Linux? Where to start?

Technology and Gaming
#1

I have an old laptop that’s aging pretty quickly…the screen doesn’t work, so I have to use a big chunky beige monitor to use it. :slight_smile:

It has windows xp on it and a mere ATI x200m graphics card, so I don’t think I’ll be playing on that thing anytime soon.

So basically - where do I start?:retard: I hear there are a lot of different versions, and a lot of different options. What should a Linux newbie do first?:fffuuu:

#2

Ubuntu seems to be the easiest. It has a wide repository of easy-to-access software, and good support as a mainstream distribution (which means googling is really helpful if you get lost, and there are many ways to ask for any help that hasn’t been asked for yet). Software updates are frequently and swiftly available.

Despite being easy to get into, it’s not limiting from a professional standpoint.

I would suggest 9.10 “Karmic Koala”, because there are a few bothersome taskbar-related changes with “Lucid Lynx” (10.04) that make me wish I didn’t update… the changes aren’t ironed out yet, and they should have kept those features in beta longer.

Ubuntu is also a good pick because it’s one of the ones designed to work with less capable computers; Linux netbooks make lots of use of Ubuntu. It’s available a few ways…* Run a Live-CD (runs without having installed - - more like a demonstration or recovery tool, because it’s god-awful slow)

  • Download and install from a thumb drive, next to an existing Windows XP if you want
  • But if you have a more powerful computer than your raggedy little laptop, I suggest backing up its stuff and going all the way in with a full format-and-install, from the disc burned here: https://releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ubuntu-9.10-desktop-i386.iso [COLOR=‘Silver’](I’m assuming you don’t have a 64bit processor) (and this CD can also be used as a Live-CD if you only want to test what it feels like to use)

Any/all other Ubuntu install options should be easy enough to find from https://releases.ubuntu.com/9.10/ or https://releases.ubuntu.com/ or even https://www.ubuntu.com/ if you’re looking for more information.

#3

Keep in mind, Linux(especially ubuntu) isn’t the most low-cpu consuming OS, XP would run much smoother on it after a fresh format.

#4

id suggest ubuntu.
easy place for beginner to start.
and also personally latest update (10.04 or w/e) is a bit unnecessary but it will do just fine because you will be jumping right in rather than upgrading

#5

Well at first every Linux distro needs over 256 MiB RAM to run and over 500 MiB to run well. I would also recomment Ubuntu. But the newest version (10.4) still has this “buttons on the wrong side”-bug. But you can fix it: https://www.baptiste-wicht.com/2010/05/ubuntu-lucid-lynx-buttons-right/

#6

If my computer use wasn’t so gaming related, Ubuntu would probably be my main OS for a long time ago.

#7

Xubuntu is a less resource hungry version of ubuntu/linux so that might be a better idea in the first place. Wireless networking can be a bit of a problem too. Check out the guides for ndiswrapper here if your card isn’t supported out of the box. Check out the list here.

#8

lol Linux. Do what sersfot says: Use windows XP.

#9

eh no

#10

Sorry for thread-jacking a little, but no sense making a new thread!
I am using a laptop right now, and I only use it for surfing the web and the occasional flash game. Should I get Ubuntu? What are the advantages? Thank you :smiley:

#11

There are advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:

  1. it’s free,
  2. there is a vast library of free open source programs for it,
  3. offers great customisation options,
  4. you don’t need to worry about virus’s/malware/adware (there are some for linux but it is very unlikely you will get infected),
  5. it’s very secure

Disadvantages:

  1. Doesn’t support anything and everything although it is getting better. If a component or peripheral doesn’t work out of the box it is probably going to be an uphill struggle to get it to work.
  2. Most windows programs won’t run in linux although there is usually an open source alternative or you might get some luck using WINE.
  3. Updates sometimes break things that worked fine previously, you then have to cross your fingers and hope that a fix is produced or search the internet and forums for a fix.

If your windows install is working fine I would suggest dual booting if you want to give it a try. Remember that linux is not windows. Treat it as a completely different operating system and you shouldn’t have any surprises.

#12

Oh c’mon. DSL looks like Windows 95.

Btw the memory usage between LXDE/XFCE and Gnome/KDE isn’t that different.

I never had any problems with updates.
I only had problems with my Ati Hd 2000 driver, with editing some configs and with running Windows programms in Wine.
I would recomment to make a special partition for your home folder (it’s C:\User* in Windows), so that your data and userspecific configuration data will be saved, even if you reinstall the core-system.

#13

Yeah, I know. :stuck_out_tongue:

#14

I see no problem with Ubuntu 10.04, I’m running it now on my Dell Mini 10v. Works smoothly. Now if Valve would just hurry up and port Steam to Linux…

#15

Thanks! I think I will try it out!

#16

Thanks for the replies guys!

Not really worried about the ram issue, I got 1GB (which is 1/4 the usual nowadays, but I won’t be running any big programs on this thing XD)

Mostly I want to try out linux to experiment and see what it does, and to understand computers/programming a little better.

I’ve already moved all the stuff out of the laptop and am gonna try for a complete wipeout-fresh install of linux. Hopefully by the end of the weekend I’ll get it running, and I’ll post an update by then. 'till then, I don’t mind if it gets a little off-topic for some other linux newbies like myself to post in here and ask. :slight_smile:

#17

A great source for info and support are the ubuntu forums. As I said earlier it is worth knowing if you are going to run into any potential compatibility issues, especially with networking.

I recommend looking up your wireless card details, finding the driver online and extracting the files needed for ndiswrapper before formatting and installing ubuntu/xubuntu/kubuntu.

Also the past couple of times I have installed ubuntu I have had to change the permissions in users and groups to allow wireless networking. I think if the card isn’t auto detected the option is disabled for some reason. I spent hours messing about with drivers and ndiswrapper before it even occurred to me!

#18

My personal recommendation for a Linux distro would be Linux Mint it’s based on Ubuntu and the debian package management (which I personally find quite attractive but nothing can beat the Gentoo portage system hands down), it comes with all the things you expect from a modern Operating System. So it’s great for starters to experiment with and get quickly to visible results and have fun with :wink:

Some hints I would give you:
The GNU/Linux operating system is all about choices, freedom and deep customization. From the kernel to the desktop themes everything can be fine-tuned and customized to suit your particular needs, the linux distros you find out there have already made many choices for you (but you can still change things there aswell :wink: ).
To start easy if you take for instance Ubuntu you will notice different versions with different desktop environments: Gnome (default Ubuntu DE), KDE (Kubuntu), XFCE (Xubuntu) and there are many many other out there but those are the most famous ones. Which one you choose really comes down to personal taste (gnome is slick, kde reminds of Windows, xfce is lightweight and effective) and that’s really one thing that is so appealing about this OS.

Don’t be afraid to experiment and try new things out. Read up on that or this tool and play with the linux shell (Terminal). If you’re stuck I can testify that Google is a great pool of knowledge and solutions when it comes to linux :stuck_out_tongue:
Also comprehensive linux solutions under one roof is a gift.

#19

Exactly what I plan to do. :slight_smile:

On a side note, I also want to learn more about C++. Would C++ and linux be good together?

#20

+1 for Mint. Is awesome.

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