[X4U] [Will Macs run Lenix?

[John F. Richardson]

Hello,

I just got back to the office and checked my mail. Appologies for duplicate
information if this has been discussed.....

There are 2 Choices.

Run Linux on a standard Windows PC. Just by a PC and load Linux over the
existing OS.

Buy an Intel Macintosh and use Parallels or any competitor system to run
Linux on the Mac. If the Hard Drive is big enough, he can run OSX, Windows
XP, Linux and probably even Solaris at the same time.

What he really needs is a Linux textbook. I have no preference so no
textbook to refer. Once he has the textbook, he can understand the process
of loading Linux on a PC. I assume that Parallels has a "user manual" for
Linux installation. Essentially, you run Linux as a sort of "Mac OSX
program". When you are working inside of that program you are in a virtual
Linux computer and whatever you want to do with Linux you can do, subject to
a few driver limitations.

Driver Limitations
That is the key. The more he wants to use Linux for industrial data
acquisition, or 3-D motion capture, or some obscure image device or robot
or...<insert strange peripheral here> the more trouble he is going to be in.
So, he would have to decide if this is the case and which platform has
driver support for his work requirements. Native Linux (the version he is
running [Ubuntu, Red Hat, SUSE,...]) on a PC or his Linux of choice [Ubuntu,
Red Hat, SUSE,...] running under Parallels (or a competitor)?

Parallels is the most well know of the virtualization systems for Mactels
(Intel Macs). That does not mean I endorse it. There are 2 competitors to
Parallels that stand out. I know there is a system called Wine but I can't
remember the vendor. Try the Macworld expo web site and look up the
description of the vendors and look for virtualization technologies. Try the
Apple web site. 

Cheaper is not better, but if the work requirements are met by a cheap Intel
PC, he can sell the OEM Windows XP on ebay.

John F. Richardson

-----Original Message-----
From: x4u-bounces at listserver.themacintoshguy.com
[mailto:x4u-bounces at listserver.themacintoshguy.com] On Behalf Of john
Sent: Saturday, January 27, 2007 10:08 PM
To: A place to discuss Mac OS X for the casual user.
Subject: Re: [X4U] [Will Macs run Lenix?

>At 11:05 PM -0800 1/24/07, john wrote:
>>>
>>>On Jan 24, 2007, at 10:40 PM, john wrote:
>>>
>>>>All you great Mac folks---  Question:  Will the new Intel Macs run
Lenix?
>>>>
>>>
>>>Not sure what the heck "Lenix" is, but if you're referring to 
>>>Linux, yes, they run it just fine. As do the PowerPC Macs. Ubuntu 
>>>is a popular choice these days.
>>>
>>-patch
>>
>>Yes, Linux, that's what I meant!  I don't use it, I am a terrible 
>>speller, and well no other excuses.  Got the proper spelling in the 
>>dictionary now so may not be a spelling problem in the future (no 
>>guarantees though).  Thanks for the VERY fast reply.
>
>Here I thought you'd mistyped asking if Mac's can run Lunix :^)  If 
>that was the question then you'd first have to find a C-64 emulator. 
>:^)
>
>My apologies, I simply couldn't resist the bad joke.  Believe it or 
>not Lunix is a "Unix Clone" for the Commodore 64.
>
>I am curious, what does Linux offer that Mac OS X doesn't?  I've 
>been running Linux for just over 15 years now, and once I *finally* 
>moved to Mac OS X, I no longer needed a Linux box for most things. 
>I do have a couple systems that run Linux, but I basically never 
>boot into it.
>
>Zane

First, thanks to all who have responded to my spelling error 
question.  Our son is a programer, right now for a firm that 
receives, stores and sends medical scans and x rays.  He is going to 
go back to school and we are willing to buy him a new computer for 
same.  We are Mac folks 100% and feel the Macs are a better system 
and better built to name just 2 positive things about them.  Our son 
started on Macs but once in college, switched to Windows because all 
that he was doing was on that platform.  Now that he has been out in 
the real world a few years, there is a lot of work done using Linux 
that he is doing and he needs a system to work in Linux, thus the 
question.

He will be using this machine (what ever he ends up getting) both for 
work in school (Master and maybe higher) as well as at work/home.  So 
now you know "The rest of the story!".

Thanks again for the help.

John Dach
_______________________________________________
X4U mailing list
X4U at listserver.themacintoshguy.com
http://listserver.themacintoshguy.com/mailman/listinfo/x4u

Listmom is trying to clean out his closets! Vintage Mac and random stuff:
         http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZmacguy1984