even in windows, i see, many users still have not tried all the features available there. Linux is like buying a fabric and getting it stiched to your needs and windows is like ready made dress.

i enjoyed reading both replies and others queries too. it helps.

once again thank u all.

You said that you are trying to dual-boot Windows and Linux, which can be a tricky process. Instead of dual-booting, while you are learning about Linux, I would try Ubuntu Linux and use the Wubi installer, which let’s you install Ubuntu almost like it is an application in Windows, but then you get the option to boot directly into Ubuntu when you start up the computer. It is really easy and nice, and it makes installation a snap. No grub, no partitions, no formatting, no command lines, no master boot records, etc.

I believe that Linux Mint (which is an Ubuntu-based distribution) has something similar to Wubi, and Linux Mint is even easier for novices than Ubuntu .

If you decide you want to make Linux your primary OS, you can always set up a separate partition later.

Regarding the tarballs, specifically – The developers certainly could (in most circumstances) make their software into an easily installable package (deb, rpm, etc). Often they choose not to, for two reasons:

1) One set of source code can be compiled on any *nix machine without modification. You don’t need a dozen types of packages for every version of your program

2) Distributing the source gives the power to the user. They can make any changes they like and have full control over the install process.

So there are perfectly good reasons, based on the developers’ choices, to take the “mumbo jumbo” route. The main point here is that Linux is not SUPPOSED to be a Windows replacement – that’s not what it’s for. It certainly CAN be, and there are many valid reasons to choose Windows, but Linux’s flexibility is its strength, by design. I HIGHLY recommend reading the link posted above.

this makes me stay in windows itself, something has to be done more to make linux still simpler OS to use than Windows..simply offering it free alone will not make it popular.

i have nearly 9 flavours in dvds – but wondering how to go about it

so far i have learned making a dual booting
uninstalling and removing the grub and installing back

but some how i am wondering cannot it be made still more simpler? why all this mumbo jumbo stuff?

For starters, yes I’d highly recommend making subdirectories for each tarball you extract and compile. personally I have a Apps directory in my home where I extract all my tarballs. They normally make their own subdirectory when you extract them, so your source could would end up in /home/username/apps/nameoftarball.

The other two questions have kinda of the same answer. Yes, you probably want to leave the source code on there because with many programs, you can return to that directory and type “make uninstall” to remove.

Thanks!
John

You should add to make

make -j 9

to have source compiled multi threaded (9 threads at same time instead of only one)

very fast then

cmake .
make
make install

“sudo apt-get install build-essentials”

I don’t think they are there by default.

Glad I could help!