Re: Spinoff: Using Linux for work? was RE: Why Tech-Writers ShouldKnow About ...

[Lou Quillio <public -at- quillio -dot- com>]

HBacheler -at- aol -dot- com wrote:
> One of the things to remember is that not all  tech writers have the 'luxury' 
> of having access to Linux.
> What are the  requirements to have Linux on a 'home' PC desktop?
> Does it require a  'dual boot' configuration?  

On a single PC, yes.  And that can be tricky to arrange, because
Windows presumes it lives alone, and takes inappropriate liberties.

For example, I have a box with WinXP on one disk and a Linux distro
on another.  I switch between them by catching the BIOS routine at
boot-time, and telling the system to boot from one or the other.  At
that moment it's just me, a dumb box, and the BIOS -- which has no
idea what will happen next.  I should be in complete control.

But if I had to re-install Windows on "its" disk, it would corrupt
the boot sector on the second disk even though that's none of its
business.

Only try setting-up dual boot with a full backup.  You *can* fix the
master boot record, but it's geeky and scary and most folks will
kook and give up (use Christophe Grenier's `TestDisk`).

No need for dual-boot, though.  Start with this collection of apps,
all for Windows:

  http://theopencd.sunsite.dk/

Use 'em when you can and have time, stay single-boot.  That's
baccalaureate.

Running desktop Linux or BSD, alone or dual-boot, is graduate work:
 nice to have, not essential for most things.

And remember it's about open file formats.  Once the requirement is
to produce OpenDoc or DocBook or SVG files, it won't matter how you
made them, and the next guy can use the tool of his choice to modify
them.  Everybody's happy.

You don't need *NIX to get on the cluetrain.

LQ

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Now Shipping -- WebWorks ePublisher Pro for Word! Easily create online
Help. And online anything else. Redesigned interface with a new
project-based workflow. Try it today! http://www.webworks.com/techwr-l

Doc-To-Help 2005 converts RoboHelp files with one click. Author with Word or any HTML editor. Visit our site to see a conversion demo movie and learn more. http://www.componentone.com/TECHWRL/DocToHelp2005

---
You are currently subscribed to techwr-l as:
archiver -at- techwr-l -dot- com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to leave-techwr-l-obscured -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com
Send administrative questions to lisa -at- techwr-l -dot- com -dot-  Visit
http://www.techwr-l.com/techwhirl/ for more resources and info.