Running Ubuntu

Joined
Jun 4, 2004
Messages
1,163
hello folks!

Windows crashed on me a few days ago.

Lost a lot of data from the last year, but thankfully, data from years past was on another hard drive, when my older computer's mother board died.

I decided it was time to give a Linux based system a try, so I downloaded Ubuntu. very happy so far, although there is a learning curve. I am finding adeqaute software to do what i need my machine to do. All free!

Computer is faster in operation, and firefox surfs WAY faster, on the same DSL as I have been using for a while now.

I could have partitioned the hard drive, but after I realised I would have to re install and re purchase a lot of software, i just decided to send windows to the nether world.

Any other Linux users out there?

take care,

Tom
 
Linux has been on my computers now for the past 7 years. I have tried many flavors of Linux and found Ubuntu to be the most "complete" distro yet. However when I get a real wild streak I like to mess around with Slackware and Gentoo.

Peace,

T
 
I try Ubuntu and some other distro's when I'm not running OS X. :)
 
Running Linux full time since '98 and using it for a number of years before that.

Switched to Ubuntu a couple years ago and have been extremely happy with it. :thumbup:
 
like to try the move myself guys but just not sure of the way to go
happy with windows i am not:thumbdn:
 
like to try the move myself guys but just not sure of the way to go
happy with windows i am not:thumbdn:


I have a feeling you will eventually get so fed up with windows that you will just dive in. Thats what I did anyhow.. but yeah windows is no longer.

T
 
I'm sick of windows, and my computer is on it's last legs.

I seriously DO NOT want to get a Vista computer, and I'm not crazy about Macs, either.

I want to find a computer that's bundled with Linux all set up -- anyone know if such a beast exists?

All I really do is the internet, email, and Office type stuff.

I already use Firefox, Open Office.org, and email is through Yahoo, so I know there's already that stuff for Linux.

How compatible is it with things like USB drives and camera USB interfaces?
 
There are preloaded Linux computers out there. I know Dell has laptops that are preloaded with Ubuntu (or at least they used to). Generally speaking Ubuntu is pretty compatible with most hardware. You can check the HCL (hardware compatibility list) on the Ubuntu website.

T
 
ubuntu is awesome. Not sure if you can still order free live cd's. The .iso file can be downloaded for free and if you can burn a boot cd do that and run it live, no change to HD and you can try all your peripherals.
 
Personally, I'm still quite happily, "getting my Mac on," but I'm all for diversity! Competition keeps us honest......
 
i tried(and kept) ubuntu on my computer for around 5 years. Only reason i am back to windows now is for my friends lan parties when he holds them. Still i would dual boot but i only have a 20 gig hard drive(running off a '02 compaq). :(
 
Thanks for chiming in everyone!

So far, no hardware issue. The camera interfaces just fine. It seems like everything is well though out.

I re installed windows after my machine crashed, then downloaded Ubuntu. I tried the dual install, but there wasn't enough left for ubuntu to run fully. So once i figured out what data was gone, I re installed Ubuntu and wiped my windows away!

CPL, it sounds like you do about the same stuff i do. So far, all is well. I'm still learning the graphics programs, and the gnucash for money and budget, but it will all come along.

I like the way everything looks and runs.

Once I get fully up to speed, I think windows will be a distant memory.

I haven't fully checked it out, but there is a program called "wine" that can make certain windows based software run on linux systems.

take care,

Tom
 
... I tried the dual install, but there wasn't enough left for ubuntu to run fully. ...

i gather you mean hard disk space. i was in the local electrics shop yesterday & was amazed at the low cost of hard drives, they had a 650GB drive for £54 ($87) and a 1TB (1000GB) for not much more, and they were a high markup store, probably could get it cheaper if i was in the market. i haven't filled up the 200GB i have now yet.
 
CPL, it sounds like you do about the same stuff i do. So far, all is well. I'm still learning the graphics programs, and the gnucash for money and budget, but it will all come along.
Not sure what exactly those do, but if you're used to Microsoft Office applications, go to OpenOffice.org, and download their OpenOffice.org software. It's a free office suite that runs much the same as Microsoft Office and is even file-compatible with it. IIRC it was made for Linux first and then ported to Windows.

I haven't fully checked it out, but there is a program called "wine" that can make certain windows based software run on linux systems.
Tom

I've heard of that. I've heard it won't run ALL windows software -- particularly intensive applications like some of the games out there but if you don't go for those, it's probably not a big deal.
 
well guys
i run open office myself i'll be damned if im going to pay microsoft for the privalidge of using theres and iv'e had no problems since using it now if i went over to ubuntu what would my pc need i have a 250gb harddrive and 2 gb of ram plus a 512mb grafics card would i need to make any further changes or would what i have be enough
thanks mick
 
From everything I've read, a Linux system needs far fewer resources than a Windows machine.

I read of guys running Linux on way less than what you have.
 
Some good thoughts about the second hard drive.

I am using the open office stuff, it came with the ubuntu download. Gnucash was downloaded from the Ubuntu repository.

Take care,

Tom
 
You could probably have retrieved the old data from the old HD, unless, of course, if HD malfunction was the reason for the breakdown in the first place.
 
I've got an Acer Aspire One with Linpus on it, a sort of proprietary distro for these little "netbooks". I pretty much bought it just to use as a word processor, which I did a lot of this spring. Earlier this month, I used a relative's wifi connection when on a trip to visit them for a wedding... was able ot check web-based email and forums.

But there's definitely a learning curve with Linux distros, even Ubuntu. My ISP is notoriously hard to set up for Linux, effectively shutting you out of any RPM's and other online resources. Basically I wouldn't consider Linux for general computing on anothe machine unless I had a different computer with Internet access already, so I could check out tutorials and such to get connected successfully.

Mac OS X was the compromise between ease of use and ... well, non-Microsoftiness. :D
 
I play with SuSE and Ubuntu, but don't do any admin stuff on those computers. I also like running things on my Mac from the terminal. Quickest way in for many things.
 
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