Provided Linux supports NTFS, I'd like to format everything on my drive, and install Linux, which I heard is free. I've heard it is also a Command Prompt driven system, which is fine for me, but for the sake of my mother, is there a way to allow it to have a GUI? After that, I'd like to know if Linux can run all Windows applications. Specifically, Photoshop 8.0 CS, Illustrator CS, Macromedia Flash FX, Sothink SWF Decompiler, Microsoft Office 2003, and any random Windows-designed exe files I find on the web. If it can do all this, PLEASE walk me through doing a clean format, downloading Linux, and installing it, as well as setting up the GUI. I have NEVER used Linux, I know almost nothing about it, and... can it install DirectX?

I think you got this a little wrong...

YES Linux does support NTFS ( atleast reading it but write support is on it's way) but you shouldn't install Linux on a partition formated with NTFS. Linux is an operatingsystem and has it's own filesystems that it works with. Among them ext2, ext3 (which is a journaling filesystem like NTFS), ReiserFS (also journaling), XFS (also journaling), jfs (also journaling).

Command prompt YES but there are plenty of graphical interfaces for it. Among them KDE, GNOME, WindowMaker IceWM and many many more... They give you an enviroment that more or less (depending on your choises and preferenses) mimiks Windows or MacOS or something else.

As Linux is another operatingsystem than Windows it will not run Windowsapplications natively. There are however ways to trick special program to run through a program that is called WINE. With WINE you could probably run Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop and some other programs if you really REALLY need exactly that program.

There are on the other hand lots of native programs for Linux. If you need officeapplications you should try OpenOffice.org it is available both for Linux and Windows. For graphics there is The GIMP which is not as advanced as Photoshop but pretty close. And there are thousands of applications available for Linux that you can get for free. Debian eg. comes on 14 CDs. That is quite a lot of software included.

DirectX is a Windows thing... Made and supported by Microsoft. Has nothing to do with Linux. But it is mostly used in gamin anyway.. and if you want to run Windows games in Linux you need a customized version of WINE that is called Cedega and it supports DirectX I think...

If you want to try Linux without really installing it I reccomend KNOPPIX which is Linux system that you boot from CD. It comes fully equiped with graphical interface and office software, webbrowsers, email-clients and many many more things that you can't even think of. If you have a "normal" computer you put it in the CD-rom, boot the computer and it should come up with a prompt that says BOOT: at that prompt hit ENTER and it should start autodetecting your hardware and in about a minute it should have you at a desktop and you can start trying it. HINT: The big K in the lower left corner is what the "Start Menu" is for Windows.

/LinuxSam

Ok, let me clarify this a bit, so I make sure I understand.

Fat, Fat32, and NTFS are to Windows as ext2, ext3, ReiserFS, XFS, and jfs are to Linux? The reason I was worried about NTFS support, is because I have an external hard drive with important files on it that I want to be able to access.

Out of those GUIs you named, which is closest to an XP-like environment?

This WINE program... How does it work, is it free, and where would I get it? I'm somewhat of a graphic artist, so Photoshop CS, ImageReady CS, and Illustrator CS are all must-haves for me.

I know DirectX is a Microsoft creation, made for Windows really, but like you said, most games use it anyways, which makes it somewhat necessary.

A lot of questions, I know, but like I said, I've never used Linux.

Zero,

"I'd like to format everything on my drive....."

Are you talking about your "one & only" computer and "one & only" hard drive ???

Eliminating all references to Windows on the internal hard drive and depending on an external hard drive for your VITAL records/files is a recipe for DISASTER !!!

Learning Linux by "trial & error" can get you into big trouble !!

Follow Linux Sam's advice and go with a "live Linux" CD. Here is a listing of many options.

http://www.edmunds-enterprises.com/linux/c...lst/category/19

If you have a high speed connection, pick out one you like and go to it's home page and download.

NOTE: Edmund's CD are only 99¢ if you want to buy.

Good Luck !!

I only have one INTERNAL drive on this computer. I have an external drive too. I have more than one computer though. XD

Files I want to keep are stored on my external drive.

QUOTE

Fat, Fat32, and NTFS are to Windows as ext2, ext3, ReiserFS, XFS, and jfs are to Linux? The reason I was worried about NTFS support, is because I have an external hard drive with important files on it that I want to be able to access.

Yeah... basicly ext2 is what FAT and FAT32 are to Windows and ext3, ReiserFS, XFS and jfs are what NTFS are to Windows. :-)

And there is NO problem reading NTFS from external or internal harddrive.

QUOTE

Out of those GUIs you named, which is closest to an XP-like environment?

My guess would be KDE. It's not exactly the same but pretty close. Try KNOPPIX and you'll see... BTW the URL where you can get KNOPPIX is http://www.knoppix.org

QUOTE

This WINE program... How does it work, is it free, and where would I get it? I'm somewhat of a graphic artist, so Photoshop CS, ImageReady CS, and Illustrator CS are all must-haves for me.

How it works... it is like a layer inbetween the program and Linux translating WindowsAPI into LinuxAPI I think.

YES it is free. BUT there are commercial versions of it that has been more streamlined and that supports a greater deal of software. Look into CrossoverOffice and Cedega (previously known as TransGaming)

Unfortunatley those software packages that you mention only show as "untested". But for some of them there might be Linux replacements.


If you are soo tied into those Windows programs... maybe you should stick with Windows... but whatever you choose I think you should try KNOPPIX just so that you know what it is.

KNOPPIX will not interfere with your harddrives in any way unless you tell it to.

/LinuxSam

HI there i agree with sam you can try knoppix.and can start with your linux llife.i suggest "Trial & error" method to learn each and every computing skills.you will learn only if you make errors.

If you want the simplicity with installation then you can go with Simplymepis at http://mepis.org
it lets you download Live installable Distro.Whose installtion procedure is much simpler and GUI supported,and i recommend it over Ubuntu,knoppix.If you have internet connection you can downlaod other application those are not included in the distro.
current 3.3 version of mepis have openoffice,scribus,gimp,gcc and most of the office application it lacks with only developement tools(which i guess you dont need)

Once you are armed with linux skills you can try top distros like Suse,Redhat feodra,Mandriva.

/ Anyway Enjoy linux.

Zero,

While just Googling around [actually I was using Dogpile search] looking for "Live Linux CD" home pages I came across this site.

http://www.xplinux.biz/demo_linux.htm

It appears that "most" Live Linux CD sites DO NOT have home pages, they want to sell you their CD. But, the prices are very reasonable.

actually demo_linux seems to have quite old software...


KNOPPIX is downloadable and uses much more up to date software...

with a second look to the left of that page I see you can also buy KNOPPIX... it is on the other hand a quite old version... KNOPPIX is today at version 3.9 or maybe even 4.0


/LinuxSam

Sam,

Actually I just picked out DemoLinux as a "sample" of a Live Linux CD.

I have never really liked Knoppix, too dark and Teutonic [all silver & black]. As for Debian distros, I really like Xandros.

As for Live Lixux CDs, I would probably recommend Mandrake's version.

Regards, oldbob

That is just the default look... you can ofcourse change it and if you use a persistant homedir you can even save the changes...

/LinuxSam

Hi there i m just curious How the Live CD works?
Who made first Live CD?How Kernel runs from CD?How it detects the connected peripherals?
Hope you help/
THANKS IN ADVANCE.

arunpawar,

I am far from a Linux "expert", but I suspect it is just the same as a "normal" distro,

It detects peripherals, installs the kernel, etc.. it just never actually installs itself and therefore disappears on shut down.

it runs just the same as if it were installed on your hardrive only it runs off the cd, just like the cd was a hardrive, most live cd's have hardware support for almost everything built in