distro for a newby??? help please

[aamcle]

Hi all.

I’m tempted to set up Linux again I tried in the past, Suse and a number of others but they all fell at the usability/compatibility hurdle (too much trouble).

There’s some software I need to continue to run: -
Paintshop Pro
The software for my digital cameras
Software to run a USB Dell wireless adapter
Full set of drivers for a HP Photosmart 2600 Scanner/Printer/Fax
Full set of drivers for a Sony Photo printer DPP-FP30. (dye sublimation excellent results).

Looking at it I’m surprised, there is actually not much I’m dependent on MS for !!!

The PC is a Mongrel/Generic type just about the only original bit is the case, currently running a 2Gig Athlon with a Gig of ram, wireless networking (WEP) with a Dell card, AOC flat panel monitor.

So can you recommend a distro that will enable me to run the software (the printers and the Cameras are REQUIREMENTS) I still need?

Would my bootable copy of Norton Ghost still work it's a old command line type?


Many thanks for taking time to answer dumb questions yet again



aamcle

[bigtomrodney]

When it comes to choice of distro you should check out the sticky thread at the top of this forum. No one can answer your preferred distro, and hardware support is pretty much the same across the board as drivers are generally in the kernel with a couple of exceptions.

There is no Paint Shop Pro for Linux. The equivalent is called GIMP and is very good though not everyone takes to its interface. You may try to run Paint Shop Pro under WINE but it will most likely have its own share of problems.

As for the drivers I can't say myself. The software you use for your Cameras most likely won't have an equivalent but you should find that your camera is just a Mass Storage Device and can be accessed directly. There is also an application called F-Spot for importing and managing digital images which is very good and of course there is a Linux port of Google Picasa.

[aamcle]

I've just checked with HP and Sony they list no linux drivers for the printers I have.

So is that it game over ??

Is there a way of discovering if any of the available Linux generic printer drivers would work?

Many Thanks aamcle

[techieMoe]

I've just checked with HP and Sony they list no linux drivers for the printers I have.

Is there a way of discovering if any of the available Linux generic printer drivers would work?

Yes. You can look up your make and model on this website:

http://www.linuxprinting.org

It lists various types of printers/scanners/etc and what drivers work with them (as well as what printers you're just out of luck with).

[aamcle]

Mmm.......

I've checked out the drivers I'm probably OK for the HP but the only reference to a driver for the Sony described it (the driver) as a paper weight

So it looks like kindly uncle bill is going to get another bite out of my hard earned.


Thanks aamcle

[savvy_cowgirl]

Ok, so I understand Linux isn't windows, I don't want it to be. I understand that each person has to decide which distro of linux best suits them and I took the quiz. I am currently using SUSE 10.1, and have been trying to learn it for a week now. And as I go along, I want to learn more about GNU/Linux and how to do things, but do ALL distros of linux require you to know shell scripting to get things to work? I don't know any shell scripting. I figured I could learn some things as I went along. You know, like if you are just learning to cook, they don't make you do a a fancy dish, you learn and get better and your skills expand. I am using a HPdv6226 laptop with my SUSE on it, and it seems there is so much shell scripting involved I am wondering if I can do this. When I play with the KDE desktop and learn where things are and how to find things, I like it alot, but when trying to problem solve, it seems like all of it is command line stuff. I come to the forum, type in key words for the current problem, make a copy of the commands that others have suggested and try them. Do I know what I am telling it to do? No. I am on dial up, so downloading different distros to try off live cd isn't real workable, so I guess I am taking a short cut and asking if all GNU/Linux distros require knowledge of this command line/shell scripting/konsole type knowledge.

I want to be a good linux person, I am just needing a bit of direction along the path here. Thank you kindly!

[devils casper]

hi savvy_cowgirl,

Welcome to the LinuxForums.

you can do most of things in GUI. there are a very few tasks for which you have to execute commands in terminal/konsole. Linux is getting more GUI oriented ( or User friendly, if you dont like command line stuff ) day by day.

[Freston]

@savvy_cowgirl:
Devils_casper is right when he sais GNU/Linux is becomming more GUI-oriented, but there are some distro's that I wouldn't recomend to someone on dial-up. The thing is, given effort you'll find the TUI more powerful. But you may not want to invest in learning it or - especially if on dial-up - may not have acces to the resources needed to teach it to yourself.

It's a matter of taste really. I take it you want to change SuSE for something more GUI oriented? Freespire comes to mind, although it's been a while sinse I tried it. SymphonyOS is supposed to be really easy and intuative. But I don't know about hardware detection of either. If that works out, you're all set.

[savvy_cowgirl]

Um, what's a TUI?
The thing is, I really would like to learn SUSE (though I don't know if it good for dial up, the modem thing is dealing me a fit). And that's where the command line stuff comes in. I would like to eventually learn, but I've taken some command line actions from people like Devil's Casper and tried them, like wvdial.conf and it won't let me run it. Something like permission denied. Or a command will bring the response of something to the effect of no such folder. Some day out in the country we may have access to high speed. And part of the problem may be this is a laptop. But I bought this huge SUSE book with the program on disc in the back. I actually like the SUSE book, I think it is interesting and I like learning the things I can do with SUSE linux and think how much more I can do as I learn it. So you think once I get this modem thing sorted out I will be able to do more of it by GUI? I bought a external modem last night, unfortunantly it turned out to be a conaxant which messed up my little software modem. That took a bit to straighten out. So I will return it and see if I can't find something linux compatible (the salesman thought this one would be). I don't want to give up, I just feel bad asking questions when I may not understand the answer, and I wonder if it is ok to ask how to do something if someone tells me what to do.
I really do want to learn it, I see it as a good long term investment of my time. But some of these problems aren't covered in my SUSE book.
Thanks so much!

[Freston]

A TUI is the Text User Interface. The part where you type

If you've got the SuSE book, then you'll have a good resource to learn GNU/Linux. I'd stick with it, SuSE is a good distro. But the software driven modem (or printer for that matter) is very difficult to get working under any distro. Buying a hardware driven modem is a good move.