Is linux compatible with Microsoft...

a few months ago I installed SuSE Linux 9.0 on my Dell OptiplexGX1. I found that I wasn't able to install any winXP compatible software onto it. Either I'm doing something wrong or Linux isn't compatible with winXP software. If it is, please tell me the proper way to install software on linux.

-Julian

Linux is a different operating system... meaning it runs programmes written for it, not written for Windows. You can try wine to run some Windows programmes, but it only works well for a few.

Why would you expect it to run Windows software?

How is linux so popular then if it's only compatible with Linux compatible software?

Wait, so I can't put like Photoshop 7 on my linux comp?
So, you can't really do much with linux then...

What's linux then used for?

the linux community is huge, open-source software has been written for practically everything you could think of, the linux equivalent of photoshop is 'the gimp' (GNU image manipulation program) In my opinion it's better than ps, but of course everybody has their own preference..

if you go to say sourceforget.net, you should be able to find prety much any software you need.

Erm, I use it as my desktop... There is quite a lot of software written for alternative operating systems, you know. All the Mozilla products run on Linux. The Gimp was designed for Linux, and has since been ported to Windows. Opera runs on Linux.

You can play music, browse the internet, play videos, recieve emails, write documents, basically, apart from games which often aren't ported, I can do anything on my Linux desktop that you can do on your Windows desktop, and all for free, at that. Legally.

Oh yeah, and Windows software won't run on a Mac either, but people still use them...

so, lemme get this straight:
just about everything you need for linux is f r e e?

other than sourceforge.net, are there any other sites that offer linux programs?

by the way, what do you guys recommend i get for doing all the routine stuff, like music, movies, email client...etc.

I think this site can help you... http://www.linux.org/

music: xmms
movies: mplayer
web: firefox
email: thunderbird
irc: irssi/xchat

thanks guys
just wondering, whats irc, i keep hearing about it, but im too lazy to find out what it is

click me

omg rofl this is pehaps one of the best i've ever seen

unfourtenatly this is why so many peeps still don't use Linux
because they think that there is only one brwsr or one e-mail program or one video player

luckly there are always ppl willing to promote Linux
go tux !:)

btw if you choose to use linux, wich i hope you will try, you can always go here to ask or look for already asked questions

look here

have phun

gotcha, ill b a linux newb...wouldnt it be cool if they have counter strike for linux?

there are ways u can play CS on linux
i haven't had much luck with it, but it's possible if one is willing.