I am now an ex-Windows user :)

Welcome To

I am now an ex-Windows user :)

This topic is empty.

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

Author

Posts
October 5, 2013 at 5:02 am

#700355
1

Pat McDonald

@pat-mcdonald

Participant
Downloaded Ubuntu Desktop ISO, burnt it to a DVD,

Booted from the DVD on my hacked wreck of a laptop after removing the CMOS battery to let me boot from DVD (and rebuilding the laptop). Took maybe 2 weeks to get it right.

15 minutes after putting the DVD in, I have a fully functional system. Even the TV tuner and hardware Video recorder were recognised, wireless OK, every bit of hardware sorted AUTOMATICALLY (some bits of it NEVER WORKED ON WINDOWS AT ALL).

What can I say apart from… I wish I’d done this years ago. Of course it wouldn’t have been so easy back then but I’m gobsmacked by how piss easy it was to do.

Took a couple hours to get some free software installed to run, but am busy learning new PCB design, FreeCiv for when I need some strat gaming, video codecs and sound and internet radio all on demand…

… I am not going to install Windows again. Ever. Not on my systems, not on anybody else’s. Microsoft can go back to hell.
October 5, 2013 at 10:41 am

#971967
1

thelog

@thelog

Member
Well done pat,

How does it feel to be free from the storm botnet?
October 5, 2013 at 10:57 am

#971966
6

General Lighting

@general-lighting

Moderator
Staff
Although I prefer Debian for desktop as the current Ubuntu (at least the one I last got) seemed to have a fair bit extra bloat I got the impression that with a fairly modern machine its OK and did notice that for desktop use I had to spend far less time buggering around with the command line.

In fact some work desktops used by non IT staff (albeit the facilities guys with some tech knowledge) it is just being rolled out, and I have put Debian on a oldish laptop with knackered keyboard and agree that there is far better FOSS electronics software around for Linux than Windows, (i now just need to understand it a bit better and invest some time in learning it) and also decent amateur radio software, amd for radio monitoring a low power computer that will run on local battery is a great asset where I live as I’m surrounded by 400V cables and got the substation 5m from my back garden, so all the crap from everyones mains filters is radiated via the earthed metal of all of it.

It also allows me to use some desktops and laptops that were already decomissioned and would otherwse end up being gutted and put to WEEE skip (or end up at my house, some areas of which equivalent the WEEE skip, the only difference being that the low budget Chinaman who picks the PCBs apart for components is the same one who brought them to the location :laugh_at:)
October 5, 2013 at 11:05 am

#971973
1

Pat McDonald

@pat-mcdonald

Participant
@General Lighting 557185 wrote:

Although I prefer Debian for desktop as the current Ubuntu (at least the one I last got) seemed to have a fair bit extra bloat 🙂

I was told that 12 is less bloat, 13 does some info sharing with Google and Amazon (developers need to eat too).
October 6, 2013 at 1:50 am

#971968
1

MadPsy

@madpsy

Member
I would get rid of the god awful window manager Ubuntu now ships with (Unity) and install either xfce or cinnamon.

For cinnamon:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:gwendal-lebihan-dev/cinnamon-stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install cinnamon

For xfce4:

sudo apt-get install xfce4

or for a full ‘rebrand’ with xfce (my personal choice):

sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop

You can choose which to use when you log in.
October 6, 2013 at 9:59 am

#971974
1

Pat McDonald

@pat-mcdonald

Participant
Thanks for the tip. It’s not such a big issue cos it’s a very nice full HD lappy display. I daresay I’ll a bit fed up of the clunk facotr in re-arranging the windows around in time and do just that.

So long as it runs GIMP, Tor and Libre Office I’m happy. Anything else is a bonus.
October 6, 2013 at 11:41 am

#971969
1

MadPsy

@madpsy

Member
If you have the need to run any minor windows apps there’s always ‘wine’ (install wine-tricks too). If your CPU supports virtualisation then Oracle’s Virtualbox is nice, it supports seamless windowing and lots of nice stuff. Can check for the CPU flags with ‘egrep ‘vmx|vt’ /proc/cpuinfo’
October 6, 2013 at 12:58 pm

#971972
1

dubstep_joe

@dubstep_joe

Member
@MadPsy 557245 wrote:

If you have the need to run any minor windows apps there’s always ‘wine’ (install wine-tricks too). If your CPU supports virtualisation then Oracle’s Virtualbox is nice, it supports seamless windowing and lots of nice stuff. Can check for the CPU flags with ‘egrep ‘vmx|vt’ /proc/cpuinfo’

That CPU support is only optional – helps performance. Even on a shitty Intel E2140 1.6ghz and 2gb of ram I’m able to run virtualbox without too many issues – even tried FL Studio but it had some crackly sound.

I’m a Linux user too for like 3 years already? So if you need any help just fire away Pat 😀
October 6, 2013 at 1:59 pm

#971970
1

MadPsy

@madpsy

Member
Fair point.. but it’s needed if you want to run a 64bit guest and/or SMP support but that makes no difference if your CPU is 32bit to begin with.

The performance hit is actually pretty noticeable, not least as ring 0 code is run at level 1 which means each instruction fault gets intercepted by the hypervisor. There’s other hypervisors too, like KVM & Xen.

Anyway, I’m sure Pat isn’t wanting to install Windows on his freshly built Ubuntu box but it’s good for trying out other distros like Debian etc.
October 6, 2013 at 2:18 pm

#971971
1

MadPsy

@madpsy

Member
Here’s some useful things:

Enable the Medibuntu repository
Vuze
Audacity
VLC (+codecs)
Chrome
Pidgin
Filezilla

That’s a good start anyway 🙂
October 6, 2013 at 3:03 pm

#971975
1

Pat McDonald

@pat-mcdonald

Participant
@MadPsy 557249 wrote:

.. but that makes no difference if your CPU is 32bit to begin with..

Correct, but it’s a NICE 32 bit… 2GHz Pentium-M. So I’ll just stick with the Linux stuff for the minute (plenty to learn).

It’s not that I don’t have Windows on other systems but I won’t be re-installing them. Oh, Audacity, Chrome and VLC were must have, got them as soon as I had net access. Others I’ll take a look at.

When I stop giggling madly and crying with relief.
January 18, 2016 at 5:25 am

#971976
1

slimshifty217

@slimshifty217

Participant
@Pat McDonald 955747 wrote:

Downloaded Ubuntu Desktop ISO, burnt it to a DVD,

Booted from the DVD on my hacked wreck of a laptop after removing the CMOS battery to let me boot from DVD (and rebuilding the laptop). Took maybe 2 weeks to get it right.

15 minutes after putting the DVD in, I have a fully functional system. Even the TV tuner and hardware Video recorder were recognised, wireless OK, every bit of hardware sorted AUTOMATICALLY (some bits of it NEVER WORKED ON WINDOWS AT ALL).

What can I say apart from… I wish I’d done this years ago. Of course it wouldn’t have been so easy back then but I’m gobsmacked by how piss easy it was to do.

Took a couple hours to get some free software installed to run, but am busy learning new PCB design, FreeCiv for when I need some strat gaming, video codecs and sound and internet radio all on demand…

… I am not going to install Windows again. Ever. Not on my systems, not on anybody else’s. Microsoft can go back to hell.

If I had time or could make some time, I would definitely try this out with my PC I’m on right now. I need to learn more about Ubuntu etc so that I can get the full experience out of it. I would hate to do all of that and then not understand a damn thing about it. I’m a tech nerd but not quite on that high of a level. Most of my knowledge is based on smartphone UI and OS. I know my uncle uses Ubuntu and Linux and knows them front to back but he and I are not exactly close and he is not a good teacher, he’s a doer. My dad is the one with the masters in computer science but he’s very busy with work all the time and would not have the “man hours” to sit down with me and play around with it.

I think I’ll get a random ass PC for cheap online and just boot it like you said you did and maybe teach myself if that’s possible. Most of what I know about technology I have learned from the almighty YT. I know, I sound lame as shit talking about this stuff but it’s because I’ve been doing nothing but Windows since my dad brought home W95 way back in the day. It’s a comfort-ability factor.
Author

Posts

Viewing 12 posts - 1 through 12 (of 12 total)

You must be logged in to reply to this topic.