Grandor":3h6qzx4a said:
I think the day has finally come for me to switch to Linux. I've read up on it and I'm suprised by the ease on installation. My worries, though are many. Linux seems to complicated for me! I'm pretty sure Linux doesn't include a help section like MS Windows so that's why I've decided to open up this topic so people who've tried Linux or are running it currently can help me out.
First off, check out Ubuntu/Kubuntu/Xubuntu
here. Ubuntu, the default install, has the Gnome window manager (e.g. interface), which feels a bit more like Mac, and Kubuntu uses KDE, a very snazzy Windows-style window manager. Xubuntu is it's own sort of deal, but it's built to be more efficient on low-power machines. Ubuntu is the core software, and you can switch between the different window managers on the fly via a 600mb download and about a half an hour of installing so don't sweat it. I recommend Kubuntu; with a good video card it rivals or exceeds Vista in visual flair. Each edition is exceedingly easy to install, perhaps easier than Windows XP.
I need a script editor program that can edit languages like HTML, PHP, Javascript, etc. I would like a link to a program that can do this on Linux.
The text editors built into both Gnome and KDE will handle this for you just fine, with syntax highlighting and all the basic features you'd expect out of an advanced editor. There's also Vi - which takes some time to get used to but is the God of all efficiency-oriented keyboard shortcut mania software - emacs, which is more straightforward and incredibly powerful, and plenty of Scintilla-derivatives with more advanced features, you'll have plenty of time to look into it.
As far as getting a link to one, you'll understand why that's not necessary once you've got it installed and played with the package manager (see below). I still use the built in KDE editor (it's called Kate). There's such an overwhelming variety of them available though I couldn't give you an exhaustive list here. Stick with Kate or Gedit (the Gnome version) for now, if you find yourself needing more features later you'll know how to find out everything you want to know by then.
When I install hardware on Linux, do I have to manually install everything through command prompts? In Windows, Windows normally automatically installs any hardware connected with no hassle.
With the vast majority of hardware (K)Ubuntu will install cleanly and work just fine without any work on your part. If you do have problems (I did due to a rare issue between my nForce-2 based ASUS motherboard and my Radeon x800) you will be able to find solutions in the extensive support forums or elsewhere. In any case you should be able to get the software up and running no problem, even with bugs all it means is some research and tweaking to get it running at peak.
Can Linux change themes or appearances? If so, exactly how is it done?
Like you can't even imagine or believe. It's done through a theme manager that works sort of like Windows' desktop settings, but much more feature rich and probably a little overwhelming to start off with. You can download hundreds of different theme packs, or pick and choose from elements from many of them at once; you can use buttons from one pack, bars from another pack, window skins from another, and window borders from yet another all through the theme menu.
Can folders be created and searches be performed like in Windows in the destination you want? Such as My Pictures, My Music like in Windows.
Yes. The equivalent in Linux of your My Documents directory is called your Home folder, and you can do everything you'd expect in Windows in the same folder. Linux has quite a bit more complex and confusing directory structure to the beginner, but if you stick with keeping things in the Home folder until you get a handle on it you will not have too much trouble.
When I install a network device to my computer running Linux, will it automatically recognize it? (Such as a modem or something to connect to the internet)
Ubuntu should recognize any hardware plug-and-play just like Windows. If you use Kubuntu it will even have similar pop-up boxes walking you through the installation process. The only exception are wireless devices, which take a little bit of extra work; if you connect via a wireless card make sure to read up on how to install it and that you have all the necessary stuff (usually the windows driver disc that came with it will contain what you need). The reason for this is that Linux uses a special piece of code called a wrapper to run the windows drivers for the wireless card inside Linux for some technical reasons.
Is their a program equivalent to Adobe's Photoshop for Linux?
It's called the Gimp, it's free and pretty similar to Photoshop in features and layout.
How exactly do I install programs on Linux?
In Ubuntu, most of the things you install will be installed via a piece of software called a package manager. It's sort of like add/remove programs, except it connects to a huge global database of all the free software available for Ubuntu Linux and lets you search and pick items to install automatically. Once you select an item to install, it will find all the stuff you need to make it work and set it all up automatically for you. Not every piece of software is available this way but for the majority of things you'll want to get in the beginning, it's that easy.
With 2GB of Ram and a 500GB Hard drive, is this sufficient to adquately run Linux quickly and store information?
More than enough to run Kubuntu, which is the most resource-hogging version. I ran it very nicely on 1gb ram with a 120gb HDD, a 3.4ghz Athlon XP, and a Radeon x800.
Lastly, would you recommend I do a clean install of Linux or have it running while on Windows?
Clean install is the best way to go, but you WILL lose all your files if you choose to do a clean install. In my experience Linux doesn't play particularly well with NTFS but you can get it to read files off your Windows partition. There are lots of caveats and awkward bugs I ran into trying to do this though, personally. Your mileage may vary.
I greatly appreciate your help in this matter. I've been nervous in trying Linux in fear that I might lose irreplacable information and not know how to use the OS.
Once you get over the couple of weeks or so of shock (at least, that's how long it took me to warm up to it) you will really wonder why exactly you were ever running Windows. It does everything Windows does except gaming, and you'd be surprised the variety of games you can get to run in Ubuntu one way or other. Oh, also, I have heard RMXP runs in Wine (a Windows environment emulator for running Windows-based programs). I have not tried this yet, as I do all my creative work on my TabletPC which unfortunately is still locked into running Windows for a variety of reasons. My desktop however is happily behaving as a server, media center, and general purpose machine.
Good luck
