Linux on the desktop?

[Cyberclops]

I'm essentially satisfied with my SuSE 7.1 and find that for what I want
to do, the software that comes with Linux is actually for the most part
better than that which is available for Windows.  I use primarily use
Opera as a browser, and Netscape for mail.
I would like to use WordPerfect for Linux, but I won't unless WP decide
to release an RPM version of it that works.  I had bad luck with it on
Mandrake and don't want to risk destroying a perfectly good system with
it even though I like the Windows version of it.  Star Office is good
enough for me.  The only thing about it is to learn how to shut off
almost every automated thing it has.  Basically I don't want to use
Windows for anything ever again.  Windows has always was and still is, a
big pain in the A$$.
THe thing I would like to know how to do is set my desktop temporarily
into a root mode when I want to do something.  I just tried "sudo," but
don't really know how to configure it or make it work.  It it does work,
will it change my GUI system into the same system "root" has?  Is there
any way to toggle a "user" GUI environment into a "root" GUI
environment?  That's the thing I would like to do most, and the thing
that would make Linux musch more user friendly for me.

Dusty wrote:
> 
> I was just reading an article about Linux and how there is a lot of hype and sometimes Linux gets more credit than it deserves.  At the end of the article the author said that linux in no way could be used as a viable desktop replacement.  He said the applications are too buggy or they don't exist.  Well I have to disagree and was wondering what other linux users think.
> 
> I have used Linux almost exclusively for my desktop at home and work for over two years now with no problems.  I started using Solaris on my desktop (Sparc 10) in 1993 with Applixware as the office suite and Framemaker for desktop publishing, Mosaic web Browser, and several other applications.  The only application that I have not found a replacement for on Linux is Visio (which in my  experience is the standard for network diagrams)!  Just one application.  I currently use Staroffice for my office suite with very few problems (all of those problems having to do with the world standardizing on MS Office, I send most people files in Rich Text Format or export to an MS Format), Netscape web browser, and a list of other applications too long to list.  I did have to write a script to kill netscape when it locks up and won't die, but it has never affected Linux.  The only thing I use my windows box for is games (I have to play EQ or Half-life every now and then).  What do other u!
> sers think, do people have trouble with staroffice or have other applications there is no replacement for in Linux?
> 
> Next the author said that Linux is just too difficult for people to get running.  Well I am pretty lazy and my desktop is usually a very bad example for a sys admin, but I usually don't have the time I would like to get it perfect so my desktop (actually laptop) is usually a default Redhat install, I simply delete most of the start-up scripts in /etc/rc5.d so those services don't start, configure my firewall to block ALL incoming traffic (IP_CHAINS makes this a pain, so I am always opening ports to connect, but default is NO incomming traffic, hopefully IP_TABLES will fix my problem), get SSH running (I only use ssh, scp, sftp), and install Staroffice.  I am done in no time and I pick up other tools I need that didn't come with redhat along the way.  Have I just been using *nix for too long and it seems easier to me than others?  I have installed Linux on several laptops and I always find a page where someone has done the difficult work to get everything working and redhat a!
> nd suse both detect everything.
> 
> Anyway, how about some input from other Linux users or newbies about what they think.
> 
> Dusty
> 
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