__/ [ CoffeehouseSchmuck ] on Sunday 06 August 2006 03:12 \__
> I finally decided to DITCH Windows today
> But being relatively New to Linux I have a few questions
Hi Eddie,
One advice many would give you is to have some guides available. You can read
them when time permits and gain knowledge that will stay with you for life.
> 1.How do you install a program ?............I have dabled a bit in
> Linux but have been unsucessfull at Installing downloads for the most
> part,Now remember my mind is Still thinking in Windows XP mode So you
> may need to go into detail...............One time in the past,I tried
> to Install something I downloaded
> I noticed the file is trz.gz or something like that,anyhoe it didnt
> work like an ,exe did in windows
> How do you install on Linux ?
You neglected to mention which Linux distribution you are using. Linux
programs are packaged to be deplayed on a large number of architectures (as
opposed to, e.g. a strict 32-bit, x86 setting). This means that they will be
optimised, performance-wise, to your hardware. It sounds as though you have
downloaded a program that can either be:
* A drag-and-drop-type installation
OR
* Source code, which needs to be compiled.
Example for the former case: Thunderbird, Firefox and Opera will, in most
cases, require you to click on this tar.gz (or .tgz) archive and then drag
the contents onto the location where you want it installed. Sometimes there
will also be an installation file (executable). As for the latter case, it
is sometimes an implication that the software is not yet ready for 'prime
time'. Sometimes.
It would be hard to bog down to specifics unless you name the distribution
that you use. In Ubuntu, fort example, all one needs to do is tick boxes,
which makes it all easier than Windows (no need to search for software over
the Web).
http://www.wiredwriter.net/index.html?page=Tutorials#add
> 2.What about Networking?..............I can connect to the internet on
> all 4 computers ( 1-Mac 2-SuSE/Gnome 3-Mandriva / KDE 4-Fedora / KDE
> but what about seeing files inside other PCs on my network?
Have a look under SAMBA options. Nowadays, it should only be a matter of
enabling share and then selecting which directories you want shared on the
local network.
> 3.I bought a LOT of Hardware while on
> Windows.........Scanners,Printers,Burners,etc will they work?
> remembering the Installation disks are windows compatable
Assuming the peripherals are not Linux-hostile, they will most likely work
'out of the box'. While Windows often requires drivers to be pulled from
vendor CD's, Linux already contains these drivers. They can, in other cases,
be found on the vendor's Web site.
> 4.i got a Maxtor EXternal hard drive that was Windows formatted,will
> Linux understand the Software so i can re-format it ?...............I
> already backed up
My external hard-drive (300GB Seagate) come with a Windows filesystem 'out of
the box'. Linux has no problems reading from and writing to it. There is no
peril there and there shouldn't be a need to re-format the drive (depends on
its interfaces).
> 5.which bootloader is better Grub or Lilo ?
I use Grub, but it makes little or no difference because it's a 1-second
routine. Choose whatever is there...
> thanks in advance
>
>
> Eddie
Best wishes,
Roy
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