woohoo! windows free at last!

[nev]

At last! Windows free household. I've been using ubuntu for a year or two but had to keep a windows machine just for printing (or i could've bought a different printer :shock: ) but no more! Introducing Linux mint 12, it is simple, straightforward, user friendly and free!
So for those of you out there fed up with waiting half an hour for windows to boot or shutdown, fed up with ' you must update this, and while we are there we'll install all these other nasty things etc....' or just fancy a change, I recommend giving it a try. just download the file, http://www.linuxmint.com/download.php burn to disc, pop it in your pc and boot up. you can try it without installing it, and install it alongside windows if you dont fancy jumping in with both feet.
bet you never go back
and as an added bonus you can be almost as smug as the apple owners :wink:

 

[deserter]

I've been thinking of switching to Ubuntu for a while, but my issue is with the old versions I never quite got the hang of mounting drives and printers properly and also running software like sketchup does this new version make any of this easier?

 

[WoodMangler]

I've been thinking of switching to Ubuntu for a while, but my issue is with the old versions I never quite got the hang of mounting drives and printers properly and also running software like sketchup does this new version make any of this easier?

I'm on Ubuntu 10.04, which is quite long in the tooth now. I have no problem with mounting printers or drives, and sketchup works OK under wine.

 

[RogerP]

I've been thinking of switching to Ubuntu for a while, but my issue is with the old versions I never quite got the hang of mounting drives and printers properly and also running software like sketchup does this new version make any of this easier?

I'm on Ubuntu 10.04, which is quite long in the tooth now. I have no problem with mounting printers or drives, and sketchup works OK under wine.

I've been using Linux for many years. Currently I'm using Ubuntu 10.10 no problems at all and Sketchup works just fine.

 

[deserter]

I must admit the last instal of Linux I used was knoppix v4.0.2 about 8 years ago. Going to backup my HDD now and install Ubuntu, wish me luck.

 

[DrPhill]

Excellent. I have been toying with the idea of going windows-free, but have always been a little daunted by what there might be that I don't know.

Most of the stuff I run is opens source, free, and will probably run in a windows free environment, but I am not sure of device support.I work primarily on a laptop (dell) - does this cause extra problems? I do not want to be spending my life trawling forums, downloading drivers, and building tottering stacks of software layers.

Is Linux Mint the way to go then? It would be irritating to have to throw away bundled windows that I was forced to buy.

Weening my beloved off windows might be a little difficult, too, but first things first.

 

[RogerP]

Dell even do a laptop with Linux pre installed so there shouldn't be a problem.

Have look at this before you start and the links on that page.

 

[DrPhill]

Dell even do a laptop with Linux pre installed so there shouldn't be a problem.

Have look at this before you start and the links on that page.

That sounds like a good idea. I am considering a new laptop in the autumn. Thanks.

 

[DrPhill]

Just checked with dell sales support - none of their laptops are supplied with Linux.

Damn.

 

[RogerP]

Just checked with dell sales support - none of their laptops are supplied with Linux.
Damn.

Well they did once ... here's a netbook with Ubuntu Latitude 2120 Netbook and I expect there are more with a bit of searching the web.

 

[DrPhill]

Just checked with dell sales support - none of their laptops are supplied with Linux.
Damn.

Well they did once ... here's a netbook with Ubuntu Latitude 2120 Netbook and I expect there are more with a bit of searching the web.

Yep, I have prodded and poked, and got the business section to admit that they can supply a bare machine (no OS at all!) but it has to be a business machine (which are a couple of price points above the standard offerings).

And that will reduce the price by about £60 - £70. Probably cheaper to get a standard model and discard the bundled windows. So Micros**t still get their money :roll:

Ah well. Swimming upstream is never easy.

 

[nev]

.....
Weening my beloved off windows might be a little difficult, too, but first things first.

I'd say Mint 12, out of the box so to speak, is more 'windows like' than Ubuntu is and moving over to it from windows would be like moving from xp to 7, similar but different, but essentially all the bits in the same places. The problems arise when they insist on using certain progs like incredimail :evil: 'cos it looks pretty' :roll: and theyre not linux compatible (but theres probably an alternative)
BTW mint comes with most of the usual software too, web browser, mail, office, gimp, photo, drawing, paint, games, pdf reader, a messenger, etc etc

 

[deserter]

Well windows is gone, tomorrow night I have to get the wireless adaptor working and download the programmes I want to instal. So far so good.

 

[DrPhill]

.....
Weening my beloved off windows might be a little difficult, too, but first things first.

I'd say Mint 12, out of the box so to speak, is more 'windows like' than Ubuntu is and moving over to it from windows would be like moving from xp to 7, similar but different, but essentially all the bits in the same places. The problems arise when they insist on using certain progs like incredimail :evil: 'cos it looks pretty' :roll: and theyre not linux compatible (but theres probably an alternative)
BTW mint comes with most of the usual software too, web browser, mail, office, gimp, photo, drawing, paint, games, pdf reader, a messenger, etc etc

Sounds like a good experiment. Start with a fresh laptop, try Mint as a CD. If it seems to work, then install. I will have all the Windoze stuff to hand to redo the laptop if it GTU's.

My better half is using XP on a desktop, so maybe a laptop with Mint would tempt her.

I use stuff that almost certainly has Unix equivalents (Firefox, Thunderbird, Audacity, Eclipse, Filezilla, Komposer, ABCExplorer, OpenOffice, and a bunch of stuff for video editing). Most of it is written by the non-windoze fraternity; in fact most of it originates off windoze and gets ported. It is just the lower level stuff that worries me (drivers and driver compatibility), and the pain of reinstalling stuff (but I would need to anyway on a new laptop).

Thanks, this is a nice train of thought though it may have to await autumn and the long dark evenings.

 

[nev]

and for the sketchup users, yes it works.

I just installed wine, downloaded SU8, (open with wine) and it installed and gave me the start up splash screen to choose template, then it failed. with ...

Sketchup was unable to initialize OpenGL!
Please make sure you have installed the correct drivers for your graphics card.

Error: ChoosePixelFormat failed

but a two minute solution was at hand here....

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=1353335

followed the instructions and Voila! sorted. opened SU, drew, saved, closed, relaunched, reopened - no problems. all good

 

[deserter]

No luck getting wireless to work. Looks like I may have to use a wired connection to the router.

 

[RogerP]

No luck getting wireless to work. Looks like I may have to use a wired connection to the router.

There are several solutions on the Ubuntu forums mine installed without a problem, lucky I suppose, but there will be a fix. You'll need to know what card you have.

 

[nev]

no issues with wireless for me either this time. (presario c700 laptop, pc with belkin dongle and pc with getnet dongle) although if i remember rightly when i first moved to ubuntu a year or two ago i had to connec tvia a cable initially, then find the appropriate drivers and update. then wireless was a go.

 

[gregmcateer]

THis is good news, indeed - as my old Tosh laptop looked to be heading binwards - but now you may have offered me a solution - so thanks, guys.

PS I have just yesterday installed sketchup and started the tutorials - bloody hell it's a clever bit of software! - Though I do need a bit of help already - I am on th tutorial that makes up 3 chairs. First two, so far so good, but on the 3rd one it says to draw the base, push pull it to give it some depth, then 'Group' it - Now I thought I had done this, though the demo shows the outlines in yellow once grouped, but mine stay blue - Not a problem, methought, but when I put on the legs and try to make them components that all follow each other, a red no entry type sign comes up and I can't push/pull them - Any clues, folks?
Thanks in advance
Greg

 

[DrPhill]

I have been investigating Unix instead of windoze, and like the idea. What makes of laptops would folk suggest for a person going this route? I usually go dell, but they will not unbundle windows/mcAffee/support all of which will be less use than a one legged man in an arse kicking contest if I install Unix, so it seems a shame to pay for them.

(I like the idea of SSD, and maybe 8G ram, not too worried about audio - more interested in processing speed than fancy graphics).

Any opinions on makes to prefer or avoid would be welcome.