New to Linux

[Tretarn]

Hey all,

Like the title says I have limited experience with Linux, I had a virtual box with another distro installed once but that's about it. I've reached the end of my tether with windows and want to move to something else (that's not a mac!). I did a bit of research and have found myself here

Anyway, I have a few questions about the system and would appreciate any help.

Firstly, would I have any need for a windows system what so ever? I do have some games on my laptop and would hate to lose the ability to play them, is this OS capable of running them or .exe programs? If needs be I could set up a dual boot but doing away with Windows all together would be nice.

Secondly, I am a bit of a security nut. Whilst I know that Linux systems are less susceptible to virus's e.t.c. I know they are not immune. Is it still possible to set up free antiviral, anti spyware and a firewall in this system? If so, does anybody have any recommendations?

Thirdly, the main reason I have reached the end of my tether with windows is because I recently wiped my sisters computer but to my shock my windows installation disk fails to re-install. So I want to install this OS on that laptop for her as well, so she has something to use that is fast and safe. However, my sister isn't exactly the best with computers. Is the system fairly simple to use for somebody who has next to no knowledge of computers?

Thanks for any help!

Sam

 

[kc1di]

Hi Tretarn,
Welcome to PCLinuxOS. 

1. some windows games will play on Linux with the Wine program - go to www.wineHQ.com to find a list of those games people have successfully run under wine.
 2. there are several anti virus programs ported to Linux. AVG has one, ClamAV is another one believe that one is in the repositories. Anti Var has a port for linux also. you'll have to do some searching for the one that feels right to you. Spyware protection is build in or addable to most browsers/e-mail programs. There is a fire wall already built into PCLinuxOS you just have to activate it and configure it the way you want.

3. Every computer system requires some knowledge PCLinuxOS is not any harder and I would say much easier to learn than some of the others. But it will require some learning.  Things are done a little differently in linux and the file system is set up differently so at the least your sister would have to learn a few things about the file system and how and where files are stored.

In any event PClinuxOS is a good choice if your trying to get away from Windoze. 

Cheers,
Dave

[Xenaflux]

On the first one:
<<<would I have any need for a windows system what so ever>>>
Nobody knows but you.
For me, I don't bother with wine.
I simply installed virtualbox, and on the rare occasion I need a windows programn, I run it there.

On the second one.
After doing linux for about 7 years, I find no need at all for anti-virus or spyware software.
I have been thinking about a firewall, but am still running without it.
Lucky ?  or  Stupid ?.....I don't know ( yet )

On the third one
Most people which ask me about Linux are............KIDS.
Just about all tell me it's easy. More easy than windows, once you get used to it.
They find that the most difficult part is to forget about the windows way of doing things.

So......Have fun.

[dixonpete]

If you use GMail or a similar cloud based email service they will scan your mail for virus infected attachments that could impact Windows users that you might forward the message to. Other than Flash Block that's all I use for protection.

My 78 yr old parents have been using PCLOS swimmingly for about a year now. I just do a Synaptic update when I visit and all is good.

[Vortеx]

If needs be I could set up a dual boot but doing away with Windows all together would be nice.

Just do it. You can erase Windows after you are sure you feel good with PCLOS.

[kernowyon]

Firstly, would I have any need for a windows system what so ever? I do have some games on my laptop and would hate to lose the ability to play them, is this OS capable of running them or .exe programs? If needs be I could set up a dual boot but doing away with Windows all together would be nice.

If you are in o your gaming, then perhaps you may need a Windows system. I play plenty of games in Linux, but many require me to run them via Wine, which may or may not work with the games you play.
Yes, you could set up a dual boot system if you need Windows. If you don't require Windows for games, then you might like to run Windows in a VM as others have suggested - but for games, a VM is not good...

Secondly, I am a bit of a security nut. Whilst I know that Linux systems are less susceptible to virus's e.t.c. I know they are not immune. Is it still possible to set up free antiviral, anti spyware and a firewall in this system? If so, does anybody have any recommendations?

Disagree with your first statement. As far as I am aware, no virus exists in the wild for Linux systems. There are "proof of concept" ones, created to prove it can be done, but these require you to actually permit them to run and, any program asking for root permissions should be checked carefully before agreeing.

PCLOS comes with all the security programs you need in the repositories. I would also add a rootkit checker, script execution blocking add-ons for your browser (the easiest way to infect a computer these days!) etc.

Personally, I do not run AV software in Linux (and I don't run Windows anyway).

Thirdly, the main reason I have reached the end of my tether with windows is because I recently wiped my sisters computer but to my shock my windows installation disk fails to re-install. So I want to install this OS on that laptop for her as well, so she has something to use that is fast and safe. However, my sister isn't exactly the best with computers. Is the system fairly simple to use for somebody who has next to no knowledge of computers?

Thanks for any help!

Sam

 

People often claim that Linux is "too hard" or "for nerds/geeks/hackers/bad people who kill kittens..", however, it is actually very simple to use a Linux system in the same way as you use your Windows box. If you decide to learn about the command line or kernel compiling or other esoteric tasks, then yes, it does get harder to understand (but a whole lot of interesting stuff comes your way!).
If you took someone who has never seen a PC before and provided them with a Linux machine and a Windows machine, I expect they would find both equally confusing. Windows is NOT easier than Linux - but it is more familiar. But a good KDE system such as PCLOS is quite easy to get the hang of if you have a Windows background.
Personally, I find Vista or Windows 7 confusing to use - because I only run PCLOS on my machines.

[smileeb]

People often claim that Linux is "too hard" or "for nerds/geeks/hackers/bad people who kill kittens..", however, it is actually very simple to use a Linux system in the same way as you use your Windows box. If you decide to learn about the command line or kernel compiling or other esoteric tasks, then yes, it does get harder to understand (but a whole lot of interesting stuff comes your way!).
If you took someone who has never seen a PC before and provided them with a Linux machine and a Windows machine, I expect they would find both equally confusing. Windows is NOT easier than Linux - but it is more familiar. But a good KDE system such as PCLOS is quite easy to get the hang of if you have a Windows background.
Personally, I find Vista or Windows 7 confusing to use - because I only run PCLOS on my machines.

I have to agree with the statement above. 70% of windows users never go hunting
though system files or write code or programs. It is the same with many linux users, they just want to use their computers. It is easier with linux because you do not have all these different programs updates mess your computer up. With windows the drivers, dlls and other files get changed and programs refuse to run or get corrupted. If you stay in the linux OS version synaptic (package manager) this doesn't happen. The updates are written for that OS version and tested so everything runs smoothly. You can't go wrong with PCLinuxOS or the member produced magazine (http://pclosmag.com/ ). Make sure you and your sister download all issues and read, best training manual you can find.

[Phil]

"I recently wiped my sisters computer"

Bad boy Tretarn, presume you are now in very serious trouble. Good luck...

PCLOS comes on a "live" cd, meaning once you have changed the bios setting your sister can try it out without you installing it. (Might save you getting into even more trouble)

Perhaps get her to make a list of what she wants from her machine, and if she is ok with PCLOS and can do what she wishes, do a full install. (Does she play the PC games?)

See how it goes and ask if you have ant more questions.

[oldschool]

TreTarn,


If you can live without your Windows games, you definitely don't need Windows. If you can't, I'd recommend avoiding WINE (it can  be quite a headache) and use Windows via a Virtual Machine (such as VirtualBox) -- no need for dual booting. I'd skip the rootkit program, because of unreliability -- they are known to generate FALSE positives (I've been running Linux for years now and have NEVER run across a rootkit on my system).

ClamAV or ClamTk are good for protecting your friends' Windows machines from getting a virus from you (Yes, Linux machines CAN have viruses -- they don't affect the Linux system, BUT they CAN infect the Windows system (with complete effectiveness on that Windows system).  If you use ClamTk you may have to play around with the configuration files to get it to work the way you want (but work it will).

Afaik spyware is a non-issue for the Linux user.

The recommendation to use an anti-scripting extension for the browser is a good one.  I use NoScript on my FireFox browser. It has saved my bacon more than once.

Make sure you enable the firewall -- shorewall works just fine.

PCLinuxOS is very easy to learn for previous Windows users -- the learning curve for the command line interface (CLI) is no more difficult than any other Linux, but the GUI is a snap).

One last thing. No matter how bad you need that new piece of software, never, never, never install software that comes from outside the repositories (unless the repository has a program to install that "outside the repo" software (eg., LibreOffice). If you ignore this one piece of advice, you WILL screw up your system... eventually.

Good Luck,


oldschool

[dougmack]

First, while I use Linux most of the time, there ARE programs that only run in Windows--AutoCad and AutoCadLT are two that I can think of--
and while there are cad programs that run in Linux--at least two are freebies--they're NOT AutoCad.  If you want to do serious work with a
cad program you know, you don't want to spend a week or more trying to figure out work-arounds in Linux. (I have tried to install ACLT
in Wine without success.)

Second, if your sister has a legitimate, purchased installation disk for Windows, along with the install code, you or she should call up
Microsoft, explain the situation, and get them to help you reinstall it.  However, XP is not supposed to be supported anymore, so that
might be a problem.  OTOH, I understand that XP no longer requires the install code--I don't know the details. There are Windows
forums on the Internet.

Third, I agree that KDE is a very good substitute for Windows, either XP or Win7--I think it does some things better/easier than Windows.
I can't speak about a "relearning" curve for a word processor, since i don't own and never used MS Word.  My preference--WordPerfect--
unfortunately no longer exists for Linux, and I haven't tried to install WP in Wine, as yet.  (The version that ran in Linux around 2002 was
reputed to be based on Wine. That version will not install in a modern Linux system.) LibreOffice is quite capable, and lots of help
is available if you run into a "how do you do this" situation. In my somewhat limited experience, it opens files that were generated in
Windows without problems, and if you save in a Windows-readable format, MS will read your LO files.

Fourth, I can't speak about Virtual Box, but I have used, or tried to use, Dos Box, and it is a damned PITA!  If VB is like that, then
you will hate it. Wine is transparent, Dos Box is not. Unfortunately, Wine will not run 16-bit DOS programs. (User comments solicited.)

Fifth, and very important, is the support obtainable on this very forum. To be perfectly honest, a lot of Linux GUI software has a "Help" check-box in its heading, but many of them are empty. Altho there are "man" files for a great many programs, some of them are rather obtuse, and then you go here and ask, and some kind guru will respond with the answer--usually within 24 hours.

Just my 2¢ --doug

[kernowyon]

VirtualBox isn't like DOSBox at all

VirtualBox is a very stable program which allows you to run complete operating systems within a controlled,  virtual environment. As long as you have a reasonable amount of RAM (bear in mind you are going to have both your main OS AND the one in the VM using memory!) it works great. Not amazing for games as 3D acceleration is only now starting to be supported, but for general Windows use then I would always go for a VM rather than Wine. Stuff running in a VM runs at native speed as long as you have a decent PC.

DOSBox can be a little difficult to get to grips with at times and has a different purpose - to run old DOS programs in a little DOS type environment. It does that well, but it isn't anything like VirtualBox. It is worth downloading VirtualBox from the repositories and having a play with it. Try installing a different system - Windows perhaps or maybe another version of PCLOS or some other distro to see how it works for you.

There are other virtual machines of course - but VirtualBox is in our repos and works well.

[Tretarn]

Thanks for all the replies.

Successfully installed and updated PCLinuxOS on my sisters laptop and set up the firewall, updated firefox with WOT, adblock plus etc. Downloading ClamAV as I write this in Synaptic.

Have to say, so far we are very impressed with this OS, it's a bit different from what we are used to but getting used to it. I like how everything runs with ease

After I deal with my exams in January I will most likely set up a dual boot, preferably using PCLinuxOS, with windows there for a rainy day.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions!

[cyrwyn]

Tretarn,

I have run Linux going on 19 years. About 12 years ago I forsook Windows altogether because there were finally enough GUI replacement programs. I haven't looked back.  If I sit before a Windows computer for more than 5 minutes you would hear the most despicable cussing you could imagine! Windows isn't logical, Linux is. Windows security is a bad joke. I've never had to use anti-virus or anti-malware on Linux. Windows doesn't tell you anything about errors or how to fix problems. Linux kernels are very stable, unlike Windows. Linux has superior memory management. Linux filesystems are light years ahead of NTFS.  Linux is aware of Windows, but Windows can't see Linux. You can even use a Linux live CD to fix a Windows computer.  I could go on and on.

[Vortеx]

After I deal with my exams in January I will most likely set up a dual boot, preferably using PCLinuxOS, with windows there for a rainy day.

If you install Windows after PCLOS it will overwrite the MBR and you won't be able to boot to PCLOS.
To fix this you have to run Redo MBR from the LiveCD or read about this in "Hard Drive Installation" section of the forum.

[Phil]

Hi Tretarn,

Next step is to update your system with synaptic. Icon at the bottom of the screen. Start it, input root password, reload, apply all, apply and done.

Next bang in Libre Office, icon on the desktop.

Next back to synaptic and search for libdvdcss, win-32 and vlc. Bang them in.

On no account in synaptic do a search for Frozen Bubble or dare to install it, much too dangerous.....