Author Topic: ubuntu (Read 2751 times)

dave500 · « **on:** July 27, 2010, 02:34:49 AM »

anyone using ubuntu exclusively?ive got a spare machine sitting around so i thought ide load ubuntu and see if its what i want/need/like,im happy with xp and ie, but is it true ubuntu dosent need anti spam/virus only firewall?and it uses less resouces so runs faster,comes with fire fox,im installing it on the spare as i type here.

cookindaddy · « **Reply #1 on:** July 27, 2010, 04:15:48 AM »

I can't speak about ubuntu but i have spent several years with SUSE linux. I say go for it. I use SUSE on an older machine and it flies and I don't have concerns about virus'. I use Firefox for web browsing and Thunderbird for mail exclusively. Even though the Windoz machines here are on the web and they have virus checkers installed, the Linux machine is my main web interface (I am using it right now to write this posting) and it is pretty much bulletproof. You will get used to the minor differences in the appearance of the interface, but everything pretty much works the same (even automatic updates). There is even a free office suite included "Open Office" that lets you do spreadsheets and word documents. Plus its a great learning experience. Try it.

Stixxy · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2010, 05:49:54 AM »

Using it right now. Switched wifey over from XP in Dec '09. She hardly noticed the difference and is quite happy with it. A few issues with Flash and such on the web, but overall it's great.

kslrr · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2010, 07:38:23 AM »

Nice to know, I have an Ubuntu install disk and have given Open Office to my room mate. I too have several PC towers/laptops laying around that I would like to use but not have to spend money on more Windows licenses.

Edit: Will Ubuntu run Windows and/or DOS apps?

gmonkey · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2010, 07:52:38 AM »

I run ubuntu at home. I've got a windows XP partition for running some games and word when I really need it but it barely ever gets used.

I wouldn't say it's bulletproof but it's better than XP as far as I'm concerned. There's different things you need to do to keep it safe but it comes pretty decently set up right out of the box. Think of it as sitting a bit off the red X. Most malware is aimed at windows so you're sidestepping most of it.

Flash, java, DVD playback etc is something that is available and easy to set up but has to be set up explicitly. They're restricted software so they don't get installed by default. You have to explicitly add it yourself but that's not difficult. The flash you can install is actual adobe flash, not open source knockoffs which is also available so it works perfectly. Same with Java and other restricted software. This is one of the reasons I choose Ubuntu over other linux distributions. Youtube and Hulu and such work just fine. Bank websites, filing taxes etc gets done with Firefox on ubuntu.

Open Office in my opinion sucks. I don't like the interface much and their powerpoint-type app is pretty bad. It's fine for general typing up some text type of tasks but if you want to edit a file that was created with Word in any complex way it'll probably screw it up.

DOS apps can be run with DosBox. It's a dos/x86 emulator and mainly aimed at running old dos games. Works great. Windows apps can be run with Wine which is a windows emulator. That can be a bit flaky so I wouldn't count on it. There's lists out there of what runs and what doesn't so you can look into that more.

As far as performance, it runs a hell of a lot better than windows on the same machine and you have more control over what it actually does. I also run an older dist on my wife's old G3 iBook and it's very usable.

DammitDan · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2010, 07:58:33 AM »

My experience with ubuntu was, if you ever have any issues (drivers especially) be prepared to use the terminal to write (or copy-paste

) some code. Not my cup of tea... I went crawling back to my abusive relationship with Windows

Blasbo · « **Reply #6 on:** July 27, 2010, 08:14:35 AM »

I tried to set it up at home since the kids have downloaded so much crap on the XP box. I even found a script to make it look like XP! It recognized most of the hardware and a quick google found how to make the rest work.
The issue I ran into was it would not recognize their ipods and the most recent version of itunes that would work with wine was about two revs back, version 7.something.
I had to go back to XP which I didn't want to.
Ubuntu is great, especially if you like command line.

IainC · « **Reply #7 on:** July 27, 2010, 08:57:59 AM »

I've been a regular Ubuntu user for a few years now. At home I run two systems, one is my laptop which I use for browsing the internet, watching youtube, editing photos, etc. The other is a dedicated server/media center set up to my tv.

Coming from a Windows background at first it took a bit of time to adjust. I'd like to say that Ubuntu is perfect out of the box, but there are some things you need to be aware of.

First off, don't expect to be running any of your favorite windows software. More often than not there are linux equivilents that will run much better than trying to emulate a windows enviroment. Linux does not natively support windows software so work arounds are required which can be very difficult for a novice. Keep in mind though that many companies are now offering linux versions as well, such as Firefox, Opera, even some Google apps are available for Linux.

Installing new software such as Flash as mentioned before is normally fairly easy. The software library is great and easy to use. It's so simple to just type in a few key words for the kind of software your looking for, and have a whole list with descriptions, with a couple mouse clicks you can have the software installed no problem. The other nice thing is Ubuntu will streamline all your updates into one central update tool, so you won't have a pop-up for every program that wants to download updates.

Viruses have not been a concern of mine in years, most are written to attack windows or mac's so your pretty secure in that sense, however don't get a false idea of security, you still need to update regularly, and should employ additional measures if your data is particularly sensitive.

All in all it's still going to be a steep learning curve, and while any user can easily jump on, browse the internet and use the software, if you do need to troubleshoot or have hardware issues, your going to find yourself googling solutions and working in the command line a little bit. But like everything else, this comes with practice.

IainC · « **Reply #8 on:** July 27, 2010, 09:01:36 AM »

@Blasbo There are better alternatives for Ubuntu for your ipods that itunes. I'd suggest checking out Songbird which looks and functions very similar to itunes, however it runs natively in Ubuntu.

http://getsongbird.com/

GammaFlat · « **Reply #9 on:** July 27, 2010, 11:45:23 AM »

I'm a big Ubuntu fan. I am not "monogamous", however. If you have enough disk space, you can go "multi-boot". I have done that and it works very well. Ubuntu seems noticeably faster especially when you consider that you are don't have to perform your virus or other "anti-malware" scans. I run Vista on one machine and it inexplicably freezes up at times - it usually recovers but this never happens on Ubuntu.

The software library available to you is really neat in Ubuntu. When you use Ubuntu's path for acquiring software, you can be sure it's safe and it's all free. You want to contrast that with Windows, go to google and type in something like "free electrical diagram software". Good luck and good night.

I use both MS Office and OpenOffice and I love OpenOffice. MS Office will always be a bit ahead of "OO" in feature "richness" but for most of my purposes it's just fine. The exceptions come in when you want to use external data sources or VB. Things just get different and if you have to commit to a path, you're better being in the MS camp. For simple spreadsheets and wordprocessing, OpenOffice is terrific. I think MS has really screwed up with Office 2007. Many 2003 (and prior) users scream bloody murder when they try to use it. The interface has made a huge jump with no option to go back to the old interface. OpenOffice is more like 2003 (no ribbon crapola) and works on Windows as well.

The nice part about Ubuntu and "OO"? Free!

Damfino · « **Reply #10 on:** July 27, 2010, 01:15:15 PM »

Show's you how much I know about computing...I thought 'ubuntu' was some aboriginal tribal leader...

dave500 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 27, 2010, 02:44:06 PM »

hey thanks fellas great replies,im typing this of the spare rig now running ubuntu,ive done the updates and loaded the recommended firewall and just having an explore with it,day off today and its raining so ill play inside.im yet to fiddle with digital camera and phone connecting,let alone the printer.

totty · « **Reply #12 on:** July 28, 2010, 04:10:18 AM »

If you like to experiment with different operating systems then have a look at VMPlayer and Sun VirtualBox.
It's quicker, easier and safer than flattening a machine or repartitioning to dual boot. You can also download preconfigured 'appliances' such as this http://www.vmware.com/appliances/directory/80

My preferred OS for home use is MEPIS.

Zaipai · « **Reply #13 on:** July 28, 2010, 05:47:51 AM »

I am also an Ubuntu user, I have however loaded LinuxMint on my wifes and daughters PC's since its based on Ubuntu however comes with all the codecs etc. needed to play DVD's and MP3's etc.. That stuff is easy to get in Ubuntu however I just wanted to make it easier for them. Frankly all they noticed is that the machines startup much faster and seem faster. While Wine wont run things like iTunes, Ubuntu (and Linuxmint etc) now support most iPod's and the iPhone using the built in music manager Rythmbox. It also sees my Razr phone with out having to load any software or drivers. It also supports my webcam, Microsofts LifeCam.. I would not use Windows at all (nothing against Windows) if it were not for work. Currently there are no Viruses or Malware for Linux that effect the average user, to get the few that are out there you need to be running with admin privileges and explicitly install the program that spreads it. The application store app is very handy. BTW I don't know if you use it or not however Skype works great, at least on our 3 machines that use it.

Just my 2¢ worth.. GL and I hope you like it as much as I do.

.: Scott :.

IainC · « **Reply #14 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:02:07 AM »

I had no idea so many in the SOHC/4 community were also Linux users.

Glad to hear you got it running. Hopefully everything will work out of the box. If its running on desktop hardware I've rarely had problems with drivers or hardware conflicts, but some laptops are a different story. I've spent a lot of time trying to get my video drivers to work perfectly with my laptop dock and multi-monitor set up, but it is a strange video card and the windows drivers are kind of flakey too.

I'm sure your printer and camera will work no problem. I use a few different cameras without problems, although I did need to install plugins for GIMP to manipulate RAW images from my DSLR camera. There is also a huge list of printer drivers so unless its a brand new model, I'm sure you'll find set up easy.

Phones on the other hand I don't have much experience. When I had a blackberry it would detect and I could browse files from the file manager, but I never tried any specific phone software before I ended up getting rid of my cell phone.

CBGhia · « **Reply #15 on:** July 28, 2010, 05:27:31 PM »

I have an old laptop laying around, so I just loaded Ubuntu. Seems to work fine. It recognized my wifi card right away and all I had to do was plug in my wep key. Looks like fun.

Zaipai · « **Reply #16 on:** July 28, 2010, 05:32:14 PM »

Quote from: CBGhia on July 28, 2010, 05:27:31 PM

I have an old laptop laying around, so I just loaded Ubuntu. Seems to work fine. It recognized my wifi card right away and all I had to do was plug in my wep key. Looks like fun.

If you keep it on there, sign up for the UbuntuOne service. Its free for the first 2gb and you can sync contacts and favorites so if you ever have to redo the laptop all that info will be there waiting for you. It also gives you access to the UbuntuOne music song store, kinda like iTunes, not as many titles however it had all the albums I wanted and 3 of them cheaper then iTunes was.

Just a thought..

.: Scott :.

CBGhia · « **Reply #17 on:** July 28, 2010, 09:20:26 PM »

Quote from: Zaipai on July 28, 2010, 05:32:14 PM

Quote from: CBGhia on July 28, 2010, 05:27:31 PM
I have an old laptop laying around, so I just loaded Ubuntu. Seems to work fine. It recognized my wifi card right away and all I had to do was plug in my wep key. Looks like fun.
If you keep it on there, sign up for the UbuntuOne service. Its free for the first 2gb and you can sync contacts and favorites so if you ever have to redo the laptop all that info will be there waiting for you. It also gives you access to the UbuntuOne music song store, kinda like iTunes, not as many titles however it had all the albums I wanted and 3 of them cheaper then iTunes was.

Just a thought.

.: Scott :.

Good to know. I will look into it. The best part is, it makes it easier to play with my rooted android phone

Zaipai · « **Reply #18 on:** July 29, 2010, 04:30:26 PM »

Quote from: CBGhia on July 28, 2010, 09:20:26 PM

Good to know. I will look into it. The best part is, it makes it easier to play with my rooted android phone

+1

wannabridin · « **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2010, 07:14:00 AM »

zai,

how would i go about installing Mint on my laptop? it's an asus eee, no optical drive, just mem card reader and USB. i've been thinking about Mint for awhile, but i haven't found anyone that's actually installed in themselves, so any information you can give me would be great! thanks... oh ya, i don't care about hardcore workability/usability, it's just for browsing and occasional school work. mainly an entertainment laptop...

Bodi · « **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2010, 07:32:55 AM »

You can put Ubuntu on a USB stick, there's a special "netbook" version that may be what you want.
http://www.ubuntu.com/netbook/get-ubuntu/download

spitcrazy · « **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2010, 08:56:41 AM »

Don't know if this will work

, I burned UBUNTU to a disk and am not very computer saavy, but trying wont hurt... download the file to a CLEAN flash drive or external USB hard drive and set your boot sequence to boot from the USB port and restart.

You will enjoy using LINUX for the uses you mentioned. It's not flawless but it's free. Biggest problem I have is large PDF's really grab the cpu and it freezes when scrolling pages.

My Windows 7 laptop keeps throwing errors with WEB PDF's lately.....damn!

wannabridin · « **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2010, 12:52:47 PM »

i'm sure the large PDF's will be fixed soon with some update or new software... i only have a few that i like to look at, mainly manuals for bikes or cars.

i'll try that link for netbooks, thansk Bodi! hopefully going to do this this weekend! i'm still al ittle stuck on Mint, but i'll do some research for ubuntu netbook vs. mint...

greasy j · « **Reply #23 on:** July 30, 2010, 12:57:04 PM »

there's a restaurant in N. Cali by that name. awesome food.

super pasty white guy · « **Reply #24 on:** July 30, 2010, 01:16:20 PM »

Just transferring the file to the USB won't work out.

There are two options that I've used to install via usb pendrive on my asus eee netbook:

1. Easiest and works for all linux flavors: download UNetbootin from here: http://unetbootin.sourceforge.net/, install and run the program. this will let you select the linux flavor you want, and automatically create a bootable USB drive. I've had occasional problems getting it to actually make the drive bootable, which has been fixed by just repeating the process. This is less aggravating if you download the linux install file (the ISO) to your harddrive and tell unetbootin to install from the ISO instead of via download.

2. Still easy, but somewhat clunky: download ubuntu and burn the ISO to a CD. Reboot using the CD in the tryout mode. after ubuntu is running, Go to the accessories menu and use the USB creator to make a bootable USB drive.

Ubuntu also has good instructions on installing from a USB stick on the download page.

spwg
(happy ubuntu user)

333 · « **Reply #25 on:** July 30, 2010, 04:10:00 PM »

I just installed "Lucid Lynx", the latest version of Ubuntu Studio. I had just installed an earlier version and then had to take it down due to my daughter moving back home into my basement (man-cave). I'm just getting started in finding out what it will do.

On the other hand, I just installed 7 on a Sony netbook. It had Vista, and was painful to use. These Atom processors were never meant to be used w/Vista. It is now a regular computer, except for it's size. At my age, and even with cheater glasses, I have a hard time seeing it. But it is damn cute.

Zaipai · « **Reply #26 on:** July 30, 2010, 06:54:50 PM »

Quote from: wannabridin on July 30, 2010, 07:14:00 AM

zai,

how would i go about installing Mint on my laptop? it's an asus eee, no optical drive, just mem card reader and USB. i've been thinking about Mint for awhile, but i haven't found anyone that's actually installed in themselves, so any information you can give me would be great! thanks... oh ya, i don't care about hardcore workability/usability, it's just for browsing and occasional school work. mainly an entertainment laptop...

Well what I would do is install Linux Mint on the SD card using this instruction page from Pendrive Linux..

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/run-linux-mint-9-from-a-usb-flash-drive/

I used it to install Mint 9 on a 4gb Cruzer usb stick so I can carry it around with me, I have to say it works very well.. for me any way..
Then goto http://code.google.com/p/eee-ubuntu-support/ that will help you setup all the eee goodness..

Hope that helps ya some..

.: Scott :.

kpier883 · « **Reply #27 on:** July 30, 2010, 07:06:32 PM »

I have a windows XP and a PCLINUXOS system. I always use PCLinux. I believe it is a ubuntu variant. I highly recommend it. You can boot from a cd image and try it before loading it on your hard drive.

Zaipai · « **Reply #28 on:** July 30, 2010, 09:00:50 PM »

Quote from: kpier883 on July 30, 2010, 07:06:32 PM

I have a windows XP and a PCLINUXOS system. I always use PCLinux. I believe it is a ubuntu variant. I highly recommend it. You can boot from a cd image and try it before loading it on your hard drive.

I use that one at work.. Only I use the KDE version. It has a pretty intresting back ground on how it got started. There is also a magazine (online) for that distro. It is laid out so it would not be too hard to figure out. In fact it has a similar lay out to XP.. Good stuff..

.: Scott :.

gregimotis · « **Reply #29 on:** July 31, 2010, 12:59:17 PM »

I dual booted once with XP and then the bootloader failed and left me with neither Windows nor Linux. Not a big deal because I... (wait for it)...Back up before making major changes to any system.

Ubuntu is easy to install and easy to get used to if your needs are mostly internet/email and home office type stuff

Zaipai · « **Reply #30 on:** July 31, 2010, 07:53:29 PM »

True, while Video and Audio editing is still not the best it has come a long way.. Conical is sure helping to move that stuff forward. Mark won't be happy until its as easy as Mac and more tweakable then Windows..

.: Scott :.

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Author Topic: ubuntu (Read 2751 times)