Window 10

[scotty38]

I tried running Linux, but what I ended up with was ubuntu. The interface looked a little primitive; rather like those childrens' ready laptops you buy for the grandchildren at Christmas.

That's the beauty of Linux, you're free to do what you like so it doesn't have to look primitive if that's what appeals to you. Either install a different distribution that looks (more like) the way you want or if you're that way inclined tinker away to your heart's content....

here you go:

http://distrowatch.com/

 

[Benchwayze]

Sorry, but now I am confuzzled. What is Linux, and why do I get Ubuntu when I download and install?

I think I will go and sit in my newly cleared up garden, and listen to some Mendelssohn... :lol:

 

[mseries]

I tried running Linux, but what I ended up with was ubuntu. The interface looked a little primitive; rather like those childrens' ready laptops you buy for the grandchildren at Christmas.

Linux is the kernel, then there are many distributions that build around this, Ubuntu is one, Linux Mint is another and this is my preferred one - it was forked from Ubuntu, meaning that the Mint developers started with the Ubuntu code. The distribution you tried may not have had the correct video drivers for your computer and perhaps ran using some generic works everywhere driver. Try other distributions, there are many and all are Linux but will look different to one another.

 

[mseries]

Sorry, but now I am confuzzled. What is Linux, and why do I get Ubuntu when I download and install?

You get Ubuntu because you downloaded and installed Ubuntu. Linux on it's own isn't much use to regular uses, it's the kernel in the heart of the operating system. Around the kernel are all sort of layers of software providing different services. All these are wrapped up into a distribution or distro. Ubuntu is one, Linux Mint is another, Redhat is one as is Debian, Crunchbang, Puppylinux, there are loads all offering different things and aimed at different uses. Some work well on old, low power machines some don't. Some have better support for different types of hardware out of the box.

I am using the latest Mint on a new laptop

 

[scotty38]

Sorry, but now I am confuzzled. What is Linux, and why do I get Ubuntu when I download and install?

I think I will go and sit in my newly cleared up garden, and listen to some Mendelssohn... :lol:

As said, Linux is the kernel but I think for the sake of what we're talking about here we can safely call the whole shooting match Linux - ie the operating system, desktop environment and suite of applications etc

Ubuntu is just one of a many versions of Linux each with their own set of applications, desktop environment and so on. It's this desktop environment that gives you the look and feel of what you're using. I don't care for Ubuntu's (Unity) but there are many others out there, some fairly basic in terms of look but still very powerful (Openbox for example) and some very feature rich (KDE for example). If you don't want to install and configure these yourself then just pick a different version that has the desktop environment that appeals to you already configured.

 

[Benchwayze]

Okay... Got that, but I went to the link that Scotty provided, and there was a plethora of names, but no download button.
When I was using the Ubuntu, I noticed that booting up my PC I was given a choice of Ubuntu or Windows. I suspected that my machine was still being run by Windows, but I was accessing it via ubuntu. That didn't seem to make any sense, plus the problem of slow starting was still there. (Five minutes before I can actually do anything.) I've stripped out as much as I can in the way of greedy programs, but owning to the fact that Windows is on a partitioned drive, it's still running out of space. Hopeless. I don't know how to repartition. (Although I am told I can) I am leary of trying it, because I don't want to torpedo my only means of accessing the internet! So I am going to buy a Mac!

 

[scotty38]

Crunchbang

Now you're talking and has been my choice for quite a while but development has ceased. BunsenLabs is trying to take up where it left off....

 

[scotty38]

Okay... Got that, but I went to the link that Scotty provided, and there was a plethora of names, but no download button.
When I was using the Ubuntu, I noticed that booting up my PC I was given a choice of Ubuntu or Windows. I suspected that my machine was still being run by Windows, but I was accessing it via ubuntu. That didn't seem to make any sense, plus the problem of slow starting was still there. (Five minutes before I can actually do anything.) I've stripped out as much as I can in the way of greedy programs, but owning to the fact that Windows is on a partitioned drive, it's still running out of space. Hopeless. I don't know how to repartition. (Although I am told I can) I am leary of trying it, because I don't want to torpedo my only means of accessing the internet! So I am going to buy a Mac!

If you click on any of the distributions it will take you to another page where you can choose the version you want to download. It sounds like you installed Ubuntu after Windows onto a free partition and you're now dual booting with the GRUB bootloader. All of that is perfectly fine and is what many folk do. Going the other way and installing Windows afterwards is not always plain sailing though.

Going out to buy a Mac is probably a little drastic but I would admit that (by the sounds of it and no disrespect intended) you could quite easily lose the lot if you're not careful but if you managed to get Ubuntu on there then there's no reason not to use that same partition for something else.

 

[mseries]

Okay... Got that, but I went to the link that Scotty provided, and there was a plethora of names, but no download button.
When I was using the Ubuntu, I noticed that booting up my PC I was given a choice of Ubuntu or Windows. I suspected that my machine was still being run by Windows, but I was accessing it via ubuntu. That didn't seem to make any sense, plus the problem of slow starting was still there. (Five minutes before I can actually do anything.) I've stripped out as much as I can in the way of greedy programs, but owning to the fact that Windows is on a partitioned drive, it's still running out of space. Hopeless. I don't know how to repartition. (Although I am told I can) I am leary of trying it, because I don't want to torpedo my only means of accessing the internet! So I am going to buy a Mac!

I don't know how you installed, it looks like it might be 'dual boot'. So when you started up you were offered Ubuntu or Windows. Both OS are installed and you get to choose which one you use. I can't comment on why it's taking so long, you'll need to give us more information for that. Loading the boot menu, the place where you get to choose, shouldn't take long because at this point all it's done is search for any OSs and list them. None have been started. Whichever OS is used it will only work within the partitions it knows about so if you have only 20GB for windows it'll never be able to use any other part of the disk.

If you want to read up on this I suggest take a look at the Linux Mint website and their forums and installation instructions

 

[mseries]

Crunchbang

Now you're talking and has been my choice for quite a while but development has ceased. BunsenLabs is trying to take up where it left off....

I went through a spell of playing with obscure distros, #!, Puppylinux, Mijnpup and some other distro with a TLA that I can't remember (CJD or something)

 

[scotty38]

Crunchbang

Now you're talking and has been my choice for quite a while but development has ceased. BunsenLabs is trying to take up where it left off....

I went through a spell of playing with obscure distros, #!, Puppylinux, Mijnpup and some other distro with a TLA that I can't remember (CJD or something)

Same here really although my first real favourite was Fedora and I used that for a long time until Gnome3 came along and I just didn't like it so started hopping around and must have tried most of the obvious ones at one time or another. I had Arch for a while but its rolling release eventually did for me and I couldn't recover it so went elsewhere, Gentoo, Slack, OpenSuse, Mint, Sabayon you name it but all of them had something I either didn't like or couldn't be bothered to work around. That's when I found #! and it's minimal look and speedy operation just suited me.

I now have Debian on a couple of machines but still run #! with updates coming from Debian repositories instead.

 

[DrPhill]

I have tried Ubuntu - but I did not like the desktop either except the way the taskbar/launcher worked, and menus at the top. Those were nice. But orange and purple? No thanks. Whatever were they thinking?

I use Mint/Mate and find it fits the bill just right. Easy for windows users to adjust, seems a bit faster (less sophisticated graphics routines?) and a bit less customisable than Ubuntu. I let my SO have my old laptop. I said that I would 'support' Linux or let her look after Windows, her choice. Twenty minutes later she said 'can I try the Linux now?'. I said 'You are'. 'Oh, I guess I will stick with this then'. She is not a fan of technology or change, so that is huge recommendation for anyone looking to move from MS. Four(?) years on and only a couple of gripes with compatibility (Linux that is (hammer) ).

 

[RogerP]

Well I like the default Ubuntu colours but, of course, with Linux everything can be changed, you can even have pea green if you'd rather.

It does seem easy for MS users to swap to as the many I've converted over the years have had no problems.

Mine seems fast - everything is pretty well instant. Boot is 35 seconds (timed) and close down is 5 seconds.
Gimp loads in 5 seconds. Libre Office Writer about 2 seconds. The slowest is Firefox which can take about 15 seconds on first boot of the day.

 

[Benchwayze]

I can't open the file I downloaded. Windows doesn't recognise it.
Do I have to make a CD copy? :-s

 

[mseries]

I can't open the file I downloaded. Windows doesn't recognise it.
Do I have to make a CD copy? :-s

What file ? The Ubuntu/Other Linux download ?, does it have a .iso file extension ? If so then you need to burn to a DVD as an image.

 

[RogerS]

.... So I am going to buy a Mac!

You won't regret it, John. Any help needed, just ask. There are loads of sites that help PC users migrate/explain the differences etc.

How are you going to move your data over or aren't you going to bother?

 

[Benchwayze]

mseries.

I burned it to a disc, but I can't open anything on it. There is no set-up file. I have to choose s program. As I am lost and haven't a clue what these files are, I can't even begin to choose a program!

I think maybe a Mac will be the best.
And I thought I was PC savvy too! :mrgreen:

 

[Benchwayze]

.... So I am going to buy a Mac!

You won't regret it, John. Any help needed, just ask. There are loads of sites that help PC users migrate/explain the differences etc.

How are you going to move your data over or aren't you going to bother?

If I do go to Mac, I would have to save a load of Ms Word files. It's five years of work I daren't lose. All the rest that matter are personal photographs, so that would be all I want to move TBH. I hear that Mac aren't too good for gaming, but as I have just two games I use, I can live without it!

I'll have to think it over Roger.

Cheers

John

 

[mseries]

mseries.

I burned it to a disc, but I can't open anything on it. There is no set-up file. I have to choose s program. As I am lost and haven't a clue what these files are, I can't even begin to choose a program!

I think maybe a Mac will be the best.
And I thought I was PC savvy too! :mrgreen:

you probably didn't save it as an image, you need to use a DVD writer program not drag and drop in Explorer. The disk then gets hundreds of files written to it - none of which are windows files though some may open in windows. This is the Linux distribution and nothing to do with windows. You put it in your drive and reboot and it will load Linux, not install it, this is a live disk and lets you use Linux without making any changes to your hard drive.

 

[scotty38]

mseries.

I burned it to a disc, but I can't open anything on it. There is no set-up file. I have to choose s program. As I am lost and haven't a clue what these files are, I can't even begin to choose a program!

I think maybe a Mac will be the best.
And I thought I was PC savvy too! :mrgreen:

You need to boot your pc from the disk, although if you're struggling at this stage a Mac may be an easier (albeit more expensive) option :mrgreen: