Scott Cole <haldir@bnin.net> writes:
>
>Slackware is my main desktop OS and has been for about 2 years (whenever
>8.1 came out). I use it for all my internet stuff. Email (sylpheed),
>usenet (slrn), web browsing (mozilla), irc (xchat or bitchx), game
>playing (aisle riot, xgammon, frozen-bubble, tuxracer, neverwinter
>nights), correspondence (open office), IM (gaim and gnomeicu or
>centericq if in console), bible study (gnomesword), music (xmms).
>What more is there. The only thing I go into Windows for is tax time.
>If only I could get a linux app for that I would completely reformat.

TurboTax for the Web runs fine under Mozilla.

--
Mark Cudworth

Scott McMillan wrote :

> I would appreciate hearing your real-life experiences with whichever
> distro you use as your desktop OS.

Got a desktop and a laptop both running Slackware Linux. The desktop
serves as server/router for the laptop as well.

I came from DOS/WfWG 3.11 to Redhat 5 but switched to Slackware because i
didn't like what Redhat did to Linux as the versions grow from 5->6->7.

I don't know much about the M$ world of today, but I don't think that
I'm missing anything from that world in the Linux world.
--
Thomas O.

This area is designed to become quite warm during normal operation.

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:07:06 -0500
Scott McMillan <smcm@usa.net> wrote:

> While I have found Mandrake to be a very good option for my
> workstation, I'm curious to know how many of you are using Slackware
> for your'everyday, run-of-the-mill' OS? And those of you that _are_
> using it for your 'desktop' OS, what are you doing with it?
>
I've been on Slackware only for about a year and a half now. It's
stable, fast, and the networking (ssh, nfs, samba, printing) is much
easier than with Windows.

I use TeX and friends for reports and publications and
OpenOffice when I need to talk the bosses and some co-workers.
Gnuplot and very simple calc programs for number crunching.
Gimp to enhance microscope pictures.
The only Windows program I've needed is SRIM and I managed to get that
to run under wine.
The other Windows program I might need sometime is AutoCad, but I'm
looking for an alternative.
Also using Linux-gpib on a Slack box to collect data.

Scott McMillan wrote:

> I would appreciate hearing your real-life experiences with whichever
> distro you use as your desktop OS.

I use Slackware on a few different machines at home and at work. I've tried
playing with Red Hat, but didn't like it. Love Slackware to bits.

At home I use:

workstation:
Athlon XP 1400, used as workstation at home. Slack 9.1, running KDE
(although playing with xfce4 at the mo, and rather liking it!).

server:
AMD k6 300 - acts as router+firewall for my NTL broadband service at home,
also acts as fileserver (Samba) and development webserver, and runs a few
cron jobs etc.

At work, I use:
workstation:
Celery 1.2 - running Slack 9.0 with KDE (although may move to xfce4 soon
there too). Used day in, day out as my workstation (web
development/scripting, server admin, that kinda thing) and pushed pretty
hard, but rock solid. Only ever reboot it for adding hardware or moving it
round the office.

small db server: Slack 9.0 - used as a database server
web dev server: Slack 9.0 - running Apache, MySQL, PHP. Perl etc

live webserver - Slack 9.0 on a quad 2Ghz Xeon box - hosts our websites,
some of which are VERY busy - just sits there and serves with no fuss at
all. Uptime now back down to double figures after 'wrapping round' when it
reached about 497 days of continuous uptime.

Plus a few other random boxes here and there at work.

Software-wise, in general I use: Firefox for browsing, KMail for email,
KNode for Usenet, Kate (KDE text editor) for web-dev work, and various
other packages.

So, I'd say I find Slack perfect both for workstations and servers!


Cheers


Dave P



--
David Precious
http://www.preshweb.co.uk/

Leo (Bing) Whiteway wrote:

> I keep downloading and trying all the new Linux versions so I think that
> means I have an open mind.

By the list of distros you've tried, I think if your mind was any more open
your brains would fall out! <g>

Cheers

Dave P


--
David Precious
http://www.preshweb.co.uk/

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On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:07:06 -0500, Scott wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> I have recently decided that Windoze is too annoying for me, but I have
> found there are some Win apps which I can't seem to replace (I am getting
> involved in digital video editing - takes 1/3 the time to process in
> Windoze apps vs. Kino, etc. in Linux - and I really like Forte Agent as a
> text newsreader), but I'm getting close.
>
> I would appreciate hearing your real-life experiences with whichever
> distro you use as your desktop OS.
>

I find Slackware to be the perfect OS for both my laptops. One is 100%
Slackware, the other is dual-boot capable to WinXP but hasn't been
booted to XP in several months. (I believe the last time was when I
needed to convert a large Chessbase .cbv file to .pgn format. I wish I
knew of a linux converter! I haven't tried Chessabse under wine though,
it may work.)

If Kino is slow, have you tried Mainactor or Cinelerra? I haven't tried
either, so I can't make a recommendation.

Slrn is a great text newsreader. Give it a day or two, it will grow on
you.

Brad


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On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 23:07:06 -0500, Scott McMillan wrote:

Wow! I did not expect all of the responses, but I do appreciate them.
Thanks to those that suggested alternatives to Agent and video processing
softwares - I'll definitely be looking into those.

Looks like it's time to make use of that empty partition on my HD and
try Slack as my desktop OS. I've not experimented with different window
managers before, but many of the responses lead me to believe that I
should.

Again, many thanks to all of you.


Scott McMillan

In article <pan.2004.04.01.04.07.04.664624@usa.net>,
Scott McMillan <smcm@usa.net> wrote:
>
>

>(I am getting involved in digital video editing - takes 1/3 the time to
>process in
>Windoze apps vs. Kino, etc.

have been doing video editing for 5 yrs on slackware
in my experience, slackware + video apps (indeed, most linux flavors)
outperform windows + video apps by factors of 4-10

try MainActor for the point and click stuff

for serious video processing i use the commandline
ImageMagick is surprisingly powerful ...

mpeg compressors and decompressors are a dime a dozen


perhaps i could help if you would disclose your input device and
other requirements...

On Fri, 02 Apr 2004 06:20:32 GMT, sidd@situ.com () wrote:

>In article <pan.2004.04.01.04.07.04.664624@usa.net>,
>Scott McMillan <smcm@usa.net> wrote:
>>
>>
>
>>(I am getting involved in digital video editing - takes 1/3 the time to
>>process in
>>Windoze apps vs. Kino, etc.
>
>have been doing video editing for 5 yrs on slackware
>in my experience, slackware + video apps (indeed, most linux flavors)
>outperform windows + video apps by factors of 4-10
>
>try MainActor for the point and click stuff
>
>for serious video processing i use the commandline
>ImageMagick is surprisingly powerful ...

Hi,

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to spend some time and check MainActor
and ImageMagick out.

>
>mpeg compressors and decompressors are a dime a dozen
>

Could you supply a short list of your favorites? I've just started
playing with DV, mostly family videos that I want to burn to DVD.
As new as I am to Linux, I am _much_ newer to DV processing.

>
>perhaps i could help if you would disclose your input device and
>other requirements...

Nothing too impressive. I'm using a JVC GR-DV3000 mini-DV camcorder,
grabbing the video through a Koutech KW-582V2 firewire card, burning
to DVD with an HP 200i. On WindozeXP I use Ulead's DVD MovieFactory
to create menus, convert to mpeg, and burn. Quick and simple.
On Linux I've played around with Kino thus far. Admittedly, I have
not been able to devote much time to investigating other possiblities
(or fine-tuning Kino, for that matter) lately. I am hoping that will
change soon!

Thank you again for your suggestions.


Scott McMillan

Scott McMillan wrote :

> Thanks to those that suggested alternatives to Agent

Forte Agent is probably hard to replace but maybe because of that its
one of the programs that runs very well using wine.

Try google a bit for wine and Forte Agent and you'll find some howtos.
--
Thomas O.

This area is designed to become quite warm during normal operation.