As Sesame users may (or may not) be aware, a lot of PC users are switching over to Linux. For years it has been assumed that the main reason to switch was security, but a recent poll at DesktopLinux of 3,300 Linux adopters is changing some thinking:

Bob,
The numbers are the rankings of why they converted from 1st (most important reason) to 10th (least important reason). The numbers below each percentage are numbers of votes.

The highest ranking reasons are the one with the most votes in the first few columns: Competition (row 8) and Employee demand (row 10).

Once you are aware that 1st represents most important, and 10th represents least important, I am not sure how this chart could be made any more clear, without leaving out pertinent details (as MS is currently accused of doing in their highly inaccurate and manipulative "Get the facts" campaign).

I think the surveyers here chose to simply present the numbers - as is, without attempting to draw conclusions. I believe the categories are likely in the same order as they were presented on the survey.

Quote:
OK, I think I got it now.  Read down the first column on the left and ignore the details in the table on the right side. 

I can do that!  Thanks......

Be aware that  BSD is not a flavor of Linux, though it is a well regarded flavor of Unix. Sesame will not run on it.

I run SuSE 9.3 (primarily). I have heard some not so good things about SuSE 10.1

Bob,
I haven't been able to find a general comparison chart. There are too many features to compare and too many distributions. If you could narrow down the feature you'd like to compare...

Anyways, a wise course of action would be to download the "live" CD/DVD of distributions you are interested in. These should tell you whether the distribution gets along with and recognizes your hardware well.

Live CDs:
http://www.frozentech.com/content/livecd.php

Bob_Hansen wrote on Aug 13^th, 2006 at 12:51am:


I wouldn' t install anything until you have picked out a distribution. I'd try out some of the big name live CDs. These don't install anything on your harddrive, they run from memory and the CD. But they'll give you a good idea if that distribution likes your network card, your video card, and etc...

BTW: Because most Linuxes can read (and many can write) your MS partitions, you can also use a good live CD as a "rescue disk" for when MS refuses to boot.

If you think it is wise, you could actually install several Linuxes. Most will redivide the partions as needed. You can make another partition for applications, if you want, but most of the linuxes will be able to use each other's partitions. I doubt you will want to have a bunch of linuxes on different partitions.

Unix, in general, does not treat partitions and harddrives like MS does. Generally, linux will want its own partition/filesystem. It might want a second partition for swap space. Where MS treats harddrives as "drive letters" each one starting a new filesystem root, linux will incorporate all further partitions/drives as directories under the same filesystem. If you have multiple harddrives you will soon forget that they are there because linux will tread them all like on big harddrive. Only when you first setup will you have to treat them as separate harddrives.

By the way, this doesn't just go for harddrives. Linux can treat the harrdrives in other computers as directories in its own filesystem. It treats usb key drives the same way. CDs and DVDs too. Under Unix "everything is a file or directory" (actually even directories are a kind of file).

Bob_Hansen wrote on Aug 13^th, 2006 at 1:57am:

You can run Sesame on a Live CD distribution. Just drop the linux version on a key drive. Boot the live CD and copy Sesame off of the key drive. That would not only be a good test of Sesame, but would also test how well the distribution works with USB.
Quote:

Not sure what you mean. As far as I know, Linuxes do not use anything like a registry. Instead they use a ton of configuration files, most of them are stored in the /etc directory. The applications typically also have configuration files that are usually stored with the app. Usually (but no where near always) third party applications will be put in the /usr/local directory.
Quote:

And because the registry is a real mess on Windows. It was a terrible idea poorly implemented. Even MS is shying away from it in favor of using XML files to store important settings. Too many problems with so many eggs in only one basket, especially security problems.
Quote:

In theory, if there was such a thing. The OS software will primarily use files in the /etc directory. Applications will typically have their own files in their own directories, usually under /usr/local or /usr/share.

Again, if I were picking out a new linux, I'd download and burn some of the major player's live CDs and give them a try. I'd probably pick the one that recognizes my hardware with the least difficulty.

There are two areas where linux really lags behind MS: hardware drivers and business software. The hardware makers typically make a linux driver as an afterthought, and in many cases have been prohibited from making linux drivers under contracts with MS - they get inside info about making drivers from MS in exchange. So, sometimes, when you install a linux, you will find that you will have a hard time getting it to work with your hardware.

In the last few years its been getting a lot better. The last install I did (on this very laptop), pretty much fell right into place and everything just worked.

As to the business software, OpenOffice (and several other packages) have gone a long way toward closing that gap, but Unix is primarily a developer's OS. It was made for developers to develop software on. As such it is very good at that. It is also a very good system for developing graphics, and video, and 3D, and etc..., and its a very good server OS. But, it still has a ways to go when it comes to writing a business letter.

Great information ProudPoppy.  Much appreciated. 

I just finished setting up a hard drive on a PC for installing Linux.  Not sure which one yet, but hoped to download a few later today. 
Your input will be helpful as I decide which ones I should try.

I have no problem with a "super DOS", I work in DOS everyday and prefer the flexibility of using switches, and the quick response. 
In a few days I hope to be able to provide some feedback of my own. 

Thanks to The Cow and proudpoppy for your inputs, stay tuned.........

No progress to report.  I had resurrected an unused machine for this purpose.  But I was having a problem writing to the CD that I wanted to download to.  Decided to go to another machine and download/burnburn the CD there.  That worked OK.  Then put the CD into the Linux box and found why it was unused.  It has two CD units, one is Read Only, the other was Read/Write that would not write as noted earlier.  But now I found that neither would read!  Not a lot of free time to experiment, so this will be a while until I get one of the CD units ro read, and then make sure that is the one I can boot from.

So, I will provide some feedback when available, but this is a spare time effort that may take a while......

Bob,

I use a Sams book called SUSE Linux unleashed. It is written well and is very helpful. I find the Sams books tend to be written for an average reader not an academic, so they are a little easier to follow.

If you get a chance check it out.

Robert

Thanks Mark, you may regret the offer.

Here are a few items"
1.  Printer set up.
I added a printer HP2600, was in the list.  Printer is an IP address on the network.  Printer seemed to install OK.
Sent Test Page, job goes into print queue, but never comes out.  I can ping to the Printer IP.  I turned off Firewall.  I am in root group.  I tried adding another identical printer, both using CUPS, with same result.  Then I tried to remove one/both printers, but Remove is greyed out.  Checking SUSE forums, it looked like I needed to be in group "lpadmin".  No such group.  So I joined the "lp" group with no success.  There is a group "ntadmin" but I did not join that group.
Questions:  How to remove Printers? / How to install printer so it does print from the queue.

2.  I downloaded WINE and want to install.  How to install?  Is there a default "Program Files" folder?  Can I make my own?  I thought I installed WINE but cannot find an icon, did a Search for "wine" with no success.

3.  I have Sesame Linux to install.   Suggestions on how to install that?  Hmmm, I bet the instructions are in the Sesame documentation, I will check that out.  By now some of the terminology is familar to me.

4.  When logging in, I get GAIM on desktop waiting for login.  I have no interest in using this.  Want to stop ir from starting.  Where is the "StartUp" folder and the Registry "Run" secttion and the WIN.INI Run/Load commands?  In other words, how do locate and edit the "startup" routines?  I need to learn the entire bootup/login/startup sequence.  Are there some default login scripts for all users and for individual users?

5.  I am able to connect to Internet with Firefox and have also downloaded Thunderbird as email client that I use in Windows.  How do I install that program.  I unzipped the tz file into a folder, and clicked on Thunderbird, and it looks like it is going to start up ok, but would prefer to have it installed in a parent folder like Program Files as noted above for WINE.  Need to know the folder contents.

6.  By accident I was able to browse to a Windows workstation by entering the IP and was then able to drag and drop from Windows folders into SUSE.  Need to learn how to map those drives.

7.  I installed PUTTY on windows, was able to connect to SUSE terminal.  But can only use bash.  Wanted to make Remote connection so I could actually run SUSE system from Windows workstation like I do now with Remote Administrator/Net Meeting/pcAnyWhere.  What commands do I need to enter with bash to get to the GNAME desktop?

These are questions just off the top of my head, not at the SuSE 10.0 system right now. 
I am using GNOME as Desktop Manager with Nautilus File Manager.  Things have been stable, only problem I have seen is closing Banshee CD player, hangs and need to Force Quit, but have not had to use CTL-ALT-DEL yet.  And no BSOD.  That is promising


If you have the time to tutor, I can be the most demanding student.
Thanks again for your offer to help ..... still willing to do this?

If yes, should another forum be set up so different subjects can have their own sections.  If you respond to above we will aready have seven different topics.  I think that many others will be interested in learning along with me.

No rush Mark, I am still picking away in spare time .....

Bob_Hansen wrote on Oct 11^th, 2006 at 7:35am:



Unix is multiuser (really multiuser). That means that you (the system administrator) need to decide the scope of access for any particular package you want to install.

If you want every user to be able to use Sesame, you should install the Sesame directory tree under the /usr/local directory. Check if the users (including yourself when not being the sysdamin, root, or "super user") have "/usr/local" in their paths.

Under Unix, executables are typically layed out in the following directories, based on the use of the executable:

/bin - minimal system executables
/usr/bin - system executables and distribution executables
/usr/local - user installed executables
/usr/PackageName - user installed large systems (much bigger than Sesame size)
/usr/share - shared data
/etc - system configuration files
/home - user directories
/home/UserName - a user's directories

These are merely traditional. Unlike MS, there are no hard fixed rules, you can set up your system any way that makes sense to you. Each of the directories above, of course, will have subdirectories containing numerous files and directories.

Typically, any particular user, other than "root", will only have write access to their own directories. If you want to use Sesame and you believe it is unlikely that any other user will want to use it, simply install it under your own directory: /home/BobHansen. If you believe it likely that you will have more than one executable that is "your's", you may want to set up: /home/BobHansen/bin and set up Sesame under that - adding the path to your executables path.

Generally, to set up very controlled access on Unix is much easier than on Windows in that each user will only have read access to anything outside of their directories. If you want to have very strict security, you can set up "restricted shells" for your users. This will prevent a user from even leaving their own directory, nevermind reading or writing to any other directories.

BOBSCOTT wrote on Oct 11^th, 2006 at 2:33pm:


Depending on which shell the user prefers, I would start with a standard profile (or .rc file) and copy it to the user's home directory, then let it change over time as the user's needs change.

Thanks for info Mark, still have some confusion, so I will be back as I respond to the info you have provided.

A few more questions:

1.  How to create a shortcut to put on Desktop or on Applications Menu?
2.  How to create a "batch file"?  What commands are acceptable?
3.  How to create a shortcut that calls a batch file?
4.  How to change "dir" colors used by LS_COLORS?  I did the printout database, but only got file contents.   How to change the settings?  Where is reference to colors and their codes?

RE separate processing, I have used Putty to make multiple Terminal connections, each one seems invisible to the other, and the actual SUSE workstation gave no indication that two other workstations were connected and using the machine.  Getting a better feeling about stability. 

Quote:

One of the problems that I have is the lack of icons and "standard" folders.  I think that I have installed three programs, but cannot find icons for them.  I am looking under "Applications" on the "Task Bar", there is a tree of applications in many branches, some programs in multiple branches.  That is OK, but I cannot find applications I have installed, and can't find this "Application Tree" on the "Task Bar".  May need to change from GNOME to KDE.  But haven't figured out how to do that yet.  BTW, I do have YaST, but still learning one icon at a time, in spare moments.

Quote:
Yes, I have been using "man" and "info".  But you need to call the command as a switch, and when you don't know the command it is tough.  I have been reading thru many of the commands, but struggling.  I have now started using "dir" and "ls" from / down to get familiar with contents of folders.  I did find an info document that goes through the "init" and "rc" process.  I also have a few more reference books and manuals, but nothing yet that I am happy with.  Not content to just add files, I want to understand how it works under the covers, so this will be a slow process for me.

I am expecting to need to support Linux in the future so I must really learn the OS and be able to develop my own work habits, architecture, storage and naming methods, etc.  I realistically don't expect to have 25 years of Microsoft knowledge replaced in 1-2 days, lots of work ahead of me.

Thanks again Mark for your inputs and your patience.

Bob,

      I have been using Freespire 1.0 for a few weeks now its really good, I have had only two problems the first was setting the permissions to access my windows partition, a little googling solved that, the second is with printing and it holds true for all the linux flavors that I have tried, printing not dark enough and have to resize form for printing. I do believe it is the easist I have used. 

Bob, to find where a program is installed, try the whereis command:

 whereis firefox  

To find where any file is, use the find command:

 find / -name sample.txt -print  

If you are installing sesame for your own use, make a directory under your own home directory and install sesame in there. If you are installing it for multiple users on your box, install it under /usr/local.

Just found a site that shows an extensive database of the Linux equivalent programs for Windows applications. http://www.linuxrsp.ru/win-lin-soft/table-eng.html
And another smaller list can be found here: http://www.grokdoc.net/index.php/Application_Crossover_Chart

It would probably be good for Lantica to get Sesame added since it is available for both OS.

Got linux up and running client & server, on local network and the internet, all running smooth !! After trying every linux flavor out there I found Suse 10.1 rc 2 to be the most stablized, so far everything is working like it should, if my games would just work I could stop duel booting !!