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MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Linux

I like the idea of an operating system that belongs to the world, so the idea of Linux is great.

But I still use Windows because ... well ... people write software for it. If I moved to Linux I would probably lose half my tools.

Share your thoughts on Linux here.

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

justlookingforthemoment

Moderator

Registered: 2005-05-26

Posts: 2,161

Re: Linux

A friend showed me these three Linux-related videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lawkc3jH3ws
Hehe, this is set to extreme-sounding music to try make it more interesting ...

http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-199899523054020719&q=linux
Quite a long video, but it shows what you can do.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4471114863140451531
This one is funny.

From looking at those, I like what I see. But I'm probably not going to move to Linux anytime soon ... for one, the school technicians wouldn't be very happy!

George,Y

Member

Registered: 2006-03-12

Posts: 1,379

Re: Linux

Before you risk trying Linux as a freeware, Openoffice instead of MicrosoftOffice is a good choice.

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X'(y-Xβ)=0

Toast

Real Member

Registered: 2006-10-08

Posts: 1,321

Re: Linux

I'm probably not gonna risk moving to Linux. Windows, although not perfectly stable, is more trusted, and Mac is good too.

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Linux

Then there's lin-ux or lie-nux, I don't know how you say it,
Or how you install it or use it or play it,
Or where you download it from, what programs will run,
But lin-ux or lie-nux don't sound like much fun.

How ever you say it, it's been getting great press,
Though how it stays together is anyone's guess.
If you ask me, it's just one big mess,
For elitist nerdy schmucks.

"It's free" they say, if you can get it to run.
The geeks then say, "Hey, that's half the fun."
But I got a girlfriend and things to get done.
The linux OS drags.

- Every OS drags

I myself use linux for mostly developing.  Every day computing I use Windows.

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Re: Linux

So, kyle and Ricky, you use both ...  on different PCs, or "dual boot" from the one PC?

And when you are on Linux what do you miss about Windows, and vice-versa?

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Ricky

Moderator

Registered: 2005-12-04

Posts: 3,791

Re: Linux

So, kyle and Ricky, you use both ...  on different PCs, or "dual boot" from the one PC?

Laptop: Windows XP
Desktop: {Ubuntu | Windows XP}

And when you are on Linux what do you miss about Windows, and vice-versa?

Well for one thing, Windows XP is a lot easier to shut down.  You're just sitting there using the computer, and boom, it shuts down.  No hassle of saving important documents or anything.

Seriously though, I find windows to be much more natural when ever doing non-programming tasks, and Linux the same when programming.

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"In the real world, this would be a problem.  But in mathematics, we can just define a place where this problem doesn't exist.  So we'll go ahead and do that now..."

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Re: Linux

This is a great article about a guy who used Linux for 30 days: http://consumer.hardocp.com/article.htm … 9uc3VtZXI=

On page 4 there is a video of what Beryl (the cool desktop effects program) can do. I want it!

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Zhylliolom

Real Member

Registered: 2005-09-05

Posts: 412

Re: Linux

Well for one thing, Windows XP is a lot easier to shut down.  You're just sitting there using the computer, and boom, it shuts down.  No hassle of saving important documents or anything.

Hahaha, I totally did not catch the sarcasm the first time I read that a few days ago. But now I get it.

I use Linux for programming purposes and Windows for everyday "normal" computer activities.

Patrick

Real Member

Registered: 2006-02-24

Posts: 1,005

Re: Linux

This is a great article about a guy who used Linux for 30 days: http://consumer.hardocp.com/article.htm … 9uc3VtZXI=

On page 4 there is a video of what Beryl (the cool desktop effects program) can do. I want it!

the cube feature seems very useful for doing non-school related things in the classroom

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MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Re: Linux

I have begun the journey.

I opted to install Ubuntu because of its great package management. (But I chose KDE not gnome for the desktop, so it is then called kubuntu)

It just installed and ran. Wow.

Had internet access without lifting a finger.

Took me some hours to get my Windows PC to connect to it (but it could see Windows really easily, huh). I used "Samba" to make it happen.

I am going to start playing with the desktop now

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

Zach

Member

Registered: 2005-03-23

Posts: 2,075

Re: Linux

*GNOME

Samba is a Windows and Novell utility.

You just used a foreign utility on a Linux based system from Windows/Novell. Way to play inside Linux.

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Boy let me tell you what:
I bet you didn't know it, but I'm a fiddle player too.
And if you'd care to take a dare, I'll make a bet with you.

U7109

Real Member

Registered: 2007-03-19

Posts: 485

Re: Linux

Linux?! What on Earth is Linux?!

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"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination," ~ John Lennon

MathsIsFun

Administrator

Registered: 2005-01-21

Posts: 7,711

Re: Linux

It runs a computer like Windows does, but is free.

It is very actively developed by people all over the world, and in my short experience seems a lot better.

The only trouble is there are some programs that run on Windows that don't run on Linux. So I still need Windows for the moment

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"The physicists defer only to mathematicians, and the mathematicians defer only to God ..."  - Leon M. Lederman

U7109

Real Member

Registered: 2007-03-19

Posts: 485

Re: Linux

Why develop a second computer program? It seems strange to me.

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"Reality leaves a lot to the imagination," ~ John Lennon