New user, puzzled

[redpipe67]

Good day all,
I am a brand new user of Kubuntu and since I have always used windows in the past, I have a few questions that I hope will not sound too stupid to you seasoned users.
1. I have always installed chipset drivers after a clean install of windows in the past. Does Kubuntu have the same requirements? Are there Linux chipset drivers for my Intel 865 mobo, I have not found any. If not, why does Windows reccomend installing them but Linux does not even have any?
2. Is the operating system "optimized" for my particular processor? I mean does it support hyperthreading?
3. I dual boot windows and kubuntu currently. Ideally I would like to give the old heave-ho completley to windows but in order to do that, kubuntu would have to be able to perform all the tasks i currently perform within windows. These tasks are, watch and record tv with my hauppauge 250 tv capture card, copy and burn dvd movies, convert dvd movies to watch on a Sony PSP's memory stick, download music with limewire and most importantly play games such as Half life 2, F.E.A.R, Battlefield 2, Starwars battlefront 2, Call of Duty 2 and Star Wars Empire at War. Are these tasks possible with Kubuntu?
4. I have been trying to install the latest drivers for my XFX Geforce 6800 GT graphics card, do you think I can find any 2 sets of instructions that are the same? As of yet I still have not got it installed. All of the directions I have followed go as planned for a portion of the directions but inevitably end up displaying errors and not completing or not booting into the OS after completion. Depending on the instructions I follow, it falls over at different stages each time. I have tried about 6 or 7 different approaches all stating that "This one works". If anyone really knows the correct way, I would appreciate it.
5. I live in another country from the rest of my family and using windows, skype and my intel web cam keep in touch and see them frequently. I have installed skype in Kubuntu but I do not have an option to use my web cam so they can see me nor can I see them. Is it the version of skype or is this not possible in skype for Linux?
6. Although not a hardware issue, I thought I would add it. What's with the fonts? I have successfully copied my fonts from my windows install and installed them in Kubuntu, tried varying settings with anti-aliasing but still some sites look horrendous, both in Konqueror and Firefox, I found the best results after turning Anti-aliasing off but the font sizes on the web are still a pain.
I like the initial impression of kubuntu but some tasks just take so damn long to accomplish, as an example my graphics card is still not installed correctly and my fonts look like crap eventhough I have windows ones installed and I am not sure if the operating system is working as efficiently as possible.
Despite all of my initial fears and problems, I really want to stick with Kubuntu and so I have high hopes that I will be able to acheive all of these things and more. I look forward to your replys.

[askrieger]

Re: New user, puzzled

I can't answer all your questions, among other things I'm not a gamer and I don't have a webcam or a tv card, but I'll do my best.

(1) All the pages I've seen at the Ubuntu Community Help Sitereferring to your chipset refer to the onboard video. I would think that if you're using a Nvidia card instead, you have no need for any extra driver. Why did windoze use one?

(2)Yes, use the 686 kernel, it supports HT, if you have it.

(3)You can watch your DVD movies. Read the Restricted Formats page at the Community Help site. In addition, you can play widows games with Cedega (or so I've been told).

(4)Checkout the Nvidia driver how to at the Community Help site. Do you see a pattern emerging here?

(5) someone else will have to help you with Skype, I have an AMD64 setup and if Skype doesn't like it, to @#$% with them.

(6) My fonts look fine so I'll defer to someone who has had a problem with M$ fonts.

[claydoh]

Re: New user, puzzled

Once #4 is done, #6 will see a marked improvement.

#3 I play HL/HL2 using Cedegs, which does cost $$ but works well enough for me
http://transgaming.org has a database of games that run using that.

#2 no chipset drivers are required, as they are built-in already, unless you have something way out there hardware-wise

#1 If you have it, there are optimized kernels for a few archtectures. For example, I have an Athlon XP, so I installed the linux-image-k7 package, you can as askrieger mentioned, install the linux-image-686 package.

Back to #4, it should be as simple as installing the nvidia-glx package using Adept, then running the command

sudo nvidia-glx-config enable

and following any directions that may be needed there
(basically a summary of the help page listed in askrieger's post)

I won't say that ditching Windows for Linux is going to be simple and easy, though it is getting easier all the time. You need to see what you can live with and without by doing what you do now: dual booting. I was not a huge game guy when I gave up windows almost 3.5 yrs ago, but I play more games now for example than I did back then via cedega. I dual/triple/quad booted for over a year and a half before I decided to make the switch

Just experiment and play around with Linux for a while, see what you like

[Nibiruet]

Re: New user, puzzled

Try this site for answers to many install questions; may help you with yours.

http://www.cs.cornell.edu/%7Edjm/ubuntu/

Though it says Ubuntu I am sure you know that the difference between Ubuntu and Kubuntu is cosmetic and is in the GUI used.

I have been a Microsoft user since the old days of DOS and rcently decided, with the builkding of my new computer, to finally dump MS. I however am compelled to run Win-XP Pro in VmWare Workstation as the stock software I use to earn my living does not work in Linux nor does Linux have anything comparable. I would never go back to Windows

Good Luck !

[John Bird]

Re: New user, puzzled

Hi,
I'm in the same position myself, but I'm not a gamer so cannot help with that. The first thing for you to do is install Automatix this will download and install for Windows fonts, proprietary codex, decryption lib, and other goodys for you. Kb3 is good for burning you can also download Nero for linux and your windows key will work for it. Most people seem to use Kaffeine to watch DVD but I prefer Totem Move player myself and the are many more for linux. DVD author will produce DVD for you but you will need to sort out one of the many GUIs for it you can use the windoz based DVD styler with wine but this is a more restricted than other linux offerings. Another program you will most probably find interesting is avidemux for editing and format conversion.

Regards John

[AtZeuS]

Re: New user, puzzled

On skype: There is no version of skype that supports video yet. But they have announced one. However the skype for linux team is behind the windows team and is progressing slowly (They added ALSA support last week ) So I wouldn't count on it being supported soon if it's important to you.