OS Help :)

[deletemeplease]

So.

I've heard some good stuff about Linux being used for RS.

 

I'm currently on a Vista.

I used to be on a Windows XP, (Which made the RS experience the best I've had yet) but that computer has since crashed.

Vista doesn't satisfy me, so I'm gonna see if Linux is any better.

 

I've found a tutorial online telling me how to make a dual boot, so I can still use Vista if it's better than Linux.

 

So I just wanted to know, if there's anyone here who has used both OS's, which one is better?

 

Also, just a personal opinion, what do you think is the best OS out there?

[Shelby_Polo]

I don't run Linux so sorry, I don't have any info on that.

But I do have a Macbook with OS X on it; runs rs great!

But... I also partitioned my hard drive for Windows 7, which I must say, runs rs even better; better than any computer I've tried with Vista/XP

 

but I still like OS X better ;)

[dsavi]

You're looking for trouble. :) Try to keep this specific to Linux, not any OS, and even then it'll turn into a flame war.

 

Linux is not an actual operating system, it is the very core of an operating system. It is unusable without putting software around it to make it useful. There are several communities and companies that do that, the result is an actual operating system and is called a distribution (Or "distro" for short. One example, the most popular in terms of number of users, is Ubuntu, which I would personally recommend, especially if you are thinking of playing RuneScape on it. I just wanted to clear up that about distributions before we started.

 

Yeah, I've used both Windows (XP, Vista, 7) and Linux (A few different distros, mostly Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora) extensively, and personally I come out on the side of Linux. No matter how much slander those "Get a Mac" ads place on Windows, they are right about one thing: Windows can be a real headache. Linux is disposable; If something breaks and you can't fix it, you can reinstall it with no worry. There's also a huge selection of software for Linux, especially Ubuntu/Debian/Fedora/OpenSUSE, one command on the command line and you have that program. Linux does not require an antivirus, because few viruses exist for Linux, and it has been built from the ground up with security in mind.

 

On the other hand, not all Windows programs work on Linux, (You can run ~80% of them through a program called WINE) and you will probably find yourself using the command line a lot. I wouldn't think of the command line as a downside, personally, but it's very foreign to a Windows user.

 

Check out these websites of different distros:

Ubuntu (Works well for beginners, has a huge selection of software for installation in a few clicks)

OpenSUSE (User-friendly, probably good for beginners too I haven't tried it)

Linux Mint (Aims for ease of use and little setup after installation, based on Ubuntu)

Fedora (Aimed at slightly more advanced users, also has a large software selection)

Debian (For more advanced users, but some consider it to be less "bloated" or something than Ubuntu)

Mandriva (Also aims for ease of use, I don't know about a lot about it)

 

All of them are of course free.

[deletemeplease]

I think I'll look into Ubuntu as a dual boot.

Would booting it from the CD make it slower?

 

Thanks. :)

[dsavi]

Booting it from the CD would make it slower, and you wouldn't be able to play RuneScape.

[Koanga]

The Ubuntu live CDs don't include flash or java (because of licensing issues), so unless you made a custom CD (Which is a huge pain), you won't be able to run RS from it. And in any case, running from a live CD is slow.

 

I'd suggest just making a real small partition for a dual boot (just a GB or 2 more than the install takes) so it's not wasting much space and it'll run at full speed.

[deletemeplease]

Well, I just finished, installed Java, and went to try it in HD.

 

To my dissapointment, HD didn't work out so well as posted below.

I could only get a proper picture in SD, and that's what I already play in, so I'll just stick to my vista I guess.

 

Now to get rid of Ubuntu. :)

 

Thanks for everyones help. :)

 

 

 

[dsavi]

Hold your horses. You can't play RS HD if you don't have the right stuff to play it with. :huh: You're jumping to conclusions. I've played RS HD quite a bit on Ubuntu.

I used this guide to set it up: http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php?p=5499744&postcount=8

[Koanga]

Also if you haven't done this yet, make sure you have the proper and most recent graphics driver. (If it's an ATI card it might not work terribly well)

[Sbrideau]

dsavi, if a problem comes up, you can do the same with Windows, meaning the part you said it's a reinstall without problems. Also, since Vista, viruses won't just come on the computer unless you allow them, so it's user error most of the time.

 

From the OSes I have used (Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Ubuntu, Fedora), I find Windows 7 to be the most responding, fastest and easier to use than the others. Plus with MSE you don't even see the antivirus is there since it doesn't use much RAM.

 

I have nothing to add on the side of advice about Ubuntu, I think it's pretty covered with the link dsavi posted.

[The Runar]

Also if you haven't done this yet, make sure you have the proper and most recent graphics driver. (If it's an ATI card it might not work terribly well)

 

With a NVIDIA card, it can be installed by typing

 

sudo apt-get install nvidia-glx-185

 

into the command line (Applications > Accessories > Terminal or something like that).

 

And remember that things don't always just magically work - in this case RSHD. ;)

 

By the way, I'm using Arch Linux and RSHD works very well, except for a 30-second or so lag when I log in. After that, it runs about as fast in Windows Vista (a bit slower with the best graphics, but otherwise no problems). Everything else in this OS is extremely fast. It's very hard to install if you haven't used Linux before, though.

[deletemeplease]

I followed the guide provided, same problem.

It didn't update any files, nor install anything new.

I think it's just my computers stupidness.

 

Thanks anyways. :)