In fact, when you're dealing with full sized Linux distros, rather than bothering to download and burn the ISO image, I would recommend a trip to the newsagents. There are any number of Linux magazines that give away a free CD or DVD every month, usually with one or more free distros and usually a guide to installing them printed in the magazine. Makes life easy for £3-£4.
Linux
- Thread starter Piemaster
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OP
OP
Piemaster
Guru
- Location
- UK City of Culture
I've just bought 'ComputerActive!' for the ubuntu on it - the reason for my OP. Having had a quick browse through it looks like most of the issue is devoted to linux.
Thanks for the comments all, I'll have a go this week when I get the time and let you know what I think.
Or come back and ask 'how do I.....?' type questions
Thanks for the comments all, I'll have a go this week when I get the time and let you know what I think.
Or come back and ask 'how do I.....?' type questions
barq
Senior Member
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
Oh that's good. Probably a cheaper buy than Linux Format and the like.
I think it is quite likely you'll have some questions so pop back here or search the ubuntu community forums. Once installed you may wish to install the ubuntu-restricted-extras package which adds sound/video codecs, java, flash and things like that. Lots of software comes pre-installed, but you can add more from Applications | Add/Remove. Good luck.
I think it is quite likely you'll have some questions so pop back here or search the ubuntu community forums. Once installed you may wish to install the ubuntu-restricted-extras package which adds sound/video codecs, java, flash and things like that. Lots of software comes pre-installed, but you can add more from Applications | Add/Remove. Good luck.
Mr Pig
New Member
- Location
- North Lanarkshire
So how hard would it be to instal on a new laptop? Ours came with Vista and I hate it. The thing runs slower than the PC it replaced, despite having a faster CPU and four times the ram!
Would getting drivers be the biggest problem? Do Microsoft aps work under it? What about things like Firefox and Open Office?
Would getting drivers be the biggest problem? Do Microsoft aps work under it? What about things like Firefox and Open Office?
- Location
- the post-brexit wasteland
firefox comes preinstalled with ubuntu.
Mr Pig said:
Depends how well-behaved the manufacturers are, and how esoteric the hardware is. I'd say there's a good chance most things will work fine.
Mr Pig said:
Not without emulation. WINE may work for older programs, or there may be commercial solutions like Crossover Office.
Mr Pig said:
They will not only work, they'll probably be installed by default.
barq
Senior Member
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
It might be worthing googling your laptop make/model along with the word "ubuntu" to see how other people got on. Occasionally there are issues with wifi support, 3D graphics and special keys (media buttons, screen brightness etc...). Older laptops often work quite well because there has been time to get all this stuff ironed out.
It's worth mentioning to anyone installing Ubuntu that you install or remove applications like OpenOffice using a "package manager". This gives you a list of available software. You pick what you want and it downloads the necessary files from a "repository" and grabs any other necessary supporting software at the same time. It is actually a neat way of installing software and keeping everything up-to-date.
A pedant writes... You know what WINE stands for don't you?
Seriously though, other options are to dual boot or use virtualisation (VirtualBox is a nice free option). Better still is to move to software that runs natively on linux.
It's worth mentioning to anyone installing Ubuntu that you install or remove applications like OpenOffice using a "package manager". This gives you a list of available software. You pick what you want and it downloads the necessary files from a "repository" and grabs any other necessary supporting software at the same time. It is actually a neat way of installing software and keeping everything up-to-date.
Carwash said:
A pedant writes... You know what WINE stands for don't you?
Seriously though, other options are to dual boot or use virtualisation (VirtualBox is a nice free option). Better still is to move to software that runs natively on linux.
barq
Senior Member
- Location
- Birmingham, UK
Carwash said:Yes, I do. But for the purposes of explaining to someone who doesn't, it's easier than writing, "Not without using something which has clean-room reverse-engineered the win32 APIs."
You may have a point there.
Mr Pig
New Member
- Location
- North Lanarkshire
barq said:
Good idea!
OP
OP
Piemaster
Guru
- Location
- UK City of Culture
BEWARE: long and geeky post ;-)
Well, it works. Not entirely install problem free but it works and I quite like it.
Tried it straight from cd first, then plucked up the bravery to install it to usb disc (bios will boot from usb), which is when things started to go wrong. Couldn't reboot from either the usb or windows from the c: drive - GRUB error 21. Did a bit more worried googing via the liveCD (still ok) then swapped out the usb disc with the C: drive. Re-installed and here I am.
Except....my music was all on the c: drive and happily playing from it( now installed in the usb caddy) until the ship took a heavy roll and it fell off the desk unplugging itself in the process. Now none of the ships (XP or vista) will read it or ubuntu on the laptop mount it.
On the plus side the built in wifi card has been connected to network for last 24 hours. Never got more than an hour from XP then had to reboot to connect again
Well, it works. Not entirely install problem free but it works and I quite like it.
Tried it straight from cd first, then plucked up the bravery to install it to usb disc (bios will boot from usb), which is when things started to go wrong. Couldn't reboot from either the usb or windows from the c: drive - GRUB error 21. Did a bit more worried googing via the liveCD (still ok) then swapped out the usb disc with the C: drive. Re-installed and here I am.
Except....my music was all on the c: drive and happily playing from it( now installed in the usb caddy) until the ship took a heavy roll and it fell off the desk unplugging itself in the process. Now none of the ships (XP or vista) will read it or ubuntu on the laptop mount it.
On the plus side the built in wifi card has been connected to network for last 24 hours. Never got more than an hour from XP then had to reboot to connect again
