On Thu, 1 Nov 2001 14:57:03 +0800, "Michael Peligro" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Dear Sir/Madam:
No need for formalities - this is a list where users help other users! :) > Good day! > > I am an avid gamer and I plan to migrate to Linux. The Windows upgrade is > too steep and the product requires me to upgrade my computer hardware as > well. I am sad that I have to pay expensive licenses and hardware for > Windows XP only to get an operating system that is technically inferior and > buggy compared to the rock-solid performance and cost savings of Linux. I > have been looking at the other Linux distros and based on my research: > > Linux Mandrake 8.1 is the solution for me. > > Is it? To begin with, I have several questions: > > 1. Will Mandrake 8.1 run on my system? > AMD-K6-2-500 > 64MB RAM > SIS 530 on-board AGP 2x 8MB video RAM > ES-SOLO on-board sound card > Does Mandrake support the drivers for my devices? Does it have a generic > driver if in case the manufacturers for my devices are nowhere to be found > and have ceased support? The processor and the RAM will work, although I recommend that you upgrade to at least 128MB of RAM for a full graphical experience (the same would go for any OS). I don't know about the on-board stuff. Try checking these sites: http://lhd.zdnet.com/ http://www.linuxhardware.net/ http://www.linuxhardware.org/ http://www.linux.com/enhance/hardware/ http://www.linux-mandrake.com/en/hardware.php3 > 2. Is Mandrake 8.1 vulnerable to viruses such as CIH or BIOS-infecting > viruses? Are there any antivirus software for Mandrake? There are no virii for GNU/Linux, and it is likely that there will never be any effective ones, due to superior design. Hence, there is no need for a virus scanner. There is also no need for tools like Scandisc and Defrag. GNU/Linux filesystems take care of these things themselves. > 3. Will Mandrake 8.1 run on a 486DX2 33mhz with 16MB RAM? One of Linux' > strengths is running on old computer systems. Will Mandrake give a new lease > of usable life to my old system? Mandrake is optimised for i586 (Pentium-class) and above processors. For 386 and 486 computers, you should look at another distribution, like Red Hat or Suse. > 4. I plan to use some legacy Windows programs (Office, Quicken, etc.) on > Mandrake. What Windows emulator would you recommend for Mandrake? Will WINE > work for me? How about Win4Lin? I also wish to play my Windows games with > Linux until such time when Linux ports for these games have been released. Microsoft applications won't work reliably in WINE, because MS designs them so that they don't. Win4Lin and VMware are good virtualisation applications, and Windows works reliably in them. Ultimately, you should be looking for replacements for your apps. There is no point whatsoever in running GNU/Linux if you're in Win4Lin or VMware all the time. For example, StarOffice/OpenOffice is a great alternative to MS Office, and it handles the MS Office file formats admirably. To replace Quicken, there's Gnucash and Moneydance, which can also read Quicken files. The GIMP is better than Adobe Photoshop in many ways, and GNOME and KDE beat the Windows interface for power and functionality. All of these are 100% free, both in price and in source. Games may pose a problem. Win4Lin and VMware don't handle games too well. WINE can play some games (e.g. The Sims and Starcraft), but most won't work. The Windows version of Quake III can be made to work natively (not through any emulation) in GNU/Linux with a small patch. Loki has a number of ports of Windows games to GNU/Linux, including Unreal Tournament. There is a special Gamers' Edition of Mandrake 8.1, which includes The Sims and a version of WINE especially tweaked for gaming. This sounds like the distro for you. You should keep a dual-boot system for maximum enjoyment of your system. For serious work, you can benefit from the power and stability of GNU/Linux. For high-speed gaming, Wintendo is still around to boot into :) > 5. Is there a virtual-cd program for Mandrake? Some games require me to have > the cd on the drive while playing. In Windows, I use a virtual-cd program to > create a virtual cd that resides on my hard drive. This lets me run games > without reshuffling the cds on my drive. Any programs on Mandrake similar to > this? Provided that the CD isn't copy protected, you can easy make a CD image and store it on your hard drive. > 6. Can I run servers for Unreal Tournament, Quake III, Half-Life, and > Counter-Strike simultaneously with Mandrake, while at the same time acting > as a file-and-print sharing computer on the network? Will it crash or live > up to the legend of Linux as a crash-proof server OS? I've never tried it myself, but I see no reason why it shouldn't work. I think that there is a native Half-Life server for GNU/Linux, and all of Quake III works. > 7. I live in the Philippines. How can I purchase Mandrake 8.1 Powerpack from > my area? Do you have a reseller in my country or do I have to order directly > from you? Can I be a dealer for Linux Mandrake in my area? I don't know about this. Check http://www.linux-mandrake.com. You can also buy Mandrake over the Internet. > 8. I plan to use my Mandrake system as a point of sharing internet access > for the other computers in my home network. Is it possible to do this with > Mandrake? Yes. There is an easy to use tool designed to help you do this. > These are the questions I have for now. I plan to buy Mandrake 8.1 at the > end of November. Thank you very much for the time spent on my inquiries. > > It is time for Microsoft to join the dinosaurs of old computing. > Long live Linux and the Open-source movement!!! :-) > Regards, > > Mike -- Sridhar Dhanapalan phj34r my 5kr1p7 k!1d13 haxX0r 73kn!q. ! 0wn j0o ll4m@ +00|z
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