Re: [Thinkpad] Linux as escape from Micro$oft tyranny.

I use Gentoo on a T23, with the hard drive directly transplanted from
a 770. The only thing I don't have working that I wish I did is
dual-headed display, but I can't find any info on how to do that on
the T23.

A Gentoo install is tedius, but I've seen Linux newbies succeed
spectacularly with only a few questions (which I don't mind being
asked)

On 3/31/06, Jack Wingard <jwingard@comcast.net> wrote:
> Gentoo is awesome, but not an easy install for a laptop.
> A linux novice is probably going to want something that works
> out of the box, like Fedora, Mandriva, Ubuntu, etc.
>
> JW
>
> At 10:41 PM 3/31/2006, you wrote:
>
> >Otherwise, Gentoo. The install is long and tedious, but will give you
> >enough experience to not make such boo-boos as often.
> >
> >On 3/31/06, Alex Austin <circuitsoft.alex@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > Try Pnut linux (http://pnutproject.org/). The commands default to
> > > asking you before doing anything potentially destructive. And, it's
> > > pretty full-featured, if limited in install methods.
> > >
> > > - Alex
> > >
> > > On 3/31/06, mje@foxall.com.au <mje@foxall.com.au> wrote:
> > > > [Jack Wingard:]
> > > >
> > > > >Maybe you should try Linux. Even though most distros are becoming
> > > > >more gui intensive,
> > > > >the command line interface is still where most of the real work is done.
> > > >
> > > > Hi, Jack. Yes, I have considered that, and I think I've
> > even asked about
> > > > that on this list before. I am seriously interested in that,
> > and very eager (if
> > > > I can) to escape the clammy, sticky, claustrophobic grasp of
> > Micro$oft's tentacles.
> > > > Some time ago, I got a new laptop with dual-booting
> > Windows XP and Fedora
> > > > Core Linux on it, and start cautiously experimenting with it.
> > > > However, I made a very small mistake with rather serious
> > consequences, in
> > > > that I used an "mv" command to move three files to a
> > subdirectory, and did it
> > > > wrongly. I didn't use wildcard characters, but gave the
> > command three times for
> > > > each individual file. But unfortunately I mistyped the
> > destination subdirectory
> > > > name, with the result that, instead of moving the files, the
> > command created a
> > > > new file and moved the old files to it - all three of them in
> > succession copied
> > > > to the same new file-name, so obliterating the first two. Now even the
> > > > brain-dead Windows would have warned me about that - but this
> > just did it. That
> > > > is not good design, and my opinion of Linux went down a bit upon that.
> > > > This put a very big spoke in the wheel as far as using
> > Linux was concerned,
> > > > since I was determined to make every effort to recover those
> > files, but had not
> > > > the faintest idea of how to. I instantly turned off the
> > computer: not closing
> > > > down properly, but literally pulling the plug only a minute or so after
> > > > discovering my mistake, to minimize the chance that new files
> > (swap files and
> > > > the like which I had no knowledge of) might overwrite the
> > deleted data, now on
> > > > space considered empty and reusable. From that moment on, I
> > considered the
> > > > computer unusable until I could find a suitable disk recovery
> > tool, similar to
> > > > the old MS-DOS Norton Utilities (whose usage I am thoroughly
> > conversant with).
> > > > I do consider it possible that at least one copy of the
> > obliterated files
> > > > may still be there in the empty disk space: for one thing, when
> > the three files
> > > > were written to the same destination file-name, it's possible
> > they could have
> > > > been written to different areas of empty space, so they may all
> > still be there,
> > > > even though deleted; and also, the original copies of the files
> > may still be
> > > > there, although also deleted. To avoid obliterating these is
> > why I almost
> > > > immediately pulled the plug on the computer and stopped using it.
> > > > I switched to another computer for everything computer
> > related that I do:
> > > > back to my increasingly crippled ThinkPad 770ED, which was
> > still usable after a
> > > > fashion, and then to the replacement 770ED I mentioned a little
> > while ago, which
> > > > I got when the old 770 broke down; and also to another desktop
> > - and continued
> > > > life like that.
> > > > I'm not sure I like the Medion laptop this mishap occurred
> > on, largely
> > > > because of its TouchPad pointing device, and I put it aside and
> > almost forgot
> > > > about it - and it has literally not been switched on since
> > December, 2004.
> > > > My older brother, who works professionally with Linux at a
> > very high level,
> > > > told me that he didn't know where a suitable disk editor or file-recovery
> > > > program could be obtained, and he wasn't even sure if such a
> > thing *existed*,
> > > > and he advised me to just write those files off, put it down to
> > experience, and
> > > > move on. But I am extremely stubborn about things like lost
> > files, and I was
> > > > determined that that laptop would not be used until I had
> > either recovered the
> > > > files, or established definitely that they could not be
> > recovered, because the
> > > > data was overwritten by other files.
> > > > Because of this debacle, and because of knowing my general
> > resistance to
> > > > new technology, my brother concluded that Linux was not suited
> > to me after all,
> > > > maybe still a bit too geeky for me; and he suggested I go back
> > to Windows XP,
> > > > which I have done for the time being, although I still regard that as a
> > > > short-term, temporary measure. I don't share his opinion that
> > Linux is not
> > > > suited to me, although this incident has certainly been a
> > severe setback. But
> > > > maybe Linux can be configured to warn me when I issue
> > potentially dangerous
> > > > commands such as "mv" to a mistyped destination subdirectory,
> > and I may be able
> > > > to continue with it after all - because I have long had the
> > intuition that a lot
> > > > of Linux software may be just the type of software that in MS-DOS days I
> > > > considered good, althoug of course expanded in scope to meet
> > today's needs in
> > > > software. I did see a neat file-comparison utility on the
> > Linux partition which
> > > > almost rekindled that old feeling of getting excited about
> > software that I
> > > > mentioned before I had often felt in the old MS-DOS days.
> > > >
> > > > I just can't believe that suitable file-recovery software
> > for Linux doesn't
> > > > exist, even though my highly professional brother working in
> > Linux didn't know
> > > > of one. If anyone does know of a specific program that can do
> > this, I would be
> > > > very grateful if they could please tell me what it is, and
> > where to get it. It
> > > > doesn't have to be freeware, and I'm prepared to pay for it if
> > it will do the job.
> > > > I need a disk editor that can examine particular clusters,
> > search for data,
> > > > and which can also recognize subdirectory and file structures -
> > just like the
> > > > old MS-DOS Norton Utilities could do. A Linux equivalent of
> > that is exactly
> > > > what I need; and it has to be on a C.D.-ROM that I can boot off
> > without it in
> > > > any way writing to or altering the hard disk unless I
> > explicitly tell it to.
> > > > Is there any hope of my finding this? It would be the
> > passport to me
> > > > moving on with Linux and escaping from Microsoft.
> > > > Rather off-topic here, I know, but the topic seems to have
> > arisen. I'd be
> > > > very grateful for any leads on this.
> > > > Thanks.
> > > >
> > > > Regards,
> > > > Michael Edwards.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > -------------------------------------------------
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> > > >
> > >
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> >
> >
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Received on Fri Mar 31 22:55:58 2006