Mike Coday said the following on 04/24/2011 11:43 AM:
In the past when I tried migrating to Linux (ubuntu and others before) I would end up freezing the machine somehow when I was in the learning curve. Life is just too busy for me to spend endless hours reinstalling the OS, so I would give up and reluctantly go back to Windows.
I think there is no question that linux is a little geeky, more command line knowledge needed than windows, plus the language is a little unfamiliar.
How long ago was that? All the modern distribution - Suse, Redhat, Mandriva and Ubuntu, the "Volkswagen" (aka "People's Linux") of operating systems - can all be installed and configured for normal PC hardware without recourse to the command line. I've read that Linux is easier to install than Windows, but I've never had the opportunity to install Windows. Many bloggers describe things in terms of command line because that are writing text. Its easier and shorter to give the command line that to try and describe all the operations and fields of one or more GUI screens that do the same thing. So unless you are doing something esoteric or dealing with odd and relicrant hardware - which is what we discuss here a lot of the time - you shouldn't need to use the command line. Yes its different, but then so is using the MAC or using a Blackberry. Its easy to be fooled, just as its easy to be fooled moving between England and the USA where they speak English but everything is different. BTDT - some assumptions can get you killed. "Relicrant hardware". Yes, there is that. A lot of cheap PC or ones that have some compromise in the hardware will hang when you try to install Linux.
I am having trouble configuring the browser preference, having trouble tapping in to the existing windows network here at home, so that I can access shared stuff like printers, scanners, document folder (we all switched to Open Office years ago to help with the eventual move to linux) music library, etc.
Ask and we'll advise, but a lot of that is no more difficult than setting up another Windows PC on your network. You'll have to fill in the name of the network group -- just like on Windows. The thing is that the tools (GUI) are different. And since there are many ways of doing a GUI - depending on which desktop you are using :-) - we will probably tell you to edit the relevant config file :-) We all agree on the config file :-)
My spouse used to administer a unix system before retirement, but that was a few years ago, and I don't think she has interest in learning linux command line stuff because it would cut in to gardening time.
Which is different from UNIX command line stuff for setting up a network etc how? (Hint: unless you're doing something esoteric, it isn't.)
I don't want to start the desktop war. Just need a little help and don't want to be completely obnoxious noobie as I try again to switch platforms.
IF you want this to be independent of the desktop you choose, THEN you are going to have to deal with the command line.
I am going to try installing KDE, LXDE and some of the others mentioned and see if I can sort it out.
Ah, that sounds like a good way to get frustrated. Pick one and stick with it. Every time you switch you throw away what you just learnt and have to learn anew. -- Education is a better safeguard of liberty than a standing army. --Edward Everett -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse+unsubscribe@opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse+help@opensuse.org