Slight hold-up moving from Windows to Linux

[SkittleLinux18]

My WinXP is on the fritz. 4 year old computer and I am having to reinstall every couple of months. Needless to say, I am sure it's nothing that can't be resolved by installing Linux on. The computer is great, I am just sick of XP. I want to move Linux to it, leaving me with no XP machines. My only hold up is a couple of programs that I am not sure about working on Linux, or there being Linux variations:

iRiver Music Manager
Photoshop (I know about GIMP but have a tough time understanding how to use it)
Firefox (No, I'm just kidding hahaha)

Or if I could get them to run on WINE. I don't know. Any ideas, help? Thanks!

[elija]

I have no idea about iRiver Music Manager

I believe Photoshop will run on Wine, but The Gimp is more than
capable, it just takes a *bit* of getting used to.

Firefox runs on Linux and if you don't want to do that you can
run it under Wine

[SkittleLinux18]

Thanks man. And thanks for going a long with my joke about Firefox. Obviously, I am typing this post in Firefox from Linux Mint. haha... Maybe I'll have to persevere through GIMP and see what I can do about iRiver Music Manager. I definitely can't get it to work in Mint and there are no linux drivers for it (at least not on the product website). I'm installing PCLOS on my WinXP computer now. So I'll let you know what I come up with.

[darkrose0510]

re: iRiver, can't you just use Amarok/Banshee/Rhythmbox? Or am I misunderstanding what it is?

[Manchunian]

You can install photoshop on Linux and use Wine to run it. Here's a little tutorial. However, like elija, I encourage you to grab hold of the Gimp by the horns and try to understand it. It's a great program, I absolutely love it, but it takes some getting used to at first. Besides, running stuff in Wine should only be a last ressort: when you have a viable Linux/Open-source alternative, it's best to use that. As for iRiver music manager, I think Amarok would replace it admirably. But if you really want to install it, it might well work with Wine.

[SkittleLinux18]

re: iRiver, can't you just use Amarok/Banshee/Rhythmbox? Or am I misunderstanding what it is?

I'm sorry people, I should have explained what iRiver MM is. It's not a media player. It's a proprietary interface program that allows me to upload songs to my iRiver Mp3 player. So I don't think Amarok will work... unless, of course I'm missing something?

You can install photoshop on Linux and use Wine to run it. Here's a little tutorial. However, like elija, I encourage you to grab hold of the Gimp by the horns and try to understand it. It's a great program, I absolutely love it, but it takes some getting used to at first. Besides, running stuff in Wine should only be a last ressort: when you have a viable Linux/Open-source alternative, it's best to use that. As for iRiver music manager, I think Amarok would replace it admirably. But if you really want to install it, it might well work with Wine.

Duly noted. I will just tackle GIMP until I understand it. I really should since I want to be mainstream Linux. As far as WINE goes, I am having troubles with it. But, I am going to check on that tutorial and read some other threads before I flood the forums with it. So stand by on WINE.

As a side note, I did install PCLOS over my XP install. I can't believe it. I was talking to DapperDan on AIM this morning, telling him I had gone mainstream Linux. Later I was telling my very good friend about it on the phone and both were completely shocked that I had the *cough* balls to do that. Especially because I didn't even start using Linux until June of 2007. 10 months!! That's all the experience I have under my belt and I am completely mainstream Linux. It's crazy.

I'm not trying to brag... rather encourage!! Windows is not what it used to be and Mac is... well, TechieMoe prefers I keep my thoughts to myself about Mac The point is, this past year has seen a huge influx in Linux seekers and I just want every newbie to know that it can be done!!! It takes a lot of learning, and it is a little creepy/unfamiliar. But the more I learn how to use Linux, the more I want to stick with it. So yeah, I'm sure you'll all hear more about this. I get thread-happy in the Coffee Lounge.

[Manchunian]

FANTASTIC! Congrats!

Especially because I didn't even start using Linux until June of 2007. 10 months!! That's all the experience I have under my belt and I am completely mainstream Linux. It's crazy.

I had only been using Linux for around 2 months when I went mainstream! This isn't a brag either, but I found it was so much better than Windows that I didn't see any reason to keep my Windows partition. Not that I did this on purpose, mind - XP managed to destory itself by bieng infected with a virus that stopped it from booting, despite the fact that it was only ever used by my wife. I thought she'd hit the roof when I told her that I dealt with the Windows virus problem by deleting Windows - she didn't though, in fact she didn't even seem to care that much, despite being initially skeptical about my forays into Linux. Goes to show doesn't it!

[SkittleLinux18]

That's awesome! Good for you! It's amazing how much money, headaches, and problems you save with Linux. No need to buy software, internet security, or repair work. It's all open source and help is readily available to teach. Honestly, the almost-nonexistent expenses and zero need for internet security is enough for me!!

I was so sick of Viruses and Trojans and stupid hidden hardware installing everywhere. And it never mattered what programs I had: Norton, McAfee, Windows Live One Care (worse), TrendMicro, Nod32, or Kaspersky (best of them all), I still had problems. Not to mention the yearly subscription fees, updates, resource hog, and incompatibility issues. Ugh!!!! Give me Linux any day!!

[Freston]

I'm sorry guys, I should have explained what iRiver MM is. It's not a media player. It's a proprietary interface program that allows me to upload songs to my iRiver Mp3 player. So I don't think Amarok will work... unless, of course I'm missing something?

Probably, at least in my experience, you can write to your mp3 player as if it's a regular USB stick. The kernel will probably recognize it as a /dev/sd*

Especially because I didn't even start using Linux until June of 2007. 10 months!! That's all the experience I have under my belt and I am completely mainstream Linux. It's crazy.

Congrats!

[elija]

Especially because I didn't even start using Linux until June of 2007. 10 months!! That's all the experience I have under my belt and I am completely mainstream Linux. It's crazy.

Good stuff! It took me just over a year to finally ditch Windows and that was
only because I needed Visual Studio 2005 at the time. I don't do .NET work from
home any more.

I can't do that. The only Windows I have are in my walls, where they should be!

It feels great though doesn't it? The freedom, the vague sense of smugness,
and the knowledge that your computer is actually yours again