Linux

I started using Ubuntu through Linux for Dummies. It covers the basics, and the best way to advance beyond that is to probably just try things.

The basic system is but the upgrade I needed cost money as did other add ons. The most user friendly Linux I trialled was called Xandros, from memory it was not free.
Unless they fixed it Ubunto does not like hardware changes, it used to hang booting up if I had disconnected a hard drive, with power off< without unmounting it first.
Linux programmers appear to assume a user is conversant with the platform and the command line system of correcting any faults. The only way to find out is to give it a go.

Well, the manual comes with the OS, just click the HELP icon which is located somewhere in the start menu.

If you have a general problem, enter keywords in google and add "howto" to get one of a gazillion "how-to"s for almost any common problem you might encounter.

With the KDE4, you don't need to know anything about Linux, you just point and click like in Windows. The only difference is when you install stuff, usually software doesn't come with its own installer like in Windows. Here, either double click the "RPM" package or there's always a README file how to compile and or install the stuff.

The only problem is plugging in exotic hardware. Usually a message pops up on the error console identifying the hardware and tellig you what you need to install to make it work. You can also look at those messages by "dmesg|tail" (or just "dmesg" and the whole bunch of messages rolls over the screen). Or you look at what hardware IDs you got by "lspci" (built in) or "lsusb" (plugged in) and then just google for the ID and add "Linux" or "Howto".

It has been several years since I used a magazine distro of Xandros but I did at one stage go looking for it. At that time it appeared to have a price tag attached.
As I said earlier my main problem with Ubuntu was the screen resolution, which several attempts through the equivalent of the control panel to fix was unsuccessful and appeared to require an upgrade. The problem appeared to be similar to one I had in the early days when running a CGA monitor through an EGA compatible card The PC I was using is temporarily out of commission waiting for a new power supply, it is a 32 bit based system so it may not be worth the effort .

what distro do you mean by firefox? mozilla's new os?

Used to like ubuntu, but unity is just not my thing, so now it's mint for friends that are windows leavers and gentoo for myself

There is no operating system called Firefox.
Firefox is the number one alternative to Internet Exploder as a Web Browser....
It runs under Windows as well as Linux.........



Paddy,

..the refit of a better PSU is worth the effort, dont bother trying to get inside the actual PSU for repairs, as most of them are built to withstand even the best attempts at incursion, when it says "No user serviceable parts inside" it isnt joking, and the parts to repair the thing are almost as expensive as a new one anyway...
The thing should slide out as one all-inclusive unit once you have detached the snap-together leads, normally PSU's are built to be replaced.

One thing that can go wrong that is worth the checking is the fan on the back... they can be replaced easily, and can just stop spinning for no apparent reason?....

Other than that, Most PSU problems can be traced to Burn-Outs, as in, the PSU supplied is only JUST powerful enough to run what you got, in that, if you have a 300watt PSU, if you are replacing it, go for a 400watt one.
They should only use what they need, so buying a 400 watt PSU will not mean it uses all of the 400 all of the time........
The old thing under the desk was built for expansion, it only uses what it needs, and the PSU inside is a maximum 650 watt... it ticks over at 200 watt most of the time, less even on idle, it can back off to less than a light bulb when it wants, but when I start using Graphic pads, twin screens, and lots of other USB and SATA expansions, when it REALLY gets pushed, when the extra cooling fans cut in, it can use those 600watts when it needs them?...

The new thing is a smaller 500watt psu, but then again, the extras inside are more eco-friendly built, they use less power anyway.
So Why so high?.. because I built it, and I had a spare new 500watt one in a box that wanted a home....

That was what i wondered about, i know firefox and the mozilla org.
They do have an unfinished mobile os

I think we are talking past eachother here

You posted that red hat was your fave untill firefox came along.
Just wondering what linux is your fav now then