Date:         Mon, 19 Jan 2004 20:38:10 -0600
Reply-To:     tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         tom ring <taring@TARING.ORG>
Organization: Tippen Ringware
Subject:      Re: heads up on IE browser flaw
In-Reply-To:  <200401192145.i0JLj5w6030187@deimos.aros.net>
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII

The simplest and safest way to try linux is to download Knoppix, which is a
CDROM based distro.  It runs entirely from the CD, so it doesn't need to be
"installed" to your HD, but it is also a bit slow because of that.  If that
works ok for you, then you start looking for a hard drive distro you want to
try.

Currently my vote is with the ftp install of SUSE.  It's the most foolproof
version of linux there is AFAIK, but it does install off the net (if you want
the free version) after a small boot CD, so a high speed, DSL/cable, connection
is very desirable.  Upgrades, additions, removing packages, new kernels, etc.,
all are handled easily with SUSE.

tom

On 19 Jan 2004 at 14:23, Anonymous Digest wrote:

> >I have been hearing more and more aobut Linux, and also alternative
> >Browsers and E-mail programs to the Microsoft products. I just downloaded
> >Mozilla. and I am searching out an alternative e-ail program.
>
> Big subject. Really big. This is mostly this is IMO:
>
> Cease to use IE, cease to use Outlook. Research has shown that there is a
> chance that these two pieces of software may even be vulnerable to mad cow
> disease, or emotionally disturbed bovine syndrome, if you like.
>
> Use Mozilla. If you don't know what tabbed browsing is, once you use it,
> you will love it, and you will never want to go back to IE again. Mozilla
> is constantly being upgraded. Bill hasn't touched IE in years. Some sites
> demand IE, but most can be worked around, and since you cannot reasonably
> extract IE from your XP system, it will be there if you absolutely have to
> use it. Plus, there are other browsers that work just as well, without
> inherent the virus problems.
>
> Find an alternate email program, there are many.  Viruses can be made to
> infect most operating systems, but only microsoft happily provides the
> virus with all the extra tools that it needs to not only execute malicious
> programs, but to propagate itself across any network. The tools it needs
> are mostly either IE, or Outlook. Using something other than Outlook and
> IE greatly increases the security, health and well being of your computer.
>
> You can start looking at www.download.com for email clients.
>
> Linux is not ready for prime time, and if you are a windows only user, you
> will probably not be happy with all the work you need to do in order to
> get linux to run as smoothly and be productive in that environment. Linux
> lovers will object vehemently, and that is okay, but Linux is not a
> desktop operating system, it is a server, warped, twisted and bent into
> the desktop field. One can get it there, but its a lot of work, and I
> would guess that if you own a vanagon, you won't have time to wrestle
> linux to the ground ;-)
>
> If you have a second drive, or a free partition, that makes it easier to
> try Linux if you want. The simplest thing to do is to install it on the
> second drive, and use the option to create a boot floppy. That way you
> don't have to mess with ntloader, or any boot manager stuff. Just boot
> from the floppy if you want linux, and remove the floppy to get back to
> windows.
>
> One more alternative is a cool Linux distribution called Knoppix which is
> a full blown Linux system that boots and runs completely from the CD,
> using a RAM disk. Its only a few $$ from many sources, www.knoppix.net is
> the home page, and it will let you play with Linux and learn about it
> without even touching your present system. Given a broadband connection,
> you can download it and burn your own CD if you want.
>
> That's enough, as the subject could go on and on forever, but there are
> other forums better suited for the discussion. If anyone wants to ask
> more, I would be  happy to offer what I know, off the list, to keep it
> vanagon-like around here.
>
> I would like to state that I know there are lots of options and
> alternatives, like www.lindows.com, and that some Linux distros are
> better/easier than others, but this is just my opinion, so if I have put
> off or offended any Penguin lovers, I am sorry, that is not my intention,
> so please spare the vanagon list and let us not get too far into details
> and OS wars in full view of those who really don't care <g> I have used
> Linux off and on, and am just not that impressed so far.  If it makes it
> any more palatable, I use OS/2, not windows, so I am sure not in favor of
> anything billy does.
>
> HTH,
>
> John
>


------
Tom Ring K0TAR, ex-WA2PHW  EN34hx
85 Westphalia GL Albert
96 Jetta GL The Intimidator
taring@taring.org

"It is better to go into a turn slow, and come out fast, than to go into a turn fast
and come out dead." Stirling Moss