Dependable Knoppix??

[Andrew22]

Hi people.

I am really insterested to shift to linux. I want to do with it my usual work, it is : work in accountancy, design of autocad and share with the local network.

Is there a program able to re-use my actual data on my old acountant program o should I make the whole work new again? (bit too much work indeed!). How about Cad and networks..?

Can I do a "restore" if something crashes like in XP?
Or can I restore it somehow else...?

Now I have tried to install opera, but when installing with the install package tool, says : not found "libqt3.mt". How I get it and install it?

Thanks.

Andrew.

[garyng]

stick with XP and its companion products. I don't recommend gnu/linux except for geeks, at the current stage.

[eco2geek]

stick with XP and its companion products. I don't recommend gnu/linux except for geeks, at the current stage.

Somehow, garyng, I think you're pulling our legs. In any case, the way you become a geek is by playing around.

Now I have tried to install opera, but when installing with the install package tool, says : not found "libqt3.mt". How I get it and install it?

Download and install the QT Static *.deb package, not the "QT Shared" package.

As for your questions regarding your accounting and CAD programs: Linux has CAD programs (search freshmeat.net). However, your accounting program(s) will likely have no Linux counterparts. If they run on Windows 98, you may be able to run them on Linux using WINE (type "man wine" at a shell prompt for more info). But if they only run under Windows XP, then your only choice is to install a Windows virtual machine program like VMWare Workstation, then install Windows on the virtual machine.

In which case, it'd probably be easier to keep WinXP installed, and dual-boot.

[garyng]

Just trying to be realistic. IMO, a geek is a person who don't mind messing around fully understand that all the time spent may end up fruitless.

The original question asking about accounting system and CAD seems to be very business oriented and in that case, may not have that many time to spend to sort out the linux complexity. Right tools for the right job and it seems that XP is the right tools here.

The wow factor of KNOPPIX is very high, much higher than XP but blending a typical gnu/linux workstation into everyday business use is really not easy and time is money here.

[eco2geek]

If he's looking for an "instant-on" business solution, he's bound to be disappointed, that's true.

• -- Linux has a rather steep learning curve once you get beyond KDE.

• -- He's not likely to find professional accounting applications that run natively on Linux, if at all.

• -- There are a few CAD apps for Linux out there, but certainly AutoCAD doesn't make a Linux version. (I just checked; Autodesk says AutoCAD won't work on a virtual machine, either, so scratch that idea.)

OTOH, for basic business stuff like email, word processing, spreadsheets, and Web browsing, Linux is fine. See this story for an example of how one business guy got audited by the BSA and decided to toss Microsoft products out of his business.

[garyng]

Agree. The price paid for XP is not it does the general stuff better(KNOPPIX can do it just as well) but for it as a platform to install and run readily available packages. A few example, GIMP is fine but Photoshop is more comprehensive if one needs those features. Openoffice is fine but looks ugly comparing with Office. Then there are things like Quicken, tax packages etc. which open source(often free) just can't keep with the pace for those annual update of tax rules etc. or AutoCAD that is so specialized that takes lots of man power to develop.

For a well planned business platform handled by appropriate people(consultants), linux is just as capable if not more than Windows, but not for joe public.

I am getting the best of both world though, thanks to colinux. I have gone from KNOPPIX(cd boot) to dual boot to XP running colinux. This way, I am enjoying the features of XP like its much matured power management feature, extensive hardware support, a platform where I can run Office, Photoshop etc. but at the same time running linux for what it is good for like DNS server, mail server, spam killer etc.

What is even better is that because colinux runs under XP, I don't need to worry about hardware stuff so I can move it from one machine to another easily. Just install a copy of colinux(and the tap-win32 driver) and copy over the rootfs(in one single large file) and it is up and running again. So it becomes a great testing platform and most linux server would endup as headless with specific hardware which I can drop in with the appropriate kernel image instead of colinux. KNOPPIX's hardware detection is impressive, but I no longer need that.


Anyone who needs dual boot between XP and linux should give it a try.

[Andrew22]

I have been reading your notes, thanks, I feel they very interesting.

I am feed up with XP o Microchuuf stuff.

Yes it is difficult and painful. But I am a real warrior, I wish to learn to best I can, so if despite all alone, I try as much as I can to get best distro to reach my goal: get rid of Microchuuf.

About Autocad, I have no doubt, I will write to them about the subject. For the accountancy, can be 100 times easier, because many little enterprises can do a new program to Linux.

So, I really do not care too much to pay to one or to other, why can have it on Linux?

I will keep looking about Linux and reading you, thanks.

Andrew.

[aay]

I am getting the best of both world though, thanks to colinux. I have gone from KNOPPIX(cd boot) to dual boot to XP running colinux. This way, I am enjoying the features of XP like its much matured power management feature, extensive hardware support, a platform where I can run Office, Photoshop etc. but at the same time running linux for what it is good for like DNS server, mail server, spam killer etc.

What is even better is that because colinux runs under XP, I don't need to worry about hardware stuff so I can move it from one machine to another easily. Just install a copy of colinux(and the tap-win32 driver) and copy over the rootfs(in one single large file) and it is up and running again. So it becomes a great testing platform and most linux server would endup as headless with specific hardware which I can drop in with the appropriate kernel image instead of colinux. KNOPPIX's hardware detection is impressive, but I no longer need that.


Anyone who needs dual boot between XP and linux should give it a try.

I've read a bit abotu Colinux, but haven't tried it out. Does it basically use the live cd iso under windows or is there a way to "install" it so as to add new stuff? It's an interesting idea.

Adam

[garyng]

no. It is more like uml. So there is a win32 program(and its supporting stuff, all run under XP) which 'loads' a special linux kernel(there is a patch to standard 2.4), and that is it. Not VMWare style but IMO much better than VMWare.

Once booted, you can add stuff to the rootfs just like any installation. Better yet, if you put the rootfs(a big file under XP) on NTFS, you can have sparse file and compression support.

[aay]

no. It is more like uml. So there is a win32 program(and its supporting stuff, all run under XP) which 'loads' a special linux kernel(there is a patch to standard 2.4), and that is it. Not VMWare style but IMO much better than VMWare.

Once booted, you can add stuff to the rootfs just like any installation. Better yet, if you put the rootfs(a big file under XP) on NTFS, you can have sparse file and compression support.

Sounds pretty cool. I may load it on a laptop of mine. I'm running Knoppix on the laptop now, but there is no hope of getting ACPI to work on that thing. Frankly that would be my only reason for running windows on it. If I do put windows on it, then I'll be sure to try out colinux. Glad to hear you say you like it better than VMware. VMware is nice, but can be a performance hog at times.