Teach the layman about Linux SuSE

[CanuckAmok]

I just bought a laptop on eBay. It's being delivered with "Linux SuSE". The laptop is a PIII 800Mhz, 512 RAM.

I have been using Windows XP for years, and I'm pretty happy with it, on the whole.

I'm willing to give Linux a try, but I have some software that's pretty-much essential for work (and some recreational programs I'd like to be able to use), and I'm wondering about compatibility.

Here's what I hope to run:


Windows Office '97 (specifically Word and Excel)

Mozilla Firefox

WinAmp

Firefox

Photoshop 6.0

ACDSee

iTunes player

Drivers for a Kodak digital camera

Adobe Acrobat

Drivers for an HP printer

Drivers for a Linksys wireless router

Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Personal Firewall

Some sort of DVD playing software



Do you forsee any compatibility issues?

Also, I presently use Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker for watching and editing videos. Is there a Linux-based piece of software which will replace these?

Any advice you can offer a Linux newbie? I'm going to try to get-by without MicroSoft, but I have my doubts....

[FormerDittoHead]

1. You've got to readjust your expecations.

You do know that Linux isn't Windows, right?

Your list of software is almost a catalog of software that Linux doesn't run that well..

>Windows Office '97 (specifically Word and Excel)

There are very good substitutes, but as such, these exact apps are known to be a problem to be installed and run on Linux. In fact, a company ( http://www.codeweavers.com ) is in business selling software which is designed specifically to install and run MS office on linux. But again, Linux is not Windows and it's not designed, out of the box, to run MS Office that well...

>Mozilla Firefox - well that's included.

>WinAmp

There are WinAmp work-alikes. I use XMMS, and you wouldn't know the difference from WinAmp

>Photoshop 6.0

I am unaware of anyone running Photoshop well on Linux. There is a substitute called The Gimp, but if you're used to using PS's advanced features, you're SOL.

>ACDSee

There are many similar graphic viewers for linux. I use Gwenview.

>iTunes player.

Sorry. Podcasting, etc., is a sore point for me - never got it to work.

>Drivers for a Kodak digital camera

Should be included.

>Adobe Acrobat

No problem.

>Drivers for an HP printer

My HP works fine, but if you have a combo-printer-scanner, etc. you may be disappointed.

>Drivers for a Linksys wireless router

You must mean a Linksys PC card? Don't know.

>Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Personal Firewall

Alternatives are included.

>Some sort of DVD playing software

No problem there either.

[TheBaldyMan]

2. I can offer some advice on a couple of things.

Here's what you hope to run:

• Windows Office '97 (specifically Word and Excel): Open Office is a good alternative within Linux, OO-Writer and OO-Calc can read and export compatible files AFAIK.
  
• Mozilla Firefox: no problem
  
• WinAmp : there are a great many media players to choose from
  
• Firefox : again no problem
  
• Photoshop 6.0 : use Gimp - it is the best image editor for Linux
  
• ACDSee : the built-in file viewers in KDE or Gnome should handle this instead
  
• iTunes player : as with Winamp a media player should handle mp3s
  
• Drivers for a Kodak digital camera : it depends on how you connect it, if it's USB no problem, although I'm not an expert on TWAIN, etc.
  
• Adobe Acrobat : no problem
  
• Drivers for an HP printer : if it is an older model - no problem. check out CUPS.
  
• Drivers for a Linksys wireless router : again, with older models - no problem
  
• Norton Anti-Virus and Norton Personal Firewall : Linux has firewall software available.
  
• Some sort of DVD playing software - try Ogle, you will have to compile the source code then install it but it works quite well, although it does look very old fashioned.
  
• Also, I presently use Windows Media Player and Windows Movie Maker for watching and editing videos. Is there a Linux-based piece of software which will replace these? Kino is the standard video editor that comes as standard.
  

Do you forsee any compatibility issues? I've found that certain media players are hell on earth when it comes to installing and getting them to function, IMO this has more to do with my machine (quirky audio card) because others have been able to get great results.

If your kit is rather old the availability of drivers is better than brand new kit. More manufacturers are shipping with linux drivers. One criticism I have of Suse is their use of RPMs to distribute components but I have had compatibility issues mainly because RPMs are originally from RedHat and they usually work fine with RedHat but can be very clunky indeed with SuSe.

[charlie]

3. Too late

:)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=242x13142#13152

[TheBaldyMan]

4. Well if you've got money to burn ...

get a Apple notebook.

[charlie]

5. Me?

I'm broke. With an old underpowered duct-tape-and-baling-wire PC. And Ubuntu Dapper. No Apples for me :hi:

[TheBaldyMan]

6. I meant CanuckAmok, I wouldn't mind having the cash for XP or Vista

you can buy a lot of beer with that.

:toast:

[charlie]

7. Yep!

If I'm buying a hangover, may as well have the beer to go with it.