http://www.downloadsquad.com/2006/04/04/mi...nuke-your-drive

Is it time to convert over to linux yet? I think it's right around the corner for me.

There are still too many Windows only programs that I rely on for me to make the switch.

I think OOo will have to get better and get more market share before the switch is made wholesale. As OOo gets market share, third party software vendors will start integrating with it, then they'll start integrating with OOo on Linux.

It's only then that M$ monopoly will be broken and then I'll switch.

It's stuff I have to learn, but I (and tommyp) have been borking around with Kubuntu and it looks like WINE can run several Windows apps right in Linux. Ultimately we might go with different distros but the fact that he and I both gravitated to the same distro within a few days of starting to look at alternatives to Windows tells you that it's probably friendly enough for a lot of folks in this forum.

I mean let's face it, folks, MS doesn't support it's operating systems in a meaningful way... Windows NT 4 SP 7? Nope, 200 hotfixes, that'll make 'em upgrade! Windows 2000 SP 5? Nope, 200 hotfixes, that'll make 'em upgrade! The fact that two MSFN members had to create a solution for Windows 2000's growing number of fixes (and not M$ themselves) pretty much tells you how little they care. Even M$'s fixes have errors in them.

There is a massive learning curve to Linux, but it's becoming something that I'm fairly certain I should learn, because even though Microsoft is a behemoth now, mark my words, they're on the decline. It's not how good the Linux OS is, Mister Ballmer, it's how badly you've burned your existing user base. This is turning into a rant and I'm gonna stop now

BTW, if you like OpenOffice, you might want to skip installing Write and try Abiword.

An aside on OOo...
I used to worry about MS Office compatability with my own docs. Until the day I upgraded to Office XP. I had a 5 client license and the install went south when the MS server shut my installation key off. I called MS and they told me I had no recourse, sorry about that. Instead of asking what I needed to do (I knew she was going to tell me to "buy it again") I informed her of a 'solution' I had to my problem that 1) was perfectly legal to me under the law but 2) she was REALLY UNHAPPY to hear about... Office XP broke all of my mail merge docs, broke compatability with my Access databases necessitating a complete redesign... What a nightmare... I am looking at OpenOffice for my workplace instead of Office 2007 Extra Money Edition With the Give Us More Cash Plus Pack TM.

PS if you click any of the links in here, be SURE you click the "Mister Ballmer" link...

Vectorlinux seems to be my favorite distro so far. It comes pre-tweaked for speed and has with 97% of the applicatins that I use. For alternate versions of office & openoffice that run on Linux, there is also KOffice.

Chalk up another vote for Vector/Kubuntu. I would use vector as a workstation and Kubuntu as a server, although both can perform either duty adequately.

Kubuntu, :die:

And, a for slackware

Once you get comfortable with using Linux you can always dive into the deep water and build an entire system from source code Linux From Scratch. I can't swim to good yet so I'm still using a life preserver (distro).

They have several forks of the primary project and even have a LiveCD with which to start:
Linux From Scratch - LFS (the primary project - build a minimal working system from source code).
Beyond Linux from Scratch - BLFS (build the applications to run on top of LFS from source code).
Automated Linux from Scratch - ALFS (kinda like Nlite and HFSLIP for Linux - only from source code).
Hardened Linux from Scratch - HLFS (build an LFS system optimized for secutity from source code).

My goal is to be able to build a working system from scratch by the end of the year. The learning curve may be inevitable but it doesn't have to be without some guidance.

fraquar - I'd like to make a linux ground up too. PM me if you want to exchange some ideas on what you want to "slipsteam" or whatever it's called in the linux world. Maybe we can help each other out and learn together.