Comments on: Switching from Windows to Linux, what you need to know http://www.freetechie.com/blog/switching-from-windows-to-linux-what-you-need-to-know/ In the world of linux your boundaries are free Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:47:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Al Baker http://www.freetechie.com/blog/switching-from-windows-to-linux-what-you-need-to-know/comment-page-1/#comment-7643 Al Baker Sat, 20 Dec 2008 00:04:52 +0000 http://www.benkevan.com/blog/?p=147#comment-7643 Here are a few tips for new Linux users coming from the windows platform. For one, skype may not recognize your laptop camera. Two, Linux may not recognize your wireless card. A couple of times I had to connect to a wired networks because the drivers weren't available for this laptop. Three, external hard drives formatted to NTFS will not read automatically in some distros such as Ubuntu and Suse. Mandriva on the other hand was much more versatile out of the box reading NTFS. Once when I switched from Windows to Ubuntu, I backed up everything on an external HD with an NTFS partition which I could not read in Linux. So I had to get all the files off the drive onto another computer temporarily, then reformat the drive in the FAT system, put all the files back on, and then I could access them finally. There were other simpler methods I discovered later of course. The switch to Linux might be best done by keeping windows and Linux on two separate computers if you're just starting out. This way, when you get hung up on Linux and you're on a deadline, you can just go back to windows for that task. Quicken doesn't work in Suse or Ubuntu. And the alternative is just not the same when it comes to connecting to banks online, plus you can't necessarily open your quicken files in any of the open source alternatives. Its not a bad idea to try out a live CD version of Linux and test out all your peripherals to give you an idea of what works and what doesn't. But sometimes the live CD doesn't reflect how it will be when you install Linux. The live SUSE CD just won't find any wireless networks, but when I install it, it does. So the live CD is not a 100% accurate picture of a full install as far as hardware compatibility goes. Hope this helps. Here are a few tips for new Linux users coming from the windows platform. For one, skype may not recognize your laptop camera. Two, Linux may not recognize your wireless card. A couple of times I had to connect to a wired networks because the drivers weren’t available for this laptop.
Three, external hard drives formatted to NTFS will not read automatically in some distros such as Ubuntu and Suse. Mandriva on the other hand was much more versatile out of the box reading NTFS.
Once when I switched from Windows to Ubuntu, I backed up everything on an external HD with an NTFS partition which I could not read in Linux. So I had to get all the files off the drive onto another computer temporarily, then reformat the drive in the FAT system, put all the files back on, and then I could access them finally. There were other simpler methods I discovered later of course.
The switch to Linux might be best done by keeping windows and Linux on two separate computers if you’re just starting out. This way, when you get hung up on Linux and you’re on a deadline, you can just go back to windows for that task.
Quicken doesn’t work in Suse or Ubuntu. And the alternative is just not the same when it comes to connecting to banks online, plus you can’t necessarily open your quicken files in any of the open source alternatives.
Its not a bad idea to try out a live CD version of Linux and test out all your peripherals to give you an idea of what works and what doesn’t. But sometimes the live CD doesn’t reflect how it will be when you install Linux. The live SUSE CD just won’t find any wireless networks, but when I install it, it does.
So the live CD is not a 100% accurate picture of a full install as far as hardware compatibility goes.
Hope this helps.

]]> By: Six Sense Blog » Blog Archive » Switching from Windows to Linux, what you need to know | Ben Kevan … http://www.freetechie.com/blog/switching-from-windows-to-linux-what-you-need-to-know/comment-page-1/#comment-7374 Six Sense Blog » Blog Archive » Switching from Windows to Linux, what you need to know | Ben Kevan … Mon, 20 Oct 2008 23:23:26 +0000 http://www.benkevan.com/blog/?p=147#comment-7374 [...] unknown: [...] [...] unknown: [...]

]]> By: ben.kevan http://www.freetechie.com/blog/switching-from-windows-to-linux-what-you-need-to-know/comment-page-1/#comment-7373 ben.kevan Mon, 20 Oct 2008 22:04:18 +0000 http://www.benkevan.com/blog/?p=147#comment-7373 Hey Walter.. Thanks for pointing that out. Nothing like being bored on a monday morning and deciding to make a quick right up. Changing now. Hey Walter..

Thanks for pointing that out. Nothing like being bored on a monday morning and deciding to make a quick right up.

Changing now.

]]> By: Walter http://www.freetechie.com/blog/switching-from-windows-to-linux-what-you-need-to-know/comment-page-1/#comment-7372 Walter Mon, 20 Oct 2008 20:31:01 +0000 http://www.benkevan.com/blog/?p=147#comment-7372 Please change this. "Linux, actually derived from the “Linux Kernel”, which was originally written by Linux Torvald in the early 90’s. " Should read Linus for his name. Thank you. Please change this.

“Linux, actually derived from the “Linux Kernel”, which was originally written by Linux Torvald in the early 90’s. ”

Should read Linus for his name.

Thank you.

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