What is Linux and how to use
Author
I''m a novice programmer and coputer hobbiest.
I have been stuck with MS OS since all my computers i bye come with it. I would like to try Linux. However I know nothing about Linux. Does it feel about like windows? Can a program written for windows run on Linux? Is the Redhat 7 the best Linux? Do you have to know computers pretty well to use Linux? Is Linux that much better than Windows (especially XP as that is the alternative for me)?
Any response greatly appreciated.
Does it feel about like windows?
For the most part no. However, that doesn''t mean it feels worse.
Can a program written for windows run on Linux?
By default no.
Is the Redhat 7 the best Linux?
Short answer: No. It is one of the more supported and user friendly versions though. I used to use RedHat, it wasn''t too bad. What would I say the best distro. is? I don''t know, I''ve seen good things about lots of them (I have dozens of Linux CD''s lying around my house, I''m still have a lot to try
). Mandrake or RedHat is what you should use if you''re expecting the distro. to be newbie friendly.
Do you have to know computers pretty well to use Linux?
Compared to what you need to know to use Windows you might, but you don''t need to know everything. If you have somewhat up-to-date and/or common hardware the installer should take care of everything.
Is Linux that much better than Windows (especially XP as that is the alternative for me)?
Technologically yes. To you it may not be, especially if you''ve never used a unix before. Once you get X running it is pretty easy, however.
[Resist Windows XP''s Invasive Production Activation Technology!]
For the most part no. However, that doesn''t mean it feels worse.
Can a program written for windows run on Linux?
By default no.
Is the Redhat 7 the best Linux?
Short answer: No. It is one of the more supported and user friendly versions though. I used to use RedHat, it wasn''t too bad. What would I say the best distro. is? I don''t know, I''ve seen good things about lots of them (I have dozens of Linux CD''s lying around my house, I''m still have a lot to try
). Mandrake or RedHat is what you should use if you''re expecting the distro. to be newbie friendly.Do you have to know computers pretty well to use Linux?
Compared to what you need to know to use Windows you might, but you don''t need to know everything. If you have somewhat up-to-date and/or common hardware the installer should take care of everything.
Is Linux that much better than Windows (especially XP as that is the alternative for me)?
Technologically yes. To you it may not be, especially if you''ve never used a unix before. Once you get X running it is pretty easy, however.
[Resist Windows XP''s Invasive Production Activation Technology!]
You forgot to tell him what X is... :D
By the way.. I am very interested in developing linux games... does anyone wants to keep in touch with the objective to do this?
If brute force does not solve your problem....you''re not using enough!
By the way.. I am very interested in developing linux games... does anyone wants to keep in touch with the objective to do this?
If brute force does not solve your problem....you''re not using enough!
If you are considering installing Linux, perhaps you should use Mandrake 8.1. Mandrake is seemingly an easy distribution to work with.
*** !!! ***
Make sure you take the time to learn how to install Linux properly. Read some of the many tutorials about installing Linux. There a great deal of them, all over the web. Installing Linux incorrectly may make it impossible to boot into Windows! I''ve done it! Read and learn about your hard drive''s "master boot record" and about the "1024 cylinder limit". If you install Linux incorrectly, you will very likely have to reformat your hard drive. Take plenty of time in learning how to set things up, and BACK UP your hard drive!
Hope this helps.
*** !!! ***
Make sure you take the time to learn how to install Linux properly. Read some of the many tutorials about installing Linux. There a great deal of them, all over the web. Installing Linux incorrectly may make it impossible to boot into Windows! I''ve done it! Read and learn about your hard drive''s "master boot record" and about the "1024 cylinder limit". If you install Linux incorrectly, you will very likely have to reformat your hard drive. Take plenty of time in learning how to set things up, and BACK UP your hard drive!
Hope this helps.
I''ve been using Mandrake Linux for about a year now. I absolutely love it. There''s software for just about anything you could imagine and you get all the source code and the ability to change it. X (basically the GUI) is relatively easy to use - expecially with KDE 2.1 (www.kde.org)
As for programming... I''ve done some KDE programming. It''s quite simple compared to win32 programming. I have not, however, tried using OpenGL - and by all means, Linux is fully capable as a gaming platform. You can basically program in any language you want in Linux as there are dozens and dozens of compilers out there - www.sourceforge.net or www.linux.org, etc. I even make Palm programs on my linux box using a palm (motorola 68k processor) port of GCC.
I think you should give it a try.
~Shaun
As for programming... I''ve done some KDE programming. It''s quite simple compared to win32 programming. I have not, however, tried using OpenGL - and by all means, Linux is fully capable as a gaming platform. You can basically program in any language you want in Linux as there are dozens and dozens of compilers out there - www.sourceforge.net or www.linux.org, etc. I even make Palm programs on my linux box using a palm (motorola 68k processor) port of GCC.
I think you should give it a try.
~Shaun
quote:Original post by OldMan__
You forgot to tell him what X is... :D
Ah, fine
. Short answer: X = X11 = XFree86 = Graphics for Linux and other Unixes.quote:Original post by Anonymous Poster
Make sure you take the time to learn how to install Linux properly.
Yeah, very true. I read a lot about installing it before I even attempted it. Now I simply put it on another hard drive so I don''t have to worry about it (hey, I literally found a spare sitting there in my tower without a use
, and figured what the heck?). [Resist Windows XP''s Invasive Production Activation Technology!]
quote:Original post by OldMan__
By the way.. I am very interested in developing linux games... does anyone wants to keep in touch with the objective to do this?
Well as a hobby its worth pursuing, but if you want make money by developing games, better stick to windows. Secondly I don''t find linux very well suited for games.
SDL is nice to use although I don''t seem to like it very much.
(http://www.libsdl.org)
Then Opengl is supported on linux.
(http://www.opengl.org)
Then there is DRI which allows for direct access to graphics hardware so I guess it may be well suited for games (http://dri.sourceforge.net)
I really don`t think so. If you live in a country with an economy like Brazil has, linux become a very pratical choice. Since our taxes over foreign proprietary software are of 150%... well, linux looks a very good choice.
If brute force does not solve your problem....you''re not using enough!
If brute force does not solve your problem....you''re not using enough!
quote:
By the way.. I am very interested in developing linux games... does anyone wants to keep in touch with the objective to do this?
You cant make money making linux games, true, but its also true that this is because there are not as many linux users as are Windows users, personaly I think, the strategy is NOT to port Windows games to Linux (Loki), as user will buy the version that comes out first even if they like Linux better, and if I pay $40+ for a game in Windows, I dont thing I would pay again $40+ just so I can play it on Linux.
making Linux only games is not the right strategy eighter, since for most users, installing a new OS to play one game is crazy.
so what I say, is paralell development, you code for both at the same time, release at the same time, maybe for the price of one you get both, so those with a dual boot can play in eighter, compare and stick with one. this is not harder as it may sound, specialy if you code using the same tools (I code with mingw32 and xemacs, and sometimes I even code the Windows version in Linux, using xmingw32 cross compiler).
So, count me in for programming Linux games
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