Linux for beginner(s) - Q & A

korben learning it yourself is half the fun

For general computing - web browsing, email etc. there really isn`t much to learn.

Stick mint on. Fire up firefox and enjoy

 

true but I'm getting tired of the learning...
Just came back from... KUBUNTU - livecd is what rocks the boat!!!

wish the other distros had one too...
as for kubuntu - impressed, if I wanted to start using it I'd have to be able to change the looks of it from day one.

next is: ubuntu livecd

and then... I don't know... virtualbox + mint perhaps.

edit//

returned from Ubuntu and must say I prefer it over Kubuntu - seems more mature and more flexible and more... i don't know

 

Its all good

If you want a version of Ubuntu pre loaded with lots of applications out of the box, you might also want to take Ultimate Edition for a Live dvd spin too.
I would personally recommend version 2.3 (Jaunty) over 2.4 (karmic)
http://ultimateedition.info/ultimate-edition-2-3/

 

http://www.livecdlist.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_live_CDs
Memo for testing:
Mandriva
SUSE
Puppy
PCLOS
Ubuntu and Mint and Crunchbang
Knoppix: the king of live cds
Dream
Sabayon

CentOS & Scientific

..... should keep you busy for a while.

If you have an issue with 'speed' or limits go here:
http://on-disk.com/index.php/cPath/28?osCsid=9c7d91fc3f64c210584500e199144ae9
Spend 50 bucks and go wild

( personally, Kubuntu and Xubuntu have fallen well off the horizon lately)

 

THANKS!!

plz bear in mind i'm doing this for the fist time ever so...
I've just inastalled VBox - chose the recommended settings and inserted the MINT Universal CD.
failure, after ca 20 minutes of the installation process the screen went black and that's it...

suggestions guys?


suse livecd tested - nice!

question: why so many distros? to my amateur eye ubuntu and suse are almost the same... wink

 

http://www.pcmech.com/article/21-windows-apps-virtualbox/
http://www.technobuffalo.com/freewa...rt-1-how-to-install-linux-mint-in-virtualbox/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7DpRBmgg_0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoE-VcTJoBc&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kzi65jQ1hU&feature=related
Read/watch them for a 'template'

Suggestions: bigger disc,more ram, check HD interface: sata or ide, check hash for your mint iso , maybe a bad burn of cd ??

What is the "time out" of your vm?
Use key board to escape VM and then renter vm?
HTH

 

my Vbox endeavours give these results:

1] the cd says: mint [i dont know what my friend brought me lol]
http://i48.tinypic.com/2v3pzqt.png

2] mint x64
http://i45.tinypic.com/2ywix5g.png

3] Mint Universal - I almost got it! was asked to restart and... what then to do? the screen goes BLACK and stays this way..so I choose ACPI shutdown and the mint desktop reappears and...nothing happens,, I hit ACPI shutdown again...2 options appear: restart or shutdown, I hit'restart' and remove the cd and.. now what?

http://i50.tinypic.com/1zb5f9c.png

the final result:
http://i49.tinypic.com/169f3oh.png
I start the machine again and get: no bootable media found...

also how to deactivate/ work with the mouse?

now watching the YT videos...

 

I change the Vbox settings and now... Iam on it, I can tryout the apps but every time I choose something the dvd drive starts and within a few seconds I can access it...

is it installed or what? i'm getting frustrated by this more n more, if I dont make it work by tomorrow I'll ditch the linux thing grrr

 

Ok, this scenario:
I want to try to install MINT.
I have the preinstalled 7.
What precautions to take?
Can I lose anything? data? partitions?
Obviously I'm gonna backup the D: data beforehands.


it's driving me mad...havent been able to install any of the distros on VBox
I keep getting this e.g. mandriva:
http://i47.tinypic.com/23kagm0.png

or: You need 64 bit machine, 32 bit detected from simply mepis

my machine IS x64 so what the heck?

 

And your host OS, 32bit or 64-bit?
Mrk

 

I started reading about the issue I found in Vbox FAQ but I got confused.

what is HOST OS?

My ISO images were supposed to be all x64 and my laptop works with the preinstalled x64 so... i don't know...


and... say I run my linux successfully one day... I surf the net and encounter a malware-infested site...what happens to me system?

 

Host OS - your Windows. For now, try 32-bit Linux in virtual machines.

As to malware, nothing happens to your system.

BTW, if you're running Windows and across a malware-laden site, again, nothing happens to your system. Just use a normal browser (not IE) and that's all.

Mrk

 

you said there is a MINT livecd - could you point it to me?

Moblin v2.1 is it still beta? just read your overview saying its the next breakthrough for 2015 so wondering...

 

Here you go:
http://www.linuxmint.com/

Mrk

 

Mrk, any update on Moblin v2.1 ?
Your overview was delicious and promising...

 

It's still beta. And definitely, you can try it.
Mrk

 

I could't find any release date, I don't care for the specifics, is there a year given at least?

Ultimate Edition 2.3 or 2.4 or 2.5 and why?

http://ultimateedition.info/

 

2.2 - Based on Jaunty
2.3 - Update to 2.2
2.4 - Based on Karmic
2.5 - Update to 2.4.

Just use the newest version unless you have problems with Karmic.

 

roger that mate!

now....partial success... I've decided to act on the safe side and chose the WUBI install option, I like UBUNTU! but...cannot access my wireless router.
I tried to key in the data copied from win 7 config but it can't get access.

any suggestions? or is it hard?

also..
if I decide to get rid of any distro ony my new partition.... just boot with my win7, my computer, RC on D: and FORMAT?

and now it turns out I need my partitions rearranged, ha, that's new
wish other distros worked with WUBI too

so... I have C: 50gb -win7
D: 50gb - free
E: data, backed up

how to prepare it for linux installation?

 

This box of yours Korben .. what is it ... an Asus laptop? Can you dig up a specs page?

 

it's 99% this model:

h t t p://toshiba.icecat.biz/en/p/Sony/VGN-NW21MF%7CW/Vaio%2520NW21MF%252FW.htm

been reading some forums and general discussions... why is it 'dangerous' to install Linux?

why don't they incorporate more distros into WUBI?

ok, got new setup...

Macrium Free says:
1. Recovery 13GB
2. System reserved 100MB
3. C: 102GB [win 7]
4. D: 350GB [data, can be used for anything as I had backed it up yesterday]

I also made new images of my system with macrium free and paragon compact.

I'd like to try installing
OpenSuse, Mandriva, Fedora, Mint

I'd like to keep my win 7 for obvious reasons. If I mess it up I can access this forum and the net through E66 only.

open-minded and open for suggestions, gents!

 

Which program juggled partitioning and format? Your choices there all make it to the net?

 

The procedure was conducted by means of Vaio Recovery Center.

net->what'd u mean? This tid-bit amplifies the need to make it work. If I failed, I would have to contact the outside world through my cellular...so I'm even more interested in making it right from A-Z.

BEar in mind I have 0-knowledge about linux, I know the pop ditros names, I got the DVDs....I've tested some livecds...that's it.

back to the subject - how to do it nice and smooth and preferrably once and for all... e.g. I keep win7, have dual-boot with Suse, not liking it, uninstall Suse, keep win7, add Drake, not liking.... and so on and so forth... possible?

 

This laptop come supplied with Win7 install disks,

or no,

the recovery center provides a means for their creation,

or no,

lose the recovery partition and it's adios amigo?

Oh, net, yeah - they got'choo online.

 

nope, no discs [cheap basterds]

the recovery center provides a means for their creation -> THIS

so I got both the burnt DVDs + the hidden partition