Was OT--Win7 and disk partitions; now using Linux

["William H. TeBrake" tebrake@xxxxxxxx]

My venture into the Linux world began last week via, of all things,
purchase of a new cell phone that runs on Linux (Debian release), the
Nokia N900. Via its X-terminal I have so far learned how to gainroot
permission and tinker with a couple of its setup files. Even doing
that little bit has re-whetted my appetite for using a command-driven
operating system. Of course this is a rather trivial example -- what
after all can be accomplished on a cellphone? -- but I am quite
certain that I will soon acquire another computer and load Linux on
it.

I do have a question for Robert or Raphael, though: have either of
you tried to run NotaBene using one of the Windows emulators under
Linux? Yes, I'm an NotaBene lurker on this list: as an academic, I
am too dependent on using its bibliography and text-indexing modules
(Ibidem and Orbis) to use any other word processor. But I have also
used some of the gems from this list, especially U2, etc. Until
NotaBene (including Ibidem, Orbis, U2, etc.) can run reliably on
Linux, I will need to keep Windows XP around; I do find it to be a
very good operating system. Also, with regard to all the concern
about directory registry storage and virtual paranoia about viruses,
I find that basic protection and sensible usage has meant that I have
never found the need to go to such extraordinary lengths as recently
desribed on this list. Still, I find Linux intriguing and love the
incredible variety of totally free software available for it.

Best regards,

Bill TeBrake
UMaine History

On 17 Mar 2010 at 11:23, Raphael Tennenbaum wrote:

>
> Robert Holmgren wrote:
>
> > (You can't keep a command line guy down! Not
> > after 40 years. Only one of my Linux boxes even has X
> > installed.)
>
> when I first started messing with Linux a good deal of GUI things worked
> poorly or not at all, especially Flash, but these days I haven't seen
> any websites the Linux browsers can't handle. I never really warmed to
> KDE, but gnome under Ubuntu is quite pleasing-looking and bug-free.
>
> at this point I essentially only use the XP box for gathering RSS feeds
> for my (obsolete) Treo smartphone, and photo editing -- because I like
> the Nikon tools, plus the external drives and card reader are on the
> other side of my office & I can't be bothered moving them.
>
> > and peer at the unprotected code. Whereas in Linux, security is
> > at the core, and everything is built on top of that. The right
> > way, if you want to be really secure. But it's still a
> > PITA/hindrance.)
>
> it is, but I've found it gets to be second nature, almost like saying a
> little prayer before perfoming certain tasks. small price to pay for
> the ease of recovering from a disaster with a simple reinstall, not to
> mention the very real immunity from such disasters.
>
> having got over the learning curve, I'm quite enjoying it. that curve is
> certainly steep, it took me several months two of bumbling and trial and
> error to get used to this way of doing things, but I'll never look back.
> and you sure can't beat the price. free apps, free OS, that work on
> generic hardware? it's enough to make a person sound smug.
>
> -rafe t.
>