<HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.2900.2963" name=GENERATOR></HEAD> <BODY style="MARGIN: 4px 4px 1px; FONT: 10pt Tahoma"> <DIV>Friends;</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I just shifted to Linux and have tried on laptop read a lot about the</DIV> <DIV>meaning of Free. But just was wondering is it really $-free . . . ?</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I have invested 40hrs and still counting on getting and installing Linux and </DIV> <DIV>trying to make it work. (Though it was fun but its not yet working to my full</DIV> <DIV>satisfaction and I am at it). </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>While above time does not includes my time participating in such discussions</DIV> <DIV>and preparing pages on my experience.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Also after all this efforts I am not able to compile <DIV>many of the softwares in ubuntu I tried to compile Mplayer from its official site. . . </DIV> <DIV>Many of the downloads compilations are in .rpm package which means do I need</DIV> <DIV>an RedHat based Linux too on my laptop?</DIV></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>I know I am putting a cat among the pigeons.</DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Replies awaited . . . </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>Yagnesh</DIV></BODY></HTML>