FiveLinux

FiveTech Software is proud to announce the development of FiveLinux. Though it is still on an early development stage, it is already providing some nice functionality, and we do expect to have a first beta available for FTDN customers for next september-october.

Some questions and answers about FiveLinux:

1. Does FiveLinux uses any Windows emulator software for Linux ?

No. FiveLinux is built on GTK+, so FiveLinux applications behave exactly like thousands of other GTK+ applications. FiveLinux apps will run on any Linux distribution that supports GTK+.

2. What compiler do I need for FiveLinux ?

FiveLinux works ok with both Harbour (FLH) and xHarbour (FLX). Both Harbour and xHarbour use gcc compiler, which it is free and available for Linux.

3. Is FiveLinux fully compatible with my FiveWin developed applications ?

FiveLinux offers as much as possible compatibility level with FiveWin applications. With some minor changes, you may expect to easily adapt your FiveWin app to FiveLinux.

4. I know nothing about Linux, how may I start with FiveLinux ?

FiveLinux is designed to be extremelly easy to be used. A very easy to understand build file (like the ones provided for Windows) is provided, so you may start mastering your Linux apps building very quickly. Also FiveTech plans to explain step by step how to start using Linux, since the beginning, for those users that are really newbies to Linux.

5. Does FiveLinux provides the same FiveWin architecture ?

Yes. FiveLinux commands, classes and many functions, are highly similar or the same to FiveWin ones. If you already know FiveWin, then you also know FiveLinux.

6. I have many dialogboxes designed with Borland Resources Workshop, how may I use them with FiveLinux ?

FiveLinux recommends the use of "Glade", a free and very popular dialogboxes designer for Linux. FiveLinux will provide a tool to automatically convert your RC files into Glade compatible ones.

Here you have some FiveLinux captured screens (more comming soon): Image1 Image2 Image3

Starting with Linux

FiveTech recommends Knoppix (a Linux live distro). Knoppix fits on just one CD, and once you setup your BIOS boot sequence to: floppy, CD-Rom, IDE. Knoppix will boot your computer in Linux WITHOUT installing anything on your computer and without modifying anything on your harddisk. It is 100% secure and safe to test it.

You may download it from: http://www.linuxiso.org/distro.php?distro=44

Once you download it, burn a CD with it (Nero software will be ok), set your BIOS boot sequence as explained and reboot your computer.

We do recommend to start exploring KDE (the desktop manager) to get familiar with it and with some Linux concepts. Once you feel comfortable with it, we will explain how to install Knoppix on a new partition of your harddisk. Notice: Knoppix will not try to install itself into your harddisk. There are no risks at all.

Why Knoppix ? It is very powerfull and it is entirely based on Debian. Why Debian ? Mainly because it provides a "apt-get" feature that automatically download upgrades and install packages from www.debian.org, completely free. FiveTech has tested several Linux distributions, and finds that Knoppix is the easiest and most complete to start on Linux. Of course, you are free to choose and use any other Linux distribution.