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Still wittering on.....

Not applicable

Still wittering on.....

You may remember that I had a go with dual-booting Ubuntu with Vista using wubi. Worked fine but the wireless drivers were not compatible (no big deal really). Also, can't say that I was that keen on it TBH. 
Have now got an external hard drive with 3 partitions and have had a look at screenshots of PCLinuxOS 2009 - looks more Windows-ish. How would I go about downloading the new version onto the hard drive to test it? Don't want to do anything complicated and mess up my laptop.  Huh
29 REPLIES 29
HairyMcbiker
All Star
Posts: 6,792
Thanks: 266
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎16-02-2009

Re: Still wittering on.....

When it boots (from the cd) you can choose what drive to install it on to, it will have to install a boot loader on to your main hdd to allow you to choose between the two os's, but that will not effect your vista at all.
NB Never used pclinux but this is supported by most/all distro's.
I would also have a look at my current favorite Linux Mint
Denzil
Grafter
Posts: 1,733
Registered: ‎31-07-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

PCLinuxOS looks more like Windows because it uses the KDE desktop, rather than the Gnome desktop used by Ubuntu. You can install KDE if you like, or install Kubuntu, which has it built in, or if you want to try PCLinuxOS you can run it from the CD to have a look before you commit to installing anything.
Either keep an eye out for it on magazine covers, or you can download the whole thing from http://www.pclinuxos.com/. It will download a bootable ISO image, which you can burn to a CD with any writing software to make a bootable CD. It will boot into the Live CD mode, which will be slow, but won't change your existing installation. If you like it you click the installer on the desktop and it will take you through installing it.
Not applicable

Re: Still wittering on.....

Denzil - thank you for your advice. I still can't help but feel that I would like to convert to Linux for most of the time but not to dual-boot.  Now that you have explained about the KDE desktop it makes Ubuntu more tempting. I think that I am going to treat myself to a laptop with Ubuntu already installed and have been looking at the Linux Emporium website as I don't know any other company that sells them with a 15" screen.
At the moment they don't have exactly what I am looking for but they have some new Asus laptops coming in (different models) so I might give them a ring to see.
If I get a new laptop will it be easy to install the KDE desktop?
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

the desktop is usually installed with the operating system along with a bunch of applications.  you might also look at using a virtual machine to run linux within windows prior to install.  there is an option to 'copy2ram' on the cd.  this makes it run much faster, but you need a minimum of 1gb ram and 2gb is better.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

pity it isn't available in a 64 bit version
Waldo
Grafter
Posts: 473
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

Quote from: poppy
If I get a new laptop will it be easy to install the KDE desktop?

Installing the kubuntu-desktop package will get you KDE 4.x
HairyMcbiker
All Star
Posts: 6,792
Thanks: 266
Fixes: 21
Registered: ‎16-02-2009

Re: Still wittering on.....

@Jim, well the difference in speed/support for 64bit makes it non supported for some of f the smaller *nix's, most people with 64bit machines are running 32bit OS's due to issues with things like flash (only recently did Adobe release a 64bit version) and other propriety s/w, I run 64bit on one pc and 32 on another (the 32bit one is running on an AMD 64bit X2 machine  ;D) Unless you need access to LOADSA RAM then there is not really a difference.
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

It isn't a question about loads of ram assuming it works the same as windows. That is it includes all the ram in the computer including the 1GB in the graphics card  which severely limits the amount of ram available for normal programs.
Not applicable

Re: Still wittering on.....

I have downloaded PCLinuxOS iso this morning and I am typing this from the live CD. It is working OK and have connected wirelessly straight away (something that I could not do with Ubuntu).
I think that this distro will be better for me so am thinking of purchasing a laptop just to run this as it would be better installed and I don want to put it on my Vista laptop (the D partition is recovery). Will have to look around.
Set up Thunderbird OK and am browsing the Internet with no problems except that how do you get Google as your home page? Looked in Tools but can find the set this page as home page button.
Waldo
Grafter
Posts: 473
Registered: ‎01-08-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

Quote from: poppy
Set up Thunderbird OK and am browsing the Internet with no problems except that how do you get Google as your home page? Looked in Tools but can find the set this page as home page button.

Edit -> Preferences (assuming you're using Firefox),
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

poppy, if you're considering a machine specifically for linux, have a look at the secondhand market.  linux will generally run well on a much lower spec than windows and the minimum requirement for pclinuxos is 256mb ram, not sure of cpu, but it runs well on my neighbour's 800mhz machine and around 10gb hd space.  naturally more is better and i find it runs well on my dell latitude c400 at 1.4ghz, 736mb ram and a 60gb hard drive.
that i picked up cheap on ebay and i would expect that they are a lot cheaper now.
Not applicable

Re: Still wittering on.....

Sorted out the home page business - thank you for info. With regards to the laptop have perused eBay but they all come with an OS - thought that this might complicate matters as I don't want to dual-boot. Have e-mailed a couple of refurbished laptop suppliers to enquire about no operating system laptops.
I am quite taken with PCLinuxOS - as soon as I saw the 'Radically simple' logo I knew that I would like it.  Wink
artificer
Grafter
Posts: 1,850
Registered: ‎11-08-2007

Re: Still wittering on.....

heh, heh. Smiley it ain't called the 'distro hopper stopper' for nothing.
it really doesn't matter if the machine comes with an operating system because a) you don't pay the windows license and b) you can scrape it off and replace it with linux.  most of my secondhand machines arrived with windows in situ and they are all now exclusively pclinuxos.
for any 'must have' windows applications, virtual box is a useful utility that allows the installation of windows into a virtual machine, followed by installation of the application.  windows graphics can suffer in this mode however as virtual machines use 'pretend' hardware.
Not applicable

Re: Still wittering on.....

The trouble is that I am very much an amateur and not sure how to get rid of Windows (unless the installer on the Linux disk does it for you).
Sorry to be so dim but  never done it before.
Tried the Virtual PC bit a few weeks ago but it was way over the top for me and what I really want is a single OS PC for simplicity, and also for the security advantage.