Gnome
An old PC of ours just got attacked by a virus. It desperately needed to be formated for along time and now looks like the right time. Trying to get rid of the virus is just not worth it. So it turns out that I've also wanted to install and try out Linux on a computer. I was thinking of downloading Xubuntu since it's made especially for slow PCs and installing it on that computer. We mainly use that PC for video chat (Skype), web surfing, instant messaging (MSN) and listening to music. We intend to keep using it that way. A few questions have risen, though:
1. Will the computer have any driver problems? Xubuntu needs to be able to handle a webcam, wireless mouse and keyboard (all Logitech), integrated Wi-Fi an external WD hard drive.
2. Is Xubuntu the right choice or would you install Ubuntu instead?
3. What software do you recommend for an Windows Live Messenger substitute?
4. Is it relatively easy to install (compared to Windows formatting)?
5. What's a good alternative to iTunes? Should I install iTunes with Wine?
6. Does Xubuntu have any SOFTWARE compatibility problems compared to other Linux platforms?
7. Got any tips?
Additional Info:
256MB RAM
Mobile Intel Pentium 1.80 GHz
28GB Hard Drive (So.... Small....)
Gerry and Jaypoc, really helpful answers. Thanks so much to both. It'll be hard to pick a best answer....
Answer
Using an older PC to try out a different OS is a great idea. The PC should run Ubuntu without any problem. I'll do my best to address each question.
1. Driver Problems - Yes and No. Because of it's Open Source nature, there's hardware drivers for virtually all hardware. The down-side is, just like a Mac can't run PC software, Linux can't (for the most part) run PC software, so if your cam or wireless devices require any software to operate properly, you may run into an issue. What I would recommend is to google "Ubuntu Logitech QuckCam Web", of course replacing Logitech QuickCam Web with the manufacturer make and model of your devices. See if anyone has gotten them working before, and if they have, read what they had to do to get them working. Some devices will work out of the box and others may need tweaking.
The WiFi most likely will be autodetected by setup and the external HDD should work alright as well. The keyboard and mouse depend on how they work.
2. Ubuntu or XUbuntu - I don't know. I would add more RAM and try Ubuntu, but if thats not an option, try both. Put Ubuntu and if it runs too slow, try XUbuntu. I use Ubuntu (and Kubuntu which is just Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome...different desktops/customizations basically)
3. There's an IM client called Pidgin which I use mainly for AIM (even on my Windows PCs) It supports:
* AIM
* Bonjour
* Gadu-Gadu
* Google Talk
* Groupwise
* ICQ
* IRC
* MSN
* MySpaceIM
* QQ
* SILC
* SIMPLE
* Sametime
* XMPP
* Yahoo!
* Zephyr
4. Ubuntu is easy to install, though I wouldn't say AS easy as Windows. The installation is pretty much the same, but the current versions of Windows are much better at auto-detecting third party devices and installing necessary drivers.
5. Ahh You know of Wine. There's a few Windows Emulators, WINE is probably the most popular. You sound like you've researched iTunes more than I have since I never liked it on my PC and use a Zune, I dont use iTunes. There's alternatives (Depending on which iPod you have)... Songbird is a nice alternative and works with most "classic" iPods (Just not the iPhone or Touch). There's others if you search around, including Amarok which comes with Ubuntu. Another option is to run either VMWare or Sun XVM. They allow you to run virtual machines and you could install Windows XP for the few applications in which you need it. I used to run XP in Sun xVM and was able to sync my Zune through it over USB
6. I've never heard of software compatibility problems with Linux. Linux programs are compiled from source code to run on various kernels (operating system versions) so there shouldn't be any problems. If a program was compiled for another OS (Say RedHat or Slackware) it may or may not run, but can often be re-compiled from the source. Also, most Linux software is open source, so if you are a programmer (or are willing to learn) you can customize, patch or fix most issues.
7. Tips... Go for it! It's a great experience and you can learn a lot from it. If you want easy/mindless computing, use Windows or get a Mac, but if you'd like to get your hands dirty and try something new, Ubuntu makes learning Linux enjoyable.
Hope I helped.
Using an older PC to try out a different OS is a great idea. The PC should run Ubuntu without any problem. I'll do my best to address each question.
1. Driver Problems - Yes and No. Because of it's Open Source nature, there's hardware drivers for virtually all hardware. The down-side is, just like a Mac can't run PC software, Linux can't (for the most part) run PC software, so if your cam or wireless devices require any software to operate properly, you may run into an issue. What I would recommend is to google "Ubuntu Logitech QuckCam Web", of course replacing Logitech QuickCam Web with the manufacturer make and model of your devices. See if anyone has gotten them working before, and if they have, read what they had to do to get them working. Some devices will work out of the box and others may need tweaking.
The WiFi most likely will be autodetected by setup and the external HDD should work alright as well. The keyboard and mouse depend on how they work.
2. Ubuntu or XUbuntu - I don't know. I would add more RAM and try Ubuntu, but if thats not an option, try both. Put Ubuntu and if it runs too slow, try XUbuntu. I use Ubuntu (and Kubuntu which is just Ubuntu with KDE instead of Gnome...different desktops/customizations basically)
3. There's an IM client called Pidgin which I use mainly for AIM (even on my Windows PCs) It supports:
* AIM
* Bonjour
* Gadu-Gadu
* Google Talk
* Groupwise
* ICQ
* IRC
* MSN
* MySpaceIM
* SILC
* SIMPLE
* Sametime
* XMPP
* Yahoo!
* Zephyr
4. Ubuntu is easy to install, though I wouldn't say AS easy as Windows. The installation is pretty much the same, but the current versions of Windows are much better at auto-detecting third party devices and installing necessary drivers.
5. Ahh You know of Wine. There's a few Windows Emulators, WINE is probably the most popular. You sound like you've researched iTunes more than I have since I never liked it on my PC and use a Zune, I dont use iTunes. There's alternatives (Depending on which iPod you have)... Songbird is a nice alternative and works with most "classic" iPods (Just not the iPhone or Touch). There's others if you search around, including Amarok which comes with Ubuntu. Another option is to run either VMWare or Sun XVM. They allow you to run virtual machines and you could install Windows XP for the few applications in which you need it. I used to run XP in Sun xVM and was able to sync my Zune through it over USB
6. I've never heard of software compatibility problems with Linux. Linux programs are compiled from source code to run on various kernels (operating system versions) so there shouldn't be any problems. If a program was compiled for another OS (Say RedHat or Slackware) it may or may not run, but can often be re-compiled from the source. Also, most Linux software is open source, so if you are a programmer (or are willing to learn) you can customize, patch or fix most issues.
7. Tips... Go for it! It's a great experience and you can learn a lot from it. If you want easy/mindless computing, use Windows or get a Mac, but if you'd like to get your hands dirty and try something new, Ubuntu makes learning Linux enjoyable.
Hope I helped.
how can i make a dual boot system with ubuntu?
bluemoy200
hello. i want to try new things with my computer and i want to create a dual-boot system with Vista 32bit ( the one i have right now) and Ubuntu (linux) and i was wondering how to do it? the current partition is all the 300gb + the recovery partition. The computer is an HP. So i was wondering if it can be done. if so how? i would love some step by step info. thanks!
Answer
Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot with Windows without partitioning
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi
Ubuntu 10.10 Download
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download
Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) User Guide
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Maverick
I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 9 Main Edition which is based upon Ubuntu 10.04 Its easy to install and use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled
Linux Mint 9 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=52
Linux Mint 9 User Guide pdf.
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_isadora.php
You can install Linux Mint as a dual-boot with Windows using mint4win without partitioning mint4win works the same as Wubi (Ubuntu) as described above
You keep Windows as it is, mint4win only adds an extra option to boot into Linux Mint. mint4win does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.
mint4win keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.
Boot in to windows insert the Linux Mint LiveCD and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where the mint4win installer comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Linux Mint (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.
Once Linux Mint is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Linux Mint
You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 9 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation
Linux Mint 9 and can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive
LUg.
Installing Ubuntu as a dual-boot with Windows without partitioning
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntu/wubi
Ubuntu 10.10 Download
http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download
Ubuntu 10.10 (Maverick Meerkat) User Guide
http://ubuntuguide.org/wiki/Ubuntu:Maverick
I thoroughly recommend Linux Mint 9 Main Edition which is based upon Ubuntu 10.04 Its easy to install and use plus it comes with much of the software you are likely to need preinstalled
Linux Mint 9 Download
http://www.linuxmint.com/edition.php?id=52
Linux Mint 9 User Guide pdf.
http://www.linuxmint.com/rel_isadora.php
You can install Linux Mint as a dual-boot with Windows using mint4win without partitioning mint4win works the same as Wubi (Ubuntu) as described above
You keep Windows as it is, mint4win only adds an extra option to boot into Linux Mint. mint4win does not require you to modify the partitions of your PC, or to use a different bootloader, and does not install special drivers. It works just like any other application.
mint4win keeps most of the files in one folder, and if you do not like it, you can simply uninstall it as any other application.
Boot in to windows insert the Linux Mint LiveCD and you will offered the option of installing inside windows which is where the mint4win installer comes in, you will be asked how many gigabytes you wish to allocate to Linux Mint (I recommend 8gb) then you set a password for your installation then click install and thats it.
Once Linux Mint is fully installed upon starting your PC you will be given a choice of which operating system you want to use Windows or Linux Mint
You download the ISO. image of Linux Mint 9 then you need to create a Bootable LiveCD for installation
Linux Mint 9 and can also be run direct from the LiveCD from Booting up without touching your Hard Drive
LUg.
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