Allen D

[Psychopete]

I build my own... I triple boot XP, Vista and Ubuntu

I don't know how you guys can deal with the multiple boots. I tried this for grins and found that I primarily used one OS regardless. If I do need another OS, I have enough parts lying around to build another machine and access it through my 4 port KVM (or VNC). Nice having another computer setting around to gnaw on data for a while..

Pete

Edit:
Redhat is OK in my book. Although, I've never used a GUI for it (like Gnome or KDE). 100% of what I've done in Linux has been from bash. But most of the time, I am doing things over SSH on servers. Definitely have to be a programmer to get some packages to work, sometimes shit just won't 'make' and you gotta figure it out and resolve it.

 

[Shran]

FreeBSD with KDE is my weapon of choice

 

[bmacsys]

FreeBSD with KDE is my weapon of choice

Not a Gnome lover?

 

[Shran]

GNOME is alright, just always preferred KDE for some reason.

 

[jon_herr]

I don't know how you guys can deal with the multiple boots. I tried this for grins and found that I primarily used one OS regardless. If I do need another OS, I have enough parts lying around to build another machine and access it through my 4 port KVM (or VNC). Nice having another computer setting around to gnaw on data for a while..

The 'easy' way to multiboot windows xp, vista, and ubuntu...

1. Install Vista on to it's own drive. Not partition, but drive... Vista wants to use it's own new and improved bootloader, and gets upset (early versions did) if you re-size or change the partition in anyway after install.
2. Install XP on another drive - either just a partition or let it take the whole thing... doesn't matter as XP plays nice
3. Install Ubuntu. Ubuntu will find the XP installation and offer partitioning options. In the end you can either re-size the partition or install ubuntu somewhere else... bottom line is in the end you'll have a 'grub' bootloader that knows about Ubuntu and Windows XP.
4. Edit the grub menu file, usually located: '/boot/grub/menu.lst' and copy the entry for XP, changing the drive being pointed to to be your Vista drive... change the comments if necessary and you're there for a triple boot.

Step 4 above requires some familiarity with Linux... if you just want XP and Ubuntu on the same box it's as easy as steps 1 and 2 - or if you already have XP installed just do step 3, install Ubuntu. (Back up your data first).

Edit:
Redhat is OK in my book. Although, I've never used a GUI for it (like Gnome or KDE). 100% of what I've done in Linux has been from bash. But most of the time, I am doing things over SSH on servers. Definitely have to be a programmer to get some packages to work, sometimes shit just won't 'make' and you gotta figure it out and resolve it.

Redhat has the very problem you mention, dependencies management because their so called package management system isn't... 'rpms' don't do the job at all. So beginners are often stuck with circular dependencies, or worse yet they're windows users and don't have the first clue about running .configure / make, etc... and shouldn't have to for 99% of what desktop users have to do on a daily basis. By circular dependencies, I mean you need some library or what not to perform the .configure operation, but can't do it because you don't have whatever you need to even 'get' the library that is needed. Novices to Linux can't handle this problem... and that's exactly why I promote Ubuntu / debian type systems - and why I really do believe that Red Hat has _hampered_ Linux progress on the desktop...
If they'd have finished their package management system then Linux might be on more than 50% of all desktops today... and provided true competition to Windows.

But I rant, I rant... Give Ubuntu a try, and try out 'apt-get' - you might be hooked.

: )

Jon

 

[Kdawg532]

bdab i have the same lappy as you and use ubuntu fine i had to get a different hardrive cause the factory one is junk

 

[small ranger]

great advice

 

[AllanD]

Gee I thought I had everything working then saturday morning my router died...

The new one plugged in and worked perfectly (for a change)

I've tried several other systems other than windws and as bad as
it is the other stuff I've used is worse.

One friend swears by Firefox as a browser, I find that not only does it
load more slowly (contrary to the claim that once it appears it's "all there"
while IE keeps churning) I find that individual page loads take longer,
even with the faster P4-2.66Gig computer, than IE could load each page
even on the P3-500MHz computer.

So even conceding a longer churn time on "launch" IE wins in the end
because the pages just about "blink" up.
Mozilla makes me think I switched back to the P3-500

Not only that contrary to my choices it decided it was going to be the default browser.

NOT anymore, I wiped the drive and reinstalled everything WITHOUT it.

Not to mention what an audio-video program "VLC" did to my 3800piece mp3 library.

fortunatly I had the entire library (WITH tags) saved on a DISCONNECTED drive.

VLC even applied "VLC file" labels to the DELETED files in my recycle bin.

that forced another batch of major irritation.


does anyone know how to get Windows Media Player 9.0 on a win2000-Pro
system to play DVD's without totally screwing up my exsisting software and
data?


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[BlackBII]

does anyone know how to get Windows Media Player 9.0 on a win2000-Pro
system to play DVD's without totally screwing up my exsisting software and
data?

Win Media player 9 should work just fine on Win2000, but getting DVD's to work is another story.
I have seen it work if you have, say, Power DVD installed, but then you would just use that anyway. I have heard of getting the older versions of Windows Media Player to play DVD's on Win2000, 6, 6.4, 7, Classic etc

The VLC player is a good program, it was probably just set as the "default' program for that specific file type. Easy fix.

 

[AllanD]

Win Media player 9 should work just fine on Win2000, but getting DVD's to work is another story.
I have seen it work if you have, say, Power DVD installed, but then you would just use that anyway. I have heard of getting the older versions of Windows Media Player to play DVD's on Win2000, 6, 6.4, 7, Classic etc

The VLC player is a good program, it was probably just set as the "default' program for that specific file type. Easy fix.

Installation of VLC "Crashed" my WMP, corrupted ALL of my mp3 files
and basically screwed up my computer badly enough that any further
suggeststions to use VLC are decidedly "unwelcome"

VLC DECIDED to be my "Default" on everything even though
I SPECIFICALLY selected otherwise.

Added to that VLC wouldn't play a home recorded DVD from a family
member (transcribed from VHS) correctly.

Kept "rubber banding" to a grotesquely inappropriate aspect ratio
and would only play about 1/3 of the total content on the disc.

This disc plays PERFECTLY on an older DVD player.

VLC wouldn't play any of several commercial DVD's at all.

I tried adding the "Codec pack" to my WMP9.0, but that didn't work either.

I am hesitant to add any other unproven software,
because I'm literally a few sips of coffee away from
finding a few software engineers to burn at the stake
to satisfy my need to vent anger, rage and general irritation.

Someone else suggested using Nero, but Nero doesn't
"play nice with others" either.

I HATE software that doesn't WORK and further prevents any similar
software from working either.

I have downloaded the newest WinAmp which is supposed to handle DVD playback, but as above I'm hesitant to run the install program.

I'll think about it after I've take the time to isolate my media
storage drives and made fresh backups on DVD of everything.

I consider VLC to be a destructive trojan and I'd like to spend
an afternoon entertaining it's creators... I'm thinking something
involving Vice Grips, propane torches and I've got a really
imaginative non-standard use for a roll of barbed wire in mind...
Presuming they don't die of shock before things progress that far...

Like I said, VLC even applied "VLC FILE" tags to the stuff that was in my recycling bin.... somewhere it had NO BUISNESS looking

I honesly feel that what VLC did on installation was one
step below being raped.

and words fall short of the outrage and anger I feel about it.

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[Joe400]

WMP always gave me a codec problem even after i downloaded all the update packages so I use VLC and it works every time. Had it 3+ years never gave me a problem

 

[BlackBII]

Sorry to hear that Allan, I have used VLC on dozens of computers for years now, no issues.

Win Amp will play DVD's, and I don't forsee any issues with it. But then again, with your experience with VLC, ya never know.

And for the file tagged as a VLc file, that is just the default program selection again...even if it is in the recycle bin. It just recognizes the type of file it is, then applies the tag, to any file on the mahcine..

 

[AllanD]

I never got a real chance to find out what the user interface of VLC was
like because I couldn't get it to work well enough to be interested in looking,

I LIKE the way I can play my music off the computer with WMP
choosing artist, album, genre, or even if I haven't played something recently.

all those settings were LOST when VLC destroyed my WMP7.1 and my mp3 library

after the recovery I couln't make WMP7,1 work so I was forced to switch to a freshly downloaded copy (direct from Microsoft) of WMP9.0

PLEASE DO NOT SUGGEST VLC AGAIN!!!
I already tasted that particular flavor of KoolAid and didn't like it

ANY software that will not peacefully coexsist with similar software
is not software but "Malware"

I believe at this point that VLC was specifically written to do what
it did to my system.

to put a point on it VLC didn't work and it royally fucked up the
software I already had that did work.

Explain to me why I should be even remotely interested in trying it again?

Was I not sufficiently clear above?

I'm comming out of nearly a month of frustration making my computer work
and right now have no need to experience any more frustration.

Don't suggest VLC again. suggest something else.

the ONLY good thing that came out of my trying VLC
was that I was forced to switch from WMP7.1 to WMP9.0

I consider 9.0 to be a distinct improvement over 7.1
because of it's better cross-referencing index.



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[BlackBII]

I wasn't suggesting it...just saying I haven't had issues with it.(Other than aspect ratios, like you mentioned)

It wasn't developed to crash Windows Media player...it most likely just set itself as the default program (which is user specified during the install I beleive) and then your WMP settings were wiped out because of it. (Have no idea why that would happen tho..)

I will suggest WinAmp though, good program. Been using it for years, ever since it was first available in just one color scheme

 

[AllanD]

I specifically chose it to NOT be my default player during setup
and it designated itself as such ANYWAY.

I selected to NOT receive the other software the installer wanted
to download with VLC and guess what...

I selected to NOT have it "create shortcuts and a quick launch icon" and... Yep...

It did everything I said "No" to.



Thus my calling it what it was, an electronic rape of my system.

and even if it IS selected as "default" that doesn't mean it should "poison the well"
to prevent anything else from working either.... which it most definatly did do.

It's like having a burglar carefully smash everything he can't take with him.

there was no excuse for "wrong settings" to have caused it to do what it did.

Incase you don't get it I am highly pissed off about this,
even 48hours after fixing the problems.
and would appreciate not even mentioning "VLC" again
except for someone else to say something unflattering about it.

Is should not have searched my computer for media without
first asking permission, brecause it cannot UN-look after it has already done so.

you can't UN-ring a bell.

They cannot UN-piss me off.

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