Getting less impressed with W XP by the day so seriously thinking of switching to Linux. Q is--
Which version is best for BOINC/Rosetta and are there any known probs or snags?

AMD4800 64 dual core. mem = 3.64GB. VM = 4.68GB.

{Sorry to young Billy.G}.

I don't think I've ever see it proven that one version of linux is "faster", atleast not until you get into special cut down versions(that I've never played with). Being a Win only person(after DOS that is) I tried and found Mandriva (KDE) reasonably simple to use. I have it (2007 Mandriva Spring Free X86-64) and windows running dual boot on all my systems, but wouldn't hesitate to build a system with just linux. Using dual boot gets you the ability to gently switch over. What I mean here is that when the learning linux gets you ready to pull out your last hair, then switch back to ole comfortable windows. I've found that the learning curve is definitely in existence, and best done a chunk at a time.

That said, I've heard good things about other linux Distros, but am still in that learning curve myself, so I don't wanna jump ship just yet. If you just wanna play with linux, but not install. Look to "mandriva ONE". It'll burn to a DVD/CD and you just reboot your puter with the CD inside. Install Boinc, Run some work, and when you wanna go back to windows, simply reboot (removing the cd/dvd) and Linux is GONE. It doesn't install anything, But also if you lose power or reboot, you lose any unfinished works as well.

If you're interested, I'll find you some links where I have posted a sort of "how to" (especially for the cd/dvd ONE version use).

If you've read my linux vs windows thread here, then you know Linux is 20% faster than windows(atleast on my AMD64, and X2's)

Which version is best for BOINC/Rosetta

Every Linux distro (of the literally hundreds that exist) hast it's pros and cons. If you are a Linux novice I'd suggest to chose one of the mainstream distros (Suse, Fedora, Ubuntu (or astro's Mandrake [EDIT] Mandriva [/EDIT]) to name a few). They usually have a better support and - in case of problems - the community is big enough to help you with all kinds of problems. Once you get familiar with Linux you can choose "more complicated" distros like Gentoo or some BSD flavour (which isn't a good choice regarding BOINC). Alle these are usable with BOINC, but some brand new distros cause problems with some projects (but that's not the distro's fault, it's more or less a kernel problem.)

If Linux/BSD doesn't fit your needs (it doesn't for me, at least as a desktop for everday's use) you may have also a look at OSX. The only "drawback" is that you're bundled to (really nice!) hardware.

Thanks to Scsimodo and Astro. Seems Ubuntu is good for me so ordering a CD. {takes 2 or 3 months to arrive!}. Would be good to read a *how to*.
Must say I did not realise that a dual boot is possible.I have read Astro's Linux vs Windows thread.{lucky it was a fairly new post}.

Thanks to you both, seems Ubuntu is good for me so ordering a CD. {takes 2 or 3 months to arrive!}. Would be good to read a *how to*.
Must say I did not realise that a dual boot is possible.

2-3months??? do you have a dvd burner and the internet? Or just a CD and the internet, you could have linux installed by tomorrow.

I went to mandriva and they want you to get the 2008 version, but here's a picture drive "how to" on replacing windows the_perfect_desktop_mandriva_2007_spring_free. and you can download 2008 from Mandriva either as ftp or using a torrent. My version of Spring 2007 Free is 64 bit, haven't seen it listed on the mandriva page if 2008 is also 64 bit, so you might wanna dig around.

The "how to" I spoke of is only for mandriva installation of boinc either with the "free" (free of software which costs money), or ONE which runs from disc. If you don't have an ISO burner program, I can link you to a free one.

dual boot is acheived by a "boot loader". I use GRUB (grand unified bootloader). If you install linux to the hard drive(the one with windows already on it) it'll install the bootloader for you, so when you power on your puter. It goes through bios, then flash screen (if enabled), then to the bootloader where you get to select which OS to use. You can configure it to load either one by default (autoloads the default after timeout)

[snip]
Ubuntu is good for me so ordering a CD. {takes 2 or 3 months to arrive!}.
[/snip]

If you have access to a fast internet connection, and a way to burn an ISO image, you can download Ubuntu.

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Rosie, Rosie, she's our gal,
If she can't do it, no one shall!

Thanks for everyone's assistance. If I am feeling brave soon will try to D/L onto CD. Delivery times for an ordered CD seems a bit much but that is what they quote.

You don't even need to burn a CD or partition your harddrive (!) to install and try Ubuntu anymore:http://wubi-installer.org/

I use 100% linux (including 64bits versions), and crunshing is just as fast and just as easy as windows.

- Trib'

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I have a few linux varieties set up on a virtual machine. It is a nice way to try out different distros and learn about things without the fear of messing up anything or installing to a physical disk.

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Sorry, but cannot run Linux with my current ISP. Thanks for all the comments.

I recently built a computer for an acquaintance. The budget for the build was pretty low, so I suggested a Linux OS, specifically Ubuntu. At the same time, my acquaintance wished to move from dial-up to DSL, which (paradoxically) was a cost saving.

When I delivered the computer, I had to set up her account with the ISP. That task required that I use the startup disk that came with the DSL modem. That software was provided only in the Windows flavor.

I ran the startup disk on my (Windows) laptop, and set up her account.

Then I hooked up her new computer to her new DSL modem and installed Ubuntu. There was no problem whatsoever with going online, and absolutely no need to run the startup disk provided by her ISP.

M.L. If you have existing broadband access, it is likely that you can forgo the use of any startup disk(s) provided by your ISP. Just plug in the ethernet cable and go.

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Rosie, Rosie, she's our gal,
If she can't do it, no one shall!

I thought it could be an ISP that uses PPPoE. I've heard Linux can do that, but some manual setup is required.