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Installing Linux for A Dummy (Me)

 
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 5:37 pm    Post subject: Installing Linux for A Dummy (Me) Reply with quote

OK...

We got a new job with a computer furnished with the apartment. This computer blows, with it's whopping 200 mb of RAM. It has XP on it and basically sucks a big one.

I want to install Linux on it, having seen a friend's computer over the weekend that seemed to run many times better using Ubuntu Linux.

I downloaded it and burned a disk. I supposedly installed it, and it actually loaded once. Then, when I tried to load it again, it just scrolls through about a million errors. It still runs XP, but it's almost unusable.

My end goal is to have Windows completely off the computer, and to just have the Ubuntu Linux (Or something comparable) on the machine. We only would use it for internet and downloading, so keeping Windows on it is not a priority. In fact, I would love to see it gone.

Does anyone have any advice or any links to some good sites that might have step-by-step instructions on how to install it? I've tried to find some instructions, but I don't think I'm savvy enough to follow all of the PhD candidate's guides to doing it.

I did check the computer's specs (as best I could with Korean XP) and it's got a P4 with a 180G hard drive.

Any help?
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mrsquirrel



Joined: 13 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If it's old pc you may want to DL a less graphic intensive version. Xubuntu I think is one.

I use SuSE 10.2 www.opensuse.org - never had any hardware problems with is. Might be worthwhile trying.

Ubuntu isn't the best distro it's just the one getting the most publicity.

Decide what desktop manager you want as well. I don't like GNOME the standard Ubuntu one, much prefer KDE. SuSE will offer you the choice when you install or you could DL KUbuntu for the KDE interface.

I recommend SuSE others will recommend something else
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JungMin



Joined: 18 May 2005

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:36 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Over the past few years, I have tried Mandriva, Suse, and Ubuntu. Would have to say I like Ubuntu and Suse the most. Suse is probably a bit better as most things just work and don't need extra work setting up.
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mrsquirrel



Joined: 13 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I had some head bashing against the wall problems with Ubuntu.

Considering SuSE has the Novell backing as well it's got a great support forum.

The only downside to SuSE is that the install DVD and the Live DVD are separate so you can't try before you by

If http://www.softwareinreview.com/cms/content/view/60/

Is a good setup guide post install for all the little things you might need.
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mrsquirrel



Joined: 13 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There are CBT trainining disks available on a few torrents.

Elbitz.net is one of them registrations open tomorrow. DL the SUSE disks from the torrent and learn. Or the Debian ones if that is what you want to use.
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spliff



Joined: 19 Jan 2004
Location: Khon Kaen, Thailand

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

XP works fine for me, why bother?
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 3:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

spliff wrote:
XP works fine for me, why bother?


A. My Windows is Korean and has so much crap on it that start-up time is about 10 minutes. (Not my fault... We inherited it.)

B. It only has about 200 mb of RAM. I can only run one program at a time with all of the background crap going on.

I downloaded the SuSE and am burning a DVD today. I'll see what's up when I get home today. Thanks for the advice!
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Zutronius



Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Location: Suncheon

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You would probably want to install Xubuntu on it. It is a lighter version of Ubuntu meant to run on older pcs. I've used it on an old 1.2 gig system I found in a dumpster and the OS works fine.

http://www.xubuntu.org/
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mrsquirrel



Joined: 13 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Tue Sep 04, 2007 5:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Give SuSE a go if that fails then try Xbuntu, there is also MintX as well.

Based on Ubuntu distro with all the codecs and stuff you need as well. If you do decide to go down that road I would personally choose the Mint version to get over the first few hurdles.

http://www.linuxmint.com/download.html

XFCE Community Edition

The support base for it is good and getting stronger.
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Mon Sep 10, 2007 3:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zutronius wrote:
You would probably want to install Xubuntu on it. It is a lighter version of Ubuntu meant to run on older pcs. I've used it on an old 1.2 gig system I found in a dumpster and the OS works fine.

http://www.xubuntu.org/


OK. After trying Ubuntu and SuSE to no avail due to low system memory, I tried the Xubuntu and it works like a charm. Even with only 200+mb of RAM, it works 10 times faster than the XP. I have Vista on my notebook and I love it, but for this low-end system the Xubuntu works great.
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Sincinnatislink



Joined: 30 Jan 2007
Location: Top secret.

PostPosted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

So there is someone using vista . . .
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sincinnatislink wrote:
So there is someone using vista . . .


I like it. It came on the notebook, and I'm not going to buy XP for it. I need to have one Windows computer, and I don't feel comfortable changing the partitions on it.

I do have on problem with my Xubuntu system, though. I can't get 7-Zip to install. I download it, and the system says it's installed. However, i can't find it or use it. Hence, I can't extract RAR files. Also, I can't find a Media Player that plays MP3 files.

Any advice?
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bassexpander



Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.

PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can you find a Linux version of VLC Media Player? That plays most everything.
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Pligganease



Joined: 14 Sep 2004
Location: The deep south...

PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 9:06 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

bassexpander wrote:
Can you find a Linux version of VLC Media Player? That plays most everything.


Yeah, I got that, but I had no luck getting it to play more than one song at the time... Laughing
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mrsquirrel



Joined: 13 Dec 2006

PostPosted: Sun Sep 16, 2007 10:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

You could try

alt+f2 then type 7zip and it should run.



It will be somewhere in your menubar - possibly under new programs or archiving under system tools.

if you look through VLC's menu there is a play list option there.
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