This May be of use of anyone who would like to dabble with Linux

[bootneck02]

I came across this and thought it might be useful for anyone who would like to consider Linux as an alternative operating system\distribution. Link:-

 

[Abarbarian]

Personally the I would not advise any new user to linux to try the first offering Manjaro as it is a derivative of Arch.

Can not comment on the other os's as I stopped watching hen Manjaro was mentioned.

 

[CryZ]

Oh, actually I think Linux is a handy OS besides Windows. Because many applications on Windows are too expensive. Such as Adobe PhotoShop and Microsoft Office. But I can use GIMP on linux instead of Photo Shop. And many free office software can be used on Linux too. For developers, there're tremendous tools on Linux. We can get many high-quality and open-source packages on Linux. But the difficult thing is Linux is not user-friendly for beginners. And a lot of games can not be run on Linux.

 

[bootneck02]

Hi CryZ, I have to disagree with you on this comment " But the difficult thing is Linux is not user-friendly for beginners". I had been running Windows from about 1989 up to December 2015 when the debacle of Microsoft's data mining happened. I was not sure what to do and eventually I downloaded Linux Mint Cinnamon the transfer was easy and I could use it for things I wanted I am now running Mint Cinnamon 18.2 and I would any PC user running W10 who is dissatisfied with W10 or any MS offerings that Cinnamon is the ideal Distro as it so easy to convert too. I say this as a PC user with no technical knowledge and is just a user.

 

[CryZ]

Hi CryZ, I have to disagree with you on this comment " But the difficult thing is Linux is not user-friendly for beginners". I had been running Windows from about 1989 up to December 2015 when the debacle of Microsoft's data mining happened. I was not sure what to do and eventually I downloaded Linux Mint Cinnamon the transfer was easy and I could use it for things I wanted I am now running Mint Cinnamon 18.2 and I would any PC user running W10 who is dissatisfied with W10 or any MS offerings that Cinnamon is the ideal Distro as it so easy to convert too. I say this as a PC user with no technical knowledge and is just a user.

Thanks for your criticism. The first OS I used was a Windows. And at that time a lot of people was using Windows systems. Linux/Unix wasn't popular in my dom. When I started to move on to a Linux machine. I suffered from some transition and migration problems. So a bad impression like “Linux is not user-friendly for beginners” kept in my mind.
But your experience impart me that Linux Mint is actually easy to use even in your such a long history as a Windows user. And you just mentioned about Microsoft's data mining problem. That make me remember not only just one time Microsoft brings big issues during their services offering. (That GWX.exe which is the "official" advertisement for Microsoft's Windows 10 really pissed me off. Even you can't turn the annoying ad off. ) After think about these, I changed my mind and I think you are right! Thanks for your lesson.

 

[bootneck02]

Oh yes the adverts one gets with Windows 10, the only ones I get by running Mint Cinnamon is on Facebook. But you don't need to click on them.
Yes there some drawbacks gaming is not good although there is or seems to be more coming on line via Steam but no where near the amount for W10.

 

[Abarbarian]

Oh, actually I think Linux is a handy OS besides Windows. Because many applications on Windows are too expensive. Such as Adobe PhotoShop and Microsoft Office. But I can use GIMP on linux instead of Photo Shop. And many free office software can be used on Linux too. For developers, there're tremendous tools on Linux. We can get many high-quality and open-source packages on Linux. But the difficult thing is Linux is not user-friendly for beginners. And a lot of games can not be run on Linux.View attachment 11146

Hi CryZ your right there are a lot of games that will not play on a linux pc. However there are quite a number of games that will run on a linux pc and run very well too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_gaming

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectMana...iId=2&sAction=view&sTitle=Browse+Applications

https://itsfoss.com/download-linux-games/

Steam has the largest games store for Linux. While writing this article, it has exactly 3487 games on Linux platform and that’s really huge.

At this moment, GOG has 1978 DRM-free games in their library.

Currently there are about 1826 games for Linux in the Humble Store.

itch.io has some of the most interesting and unique games that you can find.
Right now, itch.io has 9514 games available in their store for Linux platform.

LGDB is an abbreviation for Linux Game Database. Though technically not a game store, it has a large collection of games for Linux along with various information about them. Every game is documented with links of where you can find them.
As of now, there are 2046 games entries in the database. They also have very long lists for Emulators, Tools and Game Engines.

Yes obviously there will be some of the same games available from the different sites but it still adds up to a lot of games.

As to linux not being easy for beginners that is just FUD.
Take two people of similar intelligence who have had very little to do with computers and sit one of them down in front of a pc with a clean install of Windows and one of them down in front of a pc with a clean install of MX-16 or Mint and ask them to do a few simple tasks.
You will soon see that the person using the Windows pc will struggle. Why , simple, the Windows user has to search for and download programs before they can even use them. The linux user already has installed almost all the programs a typical "normal" user needs.
Another exercise,
Take two people as above and give them a pc with no os installed, task them with installing their os. One to install Windows and one to install say MX-16 or Mint and ask them to do similar tasks as above aswell.
I can almost with a 100% certainty say that the Window user will take many hours longer to accomplish the tasks and find the whole exercise a great deal harder. That is if they can finish the tasks at all.
Try it yourself and see which is easier.

 

[CryZ]

Hi CryZ your right there are a lot of games that will not play on a linux pc. However there are quite a number of games that will run on a linux pc and run very well too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_gaming

https://appdb.winehq.org/objectMana...iId=2&sAction=view&sTitle=Browse+Applications

https://itsfoss.com/download-linux-games/











Yes obviously there will be some of the same games available from the different sites but it still adds up to a lot of games.

As to linux not being easy for beginners that is just FUD.
Take two people of similar intelligence who have had very little to do with computers and sit one of them down in front of a pc with a clean install of Windows and one of them down in front of a pc with a clean install of MX-16 or Mint and ask them to do a few simple tasks.
You will soon see that the person using the Windows pc will struggle. Why , simple, the Windows user has to search for and download programs before they can even use them. The linux user already has installed almost all the programs a typical "normal" user needs.
Another exercise,
Take two people as above and give them a pc with no os installed, task them with installing their os. One to install Windows and one to install say MX-16 or Mint and ask them to do similar tasks as above aswell.
I can almost with a 100% certainty say that the Window user will take many hours longer to accomplish the tasks and find the whole exercise a great deal harder. That is if they can finish the tasks at all.
Try it yourself and see which is easier.

Yeah, the important thing I got from you is that is it really like what I'm thinking about or just I'm too lazy to fresh my view. However I can't stay at one place neither on one operating system. Because I'm lazy with changing my environment, so I made some excuses to keep away from the new environment. But excuses are always not the truths. I need to do more research on Linux, so that I can judge it on easy or hard to use.

 

[bootneck02]

What I would do Cryz is get a download of Linux Mint Cinnamon 18.2 64 bit and put it on a memory stick, you can have a play with it using the stick as the OS with out losing your existing OS on your hard drive. I have to tell you I am NOT a techi and get most of the advice from this site and the Linux Mint Cinnamon new user site https://www.facebook.com/groups/lmh..._t=group_highlights&notif_id=1493061547432547 This is a very good place to get advice and help on Linux Mint Cinnamon
As I say I am just a non techi user and found that Mint Cinnamon is ideal BUT it is personnel preference and does need some investigation to find a Linux distro that suits you, having said that I would have a look at Mint Cinnamon first I found it the easiest to convert to.

 

[Lotta Lumina]

Personally the I would not advise any new user to linux to try the first offering Manjaro as it is a derivative of Arch.

Can not comment on the other os's as I stopped watching hen Manjaro was mentioned.

Manjaro is basically a derivative of Arch that makes it a lot easier to use, so I'm not sure where your logic is coming from. :/

I personally felt XFCE is easier to use than any other desktop environment, though. ^^

And as for the downsides of Linux: professional video editing and gaming, these are niche areas, Linux should work for the everyday user...

 

[bootneck02]

Manjaro is basically a derivative of Arch that makes it a lot easier to use, so I'm not sure where your logic is coming from. :/

I personally felt XFCE is easier to use than any other desktop environment, though. ^^

And as for the downsides of Linux: professional video editing and gaming, these are niche areas, Linux should work for the everyday user...

 

[bootneck02]

Manjaro is basically a derivative of Arch that makes it a lot easier to use, so I'm not sure where your logic is coming from. :/

I personally felt XFCE is easier to use than any other desktop environment, though. ^^

And as for the downsides of Linux: professional video editing and gaming, these are niche areas, Linux should work for the everyday user...

That is the beauty you have a choice with Linux you like XFCE I like Mint Cinnamon with Microsoft Windows 10 you do not the other thing the expense of a license of W10 let alone all the apps you may require to run windows and the annual Payments you have to make for the Apps makes the system exorbitant. With Linux distro's you download the OS that suits you and you put on the Apps you want all free with W10 all you get is W10 and nothing else. Also I have the distro I wanted but I had a choice of many to pick from.

 

[Abarbarian]

Manjaro is basically a derivative of Arch that makes it a lot easier to use, so I'm not sure where your logic is coming from. :/

I personally felt XFCE is easier to use than any other desktop environment, though. ^^

And as for the downsides of Linux: professional video editing and gaming, these are niche areas, Linux should work for the everyday user...

Hi Lotta Lumina welcome to the forums.

My logic is coming from the same place as the developers of Arch. Here is what they say about the distro.

https://www.archlinux.org/about/

About Arch Linux
Arch Linux is an independently developed, i686/x86-64 general purpose GNU/Linux distribution versatile enough to suit any role. Development focuses on simplicity, minimalism, and code elegance. Arch is installed as a minimal base system, configured by the user upon which their own ideal environment is assembled by installing only what is required or desired for their unique purposes. GUI configuration utilities are not officially provided, and most system configuration is performed from the shell by editing simple text files. Arch strives to stay bleeding edge, and typically offers the latest stable versions of most software.

To summarize: Arch Linux is a versatile, and simple distribution designed to fit the needs of the competent Linux® user. It is both powerful and easy to manage, making it an ideal distro for servers and workstations. Take it in any direction you like. If you share this vision of what a GNU/Linux distribution should be, then you are welcomed and encouraged to use it freely, get involved, and contribute to the community. Welcome to Arch!

Arch is available to use for anyone but you do need to have a fairly reasonable understanding of how linux runs to be able to set it up and use it.
Manjaro may claim to be easier to use but you still need to be a fairly competent linux user to be able to run it.

MX-16, Mint, Porteus, Knoppix, various buntus and several others are much more suited to a new user to linux. That is in my humble opinion and that of folk who are much more knowledgable than me.

As to linux having a down size for professional video editing that is not the case,

http://news.softpedia.com/news/Hollywood-Loves-Linux-45571.shtml

Disney/Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, Sony, ILM and other movie production studios from Hollywood are using Linux to produce their movies. I bet not many of you knew this (I didn't until today) but practically every blockbuster movie you see in theaters today was created with Linux. Hollywood prefers to use Linux instead of other operating systems, like Windows or Macintosh, for three simple reasons: it's better, faster and cheaper.

As to gaming. Well there are AAA+ titles running flawlessly on linux and there are thousands of games that are available for the system too. True their are more games available for Windows at this present time but that will not always be the case.

If you are a linux user then enjoy the freedom that brings into your life.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Mr Barb, here, for your delectation, are the five Linux distros featured in that vid as being suitable for beginners, in reverse order we have:

5) Manjaro
4) Elementary (Like Mac OS apparently)
3) Zorin
2) Ubuntu
1) Mint

I may just try numbers 3 - 5 just for the hell of it as I had no luck with MX, I'm running Mint and even though my version of Mint is based on Ubuntu, Ubuntu have their association with CanonIcal who seem to want to get as rich as Microsoft with their distro.

 

[bootneck02]

I did have a go with Zorin the free version is just basic and the paid version you get the lot. Tried Ubuntu it's OK but it didn't feel right with me, I will stick with Mint Cinnamon found it easy to convert to from Windows 10.

 

[floppybootstomp]

Ah, thanks for the info Mr Boots, I shall scrap Zorin from the list then, compulsory payment flies against the whole Linux ethos. I don't mind distros asking for voluntary contributions but if I'm going to have to pay I may as well buy Microsoft or Mac.

So that leaves Manjaro and Elementary for me to try.

Totally off topic but I just had a random thought: Who remembers the TV program Bootsy and Snudge? And was there one named The Army game where a fella used to say 'Follow Flogger'?

 

[Abarbarian]

Ah, thanks for the info Mr Boots, I shall scrap Zorin from the list then, compulsory payment flies against the whole Linux ethos. I don't mind distros asking for voluntary contributions but if I'm going to have to pay I may as well buy Microsoft or Mac.

So that leaves Manjaro and Elementary for me to try.

Totally off topic but I just had a random thought: Who remembers the TV program Bootsy and Snudge? And was there one named The Army game where a fella used to say 'Follow Flogger'?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053486/fullcredits/

The list of folk who appeared in the program is impressive. Honor Blackman for one. An the famous moustache got twirled in every episode.

You won't like Elementary

As to Manjaro. Give it a whirl, never tried it meself. It should install and work flawlessly if you believe all the self promotion the loyal users spread about it.

Here are 7 good reasons to try it out,

https://itsfoss.com/why-use-manjaro-linux/

 

[bootneck02]

Yes I loved the Bootsie & Snudge show. I am staying with Mint as I like the distro and it does what I want. and find it easy for a ex Microsoft user to keep in my comfort zone as us old gits find it does what we want