news on it, as I don't use ati anymore. But I know that their binary driver sucks a bit, but the open source driver only supports 3d, afaik. Of course, I may be wrong on the last bit, but you should check it, but I seriously doubt that the binary driver has overdrive, but it certainly has catalyst.
Before installing any kind of linux on the computer, you should try it out on a virtual machine (use Virtualbox), and decide which desktop environments are better gnome (ubuntu) or kde (kubuntu), or which linux in general.

After installing it, you should also install nonfree packages, such as mp3 codecs and adobe flash and the binary ati driver. You may also want to install wine, so you could play or use some windows programs, that you can't live without.

I hope you won't be afraid of it, just because it looks different, and works different than windows, this is a major con for most regular users. But after you'll get used to it, you may enjoy it. And if you don't like how it looks or feels (talking 'bout the gui), you can install compiz, have crazy desktop effects, move the "gnome-bars" around, and truly customize it for your own needs.

EDIT: You may also seek refuge in special linux forums, just choose them accordingly to your linux distribution, for example, if you've chosen ubuntu, you should ask for help in http://www.ubuntuforums.org or if it's fedora or mint, ask for help in their forums.
 
Last edited:
If you just want to give Ubuntu a go without installing it, download one of their live cd's and boot from cd. If you don't like it, there will be no harm done to your pc. :)
 
or download Wubi. It lets you run Ubuntu as if it were installed on a partition but is actually contained within 1 folder in Windows. To remove simply uninstall Wubi.
 
Wubi usually sucks a male chicken. And the liveCD will not represent the full system, just because it will be slow, and you will not be able to test your graphics card's potential, because you can't boot up with the right drivers from a live cd.
 
Sorry to say this but for me Linux is a dead end at the moment if you have the money and want to do things easily I would strongly recommend sticking with a Windows OS or OSX.

If your a computer enthusiast by all means give it go but if you just want things to just work then stay well away unless you have a lot time and patience to make full use of whatever distro you intend to use.
 
Dude, windows can't just work. You have to defrag it, check for viruses, clean the temp files, check and fix the registries, reboot and poke it with a stick to check your goddamn email. With linux, you just boot up and you're ready to go.
 
Sorry to say this but for me Linux is a dead end at the moment if you have the money and want to do things easily I would strongly recommend sticking with a Windows OS or OSX.

If your a computer enthusiast by all means give it go but if you just want things to just work then stay well away unless you have a lot time and patience to make full use of whatever distro you intend to use.

Geek is more like it, but nevertheless I am. :p

Dude, windows can't just work. You have to defrag it, check for viruses, clean the temp files, check and fix the registries, reboot and poke it with a stick to check your goddamn email. With linux, you just boot up and you're ready to go.

So true, well, apart from the Linux behalf as from what little time I spent with it it mostly seemed like "You have to buy this to do that." or "You can't do this because...you just can't do it."
 
Well, I needed to warn you that, to get your iphone (os 3.0) syncing with linux is a bit hard, and you won't be able to play crysis on very high. But you can play LFS, which I think is more relevant.
 
T-12, I take it you're using Vista?

If you are, have a look at 7. Don't write Windows off completely *just* yet. ;)
 
I'm on XP right now, but I've been through Vista (and every conceivable Service Pack before jumping back. I was apart of the Windows 7 Beta and Release Candidate ordeal and while I enjoyed it, it's a bit too expensive for a glorified kernel update and getting it "by other means" results in a file size I'm all but fond of.

I'm mostly sick and annoyed of Windows making a fuss out of everything that doesn't mean a damn thing. Having to re-activate my installation because I solved a problem that it was bitching about is beyond asinine to me. Having to re-activate my installation because it considers everything to be a major hardware change is also asinine to me. In all honesty if I found product keys that worked, I'd use them without batting an eyelid.
 
To tell you the truth, I used to like Linux and kept a version of Ubuntu installed on all of my machines. But lately they just keep screwing up. My advice is if you get a distribution installed and working mostly how you want it to, don't even bother upgrading. Every upgrade manages to break something. At first my only issue was getting my ethernet to work. When that was fixed, a new upgrade came out, I got it, and now the sound card that worked 100% fine out of the box is not even recognized anymore. I got tired of spending whole nights searching Google and asking questions on the official Ubuntu IRC (which discourages asking the same question more than once, as once it is asked it will be answered if anyone knows, as if every person sees it the first time you post). If not for having to fix the developers problems, it would be fine. Enough software for general use, and it even played nice with my shared folders on my Windows network. Currently, I'm sick of it. I keep a LiveCD available for troubleshooting in case I can't boot into a primary OS (some version of Windows), but that's as far as it goes right now.

Edit: And I've changed the computer name multiple times before without it asking for re-activation, so I'm really not sure why it's asking you that. Are you a student? You can get Windows 7 Home Premium for $30 if you are.
 
Edit: And I've changed the computer name multiple times before without it asking for re-activation, so I'm really not sure why it's asking you that.
It shouldn't ask for re-activation at all once activated, so I suspect a system file or two has become corrupt/infected. T-12, have you tried repairing the OS?
 
I also suggest Ubuntu. I have my 5 year old using it. Seriously, it's that easy..... :)
 
It shouldn't ask for re-activation at all once activated, so I suspect a system file or two has become corrupt/infected. T-12, have you tried repairing the OS?

I've thought of that practically right after it happened, but I was too annoyed to fix it at the time. :irked:

If that doesn't work, I'll try out Ubuntu. Thanks for the help so far, don't be shy to keep it coming. 👍
 
Dude, windows can't just work. You have to defrag it, check for viruses, clean the temp files, check and fix the registries, reboot and poke it with a stick to check your goddamn email. With linux, you just boot up and you're ready to go.

Are you still using Windows 95? Haven't had any of those problems.

Ubuntu works well enough for a Linux distro. I don't feel it has the level of polish for me to switch to it full time though, but it gets better with each release. I always end up going right back to Mac OS X. I like where Canonical is going with their hundred papercuts plan though.
 
What really screws ubuntu up is the fixed release dates, there's a new release each 6 six months, and this results in half-baked versions, that really aren't a great improvement on the earlier ones. But, ubuntu is user-friendly just because of synaptic and the great user-base.

AND, I know of people, who really defrag their machines every month, and do a daily reg-check before using their computer, mostly on XP though. They've actually tried to convince me to use windows, because it is easier.
 
Well, everything is re-activated now. What caused the problem in the first place is something I don't really care to look into, but I am positive that I'm tired of this mess. So, as I want a backup to a backup I'm curious seeing as the little time I've had with YDL could I use that as a PC partition, or is it only for the PS3?

I ask the latter because I think I've read somewhere that it was but I'm not 100% positive.
 
There's no point really in moving a YDL partition over to your PC. If you still have files on there that you want, you can always boot up the PS3 and copy your personal files to a USB key.

Yellow Dog Linux is also a very different beast underneath compared to Ubuntu. It's also designed for PowerPC workstations, older Macs, and PS3s. The same code wouldn't run on your PC. If you want something similar for the PC, try Fedora. Otherwise, try Ubuntu.
 
Back