[newbie] A true newbie asks...

[Ed Lyons]

Thank you for your comments, Andrew. Yes, I plan to have my computer in dual
boot mode for just those reasons you cited. From what I've briefly read on
VLUG and LWN sites, the types of distros seem to come with varying levels of
stability, development, security applications, ease-of-use, etc., so the
question of which one best suits my daily use applications is a key issue
for me. I know many folks in LinuxLand are keen developers and that make's
it interesting. But I want to buy a hammer and pound nails to start with! I
use a computer principally for work and better utility encourages me to
change technology more than the techno stuff qua. That's me.

I reiterate my willingness to pay for some "consulting"/handholding/intense
guidance, as I want to get to a minimum comfort level quickly (business
/time reasons), then continue on my own with help from friends. I have found
this works best for me. To recap, I'm using the computer in a stand-alone
(non-networked) desktop environment that won't likely change in the next
several years. I would like a more stable and "lighter" (on computer
resources) OS than Windows.

Sorry to be so long winded....
Regards,
Ed

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Andrew Willard" <linux1@shaw.ca>
To: <newbie@vlug.org>
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: [newbie] A true newbie asks...


> On Friday, December 5, 2003, at 10:41  PM, Ed Lyons wrote:
>
> > I am interested in moving from Windows to Linux. I'm basically a user
> > (office s/w and intro GIS), not a programmer.
>
> Welcome... Linux/Unix systems are not just for programmers, although
> there
> are a lot of us out there :)
>
> > Is there anyone out there who can guide me through some basic
> > decisions, like which Linux variant is "better" for a desktop
> > environment
>
> I guess I should set things straight for you before we progress any
> further.
> When you talk about 'variants' of Linux what your actually wishing to
> talk about
> are known as Distributions. There are MANY distributions available these
> days, if
> your looking for a list of them check here:
> http://www.vlug.org/linux/links/Distributions/index.html
>
> I hesitate to recommend one distribution over another, I always tell
> people to get
> as many distributions as they can and try them all... it doesn't cost
> anything but
> your time and a few blank cds. But, if I had to suggest a distribution
> for someone
> just starting out I would tend to chose: Mandrake or even Fedora &
> Knoppix. Choosing
> a distribution is a personal choice, but the nice thing is that no
> matter which one
> you do choose underneath it all is the same system (Linux) and tools
> (GNU).
>
> > (having read about Red Hat getting out of the desktop development
> > market, etc.).
>
> Redhat is not out of the market, just concentrating on the enterprise
> side of things.
> Fedora is the offshoot of Redhat's consumer distribution.
>
> > I'll need some hand-holding to get things installed and running.
>
> Hand holding is ok, but it will only go so far. People in LUG's tend to
> help
> those that help themselves far more readily than those that don't.
>
> > I'm not adverse to fee for service, as I want to make the transition
> > fairly
> > quickly starting in Jan 2004.
>
> Your fee will be to join and support the club... how is that for a
> fee? :)
>
> As far as quickly making a transition from Windows to Linux... I
> seriously suggest
> you do NOT do the switch cold turkey. Setup your machine for a dual boot
> of both
> Windows and Linux, that way you can still have a comfortable working
> environment
> to fall back on until your skills at using your new Linux system are
> acceptable.
> You may find after a very short while that you no longer need Windows at
> all and the
> dual booting situation can disappear ;)
>
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