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The Windows XP operating system on my aging (by computer standards) Acer Aspire 3003 laptop, slowed down, froze my mouse pointer and ate up huge amounts of memory and CPU usage earlier this week.
Eventually it stopped working all together. I have no idea why – perhaps a virus (even though I run a daily virus check) or, more likely, a corrupted or conflicted system file.
Previously when something like this happened, I would simply reload Windows XP from the Acer system disks. However, I could not find them (they are in a little CD folder that is misplaced), and, besides, the Acer installation does weird partitioning things to my hard drive.
As I thought about it, I realized that all I use this laptop for are a little word processing, internet browsing, music playing and movie watching. The only truly Windows specific programs are those from Canon that I use to process my photographs, and I rarely do that on this machine because it is slow.
So I decided to dispense with Windows altogether and run this computer with Ubuntu Linux. I downloaded the free Ubuntu 9.10 distribution from the Ubuntu site and proceeded to install it.
A not-entirely problem free process. To work, the installation required me to manually create a new boot partition as well as the default data partition and swap file area on my hard drive and the SIS integrated graphics for this machine also needed a little tweaking (as SIS do not provide a Linux driver themselves for this particular chipset).
But once those problems had been overcome by a little internet research, the installation went very smoothly and here I am, now running Opera on Ubuntu, and doing almost everything I did before. I've been using OpenOffice for my word processing for a long time now, and it runs better on Ubuntu than on XP, so that's an unexpected bonus. In fact, everything is a bit quicker – Ubuntu is not such a memory hog as Windows. The last thing I needed to do was to install Skype and that up and running too.
I like my laptop's set of new clothes! 🙂
Hi Sir Richard, am echoing what our beloved Sir Allan :heart: would say “Get a Mac“ 😀
🙂 "install Skype and that up ans running too."Sorry, don't know what "up ans running too." Oh, that is up and running too. Sorry, I just woke up, takes me a few minutes to think.
😆 You're more awake than I am, Carol! :DWell, Leazz, there's a lot to be said for Macs. I've used one at work and liked it a lot. 🙂
:up: 😀 Have a good weekend Sir Richard n Lady Sis Carol :heart:
😀
I want to dual boot Windows Vista and Helena 8, but have no knowledge of how to partition or reformat and don't trust myself not to mess up trying to use these "easy" partitioning apps. I think you'll enjoy Ubuntu Richard. Linux has a lot to offer and IT'S FREE, as is most of the software you can use with it.
I always thought Ubuntu was a tribe from West Central Africa.:pHappy typing. Etc.:)
If you have any questions about Ubuntu, you can find the answers from nepak (John v. Kampen) He's a Linux guru. He's tried to help me with a dual boot, but it's too complicated and I'm too scared to try it.I stopped at a computer place yesterday to see if they could make me a dual boot system and what they would charge. They don't know how! They have no experience at all with dual boot. All the computer technicians are schooled in Windows and don't know a blooming thing about Linux. Phhhht on em.
Good for you, Richard. I'm trying to get up the courage to reformat my hard drive and reload all my system disks–all by myself. For most people, not that scary, probably. But most days I bite my fingernails at the thought of just turning my computer on properly. :lol:Not really that bad, but you get the idea.Enjoy your resurrected laptop.:D
Thanks, Star – and I understand your trepidation. Yours too, Linda. :)I can say that, having used Ubuntu for a couple of days now, that it is a much better OS for my laptop than Windows XP. It's faster, both in running programs and running the internet. It starts quickly and turns off quickly – something that was not true at all of my XP installation. I've found free programs on-line to do everything I need with only a tiny number of exceptions – I now see no point at all in reverting this machine to Windows.Thank you for your good wishes too, Leazz & Edward. 🙂
😆 Phhht on them indeed. Have you looked at Wubi?I used it a while back to install Ubuntu within Windows XP on a couple of my machines (to take a look at it). It worked very well and the installation was painless.
What do you mean by "within Windows XP" Richard? I want to be able to download apps for the Mint 8 Helena.
The installation take place while you are running Windows. What happens is that it automatically updates the Windows boot so that you have the option to start-up Ubuntu instead of Windows upon starting or re-booting your computer. When you do so, Ubuntu becomes the OS and you are running Linux only. Only the installation occurs within Windows – it's a painless and foolproof way of generating a dual-boot setup.Of course, this is a Ubuntu 9.10 set-up. I don't know if apps specifically for Mint 8 Helena (which runs on a Ubuntu base) will run without the Mint 8 interface in Ubuntu.
That is something I have been trying to fathom—when you install Wubi, does it already have Ubuntu in the Wubi installation? In other words, I don't have to have an Ubuntu installation CD or ISO burned? Is it in fact the whole Ubuntu OS bundled with Wubi when you download Wubi? Sorry for my ignorance, but I don't know what I'm doing here and I have to have this straight in my mind before I try anything.
No problem! 🙂 Yes, Wubi has Ubuntu built in to it and installs Ubuntu. As Wubi is only a 1.5MB file, I suspect that all it installs initially are the Ubuntu core components and then the rest is downloaded automatically from the Ubuntu site once Ubuntu is running. You end up with a full Ubuntu installation and no installation CD is required. It works!
I'm going to take a big gulp, take my courage in my hands and try that when I get psyched up enough. However, I really did want Helena 8 Mint rather than just the Ubuntu. I've been told that it is more user friendly to Linux novices. I think I will have to check around and see how I can do that first. Thanks a bunch, Richard.Another question—I'm full of them. When you put Ubuntu within Windows, do you get sound and ability to use my printer, etc.?
You shouldn't have a problem with sound, printing etc. unless you have a very unusual sound or printer setup. Same goes for internet access, keyboard, mice, graphics etc.The nice thing about the Wubi installation is that, because it doesn't change your existing Windows installation in any way, if doesn't work quite right, you can uninstall it in Windows just as you would any other Windows program that you don't want.
Glad to help, Linda! :)It is a shame that there is not an equivalent for Mint 8 yet, but, most likely, there will be at some point.I do believe that the current Wubi is for Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala). Up to you, of course, but I would give it a try. At the very least, you'll get your feet wet with Linux without any risk. This was how I first used Ubuntu – and I have a couple of Wubi installations on different computers. Thing is, I mostly use Windows on those machines. It's not been until I installed Ubuntu as a standalone on this laptop that I have really got to know Ubuntu, and I like it. 🙂
I sure wish they would come up with a Wubi for Mint (or maybe a Mubi) Apparently the one they had for Mint was for earlier versions and won't work for Mint 8.
Thanks a lot Richard, you've been a big help. I would just have to find Wubi with 9.10 or whatever Karmic is.
I got a problem, Richard. I thought I didn't have to have an installation CD for Ubuntu? When I downloaded Wubi and told it to run, up popped this dialog box telling me there is no disk in the drive and to put a disc in the drive, then it gives options to cancel, try again, or continue. Only, when I click on any of those options, it gives an error alert sound. Then it hangs there and won't cancel, try again or anything. When I click on any option, it just makes the sound—-and I can't get rid of that dialog box except by restarting my PC. WTHeck?
Good question. That didn't happen to me. I looked through the Wubi FAQ and that confirmed that you did not need a disk – it downloads the files from the 'net. So I'm not sure what's going on here. Sorry it's not working for you. Back to the drawing board! 🙂