Linux

[papajoe]

I am interested in experimenting with Linux. I have Windows XP, and I think that there is lots of room on my hard drive. However, I don't have a lot of computer savy.

 

As I understand it, I can download Ubuntu on my desk top.

 

My questions: If I do this,

 

1. is there any danger of it messing up my PC, or should Linux just be loaded on a separate computer?

 

2 I have DSL, will Linux interfere at all with my internet service provider?

 

Thanks.

[rridgely]

Yes you can download linux onto your desktop. It will come as a .iso file, which you will have to burn to a cd as a disc image(any good cd burner should be able to do this, if yours can't ask and I'll post a free one). After burning the iso you will shut down your pc and boot onto the cd to run linux.

 

The cool thing about ubuntu(and lots of other distros) is that you can run the OS entirely from that cd without messing anything up on your pc. It will not touch your hard drive.

[papajoe]

That sounds easy enough. There seems to be more books and magazines on Linux available now, so I think that I should be able to learn as I go along.

 

I have Nero burning Rom, so that should allow me to burn the cd that I'll need. I think I'll give it a try.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Joe

[DennisD]

I was looking into Linux myself recently, and have a couple of links might interest you.

 

Linux Newbie Guide by Stan, Peter and Marie Klimas

 

Ubuntu Studio - Let your Creativity Fly

 

Ubuntu Forums

 

Boot and run Linux from USB flash + tutorials

 

The Ubunto Studio opens in April, and will be well worth a look.

[Sputnik]

If you have sufficient memory and enough GB you could consider using virtualization software such as VMware Server or InnoTek VirtualBox and install Ubuntu as a virtual machine.

[Andavari]

I just tired Ubuntu via the Live CD option and I was impressed! Not impressed enough to format WinXP off my current system since it doesn't work with my soundcard although it detected it perfectly find, and since my display resolution isn't selectable above 1024x768. Also I don't want to learn a new OS virtually overnight on my main system.

 

I will however most likely be installing Ubuntu on my old system that currently has Win98 on it, because that system desperately needs something more modern.

[hazelnut]

Have thought about doing this myself sometime Andavari, anything that stood out which impressed you?

[rridgely]

I would wait untill the end of next month. I think thats when the next version is supposed to be out in final form. (its supposed to have better hardware support and some kind of control panel or something.)

 

Also you should try a distro that uses kde to see which you like better.(I like kde better because it has better software from what I've used and its somewhat more similar to windows with the one toolbar on the bottom. Yes I know you can make gnome like that. )

[Andavari]

Have thought about doing this myself sometime Andavari, anything that stood out which impressed you?

Everything impressed me!!! such as:

• The look of it was a fresh uncluttered look and feel, that I'm sure Microsoft would never create.

• It ran super smooth, even from the DVD-RW I burned the .ISO onto.

• Seems like a very thorough OS, yet simpler and quicker - dare I say more newbie friendly than even WinXP (well to me at least), I wish I had learned computers on this back in 1998. In other words crap wasn't hidden deep away from the user which I liked and appreciated very much.

• Worked with my DSL connection right off the CD which actually surprised me, I visited the forums here but didn't log in because I didn't know what type of security was or wasn't in place.

   

  Of course I'm going to have to spend more time thoroughly using it when I finally get a chance to put it on my old computer but that's probably several days, or weeks away.

The only thing though is my DSL connection seemed a little bit slower, although I didn't test the connection speed on any speed test website to know for sure.

 

As rridgely stated wait because it found 122 MB of available updates, so might as well wait for the next .ISO version to be released versus downloading nearly 700 MB then to turn around and download another 122 MB or maybe higher when the next version is released.

 

I do wonder, if it's installed does it read FAT32 and/or NTFS filesystems? I have no idea if it does or not because I couldn't browse my NTFS C: and D: hard drives

[rridgely]

I'm not sure about fat32 but I know it will read ntfs.(I was able to see my files and play my music on my xp partition)

If you want an easy way to format it too ext3 or reiserfs(linux file systems) you should look into gparted live. Its a small awesome bootable partitioner.

Just don't forget to make a swap file partition for it.(maybe a gig or 512mb should be enough I would think)

 

Oh and if running the live cd you should be able to see your windows files if you mount your drive in ubuntu.(it wont let you edit your files, just see them... I think.) I've used it to get files off a dead windows install before, a handy thing to have around. But I use puppy to do this since its a smaller distro to download and boot.

[papajoe]

Thanks for the links and all the info. I really appreciate it. I am definitely going to give it a try, but I think that I'll wait as advised. In the mean time, I'll do some reading and learn as much as I can about it.

 

Thank you very much.

 

Joe

[JAGO]

I just tired Ubuntu via the Live CD option and I was impressed! Not impressed enough to format WinXP off my current system since it doesn't work with my soundcard although it detected it perfectly find, and since my display resolution isn't selectable above 1024x768. Also I don't want to learn a new OS virtually overnight on my main system.

 

I will however most likely be installing Ubuntu on my old system that currently has Win98 on it, because that system desperately needs something more modern.

If you install the OS, you can update your drivers, which will fix your resolution issues. The soundcard may require a little more work. The documentation for Linux (Gentoo in particular, Ubuntu too though) is amazing.

[DennisD]

Have a look at this video and see what Ubuntu Linux can really do.

 

This is gobsmacking if you haven't seen it, believe me.

 

Video

 

[rridgely]

Its cool, but do you really want that?

I don't know if I necessarilly want flame effects every time I minimize a window.. or the cube thing. I think the multiple desktop idea is neat, but I'm not so sure I would really use it. Thats just me though.

[JDPower]

I think the multiple desktop idea is neat, but I'm not so sure I would really use it.

You can already do that in Windows anyway using one of the MS PowerToys, just not with the flashy/pointless spinny cube thing.

[rridgely]

Never tried it, I'll give it a shot. (I knew it was there, I just never used it)

I agree the cube thing is useless. It would be cool like the first time you used it, but after that I think it would get old.

[DennisD]

Well guys, not as gobsmacking as I thought.

 

I'll have to get out more.

[rridgely]

Its cool, but I guess I'm one of those people that tries to only have "practical" stuff running on my computers. Even on xp I disable all of the "effects" like shadows under menus and stuff. I've only been using colored themes for a few months, for the longest time I used the windows classic theme. I guess having stuff burst into flames or having ripples every time I click something is just against the way I use my computer.

[JAGO]

The multiple desktops situation isn't a gimmick. It's practically implemented and is really quite handy.

 

 

http://www.kde.org/screenshots/images/3.3/snapshot5.png

 

See where it has (in the "Start" bar) 1, 2, 3, 4? You just click a different one and it changes to that desktop.

 

It's really quite awesome .

[rridgely]

Yeah, that I knew. I've used a bunch of different distros that all did that.

The power toy for xp will do the same thing.

 

What I was talking about was the cube thing...

[XPSP2]

Everything impressed me!!! such as:

• The look of it was a fresh uncluttered look and feel, that I'm sure Microsoft would never create.

• It ran super smooth, even from the DVD-RW I burned the .ISO onto.

• Seems like a very thorough OS, yet simpler and quicker - dare I say more newbie friendly than even WinXP (well to me at least), I wish I had learned computers on this back in 1998. In other words crap wasn't hidden deep away from the user which I liked and appreciated very much.

• Worked with my DSL connection right off the CD which actually surprised me, I visited the forums here but didn't log in because I didn't know what type of security was or wasn't in place.

   

  Of course I'm going to have to spend more time thoroughly using it when I finally get a chance to put it on my old computer but that's probably several days, or weeks away.

The only thing though is my DSL connection seemed a little bit slower, although I didn't test the connection speed on any speed test website to know for sure.

 

As rridgely stated wait because it found 122 MB of available updates, so might as well wait for the next .ISO version to be released versus downloading nearly 700 MB then to turn around and download another 122 MB or maybe higher when the next version is released.

 

I do wonder, if it's installed does it read FAT32 and/or NTFS filesystems? I have no idea if it does or not because I couldn't browse my NTFS C: and D: hard drives

If you do a dual boot on a machine and make a FAT32 partition, Linux and windows will both be able to read and write to that partition.

[JAGO]

There isn't any NTFS support natively, I do believe. You have to download a few packages, though to be honest I'm not sure what they are. If you're dual booting with multiple hard drives, you'll need to mount them before you can even see them.

[XPSP2]

I have a dual boot.

I use Linux for most things. I recommend using Linux for on-line at least. Safer to use on-line than any m$ system no matter what you are using.

I used XP yesterday to write a letter using the speech recognition. I just don't allow m$ on the internet. I won't worry about updating anything or using this n that software to keep it safe.

Find something on-line you want for m$, save it to your fat32 partition.

[rridgely]

Its not like windows is some festering virus pit. I use it all day long, with zero security programs running and never get infected.

Whats with the M$? Forget where the S key was?

 

Having 2 OSes installed and trying to make it productive to me would be a pain in the rear, I would have to use one or the other, and right now linux's hardware detection isn't up to snuff yet. Until I can easily click on a .exe or whatever linux uses and have it install my hardware, its going to be only for nerds.

[login123]

Its not like windows is some festering virus pit.

 

True, and picturesquely said.