Linspire/Knoppix and all the rest

[lilserenity]

Hello,

This weekend I had some good fun playing around for the first time on a *nix style OS, namely Linux in the form of Knoppix/Debian and quite successfully too. (Much more successful than my fun I had back some years ago trying to install NetBSD on my Amiga...) I have to say I really do like it. The bugger is I just bought my licensed copy of Windows XP as my T23 only had Windows 2000 COA. Typical I spend out when I find something for free that I like, oh well.

Anyway. My only reservations over making the switch, and I would do it in a flash permanently is being able to do all that I do on my Windows XP install program wise on Linux. Two applications particularly come to mind namely Microsoft Access and Photoshop 6.0 which I use very regularly. (Well being a database consultant, I kinda need them, and as an avid CG artist!) The last problem can probably be circumvented by using The GIMP 2.0, however for now MS Access is indispensible (considering I just have pretty much finished a huge DBMS project for my workplace, and I mean huge, even I am pretty impressed!) need to manage that.

Excuse me if I end up rambling on!

Ok, my system is a T23 (2647-4MG) which has been upgraded to 1GB of RAM (the max), a 5400rpm hard disk, and also it has got an SXGA+ panel instead of the 4MG's XGA panel ready to be transplanted (according to my extensive research this will work just fine.... *clear away the smoke* d'oh!). My questions basically are:

1.) Will the SXGA+ resolution be picked up automatically by Knoppix/Debian or Linspire (Lindows)

2.) I know I can get the dual boot working on Knoppix just fine (well, by restoring the partition using Rapid Recovery thingy, F11 on startup) - then the boot manager appears correctly. (Of course a backup is needed just before I install Knoppix). Is Linspire just as easy to get dual booting with XP?

3.) I have a Mustek 1200UB Scanner, USB, works great in Windows but I am unsure of compatibility in linux, no many answers to be found on googling either. Any ideas of this scanners and general scanner compatibility in these Linux environments?

4.) DVD Playback. I tried XINE (is that it?) however it failed to play my DVDs on playback, its a standard SR-8175 Masuhita 8x DVD/CD mechanism on the T23, UltraBay 2000, also region free due to a firmware upgrade. However clicking DVD as the source on the main window brings up a playback error Any ideas, is DVD playback easily possible?

5.) Here it is - the dreaded Windows compatibility. I have been forcing myself to use OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 and also to familiarise myself with The GIMP, to see if I can dispense of MS Office and Photoshop. (Pain considering I paid for Photoshop too, but £70 for the OEM 6.0 version wasn't too bad). What options do I have for using Access 2003 (maybe Access 2002/XP if I can live with it) on the Linux system, I have read many options but none seem to be able to be compatible with Access 2003 (only XP), perhaps this will be the use of dual booting...

I think that was just about it. I am just quite excited by the possibilities a Linux based OS can bring me, it seemed pretty fast and responsive too. The desktop environment was KDE in Knoppix's case.

Basically I just want to be able to use my T23 as I do now, and am experimenting with ideas other than Windows XP Professional - which is fine but just feels a bit, stale...

Vicky
ps: just to add I also need access to MS Workgroups as that is what my 560Z server sits on using Windows 2000 Server, and internet access is not a problem as I have an ADSL router with built in modem, wired connections and that worked fine in Knoppix and net access was great, I just want to obviously be able to contact my 560Z server for websites I store there!

[carbon_unit]

Ok I'll give it a try:

1.) I am not sure about this but probably OK.

2.) I think you will find that when you do a hard drive install of knoppix you get plain standard debian, not the customized Knoppix version. It is not the same as running it from the CD.
As far as getting linspire to dual boot with XP, you might want to check the forum https://forum.linspire.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?Cat=

3.) Mustek scanner check http://www.sane-project.org/

4.) DVD playback is not as easy in linux as it could be due to the MPAA. It can be done though. I have done it in Xandros easily.

5.) Windows compatibility: Look into http://www.codeweavers.com/site/product ... rted_apps/
and http://www.netraverse.com/
I have used both of these and had varied success. (but still success!)

I have tried a lot of distros and for windows converts I recommend :
http://www.xandros.com/
or http://www.linspire.com/

There is a free version without Crossover installed, a standard version without crossover (why??), a deluxe version with crossover installed and a Business version with Windows 2000 Active Directory server and Windows NT PDC authentication.
All versions have excellent windows network compatibility and a trial of Win4lin is available so you can try it out to see if it suits your needs.

Occasionally Linspire gives away free downloads of their CD through linux user groups. If I find one I will post it here.

[carbon_unit]

http://info.linspire.com/p2p/p2p-pr.html
Free Linspire download but requires bittorrent and some bandwidth. Better than paying $59.95.

[lilserenity]

I have just tested my DbMS for my company and it does indeed run on Microsoft Access 2000, this means I have an option of using code weaver's "Cross Over Office". For me, this is pretty much a sealed deal of crossing over to Linux.

What distro is recommended, I have heard of Xandros coming with the latter with it in the advanced versions?

My only reservation now is scanning images in with my USB scanner. (mustek 1200ub plus as I say)

Vicky

[lilserenity]

Ok I'll give it a try:

1.) I am not sure about this but probably OK.

Thankyou for trying I'm sure this is relatively easy to be configured, of course I will soon find out...

2.) I think you will find that when you do a hard drive install of knoppix you get plain standard debian, not the customized Knoppix version. It is not the same as running it from the CD.

Well it seemed pretty similar to the CD (v3.4), but I got on pretty well with it using the shell and so forth, which seems somehow familiar to me (I suppose coming from the Amiga to the PC which had a shell that resembled more of a Unix system than anything, don't laugh, the miggy was quite a clever machine, shame it is so out of date and useless nowadays) and managed to install a few packages. I got on well with it.

As far as getting linspire to dual boot with XP, you might want to check the forum https://forum.linspire.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?Cat=

I shall read after this

3.) Mustek scanner check http://www.sane-project.org/

I found that page just before I checked your reply, seems it is supported, but I will need to read those instructions carefully, some mentionings of firmware and so forth

4.) DVD playback is not as easy in linux as it could be due to the MPAA. It can be done though. I have done it in Xandros easily.

MPAA, hmmm... Well I am in the UK What DVD player did you use, this is something indispensible for me personally.

5.) Windows compatibility: Look into http://www.codeweavers.com/site/product ... rted_apps/
and http://www.netraverse.com/
I have used both of these and had varied success. (but still success!)

I really like the sound of Cross Over Office, seems to be just what I need and with verifying Access 2000 is not picky over my database (I have to use Access, as this particular project was started before I began coding PHP/MySQL and I don't relish the task of rewriting the system to use PHP/MySQL) and thus should work with Crossover Office. I don't intend to use Word/Excel et. al as OpenOffice.org is proving to actually be alright - despite the rather 1997 feel to its user interface. (Sucker for aesthetics me )

I have tried a lot of distros and for windows converts I recommend :
http://www.xandros.com/
or http://www.linspire.com/

Again here I am erring on chosing Xandros Business Edition because it comes with Star Office 7 (pretty much OpenOffice.org 1.1.2 except some key changes) and with the windows compatibility with Crossover Office which can run Photoshop 6.0 if I don't get on with The GIMP.

Then Linspire does come with a multipurpose IM program (sarky old me

There is a free version without Crossover installed, a standard version without crossover (why??), a deluxe version with crossover installed and a Business version with Windows 2000 Active Directory server and Windows NT PDC authentication.
All versions have excellent windows network compatibility and a trial of Win4lin is available so you can try it out to see if it suits your needs.

True indeed, but still Xandros, I seem to be preferring that, I just read some things about Linspire's licensing thingies, charging you for downloads, subscriptions etc. and I do not want any of that. That said if Linspire can be had for free and I can get Cross Over Office for the $40 that is asked for it, that may sway me entirely. After all $90 for Xandros is a bit of a squeeze at the moment on my funds, being a student and all and payday this Friday Especially a student who just spent £80 on Windows XP Professional and is now finding they may not even need it

Occasionally Linspire gives away free downloads of their CD through linux user groups. If I find one I will post it here.

I shall keep an eye on things

Many thanks for your help!! Deeply appreciated.

Vicky

[vjacob]

Vicky, I guess you've probably had a look at

http://www.alex.org.uk/T23/
http://www.math.uakron.edu/~chad/linux_t23.html
http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/apapadop ... howto.html
http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/prakman/lappy-linux.html
http://ken.bantoft.org/docs/linux/t23/
http://stp.ling.uu.se/~perweij/priv/mai ... l/t23.html
http://www.patoche.org/alone/info/t23.html
http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~jwb/notebook3.html

- note: You might want to not look too much into specific instructions pertaining on pages from above URLs, if they are about 2.4 kernels. I'd suggest installing something as new as 2.6.7, but maybe that's just me.

Found them with a quick google for "t23 linux", but they are probably all linked to from http://www4.tpgi.com.au/users/prakman/lappy-linux.html

- I´ve installed linux before, but this is the way I found out how to get my resolution "detected", in fact I found a ready made X30 configuration file, I just popped in, so I didn't have to mess about.

P.s. yes I know there are many pages to read, both now and when you install linux, but that's how it is with linux, as they say...but it pays off. You'll have gather a puzzle, but it'll work - if not, you know where to turn

[lilserenity]

Yeah I shall be opening the window and hoofing the T23 out of it, thats where I'll turn Only kidding!

Basically I have been weighing up a lot of distros, and I'm not a complete *nix alike system newbie, but I need something simple which will adapt to me becoming more advanced. For that reason I have opted for Xandros as it comes with CrossOver Office included, which will keep me happy in not having to dual boot Windows for just Access 2000 or Photoshop 6.0 (the latter is hard to wean me off as I love it, but The GIMP does look good, as for Access, well I am pretty proficient with PHP and MySQL ) As for everything else, well that's what Open Office is for, and I have got on a dream with that, few niggles in the WP - and a learning curve of sorts but I feel prepared to use that over Word etc. any day.

Please do not get me wrong, I am not a Microsoft hater and I do think they have some pretty good stuff. I just don't think MS' way is the way for me, as a geek girl

Overall I feel excited about having a Linux system, not sure why, I just find Windows to be stale.

Will check out those links; some look familiar. So long as most essential devices and X works well on 1400x1050 SXGA+ (I'm upgrading my T23 to that spec tomorrow), then that will be just fine.

Bye bye Administrator, hello root.

...ahhh but Xandros uses the term Administrator, bah

Thanks for all the help so far, my only reservation is getting SANE to work with my Mustek 1200UB Plus USB scanner, that will be fun

Vicky

[carbon_unit]

You know what Vicky, if you want to check out Xandros you should get the Open Circulation edition (free) and see how it does with your hardware and if you are happy with it then you can buy the full version or just buy some standalone Crossover Office. I think the version shipping with Xandros is old and not being updated.
There is lots of information here:
http://forums.xandros.com/