[j45000]

Greetings. I'm from CT USA
never gave myself the chance to get into Linux before but here I am.
I already posted my first post and it will be a challenge to set up the way I want.

[MikeTbob]

Hiya j45000,
Welcome to Linuxforums.
You'll certainly be glad you gave Linux a try, even if you decide you don't like it.

[j45000]

its been a desire of mine for over a decade good skill to have. dont care if WinXP is finally ok that didnt last long did it? I am sure it will be some time before I get bored with Linux!

[Roxoff]

Originally Posted by j45000

Greetings. I'm from CT USA
never gave myself the chance to get into Linux before but here I am.
I already posted my first post and it will be a challenge to set up the way I want.

Welcome to the forums.

CT? It's, like, a guessing game, right? Lemme have a go...

I reckon it must be Cowtown, just like Mike, above?

[MikeTbob]

I think it's an abbreviation for Conneticut USA.

[j45000]

Correct, Connecticut USA sorry folks!

[Dapper Dan]

Hi j45000 and welcome to the forum! Trust me when I tell you, you're not the only old guy here!

Dapper Dan from SC

(That's "South Carolina" Roxoff...)

[questio verum]

Welcome to Linuxforums, j45000!

You are not alone. I'm standing in the "old guy" admission line and I'm getting close to the front. Er... at least some mornings I am. Good to see you're not letting the march of time steal your curiosity. Kudos!

qv

[j45000]

oh no age is an asset I think, in many ways.

I first heard about Linux in the mid nineties it was in a computer "class" at my ham radio club at the time, and I was just remarking about how I enjoyed somewhat the old command line DOS thing. it was fun to go through DOS commands and try to control what was really happening. That was in my W95 days So the mention of Linux came up. Read about it often since and it was magic to me.

around 2000-1 or perhaps a bit later someone sent me a Mandrake distro with a lot of stuff on it. at the time I had a harddrive that probably wouldnt even store the average address book so when I attempted to install it ran out of room. Just never got around to analysing it to see what could be eliminated
So I viewed from afar with a fond eye. Then Mandrake had to change it's name to Mandriva and I suppose King Features syndicate had their corporate point in principle and Linux marched on. I was very annoyed because I loved the name Mandrake - Magic!
so all of a sudden here I am with a new (refurb) up to date computer with some harddrive space to allow some elbow room for linux and i have decided to take the plunge.
I have big aspirations! I plan after a short while to get into Linux From Scratch. Hey if you are going to do it, do it right!
a little annoying in a way, is that they keep making Linux distros more user friendly with the KDE desktop and trying to emulate what Windows does as far as GUI but I can understand that Linux needs converts and that is the only way they will do it. Its like the tradition of ham radio. no more Morse code requirement after all these years. So many guys I knew all my life that never got into it because they couldnt pass the code test. Now that morse code has been dropped, its probably so far along in those guys lives that none will take the plunge (the world of computers you know, but one can actually practice ham radio on a computer and they go together like bread and butter) but I digress I was comparing to Linux being more user friendly. Linux is still in its infancy and my gut is for a future world to master the skill and resources of Linux to be able to survive no matter what.
Now that they have Windows with windows XP down pretty good, they pull a coca cola publicity stunt and have everyone rush out to spend ANOTHER $150 bucks on a new operating system and now they are backtracking. now they are already announcing the NEXT windows which will be a lot like Vista! Gotta keep the customer thinking he needs something new and the MS coffers full!

I love the grass roots open source efforts of Linux and all the freedom and choices here, but that turns many off. the arguement is that if they all pool thier resources to perhaps one distro all that energy will really have something. but that doesnt make linux what it is. good for the uninitiated to get into a familiar easy environment and then have the command console to do it right, behind the curtain.
Do we really NEED some 300 different distros? how about if we concentrate on much less maybe a 100 and there be some pooling and cross consulting and bring Linux along better to more maturity It took windows 20 years to be decent I guess Linux is getting there. I have faith and great support for linux even though I am a total newbie. I am up to it.

hey this was supposed to be a "quick reply" sorry to ramble, I am just soapboxing a bit this a.m. now down to work and plan my linux distro loading during the week
:-j

[j45000]

just seeing if my likeness comes through