Sunday, January 20, 2013

When buying new hardware for a linux system, should I only pick hardware that has linux drivers?

Q. I am new to linux. I want to construct a new computer that will operate linux. Should I only choose hardware (like a TV tuner card or a sound card) for which there are already linux drivers or are there always workarounds for getting every piece of hardware working on linux even if there are no drivers? Are these workarounds easy to implement or will I spend a lot of time and effort trying to get the hardware to work?

A. Naturally the easier path is to buy/use components that have linux drivers readily available. If the component maker doesn't provide the driver a linux supporter will try to reverse engineer the driver. These drivers are not always available until a good period of time after the component is released, and the quality of these drivers vary a lot. Early versions of these drivers do not generally lead to a stable system.
THe people who like to use components that don't have linux drives are those who want to learn the inner workings of linux and even want to learn how to write the drivers.
There are workarounds when you do not have a linux driver but they vary in their success and stability.
If you want a stable system that is easy to setup and maintain and update you best bet is to use as many components as possible that have good linux drivers.
If you google for a component plus linux drivers you should get a good idea of whether linux drivers are available. e.g. Creative audigy 2 z +linux drivers.
More and more manufacturers are coming on board and providing linux drivers. Many linux users complain to the manufacturers if they do not provide linux drives.
Here are some links that list components and linux drivers.
Good luck

How do I limit the bandwidth to each user on the wireless router?
Q. I have a linksys wireless router. Some of the users are abusing the bandwidth
making it difficult for others to surf the internet. Is there any way to set
limits to each user so that nobody ends up using too much of the internet?
How do you adjust the QOS?
I use router WRT54G.
I am the access point, not wireless router.

A. Well, the other answer is partly right; you can't really do it with what you have. However, it is possible to throttle bandwidth for a wireless connection with the right hardware; instead of trying to limit the physical medium by use of a switch, however, you can throttle how much data is allowed to flow to the IP address of each computer using the wireless router. That is to say, everyone still connects wirelessly to an access point, that access point either has built in hardware or attaches to another device that limits how much bandwidth each IP gets. (You can even go cheap and build a Linux router out of an old PC for this.) Theoretically, there is no limit between the access point and the PC, but if only 5Mb/sec comes to the access point to deliver to the PC, it effectively limits the connection.

See the following URLs for references.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies-archive.cfm/616580.html

http://lists.nocat.net/pipermail/nocat/2003-September/003731.html

http://oob.freeshell.org/nzwireless/nocat1.html

What is the best Linux distribution for a beginner?
Q. I don't know anything about Linux. Should be easy to use and should be an active and popular distribution that is still updated from time to time and has an active developer team.

A. Here are some options for installing or trying out Linux

Option One (Full installation)

I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 9 Main Edition which is built upon Ubuntu 10.04 Its easy to install and easy to use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled

Linux Mint 9 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=52

The Perfect Desktop - Linux Mint 9 (Isadora)
http://www.howtoforge.com/the-perfect-desktop-linux-mint-9-isadora

Linux Mint 9 User Guide Download pdf.
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_isadora.php

You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 9 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation

Linux Mint 9 can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive

Also worth considering :

Fedora Remix (Fedora with elements of Linux Mint)
http://fcoremix.wordpress.com/2010/05/25/lucky-13/
http://iso.linux.hr/community-fedora-remix/
http://docs.fedoraproject.org/en-US/Fedora/13/html/User_Guide/

Again Fedora Remix can be run direct from the LiveDVD without touching your Hard Drive

Option Two (Install Linux inside Windows)

Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot with Windows without partitioning
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi

You keep Windows as it is, Wubi only adds an extra option to boot into Ubuntu. Wubi does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.

Wubi keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.

Boot in to windows insert the Ubuntu 10.04 LiveCD and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where the Wubi installer comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Ubuntu (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.

Once Ubuntu is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Ubuntu

Ubuntu 10.04 Download
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

Ubuntu 10.04 (Lucid Lynx) User Guide
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Lucid

Linux Mint 9 which is built upon Ubuntu 10.04 has a similar feature called mint4win and the directions given above for Wubi can be followed
http://duncsweb.com/2009/09/27/mint4win-a-wubi-based-installer-of-linux-mint/

As with Linux Mint 9 and Fedora Remix, Ubuntu 10.04 can also be run straight from the LiveCD without touching your Hard drive

Option Three (LiveCD)

Here the possibilities are endless as you can try out as many different Linux distros. as you like until you find the one thats right for you DISTROWATCH.COM gives full listings (second lists the major distributions)
http://distrowatch.com/

Major Linux Distributions
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=major


LUg.



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