** Reply to message from Nick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> on Mon, 19 Feb 2001
12:47:59 -0000
Welcome to the club! I can help with the Windows problem.
Wine is an excellent tool that is in advanced development -- as I see it, the
folks working it are doing an excellent job, but it still needs work (see their
web site http://www.winehq.com).
Another alternative that uses a different approach is Win4Lin (see
http://www.netraverse.com) -- if you have a formal copy of Win 95/98, their
program will install it into your Linux filesystem -- essentially, you are
running the original Windows inside a Linux window (not an emulator). Direct X
and DOS graphics mode aren't supported, so games are out, but business stuff
should work -- MS Office is known to work. I'm still installing it into my
system, and have had some troubles with getting the right kernel in place
(explained below) and Windows OEM are a pain (as is most of Windows software by
definition), as you need a bootable disk as well (not a big deal, you just have
to know about it). Reviews are very good, I haven't yet fully installed it, but
should be able to finish that today.
About the kernel, Linux's guts is the Kernel, and Win4Lin has to patch it, so
the patch and your installed Kernel have to match. Many are done quickly, and
the CD has patches, but mine was a pain to get right. Fortunately, their e-mail
help is very good, and you can always write here too.
StarOffice, which is available free from sun (http://www.sun.com), and included
in many, if not all, packaged Linux systems is extremely compatible with MS
Office. I haven't yet found anything that I needed to do in MS Office that I
can't do in Star Office -- take a look at this option as well.
Linux is far different and better than DOS/Windows, it is very stable, free,
grass-roots support, but it needs considerably more technical knowledge than
Windows. However, you get out of it what you put into it. It is aggravating at
times, but the people who work with it and help in places like this are
terrific! You won't be orphaned -- keep going!
- Andy Lazarewicz
