hello all

[Zudo]

i have been using linux for almost my whole life but and have been aiming this way for awhile...i would like to know where to get started on making my own programs, i have a great idea that i feel may be very innovative for an OS...this is the reason i came...I was originally thinking about starting in BASIC just to get more of an idea of how to go about this, but then i realized that maybe java would help me...then i thought since i would be twisting the GUI i may need to get a little experience in C#...help is much needed and much appreciated

[Rubberman]

Even though C# is supported in Linux with the Mono project, I cannot advise you to use it to learn Linux programming. If you are a newbie to programming in general, then I would recommend that you start with the Eclipse project and learn Java programming. When you are feeling more sure of yourself, then you can add the CDT plugins to Eclipse and start C and C++ programming. For scripting languages, learn Perl and Python, as well as the ubiquitous bash shell language.

[jmadero]

I think you should start by looking at source code from some programs. If you are thinking of starting a whole new distro...it's extremely time consuming even for advanced users, for a beginner I'd say it's almost impossible without several years of practice. You may want to check out linux from scratch:

Welcome to Linux From Scratch!

Also, can I inquire about what innovative ideas you are considering? Maybe some of them already exist or they can be added to a wishlist on an already existing distro.

[Zudo]

well...
since i am currently using windows (i need it for my work, otherwise, down with microsloth) i plan to improve on the very idea of an OS, i don't think simply making a new distro would do the trick...i plan on making an MMO of information as my interface (PM me for info if you want) so i may need something that would essentially help me build it from less than "the skeleton in which i provide the plumbing" i want to start from the plot of land in which i need to grown the soil...any ideas?

[Rubberman]

Eclipse works just fine in Windoze as well as Linux. If you plan on working with open source software, then you do not want to be tethered to Microsoft technology. You can also install Cygwin on your Windows machine, which will provide you with most of your GNU/Linux environment (bash, csh, gcc, x-windows). I used to go that route extensively for multi-platform software development.

[Zudo]

oh no, perhaps you misunderstood, i dont plan on using windows in this project at all...i merely suggested that i wish to make this new OS user friendly like microshit's OS...also stated that compatibility will need to be addressed as thoroughly as possible...but thank you, i will try eclipse now

[elija]

i wish to make this new OS user friendly like microshit's OS

Making something truly user friendly is going to be harder than you think.

Consider if you will a person from the 18th century. Sit that person down in front of a computer, Windows, Linux or Mac, which one do you think they would find easier.

I would say none of them.

Also consider that user friendly means different things to different people, hell it means different things to me depending on what I am doing, sometimes a command line is user friendly and sometimes a GUI.

[Rubberman]

Ok. I misunderstood you. As far as I'm concerned, current Linux distributions are already more user-friendly than WIndows for many things, and getting there for most everything else. IMO, work needs to be done in areas such as restoring the system to the last good state when an update effs things up.

For an example of better usability than XP, consider that on my Dell laptop, I installed a bluetooth adapter and a Sprint broadband wireless USB modem. With XP I had to install drivers and configuration tools to get the devices to work properly. In Ubuntu I didn't have to do anything except to tell them to connect to the network - everything was handled automatically by the OS, including driver loading and hardware configuration. I just went to the network manager icon on the desktop and clicked on the connection to use, and bingo!

[Zudo]

well i guess "user friendly" wasn't the proper choice of words...
but one thing im not trying to say is "oh i am so experienced and i could do anything" i mean, i know some of the trials i will have to endure to make this OS and i also know i may very well end up dedicating my life to it...im still young after all

[Zudo]

sorry rubber, didn't catch that last post...
but i completely agree, widows (and no that's not a typo...it really makes me want to kill myself) is a P.O.S where "user friendly" means forking out hundreds of $$$ to fix your computer when a simple problem is occuring such as a lack of resources taken up by the OS itself (i was an IT technician for awhile) but enough bashing on microsloth (besides, it's like kicking a crippled kid...i feel dirty) im simply trying to see it from others perspective...while elija had a point about nothing being truly "user friendly" i think i may be on to something where "user friendly" might actually be coming close to commonality, the way i see it the OS i imagine is neither CLI or GUI but something new