linux

R

russianspy1234

Weaksauce
Joined
Mar 24, 2004
Messages
115
ok so ill be reinstalling windows soon and i was thinking of setting up a duel boot with linux, i know the basics of how to use it but my question is will i be able to use all the programs i know and love since i have windows installed? like msWord and more importantly, AOL.
 
Programs written for other operating systems will not run under linux(though sometimes you can get them to run with wine, but there are no guarantees with that). Your best bet would be to find linux alternatives to the programs you know and love(such as openoffice or kword for msword). Not sure about AOL, though.
 
Like jpmkm said, there are often linux based alternatives to Windows based software suites. To make it more clear, you won't be running Microsoft Word on a linux box, but you can certain run Open Office, which not only works very well, but is also free. :)

As for AOL, well, I'm sure someone has a linux port. I think I remember something called PengAOL or something, I'm not sure though.

And since you're dual booting, if you find that you need to use Windows for a specific software package or wahtever, just reboot. :)
 
AOL Messanger alternatives exist for just about every OS. I prefer GAIM, it's free and supports all the major chat apps out there.

If you're wanting AOL's connection software, no personal offense but get a real internet service. AOL's software won't run on anything but Windows. It won't work under WINE and it won't work in a virtual machine environment as it requires direct access to the modem and/or NIC.
 
i'm very doubtful that it cannot run in a virtual environment.

The_Mage18 said:
AOL Messanger alternatives exist for just about every OS. I prefer GAIM, it's free and supports all the major chat apps out there.

If you're wanting AOL's connection software, no personal offense but get a real internet service. AOL's software won't run on anything but Windows. It won't work under WINE and it won't work in a virtual machine environment as it requires direct access to the modem and/or NIC.
Click to expand...
 
Crossover Office allows MS Office to run perfectly in Linux. ;)
 
Dual boot means that you choose one or the other at startup. Not boot both at the same time. So when you boot into Windows, all of your Windows programs will run. Linux will not affect them in any way.
 
upriverpaddler said:
Dual boot means that you choose one or the other at startup. Not boot both at the same time. So when you boot into Windows, all of your Windows programs will run. Linux will not affect them in any way.
Click to expand...

oh i know, but i was planning on booting up linux to get used to it in case i have to use it when windows fails, as it often does. and i know AOL isnt a real isp, but i am just too damn used to it at this point to change to something else, and i have too many people id have to make aware of an email address change.
 
Always install windows first. You can easily partition your hard drive during the windows install and create a partition for linux. Then pop in the linux install disc and install to the partition you made during the windows install. The linux bootloader (grub or lilo, depending on your distro) will autoinstall during the linux install process.

Always windows first.
 
ok col thanks, can someone link me to a nice freee linux download? ive been looking around but cant find anything.
 
You can't throw a rock without finding a free Linux distro.

www.distrowatch.org <- discusses a lot of Linux distributions

Now you have to decide which one you want to start with - X|K|UBuntu, SuSE, Slackware, Debian, Fedora Core, Mandriva, and so on and so forth.
 
what would you recomend? im looking for something that will be most likely to have ports for my windows progs. i just cant get the hang of VI.
 
All Linuxes basically use the same software, what distro you use is really personal preference.

For the record, I use Slack/Ubuntu/Debian these days - used to use Gentoo.
 
Suse has been very nice in my experience. I did have some problems with sound and video at first, but that's because of my hardware setup, not because of Suse itself. I've also heard good things about Ubuntu.
 
Whatsisname said:
i'm very doubtful that it cannot run in a virtual environment.
Click to expand...
Just because it runs doesn't mean it works. Virtual environments are just that, virtual. They cannot access hardware directly.

How exactly do you expect AOL to dial and connect with the virtual modem in a virtual environment when said environment depends on the host OS for its internet connection, amount of RAM, drive space, etc?
 
The_Mage18 said:
Just because it runs doesn't mean it works. Virtual environments are just that, virtual. They cannot access hardware directly.

How exactly do you expect AOL to dial and connect with the virtual modem in a virtual environment when said environment depends on the host OS for its internet connection, amount of RAM, drive space, etc?
Click to expand...

If the AOL programs only need a network connection, all you need is a virtual network card that connects to te real network. Besides, it's usually possible to make real ports and devices show up inside a virtual environment, so it can speak to a real modem if it really has to.

(My favourite, utterly useless, VM story is booting FreBSD from a real partition inside vmware in windows, mounting my NFS exports in it, using cygwin in windows to ssh into the virtual machine, start the cygwin X server, and X-forward xmms out into windows to play music. It worked.)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top