Preface There are many different Linux distribution ( distos ) flavors. Some are better known, and utilized more than others. The disto that I will be showing you how to install is called Kubuntu. This is a GNU/Linux OS with the KDE desktop. OS Terminology See in Windows, the operating system, the kernel, the window manager, and the desktop, are collectively called âThe Windows Operating Systemâ. But, an OS actually encompasses all these other sub-layers. The kernel is the heart of the OS and in our case is called Linux. Some of the GNU SW assists and augments the kernel in communicating with the hardware. The window manger is the layer that actually interprets code to display windows (not Windows) and graphics on your monitor (screen). The WM for Linux is called âthe X Window Mangerâ, or commonly just "X". From here on out I will refer to the desktop environment (KDE in my case) as âthe desktopâ, the X window manager as WM or simply, X. IMPORTANT: Just as with any other terminology, there are overlaps, so try not to get confused, but rather consider the context in which it is being used. The Desktop There are primarily two different desktops to choose from in Linux, KDE and Gnome (Gnome is part of the GNU organization). There are others too, like FluxBox. I choose KDE desktop because, imo, it is better organized and a better experience. It's also a lot easier to use. Just as there are flame wars between the OSs and between programming languages, there are wars about which desktop is better. That's ok, you'll be able to easily use SW from either desktop; or have both desktops installed, etc. Feel free to use what you prefer. That's the big thing about Linux and OSS.... It's all about choice! Ubuntu / Kubuntu Ubuntu/Kubuntu (UbKub) is, and increasingly more so, the most popular distro. Thanks to an old ET friend, Nononsense, I started with the Gentoo distro, which taught me a lot about getting around Linux, Unix, etc. Gentoo is one of the more sophisticated distos that allows a great degree of customization which is therefore inherently difficult for newbies. UbKub is very easy to use and in incorporates the best of Linux. Hence, my reason for switching until some future time possibly (I liked Gentoo). You can find more on the differences of distos at DistorWatch and Wikipedia. This Thread I'll be contributing to this thread intermittently and will be posting responses when I can. I'm gonna take my time with this because I want to be thorough and thoughtful. I care about how instruction is interpreted by those receiving that instruction.... and that takes a little time. I know all too well, the frustrations of trying to absorb poorly thought-out instruction, so I'll also try not to be overly verbose. I actually like outlines because they are the most concise. Unfortunately for me (and others, imo), that's not a widely practiced format, used in tutorials. Any questions, I'll address as soon as possible. I'm sure/that and appreciate/if others here, familiar with Linux, will also be contributing. I just ask that they do so with fore-thought, format, and elaboration. By the way, this document and those to follow by me, are OpenSource and freely distributable. I love OpenSource.
My only experience with Linux was using daily it for six months as a development platform at a company that liked to penny pinch. We used red hat and fedora core. What i found was that it was about as reliable as Windows, after X number of days/weeks of uptime you needed to reboot the machine as it would get unstable.
Assuming you can install Java on your linux box, you can run QST - Quick Screen Trading. It is a fully integrated client supporting real-time quotes, charts, news and order management, including a real-time profit/loss engine. It includes a paper trading matching engine so you can test you trading strategies in real-time. You can get a free 2-week trial at: http://www.quickscreentrading.com You can download the software to your linux bix from this link: http://quotes.computervoice.com/webstart/QST/qst.jnlp Enjoy. It also runs on Mac OS X, Windows, Solaris and BSD.
Anyone gotten QST to launch? I got it to install, including a dir full of stuff in my home directory, but I can't find an app anywhere to launch. It didn't drop a shortcut on the desktop like I asked.
Basis, what OS/Version are you running? QST is a Java Webstart compatible app. If the desktop icon was not created, it might be a Linux file permission issue. In any event, you can always launch it from the jnlp link: http://quotes.computervoice.com/webstart/QST/qst.jnlp