New to Linux (Xubuntu) - Install Oxford Thesaurus + Dict?

writebunny · Post by **writebunny** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 2:02 am

Hello all,

I am a brand new user of Xubuntu. Please assume I know nothing worthwhile about how to do anything with Wine or Xubuntu - I am a rookie. With the help of various forums - I've been able to do quite a bit so far - but only with their good directions, or I'd be lost.

I've read your pages and see that some versions of Oxford's dictionary and thesaurus have run on older versions of Wine. I am desperately trying to figure out if I can run some version of Oxford's thesaurus and hopefully their dictionary through Wine on Xubuntu. Can I do this? (I haven't purchased the Oxford software yet - but I could be older software if that would be easier to run?)

Prior to Xubuntu I was a mac user for 15+ years. The one thing I dearly miss is the Oxford American Thesaurus and Dictionary that comes with the OS. It is spectacular. I have tried all the free versions for Linux - and while they are nice, they just don't hold a candle to the one I'm used to. I'm hoping if I can buy a windows version on DVD or CD or whatever, I might run it through Wine.

Also - when I briefly installed Wine tonight, I didn't understand a darned thing of what I saw on screen. I opened Wine Tricks - and tried clicking to install software, but I didn't understand what it asked me beyond that step. I uninstalled it out of frustration.

Can you help?

Thanks in advance.

Post by **dimesio** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 6:02 am

writebunny wrote:I'm hoping if I can buy a windows version on DVD or CD or whatever, I might run it through Wine.

The only way to find out if it will is to try it. If you run into problems, we can try and help you work around them here, and you can file bugs, but there are no guarantees.

Also - when I briefly installed Wine tonight, I didn't understand a darned thing of what I saw on screen.

The FAQ is a good place to start. http://wiki.winehq.org/FAQ

writebunny · Post by **writebunny** » Sun Mar 25, 2012 9:12 pm

Thanks for answering. The FAQ helped me understand quite a bit. Now I know how to install software. Unfortunately, it kept failing on all the software I tried.

I first downloaded Wine 1.3 - and tried opening a 15 day trial of the Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. It would get to the stage of asking me where to install it, I'd click next (leaving it at the default placement) but the "next" button after that was greyed out and not clickable. It wouldn't install.

I downloaded some freeware/shareware dictionaries, but they wouldn't install either - saying something about missing components.

I thought maybe Wine 1.3 was buggy - so I got 1.2 instead. That was worse. It wouldn't even install any of the dictionaries I tried.

I didn't want to buy any thesaurus / dictionary until I was sure.

I guess I'm out of luck.

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Mon Mar 26, 2012 1:35 am

On 03/25/2012 10:12 PM, writebunny wrote:

Thanks for answering. The FAQ helped me understand quite a bit. Now I know how to install software. Unfortunately, it kept failing on all the software I tried.

I first downloaded Wine 1.3 - and tried opening a 15 day trial of the Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus. It would get to the stage of asking me where to install it, I'd click next (leaving it at the default placement) but the "next" button after that was greyed out and not clickable. It wouldn't install.

I downloaded some freeware/shareware dictionaries, but they wouldn't install either - saying something about missing components.

I thought maybe Wine 1.3 was buggy - so I got 1.2 instead. That was worse. It wouldn't even install any of the dictionaries I tried.

I didn't want to buy any thesaurus / dictionary until I was sure.

I guess I'm out of luck.

Artha is a nice Thesaurus/Dictionary, and it's free. It's probably in
your repo.

--doug

--
Blessed are the peacekeepers...for they shall be shot at from both sides. --A.M. Greeley