[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by arjaybe

Gregg is not going to Linux. He's already there. Some people are trying to get him to go to Windows, instead of helping him do what he wants to do.

And some people are trying to convince him not to incorporate some kind of Windows, only because the native solution is always better. The native solution to your OS is always better, but it is certainly not easiest or fastest to get it up and running in every case.

Let me show you some of the problems the OP has run into, in his own words (bold is always me emphasizing, and [snip] where I cut part of the post out):

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

You know, the whole Windows/Linux debate. As you know I'm a late entry (I'm really just a writer) to this whole issue. The 'end of XP' is what got me hearing about Linux. And so the computer I had (which was working well) was suddenly going to be garbage. So a friend helped me install Xubuntu on it. Well, it worked so much faster, so much more reliably than XP ever did that I was blown away.

[snip]

Now that's a two-edged sword. Lately with Alf's tools and trying to get some other stuff I'm really getting pretty sick of trying to figure out some of the winding directions to install stuff. And I mean that. I am so close to getting a cheap refurbished Windows 7 installed Dell and dual booting. (And when I'm frustrated enough single booting--with Windows!)

But Linux and me are pals by now.

[snip]

Let's face it both Windows and Linux have advantages. But I'm still leaning toward Linux. And it's motivating--David vs. Goliath. Bill "monopoly" Gates vs all the awesome Linux volunteers.

So Greg is not dead set on one thing or the other (Windows vs. Linux) - he wants to do what has easy enough instructions that he can follow plus he wants to use an OS that is supported (XP is no longer supported by MS). And seeing that he is about to throw the towel and almost giving up on Linux shows his frustration clearly.

So instead of having to find agreeable instructions for Linux in general, his distro in particular, any future obscure port to Linux especially (not just Alf), I suggested to run a complete Windows in a VM. The really main reason for that is easy to find instructions everywhere for Windows. If you notice, even the instructions I linked on how to setup the VM itself, are easy enough to follow. Sure it is not the ideal solution. Greg would have been much happier, imo, to have the Easy Guide For Dummies To Get Everything To Work Concerning Ebook Management In Linux Natively. In the meantime while he searches this mythical beast, he can learn to setup his Windows in a VM (no extra computer needed) then find the Windows instructions with download links to the actual program, install, transfer the finished (deDRMed book) to Linux and go on his merry way.

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

This sounds really great, Tigger, thanks. And thanks for the link. I don't really anticipate having a lot of books to DEDRM so that would be ideal.

[snip]

I realize I need to learn more about how vmware works but this sounds really promising. Esp. if it will work on Xubuntu.

Originally Posted by Gregg Bell

Enjoyed the pun. I've heard the virtual boxes are slow. I single booted the XP I have so dual booting isn't an option. Slow or not I'm thinking the VM is my best shot at this point. Esp. since I'm not going to have to be doing it a lot. Thanks for the info. I never think about corruption. In my mind everything lasts forever.

At least that is what I read from it. Bite the bullet now, get the VM running. Now Greg will have the option to use the first instruction that he finds - be that either a solution for Windows or for Linux. Of course, he would look first for a native way in Linux, but he can (to save time and frustration) alternatively fire up his VM and follow the Windows instructions.

It is sad that this whole thread turned into a "my OS is bigger than your OS".