Moving from Ubntu to PuppyLInus-will all app work??

[zazen666]

Hello all
I hope that some of you may have answers I am looking for or at least can poing me in the right direction.
About 4 months ago I finally got the courage to make the swith from Windows to Ubuntu and despite having zero experience with linux and being a bit nervous, I have to say that it was the right decision. I really love Linux and now have the courage to try Puppy, which I have had my eyes of for a while now but it did't seem as user friendly. However, now with a little linux experience under my belt, I want to give a shot.

However I have reservations. Mainly I want to be able to get certain programs up and running on my laptop. The Ubuntu forum has been a great help and hope that this forum will be as friendly to beginners.
The following programs I hope to run are:

Gnomad, or someting that will reconize and interact with my Creative Zen vision M (this was the most difficult thing for me to install.)

Utorrent-i got this working fine with WINE under ubuntu.

Skype-seems that this wont be difficult.

Also-I use a great progam that comes with the tool bar called "stickey notes" that are like postits for the desktop. will there be a similar program for puppy?


And one more silly question-Will I be able to follow the same commands that are posted on the Ubuntu forums? I assume they must be specific to ubuntu, and cant be used for other linux distrobutions?

Sorry to ask some many different questions-but I need a little hand holding from more experienced users before I will make the switch.

Thanks

[Bruce B]

Sometimes you can find an equivalent Puppy package.

Sometimes you have to do a manual install. The trick to this is have Puppy and your other distros installed on your hard drives at the same time.

Here are the basic steps:

1) copy the executable file from the other distro to Puppy in the same directory if possible

2) run the executable from the command line. if it runs, good, make an desktop icon or menu item for it and you're good to go.

3) if it doesn't run, usually it will print on the screen what dependent file it needs. usually a library which you discover is a symlink to another file.

4) locate the file(s) from the other distro and copy it to the appropriate place in puppy's filesystem, repeat as needed until the application runs

5) sometimes, it is just a waste of time and the amount of work necessary to get it running is not worth it.

--------------

What I have found very helpful is the debian web page. search for the package you want by name. when you find it, it often tells you want dependencies it needs and provides links to them. the install is time consuming, but sometimes its worth it

[stowpirate]

Myself I would keep Ubuntu as the software available is mind boggling compared to Puppy. If all the applications work in Ubuntu and you want to use Puppy for other tasks create a permanent file on shutdown within the Ubuntu partition. Then let it boot from a CD using your previous session data and settings and it will even use the existing swap file - you then have the best of both worlds. You are probably already aware of this option...................?

On my system I have a dual boot Mepis, Windoz setup so I can get at a Epson 2480 photo negative scanner which is not supported within Linux . I use Puppy as a third option mostly with its multimedia and photo editing features.

I think it is better to keep all your options open and not stick with one OS. Linux changes so fast that within a few weeks another distro will come along that is even better than the one you have installed. The target is moving unlike Windoz which appears to mark time for a few years between major updates.

What killed Windoz as an OS for me was it outgrew my PC. You need a super computer to run Vista! .

[Marco_Inge]

Gnomad, or someting that will reconize and interact with my Creative Zen vision M (this was the most difficult thing for me to install.)

Hi there, since my wife bought a Zen I was wondering if I can access it from puppy or I still have to boot windows from time to time to do it...

Did you manage to do it?

Cheers, Marco

[Lobster]

sticky notes
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?p=7649

found with Puppy Google
http://wellminded.com/puppy/pupsearch.html

Ubuntu has the whole of the Debian library of software available. It is not as swift as Puppy. It is doing well using marketing and genuine real world improvement. What I suggest is what I tend to do. Keep Ubuntu on your hard disk and boot Puppy (why not jump in at the deep end and try 2.17 Alpha). Puppy saves his settings on shutdown. I am using PCLinuxOS (I have a thing about Beryl - whoever named it Compiz Fuzion needs to be reprogrammed)

Within a few months of regular FUN and games you will be setting up your own mini-distro

Here is mine - developed for Open Source Time Travel
http://www.zen45800.zen.co.uk/beta/

Welcome to the kennels

[raffy]

Underdog allows Puppy to run on top of another Linux distro:

http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=13750

http://www.puppylinux.com/development/h ... works.html

[jonyo]

About 4 months ago I finally got the courage to make the swith from Windows to Ubuntu and despite having zero experience with linux and being a bit nervous, I have to say that it was the right decision. I really love Linux and now have the courage to try Puppy, which I have had my eyes of for a while now but it didn't seem as user friendly

Bought (was desperate ) a pre installed Linspire rig awhile ago; sat for ~ a year..couldn't figure out the wifi. ..was supposed to be easy (turned out it was..in the end)..

~ 6 moths ago looked around at linuxes for dummies type thing cuz was fed up with 'doze & linspire & burnt a few. Pup caught my eye, was my first linux wifi connection & haven't looked back since.

Got a buncha distros goin wifi now but mostly play with pup & fiddle with the others. Good bet you'll luv it. I find pup very user friendly having pretty much also started with zero linux experience & folks here are most helpfull

Best thing imo is to burn the latest iso, boot the 'pute & take pup for a spin. When shuttin down, you can chose to make a save file on your current setup (or to a usb stick), or chose no & your setup won't be touched. Save file keeps your setting & downloads. I run all my pups this way, on top of other OS's.
------------------------------------------------------
live cd 2.12 through 6 save file to HD.

[Lobster]

And one more silly question-Will I be able to follow the same commands that are posted on the Ubuntu forums? I assume they must be specific to ubuntu, and cant be used for other linux distrobutions?

It depends what they are and what they are for. Puppy has BASH (the Bourne Again Shell) as does Ubuntu. Many experienced users rave about the power of Linux being here . . . Some Linux desktops (PCLinuxOS for example) completly hide the console / terminal not wishing to scare the timid non-geek.
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/bash

You will find Puppy aims for ease of usage - just works but also allows access to the console and workings.

here are some shell scripts
http://puppylinux.org/wikka/ShellScriptsExamples
do they work in Ubuntu?

[d4p]

Actually you don't need to worry to much & don't need to switch completely.

Puppy is small O.S., very fast and can work independently from other O.S.

Just boot your pc from Puppy live CD & in about 1 minutes you are ready to go.
If you don't want to use your HD, you can create multisession CD to safe your data/files.

Or
Just create 1 Gb partition (big enough just for trial) on your HD & install it. It take maybe only 2 or 3 minutes to install puppy system, NOT like windows/ubuntu more than 30 minutes.

Or
Just install it on your pen drive

You made already big decision to switch from windows to ubuntu, but I can not.
I've tried since 2 years to switch to linux. Like Ubuntu looked good, but not enough for my need/use. Ubuntu automatic update ruined my browser & one day I had to replace video card (replaced with ATI) & ubuntu system wont boot at all not even from live CD.


This is my opinion, just try it, you will enjoy it and will know more what prog./applications, that Puppy can do.
Not a promise, work for me & work for you too.
I use this forum to ask, am newbie too.

Puppy is really superior.

[jonyo]

Some Linux desktops (PCLinuxOS for example) completly hide the console / terminal not wishing to scare the timid non-geek.

HEYY..YOU TALKIN TO ME
...great line ina movie 'taxi'..