hoping to try linux

[CryingSwan]

Hey,
I need some help... please?! I've searched around and I need help finding Mandriva Powerpack on a cd instead of a dvd... does anyone know where I could purchase it? Also... I've never used linux before and it seems that there are no ISPs out there that work with linux; how does that work? How do you connect to the internet using a linux system? I can't find anything on the web about this. Please respond... thank you so much!!!


CryingSwan

[Vergil83]

Take a look at http://froogle.google.com/froogle?q=...oogle&ct=title

What type of internet connection do you have? Who is you ISP?

[Farmer Mike]

You can order CDs from the sponsors of Distrowatch for one.
http://distrowatch.com/
There's OSDisc.com:
http://www.osdisc.com/cgi-bin/view.c...linux/mandriva
And LinuxCD.org (I've ordered from them):
http://www.linuxcd.org/view_distro.p...fc5bca555ec581
I'm sure the more experienced folks here know of others.

I don't know where you're located, but here in the U.S., I can do dialup with Earthlink (without all the frills and other Windows software) just fine.

I also don't know what your connection is, but I use a Linux capable modem configured in Network Configuration and activated/deactivated through Network Device Control. I don't know if that's the approved method, but it works for me.

I started using Linux in June last year, and with the help of the people here, have figured out most of it and made it work. I like it a lot.

If you don't use dialup, let me know. There's ways to make other connections work.
Mike

[maclinwin]

Generally an ISP will state that they do not support Linux.

What this means is that they, the ISP's technical staff, do not offer assistance with Linux, not that Linux is not supported. Mac's suffer the same fate. They have enough trouble helping non-technical home bodies with Windows machines which is 99.9% of their customers by connection.

Data connections are protocol driven and all current operating systems support all of the important protocols.

Don't let the ISP scare you. Linux is fun and works great!

[snurfle]

maclinwin is correct...
I have run Mandriva on Roadrunner, as well as dial-up.
The installation finds the hardware and sets it up automatically.
(Hell, it was looking for updates before I even knew it was connected!)

The guys that hooked up Roadrunner told me that they tell potential new customers that they only provide service to Win XP, and none of the prior versions!
And, to prove their technical abilities, they couldn't get it to run on my XP box until I showed them how to go into Control Panel to disable the 56K modem that I was using for the dial-up that I was replacing!

But Mandriva is a very user-friendly distro, and the installation is a breeze.

Some of the command-line stuff is a little confusing at first (more like incantations than commands!), but it gets easier as you learn the "how and why" behind it all.

[fingal]

Some of the command-line stuff is a little confusing at first (more like incantations than commands!), but it gets easier as you learn the "how and why" behind it all.

Hi - You reminded me of a website I saw once which mentioned 'incantations'. Find it here ... You probably don't need this stuff but it's kind of interesting.