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Is Linux Gui

  #1  
Jan 31st, 2005
Is linux GUI like windoze? How is Linux different from Windoze. In Linux Can I connect to Internet and Have a voice conversation with anyone who has windoze thru Yahoo Messenger? Does Linux supporut USB? Are there any good games for Linux? Can I use my CD rewriter?
I live in India and my PC specs are:
Celeron 2.4 ghz 128mb RAM DDR 40gb harddisk
I usually spend most of my time on web and playing games and sometimes printing documents.
Which is the CHEAPEST and BESTEST version available in India

Before buying Linux is there any SAFE linux free to download from the web?
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #2  
Jan 31st, 2005
Hello,

To answer your questions:

1) Linux has a GUI environment called X-Windows that runs with Linux. You can choose to be pure text mode (likely for servers), or GUI for desktops. You can get into the text mode from the graphical one.

2) Linux is similar in the look and feel.... similar like the various flavors of English. Linux is very different from Windoze in the software distrobution category, user philosophies, and virus defenses.

3) Linux can connect to the internet. Dunno if voice with YM works or not. I have streamed audio over the internet, so I know that works.

4) Linux has USB yes.

5) Games are all over the place. If you are looking for the latest WarCraft or big-name games, probably not, but I can play chess on Linux quite well. There is a port of Civilization out there for linux, or you can try emulation. Linux is not intended to be your Atari / Xbox / Gameboy replacement.

6) You can use a CD burner. Depends if the hardware you have is supported or not.

7) I like Fedora and SuSE. Others may like other distrobutions.

8) It is not usually necessary to purchase linux, but you may certainly financially support the authors of the code. You might have to purchase a support contract if you expect to call them and talk to them on your various issues.

Christian
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #3  
Jan 31st, 2005
Gaim will run all different messengers (yahoo, aol, msn, icq, etc) but i am not sure about voice support.

Have you considered Skype for your voice over internet needs?
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #4  
Jan 31st, 2005
Red hat linux is also good.
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #5  
Feb 2nd, 2005
Yes. Gyache (I think thats how its spelled) gives you full Yahoo Messenger capabilities.

And its cool...

Voice and Video over ym.
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Solution Re: Is Linux Gui

  #6  
Feb 2nd, 2005
Originally Posted by chound
Is linux GUI like windoze? How is Linux different from Windoze. In Linux Can I connect to Internet and Have a voice conversation with anyone who has windoze thru Yahoo Messenger? Does Linux supporut USB? Are there any good games for Linux? Can I use my CD rewriter?
I live in India and my PC specs are:
Celeron 2.4 ghz 128mb RAM DDR 40gb harddisk
I usually spend most of my time on web and playing games and sometimes printing documents.
Which is the CHEAPEST and BESTEST version available in India

Before buying Linux is there any SAFE linux free to download from the web?

Good questions, My answers:

1: linux GUI can be set to be almost exactly like Windows, or the MAC OS, it is VERY customisable
2: Linux is more secure than windows, and the entire outlook is more opne, which means its easy to get support and programs for your favourite distribution
3: as fooumang said : YES
4: Linux Does support USB, I think most distro with kernel 2.4+ will support USB, in fact quite a lot of distributions make it easy to install your Linux boot disk image to a USB key for example. (I personally only use a USB mouse with my Linux distro)
5: There are some great games for Linux. Some of the "free" games are a little dull, but you will find that lots of the big games (especially First person shooters) will have ports to Linux (Games such as Quake, Unreal Tournament and Doom3 spring to mind) And there is of course emulators like Wine, which will allow you to run your favourite Windows games in Linux, emulators also allow you to continue using MS office or Macromedia studio, or other Windows programs.
6: CD RW, I have no problem burning CD's under Fedora using my laptop CDrw, I have not tried burning CD's under any other distro yet, as I have had no need to do so.
7: Linux is free (most distros anyway) you can download them from a range of places.

Perhaps you should try getting hold of one of the live CD's first of all, this would give you an idea of how it will run on your system (although there will be a performance loss when using a live distro)

Some great links for you to check out:

List of linux games, and games that can be ported to linux
Ubuntu linux - offer a live distro and an install CD, they will post you the disk for free as well
Knoppix - one of the best LIVE (only) distro's you can get
My absolute favourite distro FEDORA

SE (Dave)
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Help Re: Is Linux Gui

  #7  
Feb 2nd, 2005
Originally Posted by fooumang
Yes. Gyache (I think thats how its spelled) gives you full Yahoo Messenger capabilities.
Is Gyache a distribution of Linux? Should I install different distributions of Linux for various purposes.

Is there any Linux distibution that:
1)Connect to internet
2)Voice chat over Yahoo Messenger
3)Is GUI
4)Suppourts games
5)Suppourts USB

Name it!
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #8  
Feb 2nd, 2005
YES to all of your questions

Gyache is a program that will run on Linux
http://phpaint.sourceforge.net/pyvoicechat/

Names of distros that can do what you want:
Fedora
Ubuntu
Debian
SuSE
Mandrake

The list is pretty endless.

Personally, I find Fedora the nicest to work with, and the nicest to install.

Support from places like http://www.daniweb.com, http://voidmain.is-a-geek.net and the excellent http://www.fedoraforum.org make choosing Fedora a pretty good option.

SE (Dave)
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Solution Re: Is Linux Gui

  #9  
Feb 6th, 2005
I have to laugh.
You ask any linux user about their favorite distro and you get three answers...

Mepis, Knoppix and RedHat are my three.

I agree with everyone here that it will do everything you want and more.

The livecd's are a good way to look around at different linux setups.

Distrowatch offers 22 different versions for $35...

Some of those are multi-cd sets...

Any of those will get you off to a running start.
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Re: Is Linux Gui

  #10  
Feb 12th, 2005
Just wanted to add a little note, I work with people and personally have a Linux box that plays World Of Warcraft, Counterstrike source, and several other popular games by using Cedega from 'http://www.transgaming.com/' This does have additional monthly costs, however in my personal opinion well worth it.
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