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The Darkside: Windows is calling...


Tymestream
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<Rant>

 

Hello all,

 

I am having a crisis of (OS) epic preportions. I have been debating the horrible possibility of switching back to Windows. I know, I know, this is the worst place to post such a thing and perhaps that is why I am posting it here- to have someone tell me how silly it is.

 

I am a University student who has always loved computers, has extensive Linux experience, and does love Linux play-with-it-till-it-works mentality. Yet I find myself unable to spare the time to keep my Linux box running smoothy, after two years of faithful service it is refusing to cooperate with me and causing me no end of configuration trouble. Fonts are silly, Linux is hanging and a host of all heretofore unheard of problems with Linux.

 

All I want is my OS to do what I ask it to do - is that to much to ask?

 

I do like to play games without having to spend time endlessly configuring PointToPlay and I like video editing but KDEnlive just doesn't cut it. I like opensource but it seems that when compiling code, something is always out of date or not the requisite version.

 

Yet as the prompt flashes ominously in front of me asking to format NTFS, I pause...

 

and here I sit (on my windows based laptop) waiting for a response...

 

Temporarilly resisting,

 

Anakin

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Dual boot is a good idea - although there are worse things yo ucan do than go back to windows if it works better for you. It's something I do periodically. I currently have windows only on my laptop (the computer I'm now using) and dual boot on my desktop. My desktop is almost never used because it's in my (baby) daughter's room.

 

You'll come back eventually... go on... you know you want to try it... :twisted:

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I'd also suggest trying something other than Mandriva. It started irritating me a few years back, so I moved on to something else ;)

 

If you want to stick with ease-of-use, I'd say go Ubuntu and be sure to grab Automatix

Posting from Ubuntu right now ....

I would honestly say try Ubuntu/Kubuntu depending on your tastes in DM ... or for no messing about my GF is running kanotix.

 

The cool thing with kanotix is its all but ready for use... you have no probs with mp3 libs and stuff like ubuntu and the development stuff is there. I originally installed it on my GF's because I could reinstall if she borked it but thats only happened once in 3 years.(when she failed to keep it up to date for a year and it was just easier to reinstall.)..

 

Second thing is dual boot ...but not Windows... (unless you have a real need) why not just install a hackable distro alongside then you can play about to your hearts content and when you need your computer to work absolutely to finish an assignment... hey you have the stable distro...

 

You can run for instance Ubuntu stable and Debian unstable ... and keep the ubuntu stable just for serioous work.. install games and stuff into the unstable and if it crashes... just reinstall.

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Dual or triple boot is the way to go in your case. Keep Windows on one partition and do those things that are too problematic to achieve with Linux rigth now. Keep e.g. a stable Debian/Kanotix/Ubuntu partition and keep e.g. one Debian Etch (testing) partition for keeping informed of the latest and greatest, so you will be informed when the Linux apps can fully replace your Windows video editing software.

 

PS: Have you tried KINO already for video editing? A friend of mine uses it at the biggest german TV-station for editing the newsshows etc.

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While I enjoy Mandriva and all linux, I have too many clients that use windows. I triple boot on almost every machine I have, except my laptop, which is only a dual boot. I fix windows boxes from linux. People pay me to do it, so I can't get an attitude and dump windows completely. (Oh, wait, I already have an attitude! :lol: )

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Thanks guys,

 

All very useful suggestions. I always have one spare system running Linux anyway. My vexation at the time prevented me from seeing the obvious option of dual booting.

 

Yet I now have another interesting thing to report. I decided to dual boot and install windows first - but after the Checking system configuration... all I get is a black screen and the windows install will not proceed. Seems like my Linux partition is becoming self-aware and rejecting Windows all together. :thumbs: Yet different Distro's will begin installation progress with no problems.

 

Either way, onwards and upwards. - I will dual boot and with contiuned support from Mandrivausers stay from fully switching back to ... well you know.

 

PS. I know the problem with the windows black screen installation thing is a MBR or partition table issue. It just sounds so much better to suggest that my Linux is becoming self aware...

 

Cheers,

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Hey, I like mushrooms......in chile, in spaghetti, on eggs, on hamburger, in salad..............................................................

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