[OT] Operating Environment Survey

users
#1

Wow, you're survey has me interested;
           and I'm quite amazed at the results which have been posted so
far ...

       [see my responses intermingled below in your query]

#2

Hi :slight_smile:
I'm sure many on this mailing list would be willing to help you get
started.

There are various ways of doing quite a lot of test-driving before
committing yourself to anything.

1. It is probably good to 'rescue' an older machine from somewhere in
order to test-drive a few things first just in case you run into any
misunderstandings or accidents.

2. Alternatively, it can be neat if you are comfortable enough (and good
enough) with hardware and have a desktop or other machine where it's easy
to plonk in a 2nd (or 3rd or whatever) hard-drive and just leave it in
there. Then when you want to try out linux you just unplug your Windows
drive(s) and plug in your Linux one. That can usually avoid needing to
mess around with the bios but not always - but at least if it doesn't work
or something goes wrong then you can just plug your Windows drive(s) back
in to get back to where you were.

3. A much safer way would be to create a Virtual Machine inside Windows.
This is MUCH easier than it sounds! Basically just install the program
"Virtualbox" in Windows just the same as you would install any other
program. There are a lot of other such programs but Virtualbox is free and
fairly friendly for point&click users.

4. If you are confident enough to risk using a machine that you kinda
depend on at the moment then we can probably give some help with that too.

Option 3 is probably the quickest, safest and easiest way to start but it
doesn't give much of a feel for what is really going on. I feel i
understand things better if i can physically get my hands on them. But
maybe start with 3 and then move on to one of the other options?

Let us know which option you think you can handle, when you have time to
dip your toe into the new adventure! :wink:
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile: