Just been thinking

Discussion in 'Training & Development' started by zxspectrum, Mar 22, 2006.

  1. zxspectrum

    zxspectrum Terabyte Poster Forum Leader Gold Member

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    I know that microsoft has a big hold on the OS market, but i can help notice , linux. But there are soo many versions? or are there. Ive seen suse, red hat ,ubuntu and otehrs . So what should i do , i know thats its free and i also know that im happy with my xp set up at the mo . But as ive got a spare HD lying around collecting dust i think i should have a look at these, as hopefull when i finish uni and get a job etc , im sure i will come up against some form of linux.

    Has anyone got any suggestions on this one , oh and is linux more secure than xp ????
     
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  2. Hokushin

    Hokushin New Member

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    It all depends on what you want to do with linux. Why do you want it? If your answer to this question is "I don't know" then maybe you should not consider it for now.

    There are a lot of good linux distributions out at the moment. For a linux beginner, I would recommend something like Fedora or Ubuntu.

    Is linux more secure? Ask most linux fans, and they would scream YES! In my opinion, it is more secure than windows, and there are many reasons, one of which is that there are more people with windows on their machines than there are linux users.

    I hope this vague half-answer was of some use to you :)
     
  3. zxspectrum

    zxspectrum Terabyte Poster Forum Leader Gold Member

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    To be Honest i only want it to have a nose around and see what the hype is about. Plus if im going to be serious about getting an IT job , im sure linux will have a part to play so why not have a look , or am i still missing something
     
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  4. AJ

    AJ 01000001 01100100 01101101 01101001 01101110 Administrator

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    I would suggest that if all you want to do is have a little look see then you could download Knoppix

    Burn this onto a disk and then boot from it. There you will have a full working version of linux. It can also be used as a great tool to extract data off a windows drive, when windows is screwed. When you've finished, just restart your rig remembering to remove the CD from the drive, then your back to good old windows.

    Nice ehh. I think Ubunto also do a version of a bootable CD
     
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  5. d-Faktor
    Honorary Member

    d-Faktor R.I.P - gone but never forgotten.

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    if you have the time and the means, then i can really recommend to get some linux experience, if only on your home pc. as far as i can see, the best distro to begin with at the moment is ubuntu.

    two remarks to your original post.
    first, linux is not free. sure, you can download, install and use it without any cost. but if you're a company with business-critical applications, then you'll quickly find out that linux can be just a costly as any other operating system. you need vendor support, you need trained employees, etc.
    second, by default linux is indeed much more secure than xp, but it's how you configure and use it afterwards that can make a big difference. an incompetent admin can leave a linux box wide open, and a competent admin can leave a windows box locked tight. it's not just the operating system that defines the security.
     
  6. Keimos

    Keimos Byte Poster

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    Hi zxspectrum,

    Spare harddrive,

    Go for it, its dual bootable wirh win so no problems.

    I am a bit out of touch but try a search for Lindows, the nearest compatible version to win I know. Redhar, suse, debian have hgone server way but there are desktop versions.

    Look up dual boot on a search and you will sort that out quicker than I can post.

    So as an dividual no problems, keep business out of the equation, everything is a learning curve

    Sit on the fence why don't you

    No OS is absolutley secure, if somebody wants in they will. It is up to the administrator as to how secure it may be. It just causes hackers more problems.

    For a home computer the above really does not come into it.

    D-Faktor, unlucky mate I think you have been caught, hope you solved the problem.

    Keith
     
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  7. tripwire45
    Honorary Member

    tripwire45 Zettabyte Poster

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    Actually, I'd steer clear of Lindows just because of the (unfavorable) comparison to Windows. If you want to learn Linux, learn Linux...not something that is Linux in Windows clothing. Probably Ubuntu is the most user friendly distro (distribution) around. It's based on Debian but is supposed to be very user friendly. However, it is user friendly at the expense of escaping some of the "Linux-ness" of typical distros. You might learn more from Fedora Core (FC) which is based on Red Hat. FC5 has just been released but FC4 is very stable and usable. You can download the ISO images from any number of mirrors and burn install CDs. You might get a more "authentic" Linux experience.

    I must tell you that many have asked what the "best" Linux distro is and the debate rages on. It's a matter of personal preference that some have given an almost "religious" significance to. Not to worry. Pick a place to start and give it a whirl. If you get stuck, just post a query and we'll do our best to answer. Cheers, mate. :)
     
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  8. Bluerinse
    Honorary Member

    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    Keith, I am not sure what you meant by that remark but I can assure you, from where I am sitting D-Faktor is still free and she made perfectly valid well thought out points, as usual IMHO.
     
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  9. Keimos

    Keimos Byte Poster

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    Hi Bluerinse,

    All I meant is that I thought D-Faktor had been hacked or something, ie. had she been hacked. And it is up to her to take any offence, not you.

    And Yes, I agree that her comments were perfectly valid.

    But, if I cannot try to put a bit of levity into the conversation and be allowed some leeway without being totally mis-interpreted, then whats the point of putting an opinion forward.

    Debate and counter debate is how you fnd things out and iron out problems

    Any OS with a GUI is working similar to Windows, so thats the majority of the Linux distributions.
    Lindows works for non techies because it is familiar. A lot of people who have not experience a command line interface or DOS would not have a clue. Thats why the are so many distributions, all aimed at certain user groups and requirements.

    Just my thoughts
     
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  10. Bluerinse
    Honorary Member

    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    As a moderator of this forum, it is up to me to act as I see fit.

    I did not take offence at your remark as I didn't understand your remark. And I still do not understand how any poster can be hacked, especially d-Faktor :blink

    By all means put some levity in to the conversation but please in order to avoid mis-interpretation, try and make yourself a tad clearer :confused3
     
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  11. Sparky
    Highly Decorated Member Award 500 Likes Award

    Sparky Zettabyte Poster Moderator

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    I support one Linux based Network (Fedora Core) which I think *could* have worked but the network has had little investment so getting hacked is a daily occurrence which means me having to get the domain taken off spam mailing lists, not fun.

    Just goes to show it doesn’t matter what Technology you use it has to be configured correctly. 8)

    Just for the record the Linux stuff is getting ripped out for a Windows box (I hope), does this mean I’m going to get flamed by all the Linux supporters? :tongue
     
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  12. Keimos

    Keimos Byte Poster

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    Hi Bluerinse,

    Thank you for that, I never intended any offence.

    All that I was inferring or asking, has or had D-FaKtor been hacked, i.e. been caught? Not on this site but in the real world. A simple Q. D-Faktor please respond.

    Going back to topic, zxspectrum,

    Spare hard drive, look around and try the various versions of Linux around around and see what suits you.
    It comes down to what you want it for. If desktop or server you do have a choice as to what you use so have fun and play.

    Most, if not all should be dual bootable.

    keith
     
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  13. Bluerinse
    Honorary Member

    Bluerinse Exabyte Poster

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    Ah, now I see the light :D
     
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  14. Keimos

    Keimos Byte Poster

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    Iim not surprised,

    Its night here
     
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  15. Bull Gates

    Bull Gates Byte Poster

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    I've quit hacking (officially) long ago. So its possible that D-FaKtor's computer has been left unhacked ... lol ... Jes Kidding!
    :offtopic

    I've used SuSE 9.3, 10.1 & all the Fedore Cores jes to chek out the things in linux. I loved SuSE though for its nice GUI. Apart from that I'm az comfortable with linux az Bill Gates is with setting up a Microsoft Development Center in Iraq. :rolleyes:
    HTH
     
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  16. d-Faktor
    Honorary Member

    d-Faktor R.I.P - gone but never forgotten.

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    my original post only addressed zxspectrum's question whether linux is more secure than xp, and i tried to point out that while this is indeed partly true, one shouldn't just blindly trust linux to be this infallible, impregnable bastion of security. you have to work it.
    my personal hacker/hackee history is completely irrelevant to this, and i fail to see why it was brought up in the first place, simply because i mentioned the security of an operating system.
    but since you seem so adament to hear my answer, no, i have never been hacked, and no, i have never been caught hacking. now can we please get back ontopic?
     
  17. Modey

    Modey Terabyte Poster

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    I think Windows servers and XP sometimes get an unfair security reputation because of their popularity. I'm pretty sure if there was the amount of Linux clients out there as there were XP, then Linux would be being targetted for hacks and exploits and XP would be sitting pretty as people wouldn't bother.
     
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