Migrating to Linux (Ubuntu?)

[#1]

Quote from: Professormoog

Also I have been using Norton antivirus - will I need to anymore? someone reccomended Avast anti virus. I have been very happy and secure using Norton but am happy to change on reccomendation. Is an anti virus still needed?

As far as your own Linux system goes, you don't need antivirus stuff at all. However, if you're concerned about the possibilty of transmitting nasties to your Windows-using friends, you would still need to scan outgoing emails/attachments. You may wish to consider ClamAV for that.
Regards .....

[#2]

Quote from: Professormoog

Does anyone know of a suitable video editing package that rivals / superceeds Windows moviemaker & is cost free?

It is generally unusual to pay for anything in the Linux world (everything is licenced, but almost always free of charge).

[#3]

rather than trash your vista install, consider using its partitioner to shrink the vista partition to leave enough for linux - 20gb would do.  dual boot until you are able to wean yourself away from those windows apps you are accustomed to using.  it won't be long before you are ready to wipe the vista partition and reclaim the space for an ext3 formatted /data partition.

[#4]

Thank you everybody
(especially Colintivy for starting this thread!) for your advice, information and help so far.
When my new hard drive arrives I will save all my files and boot up linux!
Thanks for your comment artificer, but I HATE vista!! it has crashed so many times & I don't feel secure with it, always worried that the system will crash during a five hour edit! I think this is astonishing as my computer has a pretty decent spec.
I will get rid of vista & give Linux a fair trial. I still have my boot discs for XP & vista so if I really can't get on with Linux I have a way back! but I doubt it I hope I stay with Linux 
Matt 

[#5]

I suggest (just to make doubly sure) that when you run the Live CD version of Ubuntu that you can still send your comments to this esteemed forum, regardless of any hard disk configuration.

[#6]

probably the best add-on you can have for your shiny new os is the relevant help forum.  lots of willing helpers keen to get you up and running.

[#7]

I'll second that comment, artificer. I've found the various Linux forums & newsgroups very helpful. You don't usually encounter the "RTFM" replies you get with other OSs !
I personally favour Ngs over forums, but there's a wide choice of both.

[#8]

Again Many thanks for all the advice so far.
I will keep you posted on my efforts. I always find it interesting reading other peoples struggles and solutions, so I will post mine 
Thanks. Matt

[#9]

I am a complete Newbie to Linux and Ubuntu. After reading this thread, I have loaded Ubuntu on to a ThinkPad X21 and it seems to be flying! I am even connected to the web and am typing this on my newly rejuvinated toy.
Can somebody tell ne how to configure the Wireless connection. The hardware test detects the Belkin Cardbus card as a Broadcom wireless device but I can only connect using Ethernet because I haven't configured the Wireless connection with my WPA Key.
Installation was a doddle and compared with Windoze XP Pro, this thing really flies!

[#10]

visit the ubuntu forums and try the newbie section.  linux distros are variations on a theme and what works in one generally works in another, but using different methods.  for example, ubuntu makes extensive use of sudo, whereas pclinuxos uses su, although sudo can be enabled.
you may need ndiswrapper for your belkin card.  madwifi is developing and there are nice things around the corner to make setting up wifi much more straightforward in linux.
the manufacturers are at last beginning to see that the linux market is worth investing in.  some have taken up the open sourcerers' offer to write drivers for their kit - a money saver all round for the makers and a weight off their shoulders.
first try whatever configuration centre ubuntu has and see if it will offer ndiswrapper.  it uses the windows driver and wraps it up so that linux can use if.  one of the files will be .inf.
bon voyage.

[#11]

If you need to get up and running quickly and there are no security worries, you might find that a WEP network is easier and quicker to set up.
Of course WEP "security" is very easily breakable by anyone but a casual user who accidentally locks onto your signal (and uses it).

[#12]

Hello!
Help!!
I happily received & backed up all my files onto my new hard drive, so far so good.
I inserted the ubuntu disc & got the start up screen as shown in the magazine (where I got the disc)
and when I selected - start or install Ubuntu it went not to the screen to start up but showed this message -
[    0.756000] PCI: cannot allocate resolution region 1 device 0000:00:14.0
it just sat on that screen, nothing changing, no noises to indicate any installation via the disc...
I couldn't get out of the screen by pressing esc or ctrl alt del or any combination of f1 etc...
so I had to hard crash & reboot. it did the same all again.
so I tried a different option - memory test, it went to a blue screen & lots of numbers & things were going on, indicating that it was doing something. I let the test do 100% and pressed esc to reboot.
I thought I'd ask you helpful people here. The magazine also suggests using the - www.Linuxformat.co.uk ; forums.
can anybody help here at all!!
Thanks again 
Matt

[#13]

Here is something that i found on it - though I don't think it's going to help you if you only want to try Ubuntu
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=597411

[#14]

Artificer and Axisofevil,
I had a look at the fora and it looked like a nightmare because there are at least 4 different chipsets used on the Belkin F5D7010 PC Card. Mine is the Broadcom 94306CB version and I didn't fancy a long quest throuh the night again.
So........ I raked around in my toybox for a TP-Link USB Wireless adapter which I bought from SVP for a paltry £6-99 ..... and plugged it into the USB 1.00 port on the ThinkPad X21 ..... and ...... it simply works!!! It asked for the WPA Key and then connected.
I am writing this on the Wireless connection.
p.s. Anybody want a Belkin PC Card????

[#15]

Quote from: Wheel_nut

I had a look at the fora and it looked like a nightmare because there are at least 4 different chipsets used on the Belkin F5D7010 PC Card. Mine is the Broadcom 94306CB version and I didn't fancy a long quest throuh the night again.

As far as I know this chipset is not supported on Linux.  This means that you will have to use ndiswrapper and the Broadcom MS Windows driver files as shown here.