Hi from a Linux newbie. So glad I decided to try openSUSE, based mainly on an article in the Feb 09 issue of CPU mag.
We have 5 computers here at home. 2 of the older setups are a Dell Optiplex GX270 (P4 2.4Ghz, 2Gb, 512mb AGP vid, SB Live sound, Compro Videomate TV Gold+, Linksys 4318 based wireless card) in our upstairs bedroom and an Athlon 64 setup (2.4Ghz, 2Gb, 512mb AGP video)in the living room used mainly to stream Netflix, Hulu, etc, to the TV.
Both of those systems were running Vista ok but when I tried the Win 7 RC it had problems with a lot of the hardware. So I decided that for those older setups it was time to try a Linux OS. The CPU article recommended openSUSE as the one to use so I came here as this was one of the first sites that came up when I searched.
Downloaded fine, burnt the ISO fine and it has installed fine on both setups (dual booting with Vista on the Athlon 64 setup). Yes I had to do some reading here to get the 4318 wireless card working but it is now working great. Got to do a little bit more research to get the TV card going but I am looking forward to the task.
So far I like openSUSE. Has the apps I will need on these setups (love Open Office. My fiance was commenting how she likes it so far so I will probably set it up on her Inspiron 8500 laptop and I think she’ll end up dumping XP in the end.
Going to install the 64-bit on my main rig next (Phenom II X3-720, 8Gb, 1Gb vid).
Thanks to those posting over in the Networking forum, was able to quickly fix my 4318 problem with their posts.
Here is a link to some basic openSUSE Linux concepts as “light” reading for you , although judging by the number of PCs you have installed openSUSE on, you likely have figured out a lot of this for yourself already: Concepts - openSUSE
scajjr2 adjusted his/her AFDB on Sunday 24 May 2009 21:56 to write:
> Downloaded fine, burnt the ISO fine and it has installed fine on both
> setups (dual booting with Vista on the Athlon 64 setup). Yes I had to do
> some reading here to get the 4318 wireless card working but it is now
> working great. Got to do a little bit more research to get the TV card
> going but I am looking forward to the task.
There is one of the best places for your card, cannot say I have had the
pleasure of one of those but if ya get stuck then I suppose the hardware or
the 64bit groups will get you sorted.
Thanks for the welcome. Kinda reminds me of when I first got into computers 20 years ago and the challenge of learning to use DOS.
My growing displeasure with Windows and the hardware each new version drops support of is what brought me to Linux. I see no reason to have to basically scrap still good, still reasonably powerful systems just because the OS maker decides they don’t want to support all the hardware out there anymore. I dual boot XP and Vista on my main rig because Vista didn’t support my Canon USB scanner and my Epson Stylus Photo 875 printer. Then when Win 7 didn’t have drivers for some of the hardware on my 2 other systems (even though they run Vista) I decided to look into alternatives. openSUSE seems to fit the bill nicely.
I just wanted to say that I’m glad that more and more people realize that all that hushmush about Linux being bad, unusable etc. isn’t true. I’m dual booting for some years now, and planning my full conversion somewhere next summer. I’m confident that by then openSUSE will be even more polished and more things will work OK out of the box.
Welcome welcome. We realy have to mind. Why ‘have to say’ ? At the MS-offices you cannot make a statement like that about Vista or 7, in the open source community it’s (or should be) all about choice, not competition/market. So, if on one machine *buntu feels best, use that, if on another Fedora is serving your needs best, run Fedora. It’s a question of choice, and we have the choice !!!
Everyone here is great. Any problem I have had they have help me fit it in less than 2 hours. New but old so SuSe and wish I never left but was forced due to work. I would just like to say thank you as well
Good luck and wellcome to the free world as microchip said.
you cannot make a statement like that about Vista or 7, in the open source community it’s (or should be) all about choice, not competition/market. So, if on one machine *buntu feels best, use that, if on another Fedora is serving your needs best, run Fedora. It’s a question of choice, and we have the choice !!!