Linux Possibilities - ??

[???a???D?D?d??C??? ???|]

Loaded Ubuntu 5.10 Linux last night. I must say it's about the easiest thing I've ever done. Amazed to see it has Palm synch included, saw my scanner, HP Printer - all good. Now I need conduits, and fast. Good lord.

I'm on "I'm a chicken trainer wheels dual boot" (W2K and Ubuntu) - for about the next 6 hours if I can help it. Then it's Ubuntu only, BUT away goes Pilot Install, Docs to Go, Bonsai and TealDoc/Text Sync conduits. No more pasting in Notepad off the web and making it a TealDoc or synching Text files created/edited on the T3 to the desktop. I'm down to SD Card ".txt" reading - but no edit synching. Rats.

What do you linux users out there do? Is there some "skinning" utility to allow Palm Desktop in Linux, or at least Docs2Go/TealDoc? I sincerely hope so, 'cause I'm loving the 1.6GB total install with open office and Gimp (PhotoShop equiv), easy driver recognition, speed, look, - everything. If it's a hard choice I'll forego the palm synching and figure something out - like a proggie that reads text from the card (TealDoc or a freeware) - and exchange with SD Card transer.

Please advise ANY tips or hints or links you might have - would like this settled and "free of Windoze" today if possible! I'm not impatient. I'm not, I'm not I'm not. Stamp feet stamp feet.

hee hee.

[Ava is Beastin <3]

I'm currently experimenting with SUSE in a dual boot environment. I found that Card Export allows my T3 to work on in SUSE as a USB flash disk. I am able to copy and paste documents to the SD card. I am using Documents To Go 7 Premium, with its native file support. It works great for me. In a worst case scenerio, you could try installing VMWare on your Linux box and then run the Windows HotSync from that.

[Ilikeit]

Thank you dwinget - will check out both.

[a???*rockkita???]

Hey Paul,
We must be on the same wavelenth. I installed Ubuntu on an old iBook just last week. I'm very impressed with it and that's saying a lot from a diehard Mac user.

I haven't played with the Palm stuff yet so I don't have any suggestions. It is a fun OS to play with though.

Later...ed-

[homer742]

LAST WEEK? You have the patience of a Saint, Sir. I'm afraid the "Linux rebel" in me lasted just shy of 48 hours. Installed easy, recognized everything, and I was at first very impressed. But . . . It's a huge, convaluted pain in the a**.

Bill Gates may own the world - but at least he's a good landlord. I was at first impressed, but here's some math (don't worry, I'll tie in Palm stuff so as not be off topic too much) :

My starting RAM 384MB RamBus. After Win2K startup, and disabling about a dozen unnecessary services, and uninstalling IE, Java Virtual Machine, Outlook, address book, NET Meeting and handicapped options and games - I save a GIG of hard drive space, and have 274MB of RAM left (of 384). Did all this a year ago.

You know what I had after startup with Ubuntu? 270MB. Same. And THAT is without running Avast and Kerio, which I run under Windows. Also - I have 18GB free of 20GB (W2K) and run 53 programs in Windows. With Ubuntu: 15MB free. AND I couldn't install Firefox 1.5b - it comes with 1.07. I could go on, but suffice it to say - after dual-booting, trying both, and then reformatting to ONLY have Ubuntu . . . . I'm writing this in a reinstalled W2K setup and by tomorrow night it will be tweaked like a like it.

I know a lot of people swear by Linux - but it seems to be it's got plenty of extra spokes but no air in the tires. You're so busy being a rebel that you don't have any time for computing. I'm glad you like it - it was voted best of the year for "linux flavors," but frankly I missed TealDoc sync, MobileDB4 and ability to convert to CSV, etc. The "MyPilot" included does a great job of backup (and backs up far more than the 4 main conduits - copies EVERYTHING including a68 files, and keeps multiple backups if you wish). I'm glad as hell I'm back with the "OS everyone loves to hate."

Whoooo. Glad that's off my chest. If I see Mr. Gates I'm going to give him a hug. At least once you click on one of his files, it INSTALLS - instead of

".tar/.root give permission, unpack verbosely, give more permission, . . ./.home/paul/spin around twice & say rosary . . .

Let's see . . .
tar -zxvf firefox-1.5.en-US.linux-i686.tar.gz (that's an ACTUAL command) . . .then you can't see it unpack and the icon won't launch. Pain in the a**, I'm tellin' ya. Waited 2 years to "check it out." Now I have. No thanks!

[partime321]

Hey Paul,
I wouldn't worry much about free ram in Linux. Example: Mac OS uses just about all available RAM for caching. If you check Activity Monitor, it seems like you're low on RAM with only a couple of applications running but most of the RAM will be immediately freed up when you need it.

Hard drive space could be affected similarly. Mac OS will commonly use 4GB of hard drive space for caching, even with 1gb of physical RAM. Since Linux and Mac OS have similar roots, I wouldn't be surprised if that's what you're seeing.

I'm using Ubuntu on an old, previously unused iBook just to learn a new OS. There's no way I could switch to it as my primary OS. As cool as Ubuntu is, like you, I lose way too much functionality.

I do see a TON of potential and I understand now why boots are shaking in Redmond. As Linux is known as an uber power user OS, I can see Ubuntu Linux as a novice OS. Pick up a $50 PC at a Pawn Shop, drop Ubuntu in it and you have a very usable internet appliance for grandma. Simple, secure and fully functional.

Where I think Ubuntu is lacking is for the intermediate or light power user who needs a lot of functionality but has little programming knowledge...like me. I'm looking forward to compiling my first kernel.

later...ed-

[Dirty D]

You da kernel Colonel, Egarc-Man. I'm with you, especially on "simpler installs;" if Ubuntu had a custom install option - that might be worth it. But I have to laugh - I've got this thing back in gear after 3.5 hours last night and 5 hours today - 8.5 hours total to get it tweaked, and all that's left if the Palm stuff . . .

I just feel comfortable with it, hands flying around getting multiple stuff done - as long as I can find W2K and "gut it" as I do - I really am content getting Bill some new spectacles. I thought I'd be interested in the learning curve for Linux - but when you follow directions from kind forum participants to the LETTER, and still find yourself "poking the keyboard harder as if it will make a difference," then it's time to reconsider what you're rebelling against.

I had given NO thought whatsoever to your comments about free space and RAM - I did notice the pagefile was upped to a MEG (standard is 562MB on W2k, which I slash to 300MB and then move the pagefile to the center of the drive, with directories behind it) - and the RAM thing might be curious too. Excellent, brilliant observations.

Dat's why you da kernel Colonel. Get it? Isn't that the FUNNIEST thing you've ever heard? Laugh man . . . for God's sake . . . lighten up, would ya?

HEY - See Tealpoint's response on the other "Doomsday" thread? That's why it's the middle part of my "PDA Street Moniker." The man's a god.

TealTex - California's next Governor.

[stitches347]

Sorry if the post sounded "tight." Fishing's been bad lately in my neck of the woods and it's time to feed the family. Trout one weekend nothing the next. The only saving grace last weekend was the amount of local "talent" on the beach. Whoohoo!

Damn...the logic board crapped out on my Ubuntu iBook yesterday. It's going back to Apple. This is one of the models with the logic board problems and this will be the 4th repair. It should be the repair where Steve Jobs comes to my house and personally delivers a new factory remanufactured iBook. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Back on topic, that reminds me of the first line in Spaceballs where a guy on the spaceship yells "Colonel Sanders!"

later...ed-