Lindows/Linspire 4.5

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to ask about this Operating system called Lindows/Linspire 4.5 I am sure many of you have heard about this O/S with the feel of Windows and stability of Linux.I got a free copy from the official site thanks to some giveaway they were doing and am planning to install it on a dual boot system with Windows XP pro.I just wanted to get some imput and opinions on this O/S preferribly from people that have tried it out.Any pro's and cons would also be nice.thanks for your time.

Well, to be honest, I've never used Linspire. I have it, because my father-in-law invested in the company. I have however used Mandrake and it is quite similar.

I think Linspire is basically a decent OS for someone looking for easy of use in Linux. Sure hard core Linux users dog it.. for a variety of reasons.. one is that Linspire encourages you to boot in root I believe.

Root is like the admin account in XP. With root open and not password protected it leaves your system vulnerable to intrusions.

That said, you can add a password quite simply.

Beyond that, I say take a look at these sites:

The first compares Linux to XP, and Linux is the foundation of Linspire:

http://www.michaelhorowitz.com/Linux.vs.Windows.html

Another fantastic article that goes into detail on Linspire specifically is:

http://www.osnews.com/story.php?news_id=8949

I might try it out when I have some spare time and give you my personal take on it. Sorry I couldn't now.

I'm not saying it's not good. But here's my story.

I literally "bought" into the Lindows birth and eagerly waited for the release. At that time all the hype was about a windows-like GUI to make it easier for those who know NOTHING about linux, etc. I don't think it was three months later after the release and the newest upgrade that they decided to focus more on those people who understood linux etc.

Apt-get, I think it was. WTF is apt-get???? It seemed like that was the only answer I got from the forum support (there was technically no other kind of support at that time).

They'd all say, "It's easy! Just do "apt-get this" to install or open a program that wouldn't open using the shortcut. I spent three days just trying to get my volume to stop screaming the opening Lindows chime at 115 decibels, it seemed! I think I also lost the shortcut to it, but it wasn't screaming anymore.

I'm a little older and a little wiser now, and thanks to the Firefox browser, I'm understanding a little more about how to change/install things in user files....not the same as apt-get but the premise is similar. Maybe someday I'll try it again. I have several versions and am technically entitled to download those for life...although if they still have the paid subscription to get other updated programs from the Warehouse, I'd have to scour the web for those to get them free. I'm not paying for them anymore to automatically download and install them.

Again, I'm not saying Lindows/Linspire is bad. But if you have absolutely no experience in open source/linux, etc it might not be an easy road for you for some time. lol!

Good luck!

thats great insight MBear... sometimes a little hype is created that can distract or cover up some slight... err... features of a new system ;)

http://linspireguide.editme.com/

There's a decent site on info pertaining to Linspire. I have to agree with cash_site, sometimes the hype can lead you into a bad spot.

Thanks for all the insite guys,I have installed linspire and from what ive saw so far it isnt to much different from windows.I wouldnt use it as my primary O/S or anything as i like XP pro better.The one thing i did like about it was the fact i didnt have to set anything at all up.I installed it and my internet service,network services and all worked right away with no config needed.It also seems to use alot less system resources then windows.just to bad its not supported by many developers.

Next i think i may try out Redhat or mandrake Linux.The main reason is i just want to learn how to use various O/S's its always good to know.Never know when it may come in handy.

I think you will find a similar experience with most if not all leading modern Linux distros, apart from answering a couple of questions about which country you are in and what usernames you want it's all done for you. Linux installs are a bit boring nowadays they are easier than windows, gone are the days when it took you three days to find out how to start pppd so you could connect to the internet. The programs and user interfaces are so obvious that you need no previous experience and everything runs just about faultlessly.

I think one of Linux's problems was its ease of use but more importantly, the ease of installation and configuration... I agree that 3 days to install and just trying to figure out which program to run for simple task is WAY too much... ok, Linux might be aimed at 'power users' , but if they want it mainstream and even as the first O/S to learn on, then even more has to be done to simplify the process and make the UI more intuitive.

In saying that, they've come a long way and only look to getting stronger... good luck to them ;)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bhxtyrant

Next i think i may try out Redhat or mandrake Linux.The main reason is i just want to learn how to use various O/S's its always good to know.Never know when it may come in handy.

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Actually Lindows, Redhat/Fedora and Mandrake are all the same OS...Linux.
There are other different OSs out there. Many people miss BeOS, there is also QNX. I am just touching the surface. Check this site out.

BTW...I am a Mandrake fan and I do love Windows XP.