Any Ubuntu users on the forum?

[kaiser soze]

I'd like to talk computers - I know there are people here who know their machines better than their mom does. But it always seems there is little discussion of technology or computers for that matter and quite frankly that is the medium we use to interact with right?

Anyways, I had an old Compaq Presario (pc in the box from Sam's Club with some quality specs considering the retail source and brand) with Win XP home which blew to shit (well the OS ) some msgina.dll error. I tried installing a new version of the dll in recovery console to no avail. XP became an apparent loss with Compaq support refusing to give me a recovery disc (the recovery was on a partition on my HD that went corrupt thanks!)

So after a couple of months of neglecting my old system (which wasn't a total piece of shit or a loss for that matter - I had plans for it no doubt) and after contemplating picking up a copy of XP as I watched the prices go up and availability shrink as OS 7's popularity grew...I had an epiphany and thought fuck I'll try installing Ubuntu - what is there to lose? If it fails I'll just reformat the HD and turn it into an external drive.

So I downloaded the Ubuntu iso and burned to disk and installed on my Compaq LO and BEHOLD it installed 100% without a fucking hitch!

SUCCESS! I just brought an otherwise dead computer to life again and with impressive results. Boot time is surprising for the processor: an AMD Sempron 3000 2.0ghz, and 1024 mb of ram. The HD was wiped clean before the install so it appears I lost what was locked inside my corrupt Win OS, but now I have new space for this OS I guess - I feared recovery wouldn't be easy or cheap anyways.

Of course this is a new OS to me completely - there are elements reminiscent of Win and Macintosh, but this feels like and is undeniably an advanced OS. I discovered this with my first attempt to update Firefox - shit it doesn't have an automatic installer, so I'm still trying to decipher the code and know this will be a learning curve - but a welcomed one at that.

That's it in a nutshell, if you use Ubuntu please feel free to hook me up with some useful links (especially with the whole code/software sources/package install stuff). I'd love to learn more from those who are familiar with this OS.

[Adam]

I've used Ubuntu as my main OS for years and before that Fedora. Ubuntu is great for older computers and I know exactly what you mean when they put the recovery as a partition on the primary HDD. I stopped using computer companies that do that, no matter how awesome the deal seems.

Anyway - as for your question:

http://ubuntuforums.org/ has every question answered already what you could possibly think of and the experts on there aren't condescending like some other forums.

http://www.google.com/linux helps defining linux base questions.

Wine - http://www.winehq.org/ is a good emulator for windows apps

Cedega - http://www.transgaming.com/business/cedega/ is a better emulator for gaming via linux but costs a subscription. But you could just sign up and cancel your subscription and you have the software. You can still use gaming in wine but cedega is better. You can get cracked versions to if you so wished.

Yup, Ubuntu is OS of choice - for everyday home PCing inc downloading, burning of DVDs etc I would only a Linux distribution over anything winblows. Good luck.

[kaiser soze]

thanks for the links!

I've been doing some massive poking around on the net for best answers/applications/info and finding a mish mash of old info and dead links. Obviously I don't know exactly where to look - I have already come across some of those links you have suggested

I'm guess Ubuntu is just 1 distro of Linux and I have 9.10 Karmic Koala which is the latest Ubuntu release right?

I was curious about Wine, is it totally necessary - does it help with Win compatible applications? I can get around the fact that this OS is not windows - I've worked between Mac and Win for years so am comfortable with something different.

Also if you dont me asking what would you suggest for -

Media player, Audio/Wave Recording, CD/DVD burning, Browser (using Chrome right now), AV if needed - GUI tools such as docks and shit like that.

This machine will eventually become my main recording machine which I intended on turning it into once I solved my OS situation.

thanks for any input, this is fun having a fully functional, interesting, and legit OS

[Adam]

thanks for the links!

I've been doing some massive poking around on the net for best answers/applications/info and finding a mish mash of old info and dead links. Obviously I don't know exactly where to look - I have already come across some of those links you have suggested

I'm guess Ubuntu is just 1 distro of Linux and I have 9.10 Karmic Koala which is the latest Ubuntu release right?

I was curious about Wine, is it totally necessary - does it help with Win compatible applications? I can get around the fact that this OS is not windows - I've worked between Mac and Win for years so am comfortable with something different.

Also if you dont me asking what would you suggest for -

Media player, Audio/Wave Recording, CD/DVD burning, Browser (using Chrome right now), AV if needed - GUI tools such as docks and shit like that.

This machine will eventually become my main recording machine which I intended on turning it into once I solved my OS situation.

thanks for any input, this is fun having a fully functional, interesting, and legit OS

Yeah, I think 9.10 is the latest although I think 10.xx is coming soon that has LTS. Last lont term support was 8.something. But they are all well supported anyway.

I don't use wine at all, its just there in case you do need it. Some people need a windows program for their job so they have to use it. But you'll find what you do and don't need - just like apps on a phone, it'll be different for you as everyone else...

...as for suggested programs. I don't use any AV type stuff. 99.9% of my computer use is media player, browsing and burning. So in my opinion.

Media Player - VLC wins
Browsers - I use Firefox and epiphany. Chrome is alright but I find the way some pages fit a little out.
Ripping - K3b. Its by far the best tool for burning anything and you never get a coaster (and I burn a lot).

[kaiser soze]

thanks again for the suggestions, I trust your judgement so will check them out

Nice to be able to tap into some knowledge with this.

I might check out Wine for a couple apps that weren't supported in OS 7 (fuckers) with hopes it might help with Ubuntu - if that is what it does.

What version of FF are you using? My Ubuntu installation had 3.5.9, but there is a 3.6.3 release but it doesn't have the automatic installer, where do I look in the .bz2 file to get the update installing? Is there an installer tool to help the noobs?
I prefer FF so it'd be nice to get the latest release installed.

any hints on that?

[Adam]

No help on updating firefox I'm afraid, someone will of done it though I'm sure, I just keep with the auto-updates but I trust the set up I have is pretty secure just because the whole thing is securer... Long(ish) story why I'm not fully on top of updates atm.

Currently my desktop and laptop have hardware issues I have not bothered fixing for nearly a year now so I've been stuck with my netbook and all my gaming is PS3 so I haven't really tried being keeping on to of updates and just let the automatic ones run. Both those have Ubuntu 9.10 installed by me on it but because my netbook came pre-installed with Ubuntu 8.04 Hardy Heron by Dell all the updates and installs seem to run via Dell servers so I think it puts me even further behind. And because 9.10 is not long term supported I can't even update the OS on this netbook without a hack. But I don't mind. I've also been in a state of moving house soon during that time so again, I haven't been pro-active in getting my computers sorted out but I am moving Friday this week now so I'll have to get up to speed after then when I'm more permanently installed at a dwelling :)

[The Notorious LOL]

I use it in VMWare for browsin porn. (y)

[silence7]

We've had Ubuntu installed on one of our lab machines for a few years, and I installed it on an older machine for my parents a year ago.

While I loved it for the lab machine at work. (internet, email, drive sharing, compiz fun) My Father didn't give it a fair shake, tried it a few times and decided to buy an iMac.... While the iMac works great for them, the Ubuntu machine was more than they needed, E-mail (Thunderbird), Chat (pidgeon) and Internet (Firefox).. My Pop bought a Mac based on my recommendation over him buying another PC.

I would totally have it installed at home, but Photoshop, Dreamweaver, etc.. are my life, and I want to run them at full speed, not under Wine, etc.... So I'm a WinXP Pro holdout.. I believe that for 80+% of the people with computers Ubuntu would be ideal, and would more than cover their needs.

</drunkin' Ubuntu ranting>

[kaiser soze]

Yeah it seems to be limited with the compatibility of popular applications - I thought I installed Wine, but my apps didn't install properly (PS, Wavelab, etc.), these is quite a collection of open source generics/clones and some of those I am trying to get acquainted with (Gimp, Ardour), but it always feels there is something amiss with the alternatives after working with the popular brands for some time - and there are some UI issues which you would think would be intuitive.

Overall I'm enjoying the fact that this machine is in working (if not in better shape than it was the best 2 years with a badly beaten up XP). It isn't an OS for the casual user and some of the fun is that it requires some thinking to make it work at times -

I've gotten lucky and have sought out some pre-fab commands helping with installations. I now have FF 3.6.3 on the machine using Ubuntuzilla/pre-fab commands. There are a few functions I'm still figuring out and am curious what else is out there.

[Adam]

As said above - Ubuntu is perfect for the normal computer user - it will do everything pretty well. Apart from coding, its not a OS for the professional user but an OS for the home user. If you're a graphic designer or similar you use a Mac. Windows has the market so for smoother running gaming and tailor-made programs for big business then Windows is used. For normal & safe computer use of browsing, streaming, media playing and just good free programs that work; Linux is the key. Like you plug in a printer - it works. Stick in a usb storage - it works, Stick in a 3G modem - it works. No drivers, no searching right ones, not massive GUI or heavy program just to do a tiny little thing.

Oh kaiser - make sure you have added the restricted extra's if you haven't already. Go to Add/Remove, search 'restricted' and install. It'll have all the codecs for any compatibility issues you may have.

[kaiser soze]

I wouldn't consider Linux or any of it's distro's casual user OS's. Compared to the plug and play environment of Win and Mac, Ubuntu is tricky. As a seasoned Windows user and well rounded Mac OS user, Ubuntu has been the most complicated "out of the box" of the bunch.

After seeking out some information I am getting familiarized with how data is stored, displayed and integrated through the myriad of install options (add/remove, package manager, terminal commands), personalization and compatibility. I found a nice list of gnome products and a couple tutorials I am poking through curiously.

[Adam]

I wouldn't consider Linux or any of it's distro's casual user OS's. Compared to the plug and play environment of Win and Mac, Ubuntu is tricky. As a seasoned Windows user and well rounded Mac OS user, Ubuntu has been the most complicated "out of the box" of the bunch.

Maybe. I've been using Linux as my main OS since 2004. I rarely use anything else now and I suppose my view maybe skewed in the sense that if anyone asks me to for help fixing their computer its always a windows machine. And its always a problem you just don't get on linux. Like malicious code to wrong, out of date or missing drivers.

You do have to customise your linux OS from the start as its very basic what you get but Ubuntu changed that a little. Apart from a few codec and compatibility issues because they are now allowed to ship them under the licence they use I would say its out of the box.

[kaiser soze]

So I upgraded to Lucid Lynx and so far it seems to be going swell

I don't think the Add/Remove program is gone for installing programs - just Ubuntu Software Center, software source, and Synaptic Package installer.

The only reason why I updated was because I somehow crashed Karmic Koala. Sucks too cus I had Ardour installed and now it won't (So I installed Audacity), shame too it was a really nice interface and I was curious how well it would perform.

I also get shitloads of PUB_Key errors when attempting to install an APT line in Software sources. It seems to occur every time I try it - I wish there was one fell swoop for fixing it but it looks I have to apply changes/fixes to each key it errors on.

have any suggestions for reading materials that would give me an edge in installation/execution issues?

[TurdBerglar]

what's the point of this linux shit? it seems like a massive hassle.


just because it's free?

[kaiser soze]

In a way yes and in other ways no

One appeal of Linux is that it is an OS that requires a hell of a lot less resources than it's contemporaries which makes it appealing for individuals who have systems which are all but useless with current OS and have very little support with past OS - so trying to run a machine with XP might be in vain because MS will or has ended updates for the OS as a whole making it more vulnerable to attacks or incompatible with new software from 3rd parties.

I had a machine and XP died on it, I couldn't get it fixed and didn't feel like spending money on a new XP install CD. The machine physically was fine and for the most part has decent specs. I've been planning on getting my studio back up and running and needed a machine to record to so Ubuntu has made that quite possible and in an impressive manner. This has opened tons of opportunity for establishments sitting on old machines or needing to save money.

Boot time is amazing, and the UI for the most part is basically a mix of Win and Mac. Granted there aren't brand name options for many 3rd party software - this is on the other hand open source, free alternatives - the biggest learning curve in using the OS is the OS itself not the applications running on it.

Sad to say with the advent of Win 7 many of my beloved programs which were running on XP are now incompatible so my Win 7 machine is pretty much on par with usability as my Ubuntu machine (other than hardware specs).

[TurdBerglar]

win 7 has a xp mode using a virtual machine

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

[kaiser soze]

you can run another OS on Linux as well through virtualization (the only 1 I know of is virtual machine)

I doubt XP will still be supported. Also Win 7 Home does not support virtualization, only Premium - so on top of paying for Win XP (at $130 a pop or so) you have to pay for the Win 7 upgrade PLUS have a machine that supports virtualization.

[TurdBerglar]

oh and on most pre made pc's they put the cd key on the tower. if that's case all you would have to do is download an appropriate xp dvd. totally legal too.

[TurdBerglar]

the xp virtualization is totally free on win 7 pro

and they just released a patch for virtualization support for cpu's that don't have virtualation built into its specs

[kaiser soze]

oh really?

The website you provide says pro and and ultimate can run virtualization - I don't want to pay for the upgrade and also the XP installation cd

I will look into the cd key- where would I find the dvd download?

[TurdBerglar]

any torrent site?

[TurdBerglar]

for xp virtualization you just download some patches and install the XP virtualaztion app. i have it installed on my win 7 machine and it runs perfectly without a hitch. you open it and it runs inside a window. just like any other window on your desktop. totally free

[kaiser soze]

I'm guessing you're running this on Win 7 Pro or Ultimate right? If not could you direct in the right direction to get the proper apps to run.

trust me - I have tried finding virtual machine for Win 7 Home but it appears it is not supported

[TurdBerglar]

oh

yeah, pro, sorry man