So, I've used Macs pretty much my entire life, though I'm competent enough with Windows to like, use a Windows computer and stuff. And I want to replace my computer. I haven't played computer games in like a year or two at all, and didn't much before that, so being able to run games isn't a big concern, I just want like, more RAM (can't put any more in here), more HD space without adding external drives, and that's pretty much it. So basically, is there a version of Linux that I can just pop in and install and run without doing. . . things that have names that I don't know what they mean. Because I'd rather not have to pay for an OS along with other stuff.

I don't really DO easy, but you should look into a distribution called Ubuntu. There are a few other users here who have used it, maybe they've got some feedback on this.

Ubuntu is easier to install and use than windows. The next version, 7.04 (Feisty Fawn (all the Ubuntu releases have weird adjective animal names)), comes out some point later this month. The 7.04 beta is in a pretty stable place right now, so it probably isn't too bad to get. But if you want something easy to use and set up, Ubuntu is definitely the way to go.

You could also get yourself a live-cd of whatever distribution so you pop the cd and it boots to it.

Ubuntu's live cd will actually download and install the OS while you're within the live environment. It's really nice. You can browse the web and chat with gaim while the OS installs.

E: Ubuntu is the closest you can get to a worry-free *nix install, from the distros I've seen. The root account is transparent, and it shares the same password as your normal login account, so installing apps and making changes to the system is as simple as re-entering the password you originally logged in with. The only time you need to really use the actual root account is from within the bash shell, but by the time you get to the point where you're comfortable using the shell to execute commands, etc., sudo-ing root is essentially a non-issue.

I tried unbuntu once, shit ran slower than WinXP :/

I didn't notice any significant speed difference between the two doing most stuff on my machine. Enemy Territory did play much better under Ubuntu than WinXP though.

Install, yes. Use, in a way yes, but in a way no. If all you do is browse the internet on a wired ethernet connection and write papers, then yes it is much easier. If you need to install codecs to watch videos, or have some exotic hardware (the latest videocard, a nice X-Fi soundcard or something like that) then you may have a problem. You will have to learn some things to use Ubuntu, or any nix operating system, and you will come up against things you don't understand. You will just have to research and deal with it.

If you don't want to do that, Windows may be your best option. If you're a student, your school may have a program where you can get a free/cheap Windows install disk. And even if your school doesn't, there are stores online where you can buy OSs for pretty cheap. For instance, academicsuperstore has Windows Vista Home Premium for $50.

Bah, everyone had to learn how to use Windows at some point. It's not so big of a stretch to learn how to use Linux as a desktop with a distribution like this. The question is whether you have a desire to.

it took nearly 5 minutes to start up, and I'm on a dual core comp. XP starts up for me in a matter of seconds.




Windows isn't complicated to use though, it's pretty user friendly. Linux on the other hand isn't.

Hell when I tried out Ubuntu it didn't even have a central time zone option.

lol Ubuntu has all the time zones.

Not on the copy that I had.

I have my pc set up for a Widows XP / Ubuntu 6.06 dual boot.

Linux is ideal for everything over windows except for games mainly, however such windows .exe files can be run on a windows emulation "Wine" and also a program called "Cedega". However, the main annoyance with linux is installing graphics drivers, and also having to tell where every file is located if you want to open it via the terminal. Though after a while you'll start to remember simple commands and be able to install apps and run them.

edit: Ubuntu 6.06 (which can be downloaded from Ubuntu.com in ISO format) is a LiveCD that will boot to the OS straight from the cd so you ca nsee how you like it if and if you want to isntall or not. The installer does all the work for you.

a few commands you may want to remember would be:
"sudo passwd" so you can change the root password to your own to access system files
"su" which prompts a password enter to log into root
"apt-get install _____" where _____ would be the aplication, such as Grub, which is a bootloader
"cd ______" where _____ would be the directory. What this does is make the directory where the terminal is opening things from. Which saves the trouble of typing in a long directory.

There are plenty, and i mean PLENTY of other commands, but i find these to be the most helpful

If you add the universal repositories to Synaptic, using the package manager to install applications is a lot better then using apt-get from the shell, if for no other reason than ensuring you're getting a recent public build of the application. By default, Synaptic blocks off repositories for non-Ubuntu software and software that's copywritten in something other than the GPL. Once you open those up, you'll have access to pretty much anything you an get from apt-get and you have one less reason to dive into the shell.