Crossing the Chasm from Windows to Knoppix

[ramu_kellogg98]

I have an exciting situation for crossing the chasm from Windows to
Linux (Knoppix). In the following, when I refer to Linux, I mean Knoppix.


Context:
i) I am a business user with some technical background.
ii) I use Windows XP with the following applications on my (non-Linux)
laptop: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project and Internet Explorer. My
non-Linux laptop, running Windows XP, is my primary machine.
iii) I use my Windows latpop to connect to an Exchange server via VPN.
iii) Due to sheer "bad luck", I am encounter "blue screens" all the
time. The lost time is impacting my credibility and survival (since I
use my laptop to earn a living as a consultant). I don't have the
patience for doing an RCA (root cause analysis) of why the blue screen
is happening because of the sheer complexity of the business model
around non-Linux operating systems and hardware.
iv) I have a real need to co-exist with both Windows (Plan A) and Linux
(Plan B). (Plan A: Laptop running Windows) (Plan B: Laptop running
Linux) (Details of why I need to co-exist are out of scope of this
email thread)


Here are my requirements:


a) A pre-owned (certified, recycled, used) laptop running Linux.
b) The Linux laptop will be used to perform all the things that I do in
steps (ii) and (iii) described above.
c) I am searching for a one-stop shop which will listen to my needs and
assemble all the right lego blocks as a service offering. I can then do
a "one click buy" to co-exist with Windows and Linux.


I am serious about crossing the chasm to Linux.


Thanks for any advice / pointers.

[rhirwin]

Although I am a relative newbie, I have had some experience in getting Linux up and running on this laptop, an HP pavilion zv5000. Knoppix runs well, except for printing. For some reason, when I try to print with Knoppix, what I get is raw PostScript output. I have not found an answer to this problem so far, although it may be a simple one. The best luck I have had is with a variant of Knoppix called Kanotix. It has very good hardware detection, at least on this machine, and the hardware install from the live CD is very easy. Regarding your other needs, I think that you will find that Open Office will do everything MS Office will do. As for web browsing, I think that Firefox beats IE any day of the week, and is more secure and configurable. Both are on the Kanotix disk. I have my machine dual-booting, with XP on the first partition, and Linux on the rest. I have found a program called Partition Magic invaluable in re-partitioning my hard drive. Once I re-partitioned to make room for Linux, it allowed me to format my new partitions for Linux, one for Linux, one for swap and one for "home". That done, the install from Kanotix went without a hitch, the install script finiding the Linux partitions and using them. Getting "on-line" with my ethernet port was a bit of a problem, but a question to Kano gave me the answer:

kdesu netcardconfig (run from a terminal window)

It asked for the root password, and after receiving it, it put up two options, one of which was "select DHCP". Selecting that put me on line immediately. Kano has a very helpful web site, also, in English as well as German.
Good luck,
Bob