Anyone interested in tinkering with Linux? read on...

[Tazdrummer]

I recently found out about a distribution of Linux that you can download and run SAFELY WITHOUT installing on your pc.

Demo Linux

You can run it from a burned off CD or order it and run it from CD. This comes in handy since I took an oath not to dual or triple boot this machine again (until I can build another one to tinker with that is).

The only thing that I think I can do to make it even more safe is to remove my main hard drive through BIOS when I boot it up. But besides that..... piece of cake.

[Auric]

Thanks taz, i'll have to check that out, at least for this box, i run Red Hat Linux on an 850meg laptop HD in my laptop (dual with windows) i have 2 HD's so i just swap between em.

[Ron Prestenback]

Ok, I checked out the page, and downloaded the ISO that is linked to from the main page, (or was it the download page?) Anyway, said page talks about how at this time, they only have the entire ISO available, which is 600 megs, or 200 megs compressed. However, I downloaded the ISO, and it's only about 31 Megs. Now, on their FTP site, which is where you end up when you click the hyperlink for the ISO, (or actually, when I typed it into my FTP client, because they say on the web site that a browser cannot be used to get the file), there are two files there. One says DemoLinux.ISO, and the other is CDLinux.ISO. Both files are only 31 M. Am I missing something here?

[mahdi]

Sounds like the typical webmaster goof <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">
I see that sort of stuff all the time...

I took an old computer of mine and loaded Read Hat 7.1 on that, and it works sweet!

Now if I can only get it configured to how I want it quickly <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[RIOT]

I downloaded this and made an image on a CD. Works fairly good except that StarOffice is in French or something, and I can't get the network card to work. Other than that it's a good way to look around without committing a partition, hard disk, or entire system to Linux.

[ReBoot]

There's no longer a 1024 cylinder limit to installing Linux, so you can install on any partition/HD you like.
If you truly want to mess around with it, get Mandrake 8 and install it. Superior support for an incredible amount of hardware, a GUI installer that makes it as easy as installing Windows (with one extra step), 11 different window managers to choose from (with about 100 themes built in), full Office suite (in english <IMG SRC="smilies/wink.gif" border="0"> ) games, networking, utilities, CD burners, MP3 players, even built in ICQ client (if you're so inclined, without the security holes of the windows version), even peer-to-peer file sharing utilities, including a Napster clone, 4 different web browsers (all based on Mozilla though) and it's ALL totally free, no demoware, nagware, adware, or shareware. Period. It's all included in a full install of MDK8, with no need to download and install ANY other 3rd party programs. Ability to read and write to FAT and FAT32 partitions/drives, 2 boot loaders to choose from, the list goes on.
Do yourself a favor, if you ever really wanted to try a Linux flavor, get MDK8!

[kingtbone]

Originally posted by reboot:
<STRONG>Do yourself a favor, if you ever really wanted to try a Linux flavor, get MDK8!</STRONG>

From [email protected] <IMG SRC="smilies/smile.gif" border="0">

Just kidding, I don't know why more people don't use the many Linux platforms. I know RedHat is rock solid, but my exposure to mandrake is less experienced.

[Ron Prestenback]

I don't know why more people don't use the many Linux platforms.

Oh, I'm pretty sure it's because of marketing. Although times are-a changin', people in general are still gonna require certain "things" before they consider a product """""REAL"""""

1. There must be commercials on TV for it.

2. At least 1 person they know, preferably soemone that makes more than they do, must have, in the last fifty years, used it and said it was OK.

3. It must be sold in stores.

4. It must be sold in a box that is decorated with fancy, but not too fancy, artwork. It must still look professional.

5. Finally, and most important, as well as most relevant this particular situation, if an "upstart" wants to overturn a current market leader, he must produce bigger, smarter, and sexier advertising strategies.

Before anyone flames me for this one, this post was meant as kinda tongue-in-cheek. The basic point is valid, however. The population is getting smarter, and riskier; but for most people (discounting professionals, as this group is more ahead in the curve), anything beyond "Microsoft Windows" and "internet" is still Greek. My entire family, even though I've corrected them plenty of times, and had numerous tutoring sessions on computers, still calls the computer (the case and everything contained in it) a modem. (other words, she has a monitor, a printer, keyboard, mouse, and modem) <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[gtiseb]

I gotta agree with reboot, Mandrake 8 is the way to go for beginners. I've been using mandrake since 6.0 and 8 is the best they've come out with. IT even play 3d games pretty good.

[DeaJae]

mandrakes my fav at teh mo. especially with lnx4win

[Ghostfleet]

Thanks <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

Now I wont have to format again to try out linux <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0"> <IMG SRC="smilies/biggrin.gif" border="0">

[Daemon]

SLACKWARE 8.0 WAS RELEASED!!!! WOOHOOO
www.slackware.com

Best linux distro out there

[ReBoot]

A short analogy for Linux newbies:
When you're learning to swim, do you jump in the ocean (Slackware 8) or do you start in the wading pool (Mandrake 8)?
Slack is nice, but NOT what anyone would consider user friendly, however, it will teach you how to do things the long, laborious, painful way of getting a Linux distro on your computer.
MDK8 will get you up and running in the shortest amount of time (full install Win98 = >27 minutes, full install MDK8 = <5 minutes), you don't need to purchase a $12 book to read on compiling a kernel and getting XF86 configured, you don't have to spend the next 4 or 5 hours installing all your favorite software apps, ad nauseum...

[Mad Machinist]

Okay...I have the bug.....i have and extra 233mmx processor and motherboard and am stuffing it into a case this evening...what happens when I install drivers? Just browsed a couple of driver cd's and none made a ref to linux...am I over simplyfing?

[ReBoot]

MDK8 comes with the biggest support library of drivers ever. There are not many devices it won't automatically find, and install.
Winmodems are the hardest, there's very limited support, but most name brandNIC's and hard modems are supported. Motherboards, no problem. SCSI drives take a bit of fussing (especially on install) as well as DVD, but Cd-ROM's and burners are almost always configured upon install.
Post your hardware, and we can help out, or search around for the HCL on www.linux-mandrake.com