Obligatory "Oh, Lord, not another Newbie!" post

[Schalken]

David Smith;1427322 Wrote: 
> I have tried installing Linux in various incarnations at various times,
> 

> with little or no practical results, because I just didn't get it. 
> DOS, I 

> got, Linux was Different.  Don't mind commandlines, do mind not having
> an 

> Effing Clue what I'm doing.  But I'm not gonna do XP or Vista, and they
> 

> wouldn't work without me buying newer hardware I can't afford.  So I'm
> 

> gonna try Ubuntu.  Probably.





I learnt BASH faster than I learnt DOS, but that's just me, -the Linux
guy-.



> Did that whole WINE business ever turn out to be anything?  Didn't that
> 

> DOS emulator thingie they used to have actually turn out to work?  Do I
> 

> get to keep playing with my decade-old DOS games, like F117A, Strike 

> Eagle, JNUG, Doom? 



I run all my software natively. Thats why I have XP on here as well for
games ;).



Wine and Cedega do require tweaking, and plus, I haven't found any
software for Windows that doesn't have a Linux counterpart. Only
games.



> Is there a big three-inch-thick book that everybody gets but nobody
> thinks 

> to mention?  I used to like them books. 



You mean like the DOS 6.1 bible that my IT teacher carries around?
Probably, there are plenty of books on open source software. I know how
to use BASH only from following Ubuntu howtos.



> What's the first thing you wish you'd known to do when you installed 

> Ubuntu that you didn't do cause you didn't know you should?



Nothing. Ubuntu worked for me out of the box, mostly, everything was
right were I expected it to be. I can tell you something I wish I had
done with windows though: install a dozen antivirus programs, Firefox
and -completely lock it down-.



> Would I be crazy to install Ubuntu on my laptop?  Would it be likely to
> 

> recognize and handle my 32-bit NetGear wireless PCCard with no
> problems, 

> or do I end up with a laptop I can't use and can't fix cause I can't
> get 

> to the web?



I installed Ubuntu on my brother's laptop and the wireless worked out
of the box. Having hardly used laptops, it took me a good half an hour
to realize I needed a WEP key though. :p



> I -really- don't want to have my life focused on getting my OS working 

> properly, rather than doing my email & such.  (Been there, done that, 

> repeatedly.)  I want this to Just Work.



Expect to need to tweak your OS just like you would with Windows.



> My desktop, well, that's for Mercury, and I don't necessarily have to
> have 

> a mailserver.  But I do need my laptop, I do need my mail, I do need my
> 

> webrowser to do my web-based Medical Transcription course.  And I'd
> like 

> my games.

> 

> Maybe I should just do the desktop, and do the laptop only when I'm
> more 

> confident?



That's what the Live CD is for. Boot the Live CD and see what you can
get working, and come here when there's something you need help with.
If I was you however, I would keep Windows for the games.


-- 
Schalken