When I was young I started like many using the Windows operating system and continue with its new versions over the years.
Not long ago, just few years back I’ve heard of another operating system, I’ve heard its call Linux or Unix or something like that but I’ve never checked it out.
Then Ubuntu became famous, so much that I had to try it.
Using a virtual machine I’ve finally for the first time installed another operating system, it was Ubuntu Edgy.
Many problems I had trying to understand what the hell is going on while it didn’t recognized my graphic driver. Disappointed I’ve removed it and forgot about it.
Few months later my friend told me about some other Linux Ubuntu based which has this software the handles all driver installation and I though why not giving it a shot, I can always remove it again. And that’s what I did.
Linux Mint was a very nice improvement but it too failed to recognize all my hardware and I had problems again with the graphic driver.
Lost any hope, I deleted it.
Few months later I’ve thought about checking Linux as a desktop machine but I didn’t like Ubuntu that much.
Then I found openSUSE. This was the beginning of a long relationship.
I formated my computer and installed openSUSE 11.0 as a dual boot with Windows XP. I’ve been like that for few months checking openSUSE/Linux while still having Windows as my main OS. openSUSE was a great upgrade from Ubuntu as it had no problems at all. It recognized all my hardware and I had no driver installation problems (with the graphic card or anything else).
And now, after having it as a virtual machine, checking it with dual boot, I’ve removed my Windows installation and installed only openSUSE 11.1 as the main and only OS.
Next I’m going to install Windows XP as a virtual machine on my Linux machine for Visual Studio etc.
My goal now is to be a Linux expert for the following days to come.
My first two questions are:
Anyone knows something that is as good as VMware that is free and for Linux (openSUSE 11.1 64bit)?
One of the main reasons I’ve moved to Linux was that I couldn’t stand anymore that Windows becoming slower and slower from day to day. Every time I installed windows after about a year it became very slow and every install/uninstall made it even slower.
Does it happens like that with Linux too?
My last wish is, do you Linux gurus have any tips to give me? What every Linux user must know?
No, a Linux install doesn’t decay like a Windows install does.
If there is one thing to remember about Linux, my pick would be what someone said: “On Linux, I am limited only by my knowledge.” Ok, the original quote was actually about Unix, but it’s all in the family.
I know this “transformation” like you were going through very well , we are two of a kind
Although i’m a real openSUSEr, just since 6 months i’ll try
to supply you with the infos you need:
Anyone knows something that is as good as VMware that is free and for Linux (openSUSE 11.1 64bit)?
Try VirtualBox it is in the Virtualization-Repository (Community-Repository)
or download it from the homepage (if you need USB-Support and other advanced Features).
I’m using the Non-OSE_Version and i’m very happy with it. I need it for the Borland C-Compiler, we have to use in school
and creating some ear-transcripted TABs with Guitar Pro 5.
But if you need to have access remote to running Virtual Machines, you better try QEMU (has also a community-Repo).
How to add Repositories:
YaST => Software => Software-Repositories => Add => (o) Community Repositories => [x] Virtualization (QEMU) or [x] Virtualization (VirtualBox)
One of the main reasons I’ve moved to Linux was that I couldn’t stand anymore that Windows becoming slower and slower from day to day. Every time I installed windows after about a year it became very slow and every install/uninstall made it even slower.
Linux is using another File System! In Windows we have the old FAT32 and NTFS (came up with Windows 2000).
In Linux it’s ext2 / ext3 (Standart in openSUSE) / ReiserFS and Swap (only for Swap-Partitions).
Don’t know why, but the Linux File System is faster, more secure and doesn’t get slow when filling it with data (like a File System is intended )
you forgot to mention XFS and JFS. although JFS is not officially supported by suse and development is very slow (IIRC, only one developer maintains/works on it at the moment); it still works without a problem. Also the upcoming version of SUSE will offer Ext4 as an option.
As for fragmentation, yes Linux file systems tend to be much better in this regard, but remember that all file systems fragment. Linux file systems will gradually fragment more if the partition(s) go beyond 90% of usage. Linux and UNIX file systems are also more efficient with dealing with free space compared to NTFS. For more info why linux file systems handle fragmentation much better, read this Why doesn’t Linux need defragmenting?
You don’t need an anti-virus, although you can install one. The main use for it, is if you’re going to use an email client and forward emails to your Windows friends and want to make sure they don’t get a virus.
Yeah, you don’t need anti-virus-software. Most viruses are written
for windows and of an .exe, .bat, .com, … -filetype.
As you already discovered, or you are going to discover, these filetypes are not executed in linux.
Probably there are a few linux-viruses, but i think it’s difficult to get one in during one’s life
And what about Wine? Is it working like its expected? Is it safe? What do you have to say about that?
Its hard to leave Windows. It feels like what was said about Vista that it only looks good but nothing works on it. (Sorry for comparing Vista crap to awesome openSUSE :P)
I’m trying to find a replacements for my usual applications and learn how stuff works and its not that easy…
I know it’s a long, sometimes painful and annoying way switching to another OS. A Human is a creature of habit
Espacially migrating from Windows to Linux is sometimes real hard, but be sure it’s worth all the struggle.
Because for most “regular” users Linux has all you need and often a bit more.
You can surf the Web, sending / recieving E-Mails, chat (ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, …) in KDE it’s kopete, write Documents /
create Presentations (OpenOffice), listen to music (amarok :good:) and play games (e.g. SuperTux: similar to SuperMario [install from OSS-Repo).
But it is also possible to realize more complex things: creating a webserver (with PHP, MySQL, Perl, …) or a Gateway (with DNS, Firewall),
Programming Software (C, C++, Perl, Java, …), Administrating other Networks and Services (asterisk).
So the only reason windows is more popular (and justifiably so) devices are mainly supported by windows (and mac).
Using some devices in Linux, especially Multimedia-devices (TV-Cards, Professional Sound-Cards), often end up in failing finding or compiling drivers.
This is mainly because of the fact, that not every assembler provide it’s drivers or the sources for public.
That’s true, in this case i would recommend you VirtualBox.
that’s not the only reason why Windows is more popular…
Everyone is familiar with Windows. Most people buy a PC from somewhere, switch it on and looky there, it’s Windows. Linux has virtually no advertising and only now, the FSF is trying to address this with the “We Are Linux” campaign.
Most people are lazy or simply do not have time to learn a whole new OS. They just want the job done and use what comes with their PC (and guess what comes with their PC?). They don’t care much about this program or that program, as long as it gets their work done, nor do they care that there may be a more efficient OS out there. I have chat friends who only know how to operate Windows. They often complain how slow it is and how messed up it is, but they refuse to switch to something else because they are not technical enough to do it (fear of messing things up and losing their stuff) they don’t have the time to do it and learn everything what’s new and they often are too lazy when they have some time. So they accept the fact that their PCs get slower and more messed up because of Windows. These are the most common answers I get from them.
Hardware manufacturers design their stuff with support for the most common dominator (which is Windows). For example, Microsoft had a big say in how the BIOS and ACPI system should work on the hardware. Often, you’ll find specific Windows code in the BIOS/ACPI table software. MS even wanted to make it harder for Linux by tying specific ACPI stuff to their OS in order to function correctly.
I did not notice this with openSUSE. Moreover, after I have upgraded from 10.2 to 10.3, and then 11.1, each time I felt, the system became faster.
If you are looking for speeding up your system, you should, probably, try out different desktops. Most users prefer KDE, it is especially good for those who are accustomed to Windows interface. However, KDE is, probably, the slowest.
I have the time and will to learn. I hope it would pay.
Another thing that is really irritating is that I’ve downloaded the 64bit version (x86_64) of 11.1 and it seems I have a lot of problems installing stuff (VirtualBox, VMware Workstation, VMware Player and many other applications) and Googling reveals that many other people are having this only with openSUSE v11.1 64 bit, exactly the same settings I have and they say that 11.0 worked fine with their programs and I haven’t seen people saying they have this with their 32 bit version of 11.1 so I guess its because I didn’t look for 32 bit problems or they just don’t exists (which sounds more reasonable to me cause I had v11.0 32bit as dual boot before the change and it had zero, nada, no problem with ANYTHING, it worked like a charm flawlessly).
So should I switch to openSUSE 11.1 32bit (i586)?
Will I feel any difference between the 64bit (x86_64) and the 32bit version? (Except that things would work…:P)
Oh, and how the hell do you pronounce openSUSE? open-soos? open-su.ze? how?lol!, and what does SUSE means?
BTW, Thanks for everything!!
P.S
When I reinstall windows it deletes my user account, My Documents, as well as the desktop and personal settings (including all registry settings). What do I lose when I reinstall Linux-openSUSE on a partition that already contains a Linux-openSUSE OS?
I’ll let others debate 32 vs 64 bit. (I don’t know about VMware but I have had zero problems installing the 64-bit version of VirtualBox.) This 32/64 debate comes up so often perhaps there should be a sticky thread for it.
SUSE used to be written S.u.S.E and was a German acronym for Software and System Development, the original company that created the distro. Now it’s just a name and written all-caps and no periods. You can read all about its history here:
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