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Posted: 09-09-2009 08:50 Post subject: Linux/Ubuntu

Hi all,
I recently downloaded Ubuntu out of curiosity and ran it on my main computer from cd and from thumbdrive. I was amazed how much faster than Vista it was. My next step is to properly install it on an old laptop so I can really explore and experiment. Does anyone use Ubuntu or other distributions of Linux? Any tips, hints or warnings would be greatly appreciated.

Dougal.

Posted: 09-09-2009 21:30 Post subject:

generally ubuntu is extremely easy to install, especially on older hardware. the wireless may be a bit awkward to set up but if you have an ethernet connection to the net you should get it all going with ease. if the laptop is really old there are other alternatives that are more lightweight and still easy to use/install. use the search function on the ubuntu forums and you will find virtually all the answers you need for any problems.
http://ubuntuforums.org/index.php

Posted: 09-09-2009 21:32 Post subject:

and of course check out http://www.linux-laptop.net/ to see how compatible your hardware is.

Posted: 10-09-2009 02:36 Post subject:

Ubuntu's the Linux distribution that was finally simple enough for me. It (mostly) doesn't require fiddling around configuration stuff to get it to work. GUI install, make some choices and you're ready to go. It took a few releases until they got Broadcom wifi drivers that installed correctly out of the box.

I still keep a Windows XP partition, but I've pretty much cleared out everything I use regularly. Don't even play games on it much now.

I've got a netbook I'm running eeebuntu instead of the factory Xandros install. Only complaint is the Atom processor seems underpowered.

Wife's got a Mac, seems easy enough to deal with -- as long as you want to do things they way they want you to. Seems like they diverge enough from the Unix-y way of doing things just enough to be infuriating if you're familiar with the right way to do things. My wife thought she was doing me a favor by giving me her handmedown iphone. But then I needed iTunes to manage it. Changing the configuration of iTunes and iPhoto to properly share music and pictures just about made my head asplode. Getting it to back up properly to a rsync server seemed unnecessarily fiddly.

Posted: 10-09-2009 20:06 Post subject:

try puppy on your eee

Posted: 11-09-2009 07:11 Post subject:

Yeah, I tried Linux with Puppy first, then graduated to Fire Hydrant which is now dual-boot on my desktop.

That's the single most geeky sentence I've ever written.

Anyway, poll edited to include people who use more than one OS.

Posted: 11-09-2009 09:04 Post subject:

Posted: 14-09-2009 22:51 Post subject:

I dual-boot Ubuntu on one desktop along with XP, I run Kubuntu solo on the other desktop (with the edubuntu package added onto it for my daughter); unfortunately, I haven't replaced XP on my laptop because my 802.11g card isn't supported yet (I'm looking at you, Dell.)

Posted: 15-09-2009 20:33 Post subject:

I just bought an older-style Playstation 3 (old stock, not the new 'slim' model). I'm thinking of installing Ubuntu so I can dual-boot it.
It'll mean I'll be able to do some word-processing and web browsing from my armchair.

Posted: 26-09-2009 04:30 Post subject:

I tried Ubuntu and it worked fine - certainly booted much faster than XP. However although Epson offer a Linux driver for the printer, Ubuntu just wouldn't recognise the file type no matter how many times I tried updating it's archive.
Either or both Epson or Ubuntu might have updated by now but I would suggest checking peripheral support first to anyone thinking of trying Ubuntu.
Linus Torvalds recently conceded that the Linux kernel is becoming bloated, so it's not the lightweight OS it once was.

Posted: 26-09-2009 09:33 Post subject:

A handy 'Live' distribution, like Knoppix, Ubuntu, or Slax, on a CD, or USB stick, could save your Windows PC from becoming a toaster, or losing all your data.

After years of infection free browsing, the kids have just managed to infect both our XP desktops, with a host of some of the nastiest trojans and root kits, I've ever come across.

The only way to get into one of them, which froze after start up, was to boot into Knoppix, 5.1.1. Important data like photos, documents, etc. was recoverable.

Also, Avira Antivir provide a bootable CD version of their antivirus software, based on a Linux distro and using the latest NTFS accessing software.

http://www.free-av.com/en/products/12/avira_antivir_rescue_system.html

This version should also allow you to update its virus definitions, if you have an internet connection.

Got me back into the frozen PC, by identifying, repairing, or renaming, infected files.

Edit: spelling

Posted: 27-09-2009 03:11 Post subject:

Posted: 05-10-2009 15:54 Post subject:

After being a dedicated mac user for sometime, and being familiar with windows too, my macbook suddenly gave up the ghost and I'm running an extremely ropey hand-me-down laptop that was rescued from certain doom by putting Ubuntu on it. It seems pretty OK! But it's still a terrible computer, and takes a bit of time to do anything.

Posted: 05-10-2009 20:09 Post subject:

you need to run something lighter on it, try puppy or damn small linux.

Posted: 04-07-2013 21:56 Post subject:

Bit of an update since I installed Knoppix 7.0.5, back in February.

Having some problems with the Linux Spotify client, I went back to Win7-starter, for about a week and a bit later, I tried the Linux Mint live distro for a week, or two. It's nice, with a good out of the box start-up and easy to use, but I found it a bit flaky, in comparison to Knoppix. So, I went back to Knoppix and I've just upgraded to the new Knoppix 7.2.

With Knoppix, this means a whole new installation, so I exported my Firefox/Ice Weasel bookmarks and saved important files to a spare USB stick and fired up the newly burned live DVD, then used the Install to USB option in the Knoppix section of the Start folder to install to the micro-USB stick. Also setting up a secure 10gb overlay partition for storage.

I've been running it for a couple of days now, reinstalled the Spotify client, etc. and it's running v.smoothly. There seem to be a few subtle improvements, things like audio volume and start up, etc. Altogether a v.decent alternative to Windows. With the advantage that the whole thing fits in something not much bigger than a small Lego block and which can be plugged into run just about anything that'll boot from a USB stick. Both the CD and DVD versions come with huge amounts of excellent software, either installed or ready for installation.