[+] Re: [Herefordshire] newbie### reply from Roger

[Julian Robbins]

Hi Roy

Roy M wrote:

>> Gentlemen,
>
> I like that <BG>
>
>>
>> Do not despair. Can I suggest you try making an exhaustive, detailed 
>> list of all your Linux unknowns, and post them here;
>
> Command line. In DOS there was a 'prompt' to ck on! Or boot-up = C:\
> What does one do in Linux ?

similar stuff to DOS, just much more so. Generally you can just about do 
everything on a Linux system on the command line if you wish, especially 
useful with servers that you may well not use a graphical interface with.

With the easier to use linux versions called 'distros', you will 
probably not have to use the command line if you wish. I read a very 
good analogy :- If Linux is like a car, its a normal one. where you can 
get at most things and work on it as you wish. Windows is like a car 
too, but with the Bonnet welded down! IE you may not wish to go under 
the bonnet to fix things or set things up specially, but with Windows, 
you are much more constrained by what you can do to fix things, aprt 
from re-install, as is often the case ...

>
> How does USB fit with Linux, can one install a
> USB camera and scanner ?


Yepp. All new versions of Linux should autodetect your USB devices. So 
thats easy ! Not every camera and scanner have full drivers with Linux, 
but its improving all the time. try 
http://www.qbik.ch/usb/devices/index.php

> USB printer ?


Yepp, Epson and HP are well supported, as they help mak eit easier for 
developers to write drivers. see www.linuxprinting.org to check if your 
printer is supported. Most are these days.
Dont forget that sometimes you have driver problems with Windows too. I 
have an old sound card, that the manfr wont provide a Win2000/XP driver 
as 'they're not in that market any more'. Great ...

> USB pocket pc ?

Not sure what you mean here ?

> USB pen memory ?

Yepp, all memory sticks should work, as they all work with the same 
linux driver. tHe same driver that works with most digital cameras too.

The good news is that most of this is hidden, so you would not 
necessarily know how it all works.

> that will do for starters.
> What additional effects would be required ?


Of course, there are rough edges. The very latest peripherals smetimes 
have dodgy support, and sometimes you need to work a bit to get things 
working. The good news is that there is almost certainly someone else, 
or mnay ;-) that have asked the same question, anmd others who have 
worked out a solution or at the least can tell you that it definately 
wont work.

>
> Roy

The best distros to try , wouyld b eMandrake, Suse, Linspire or Xandros. 
The last two you may have to pay for. Xandros is partiucularly good at 
hiding the complexity, and you can a very slightly reduced version for 
free still !

See you at the meeting on Thursday !

Julian