So everyone remember when I got that virus a few months back? Well I have a secret I switched to Linux, specifically I chose Ubuntu. It was frustrating to me at first, because as a windows user (from way back) some stuff just didn’t make sense to me. I mainly stuck to it because I didn’t want to call the 800 number to fix my windows. I have an XP Pro disk, and all my computers have their own little code, but never the less I have to call it in since my disk is basically only useful for startup. (Because it is installed on an old system we don’t use anymore.) Well in addition I was having to hunt down all my drivers, because they aren’t all immediately up there. (Specifically the Ethernet card and the sound card.) So here is what I thought I would do I thought I would go over the simple things I learned that seemed so hard when I was switching over. (Which unless something drastic happens I am NEVER going back.) Before I start there are MANY different versions, and you just have to check them out to see which one you would like. If you are going on a really old system go for Puppy (or if you are more worried about speed and less worried about pretty.) OK here we go the stuff that had me lost, but now I realize is actually EASIER.
- When you download the program file for whatever system you chose it isn’t immediately boot-able. The fix for this is SO simple. A little program called Unetbootin fixes it all. You simply download the file (it will end in ISO), click that it is what you want to be able to boot from, and chose the source where you want it to be. (I put it on a little pen drive, simple as that.) OH and most of these programs can be tried out without the install! (Ubuntu and Puppy are included in that) you put them in like you are going to install and just use them. So you get to try it out without making a choice to switch to begin with.
- Booting from the pen drive can be done on most systems by pushing F12 at the startup (I normally push it quite a few times to be sure I get it at the right time.) Simply have the pen drive already there, start up the pc, Push F12, and walla pick it to start.
There are a couple of ways to run programs when you download them (although I haven’t found many that weren’t a couple of clicks off the choices given in both puppy and ubuntu). The first one is to right click and change it to an executable file (a check mark) which allows you to then click on the program and run it just like you do in windows. The other is to use the terminal, which I don’t feel qualified to explain just yet. I was worried that there would be things I couldn’t do on this system (school stuff), but I haven’t had any problems at all. Wine allows all the windows based programs that I have needed to run without problem. Openoffice while not as pretty as Microsoft word, saves in word format (which I need.) I did have a bit of problem with codex (for movie players) at first, but then realized that if I typed in the file type I needed (in the software download) I could once again with the click of a button download the codex I needed. (There again it can be done in the terminal too.) DID I MENTION THAT ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE FREE? So I am not an expert on this system, but I wasn’t an expert on windows either. I can however do everything I need to do for school, and I think I am hooked.
