openSUSE 13.1 & General Linux Newbie Here

English Open Chat
#1

About a month ago, I got so sick of Windows that I just couldn’t take it anymore. I was about to buy a new Mac when…

I jumped on the Internet and started reading about Linux again. I had always wanted to try it, and I’d heard most of the desktop installations were FREE! I went to my local electronics store and found a book with two discs featuring several UBUNTU installations. After wiping out Windows with UBUNTU 13.10, I felt a whole lot better, but as a few days passed by, I realized that UBUNTU just wasn’t for me, but I also knew that I was onto something with Linux in general…

Then I wiped out UBUNTU and installed MINT. Loved it–but it was not quite what I was after…

I got back on the Internet and stumbled upon openSUSE, and read someone’s post that it was the right operating system for laptops. I use only laptops and smart phones–so had to give openSUSE a try…

I’m home. openSUSE is simply the best operating system I have ever used on my laptop. I absolutely love it. It’s stable, easy to install and to run, has everything I need and then some, including a chess board. I have always wanted to learn chess! Anyway, I’m learning chess.

And now, to take the proverbial bull by the horns…

I want to learn more about Linux, and openSUSE in particular. So, I’ve been watching every beginner tutorial I can find and have started to learn code. I could not be happier. My old 32-bit Toshiba laptop with its intel Centrino Duo processor has never run better or smoother. Just when I thought I had to throw it in the trash because of all the Windows corruption, here I am running the machine like it’s new. Coincidentally, I’d also read that Linux runs best with AMD processors, so I put that idea to the test by running out and picking up another old 32-bit laptop, a Dell Latitude D531. It was running windows XP, so I wiped it out, naturally, and installed openSUSE. This thing runs even smoother, quieter, quicker, and more powerfully than the Toshiba, if that’s possible.

I’m sticking with Linux, so, if you have any reading recommendations for a newbie, please, pass them forward. I am running out of YouTube tutorials to try out–and it’s just starting to make sense and to get really interesting. Gotta keep up the good work!

Thanks!

#2

On Wed 12 Feb 2014 04:56:02 PM CST, Ted Behr wrote:

About a month ago, I got so sick of Windows that I just couldn’t take it
anymore. I was about to buy a new Mac when…

I jumped on the Internet and started reading about Linux again. I had
always wanted to try it, and I’d heard most of the desktop installations
were FREE! I went to my local electronics store and found a book with
two discs featuring several UBUNTU installations. After wiping out
Windows with UBUNTU 13.10, I felt a whole lot better, but as a few days
passed by, I realized that UBUNTU just wasn’t for me, but I also knew
that I was onto something with Linux in general…

Then I wiped out UBUNTU and installed MINT. Loved it–but it was not
quite what I was after…

I got back on the Internet and stumbled upon openSUSE, and read
someone’s post that it was the right operating system for laptops. I
use only laptops and smart phones–so had to give openSUSE a try…

I’m home. openSUSE is simply the best operating system I have ever used
on my laptop. I absolutely love it. It’s stable, easy to install and
to run, has everything I need and then some, including a chess board. I
have always wanted to learn chess! Anyway, I’m learning chess.

And now, to take the proverbial bull by the horns…

I want to learn more about Linux, and openSUSE in particular. So, I’ve
been watching every beginner tutorial I can find and have started to
learn code. I could not be happier. My old 32-bit Toshiba laptop with
its intel Centrino Duo processor has never run better or smoother. Just
when I thought I had to throw it in the trash because of all the Windows
corruption, here I am running the machine like it’s new.
Coincidentally, I’d also read that Linux runs best with AMD processors,
so I put that idea to the test by running out and picking up another old
32-bit laptop, a Dell Latitude D531. It was running windows XP, so I
wiped it out, naturally, and installed openSUSE. This thing runs even
smoother, quieter, quicker, and more powerfully than the Toshiba, if
that’s possible.

I’m sticking with Linux, so, if you have any reading recommendations for
a newbie, please, pass them forward. I am running out of YouTube
tutorials to try out–and it’s just starting to make sense and to get
really interesting. Gotta keep up the good work!

Thanks!

Hi
Welcome to openSUSE and the forum :slight_smile:

Check out the blog and articles area for mor information, then there
are the stickies for multimedia etc. If there is something specific
your wanting to do, then just ask in the appropriate subforum. There is
copious (in fact too much) software on the open build service, but since
you like chess, user oldcpu would be the person, there are a lot of
chess engines available :wink:

–
Cheers Malcolm °¿° SUSE Knowledge Partner (Linux Counter #276890)
openSUSE 13.1 (Bottle) (x86_64) GNOME 3.10.2 Kernel 3.11.10-7-desktop
If you find this post helpful and are logged into the web interface,
please show your appreciation and click on the star below… Thanks!

#3

On 2014-02-12, Ted Behr <Ted_Behr@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> I’m home. openSUSE is simply the best operating system I have ever used
> on my laptop. I absolutely love it.

.-=<WELCOME!>=-. Delighted to hear you like openSUSE.

Like Mint, openSUSE provides a choice of different Desktop Environments (e.g. KDE/XFCE/etc…). Consequently when you
commenting on an openSUSE experience (or asking for help), it’s most helpful if you specify which version you are
running e.g. openSUSE 13.1_x86_64 KDE (64-bit KDE version) or openSUSE 13.1_i586 GNOME (32-bit GNOME).

On 2014-02-12, Ted Behr <Ted_Behr@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> It’s stable, easy to install and
> to run, has everything I need and then some, including a chess board. I
> have always wanted to learn chess! Anyway, I’m learning chess.

You might be interested in trying gnuchess.

On 2014-02-12, Ted Behr <Ted_Behr@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> I want to learn more about Linux, and openSUSE in particular.

You’re going to have to be more specific. Do you mean Linux (as in the kernel), GNU (as in the OS around the kernel), or
the desktop environment you’re using (e.g. KDE or GNOME)?

On 2014-02-12, Ted Behr <Ted_Behr@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> Coincidentally, I’d also read that Linux runs best with AMD processors,
> so I put that idea to the test by running out and picking up another old
> 32-bit laptop, a Dell Latitude D531.

I know of no source that demonstrates GNU/Linux running better on AMD rather than Intel processors in general.

On 2014-02-12, Ted Behr <Ted_Behr@no-mx.forums.opensuse.org> wrote:
> I’m sticking with Linux, so, if you have any reading recommendations for
> a newbie, please, pass them forward.

Have you seen the unofficial guide to openSUSE 13.1 at http://opensuse-guide.org/ ?

#4

Welcome.

You can learn a lot just by browsing these forums or Googling with your interest and ‘openSUSE’ in the search; for example, ‘opensuse usb stick installation’ will point you to a page explaining how to do this.

You may want to think about contacting other Linux users in Thailand - a quick Google, for example, throws up http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/forum/67-linux-in-thailand/ which has some recent posts.

Or you may want to browse a wider range of Linux forums; for example, my local group regularly puts up articles aimed at introducing novices to free and open source software (http://www.bradlug.co.uk/category/articles/).

If you use a particular desktop, you may find useful information on the desktop’s forums, for example, http://kde.org/.

Very often Wikipedia or Google will offer articles addressing particular issues.

#5

Thanks to everyone who responded to my first post!

To clarify a few things, I am running openSUSE 13.1_i586 GNOME (32-bit GNOME)…

“You’re going to have to be more specific. Do you mean Linux (as in the kernel), GNU (as in the OS around the kernel), or
the desktop environment you’re using (e.g. KDE or GNOME)?” All of the above, eventually; but for now I am working on the desktop environment, working with the terminal, learning all the commands. It seems to me the best place to start.

I can’t recall where I got the idea that the AMD processor was better, but I have to say I am glad I got it anyway. This machine runs better probably because it is in better condition. It looks like new. I think it’s been refurbished. Hard to say.

Thanks for the link to the unofficial guide–I am digging in already.

#6

I have an older machine (Dell Dimension) with AMD processor, and a newer machine (Dell Inspiron) with Intel processor.

They pretty much run the same. The newer machine is faster, but that’s because newer machines have faster processors.

#7

Possibly the impression that linux runs better on AMD is due to most laptops for the last few years coming with intel processors and, consequently, mostly with intel HD video. AMD processors, on the other hand, AFAIK are always paired with ATI video, with was - and still is - way better than intel HD - although the recent top of the line 4th gen Intel come with better video (but still nothing to write home about…). Intel processors, however, currently are arguably better than similar priced AMD APUs.

I’m a long time AMD user, but sadly, my two recent acquisitions (desktop and laptop) are intel…

#8

As a long term linux user I appreciate newer users then older ones as they are getting their feet wet and I know how it feels to be new.
I was new to linux myself 8 years ago and have never fully returned to windows.
Sure I keep a boot of windows 7 but thats because I actually like windows 7 but overall 99.9% of the time I am on linux.

#9

The unofficial guide focuses on KDE. So things might be a little different on GNOME which you are using.

==>I recommend using the following to change your desktop settings
>Tweak tool
>dconf-editor (install this)
>GNOME settings

==>Use this guide to setup your audio/video codecs
https://forums.opensuse.org/entry.php/149-openSUSE-13-1-Multi-media-and-Restricted-Format-Installation-Guide

#10

I have always learned alot from tinkering with Linux, find some command line or other tutorials that do something that you think could be interesting try and do them then try variations on them. Once you get your head around things you could try and package a program on open build service, that will teach you a lot about how the file system works etc.

#11

I’ve posted this in another thread, but…

I used to use SUSE a long time ago, back when you had to order the CD from Novell. (Version 6? 8? I can’t remember.)

Since then I’ve done a fair bit of distro-hopping and finally settled on Linux Mint 13 (32-bit) because, well, it simply worked.

Fast forward to January 2014 when I bought another PC and decided to install the 64-bit version of Mint. That did not go well. I could not get past the installation routine; three days into this process and several different 64-bit distros later - all them failed to install - I remembered that SUSE had a memory-checking option in its install.

I downloaded openSUSE 13.1 and two things happened:

  1. I found that the source of my problems was a bad memory stick.
  2. I was immediately impressed by the polish and professionalism of openSUSE.

I was sold on the Geeko - now I’m back in the openSUSE fold.

Bill