Ubuntu 12.04 LTS

[bootneck02]

Hi you Penguine lovers I need a little help. In the past I have downloaded and dual booted linux Mint and some other Linux distro's in the past I mean 7 or 8 years ago. At the moment I am running Windows & Ultimate 64 bit on a self built PC details as follows:-

System Information Report

Generated by System Information
Date: 12/03/2014
http://www.iobit.com

Operating System

Processor MainBoard

Memory Device

Drives

Display

Network

Other Device




Top
Top Overall General Operating System Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Central Processor Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz User Name Alex Graphics Video Adapter ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series Video Memory 1.00 GB Screen Resolution 1920 x 1080 Storage Total Memory 8.00 GB Free Memory 6.23 GB Total Hard disk 1862.92 GB Free Hard disk 1680.69 GB I/O Mouse HID-compliant mouse Keyboard USB Input Device
Top Operating System Computer System Computer Name ALEX-PC User Name Alex Organization N/A Operating System OS Name Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate OS Version 6.1.7601 Service Pack 1.0 Product ID 00426-292-6040272-85885 System Up Time 12/03/2014 19:15:57 Internet Explorer Version 11.0.9600.16521 Microsoft DirectX Version DirectX 11 OpenGL Version 6.1.7600.16385 (win7_rtm.090713-1255) Registry Maximum Size 2048 MB Current Size 81 MB Status OK
Top Processor MainBoard Central Processor CPU Name Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Quad CPU Q8200 @ 2.33GHz Code Name N/A Manufacturer GenuineIntel Current Clock Speed 2336 Mhz Max Clock Speed 2336 Mhz Voltage 1.3V External Clock 333 Mhz Serial Number BFEBFBFF0001067A CPU ID Intel64 Family 6 Model 23 Stepping 10 Socket Designation LGA 775 L1-Cache 128 KB L2-Cache 4096 KB L3-Cache 0 KB Motherboard Model P5Q DELUXE Manufacturer ASUSTeK Computer INC. Serial Number MS1C88B82802678 BIOS Name BIOS Date: 08/05/08 17:18:22 Ver: 08.00.14 BIOS Vendor American Megatrends Inc. SMBIOS Version 1201 BIOS Date 05/08/2008 BIOS Features ISA is supported Yes PCI is supported Yes Plug and Play is supported Yes APM is supported Yes BIOS is Upgradable (Flash) Yes BIOS shadowing is allowed Yes ESCD support is available Yes Boot from CD is supported Yes Selectable Boot is supported Yes BIOS ROM is socketed Yes EDD (Enhanced Disk Drive) Specification is supported Yes Int 13h - 5.25 /1.2MB Floppy Services are supported Yes Int 13h - 3.5 / 720 KB Floppy Services are supported Yes Int 13h - 3.5 / 2.88 MB Floppy Services are supported Yes Int 5h, Print Screen Service is supported Yes Int 9h, 8042 Keyboard services are supported Yes Int 14h, Serial Services are supported Yes Int 17h, printer services are supported Yes Int 10h, CGA/Mono Video Services are supported Yes ACPI supported Yes USB Legacy is supported Yes LS-120 boot is supported Yes ATAPI ZIP Drive boot is supported Yes
Top Memory Device Memory Resource Total Memory 8.00 GB Used Memory 1.76 GB Free Memory 6.24 GB Memory Usage 21% Physical Memory Memory Bank BANK0 Description Physical Memory 0 Device Locator DIMM0 Capacity 2.00 GB Speed 800 Mhz Manufacturer Manufacturer00 Data Width 64 bit Memory Type DDR Form Factor DIMM Physical Memory Memory Bank BANK1 Description Physical Memory 1 Device Locator DIMM1 Capacity 2.00 GB Speed 800 Mhz Manufacturer Manufacturer01 Data Width 64 bit Memory Type DDR Form Factor DIMM Physical Memory Memory Bank BANK2 Description Physical Memory 2 Device Locator DIMM2 Capacity 2.00 GB Speed 800 Mhz Manufacturer Manufacturer02 Data Width 64 bit Memory Type DDR Form Factor DIMM Physical Memory Memory Bank BANK3 Description Physical Memory 3 Device Locator DIMM3 Capacity 2.00 GB Speed 800 Mhz Manufacturer Manufacturer03 Data Width 64 bit Memory Type DDR Form Factor DIMM
Top Drives Disk Drives Name TOSHIBA DT01ACA200 ATA Device Media Type Fixed hard disk media Capability 1863.01 GB Interface Type IDE Partitions 2 Total Cylinders 918004 Total Heads 224 Total Sectors 3907025024 Total Tracks 205632896 Tracks Per Cylinder 224 Bytes Per Sector 512 Sectors Per Track 19 S.M.A.R.T Support Yes Current Temperature 0C (32F) CD-ROM Drive Name ATAPI iHOS104 ATA Device Drive E: Transfer Rate -1 Status OK CD-ROM Drive Name Optiarc DVD RW AD-7263S ATA Device Drive D: Transfer Rate -1 Status OK IDE Controller Name ATA Channel 0 Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers) Status OK IDE Controller Name ATA Channel 1 Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers) Status OK IDE Controller Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 1 - 3A20 Manufacturer Intel Status OK IDE Controller Name ATA Channel 0 Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers) Status OK IDE Controller Name ATA Channel 1 Manufacturer (Standard IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers) Status OK IDE Controller Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 2 - 3A26 Manufacturer Intel Status OK
Top Display Video Adapter Name ATI Radeon HD 4800 Series Video Processor ATI display adapter (0x9440) Manufacturer Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. Video Architecture VGA DAC Type Internal DAC(400MHz) Memory Size 1.00 GB Memory Type Unknown Video Mode 1920 x 1080 x 4294967296 colors Current Refresh Rate 60 Hz Driver Version 8.970.100.1100 Driver Date 29/04/2013 Monitor Name Generic PnP Monitor Screen Height 1080 Screen Width 1920 Status OK
Top Network Local Area Connection Product Name Marvell Yukon 88E8001/8003/8010 PCI Gigabit Ethernet Controller Service Name yukonw7 Manufacturer Marvell MAC Address 00:22:15:91:8D:BC Local Area Connection 2 Product Name Marvell Yukon 88E8056 PCI-E Gigabit Ethernet Controller Service Name yukonw7 Manufacturer Marvell MAC Address 00:22:15:91:78:0F NULL Product Name GFI Software Firewall NDIS IM Filter Miniport Service Name SBFWIMCLMP Manufacturer GFI Software MAC Address 00:22:15:91:78:0F NULL Product Name GFI Software Firewall NDIS IM Filter Miniport Service Name SBFWIMCLMP Manufacturer GFI Software MAC Address 00:22:15:91:8D:BC NULL Product Name GFI Software Firewall NDIS IM Filter Miniport Service Name SBFWIMCLMP Manufacturer GFI Software MAC Address 64:57:20:52:41:53 NULL Product Name GFI Software Firewall NDIS IM Filter Miniport Service Name SBFWIMCLMP Manufacturer GFI Software MAC Address 64:57:20:52:41:53 NULL Product Name GFI Software Firewall NDIS IM Filter Miniport Service Name SBFWIMCLMP Manufacturer GFI Software MAC Address 64:86:20:52:41:53 Other Device Sound Device Name Pro 9000 Manufacturer Logitech Status OK Mouse Name HID-compliant mouse Manufacturer Microsoft Buttons 0 Status OK Keyboard Name USB Input Device Description Enhanced (101- or 102-key) Function Keys 12 Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A38 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A39 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3A3A Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Enhanced Host Controller - 3A3C Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A34 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A35 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A36 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK USB Controller Product Name Intel(R) ICH10 Family USB Universal Host Controller - 3A37 Manufacturer Intel Protocol Supported Universal Serial Bus Status OK


Being fed up with keep suppling Microsoft and the apts companies with my hard earned pension I have had a look at the Linux distro's and after reading and filling up the"what disto is best for you" it came up with Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. The thing in the past that put me off Linux was the lack of drivers for my hardware. So I am looking for advice from people who I trust. Oh one other thing will my files which I have on W 7 OS be able to be transfered to any Linux OS. I propose to dual boot to start with until I get used to the new Linux distro. Many thanks for your help in advance

 

[Abarbarian]

Most modern linux distros include the program -- ntfs3g --- which allows you to read and write to a ntfs partition. So yes you should be able to access W7 stuff.

As to which linux distro to use. They are all grown from the same root so basically they are all the same. An in most distros you can add extra programs to suit.

If you are looking for a ready made distro the best way to find out if it suits you and your set up is to run the distro from a usb stick or a cd/dvd first.
This will allow you to see if the desktop environments or window managers like KDE,Gnome,XFCE,E17 ect ect suits you.

If you are not so knowledgeable about linux then it may pay you to find a distro that has very good wikis and documentation about the running of the distro. Like,

http://debian-handbook.info/

It's a fantastic resource for all users of a Debian-based distribution. Accessible to all, this book teaches the essentials to anyone who wants to become an effective and independent Debian GNU/Linux administrator.
Living up to their free software ideals, the book is freely available (that is under the terms of a license compatible with the Debian Free Software Guidelines of course).

Most of the buntus are based on Debian so why not go to the source,

http://www.debian.org/intro/about

Will you hardware work with linux ? probably, an you can look here,

http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Hardware-HOWTO/

This document attempts to list most of the hardware known to be either supported or unsupported under Linux.

Or try the live usb/cd/dvd method which I prefer as it is more fun.

I know a lot of folk who really like the Debian stable versions. Several folk who really like Siduction which is based on Debian testing and report it runs well and is stable. Other's who like Mageia which is a fork of Mandriva both of which are stable os's.Bohdi which has E17 as a desktop is highly recommended. Mint and Suse are used by folk here and they seem happy with them.

Personally I would go with a Debian based distro for beginners due to the stability and documentation.

As I use Arch I can not give much real time advice for any other permanent desktop distro as the only other os's I have recent knowledge of are usb types like Puppy or Porteus.

If you do not mind a bit of reading then Arch is a very stable os and easy to use once set up despite what you may read in articles on the web.

Hope that helps.

 

[bootneck02]

Thank you very much for the info Abarbarian, I am now going through the opptions, I think I will download several different distro's and save to pen drives and try them out to see what suits me best. Once again thanks for your input

 

[Abarbarian]

Glad to help the Penguinista Army needs every able bodied person it can recruit.

There is a nice comparison tool here,

http://polishlinux.org/choose/comparison/?distro1=Debian&distro2=openSUSE

It covers the major distros so you can get an idea of which direction to concentrate on. It is a little dated with some info missing but gives good clear information.

 

[bootneck02]

Goor blimey better my battle bowler and rifle out. Thanks for the link I will look into it. Thanks for the help. One thing I have noticed is that that some distros have a couple of years support and some go on for up to 4 or five years. when you update to the new version dose it mean you have to do a complete reinstall?

 

[muckshifter]

Not every distribution handles the 'update' process in the same fashion.

If you pick Windows, err, sorry, I mean Ubuntu, for example, then the 'update' process is a little easier than making sure you had the right spanners for the job.

Be aware, however, that there are differences in Linux distributions ... Ubuntu and Debian use a different 'package' management from Fedora, SuSE, and Mandriva, and then Slackware uses another.

Read-A-Lot ®

 

[Abarbarian]

As Mucks says there are many distros each with their own way of doing things.

As a general rule of thumb,

Rolling release distros need frequent small updates which can be done on a running machine. With no need for a fresh install.

LT = Long Term distro releases last for the term of the release 2/3/4 years. With a new release you generally need to do a fresh install. You do however need to do some updating, generally security stuff.

Some distros claim to be able to do major release updates from a running pc. The only one I have ever tried some years ago was with Mandriva, which surprisingly did work as stated.



http://wiki.antergos.com/tiki-index.php?page=Create a working Live USB

Antergos has a usb version which uses the Suse Image Writer to write the image to usb from a Windows pc. As it is based on Arch it may seem a strange choice to offer a newcomer. Still it has a graphical installer and comes with most things pre setup so is pretty much plug and play.

Glad to see you have a battle bowler and rifle. Don't forget there is other merchandise to buy to support the cause.

 

[bootneck02]

Thank you both for your input on Linux, I am at this moment going on the net and will probobly download a couple of versions and have a play probobly Ubuntu and Debianto start with. I will let you know with my progress.

 

[bootneck02]

Just you old boys know I have just purchased the starter pack from the Linux shop which includes Ubuntu 13.10, Linuc Mint 16, Open Suse 13.1, Simply Mempis 11.0 and PC Linux OS 2013.12 They should arrive in a few days. I will have a play when I get the CD's only £15 the lot, bargain
One question or two questions if I choose one of them I imagine they are all 32 bit so I will want to run 64 bit but will I need to get software to defrag and get rid of things like temporary internet files (or in other words cleaning tools) like one has to do with Windows?

 

[floppybootstomp]

The Barbaric one he say:

As to which linux distro to use. They are all grown from the same root so basically they are all the same.

Respectfully, I would disagree and say in true pantomine style:

'Oh no they're not!'

Ubuntu, for instance, is now a law unto itself. I won't use Ubuntu simply because I disagree with their way of doing things, they're trying to force their way of doing things onto a whole society. But that's a political thing I suppose and Ubuntu may very well be a fine choice.

I like Mint a lot, latest one is a goodie. I also like Suse but it's a bit of kerfuffing about to get media functions installed and running.

All the 'user-friendly' distros should come with stock drivers for all the basic PC components, graphics card, NIC etc but you will need to install drivers for printers, scanners and the like.

You can also install graphics card drivers if you need gaming support. Currently Nvidia offer more stable graphics card drivers than AMD.

Software? Libre Office will open Microsoft Office Word and Excel Files; Scribus is a fairly good MS Publisher alternative; The Gimp is Photoshop on a budget (Free) and there's a whole stack of other software available for free. And if your system is 64 Bit, then install the 64 Bit version of the Distro.

Trying a live distro as mentioned here previously is definitely a good idea, even down to trying different Desktops, KDE and Gnome are the faves but there are others.

Whatever you choose - good luck

 

[muckshifter]

One question or two questions if I choose one of them I imagine they are all 32 bit so I will want to run 64 bit

there is both 64bit and 32bit ... Linux was first in the race for 64bit software.

will I need to get software to defrag and get rid of things like temporary internet files (or in other words cleaning tools) like one has to do with Windows?

nope, no defraggers, Linux doesn't use the storage architecture as in Windows ... and, you don't defrag SSDs.

I agree with Floppy, one "distro" is not the same as another ... I liked the professionalism of Suse, but as mentioned, you needed to 'fix' it to be able to use the copywrited software. It is a little easier these days.

have fun!

 

[bootneck02]

Thanks flops and Mr Mucks for the advice I will let you all know how I get on after I have tested them

 

[Abarbarian]

Respectfully, I would disagree and say in true pantomine style:

Oh yes they are

Quote:
As to which linux distro to use. They are all grown from the same root so basically they are all the same.

Flops is right as usual.Sort of, as both Mint and Ubuntu are based on Debian.
I should have said they all use the same kernel as opposed to BSD, Hurd etc etc.

Here is a link to the Penguin Timeline showing who came from where.

http://futurist.se/gldt/wp-content/uploads/12.10/gldt1210.png


Simply Mepis is nice. I tried out its little sibling the other week anti-X and was quietly impressed.

Looks like your othere Q's are answered so have fun.

 

[bootneck02]

Gor blimey, I did not realise there were so many LINUX Distro's. I am hoping my starter kit will arrive in the post tomorrow. I am begining too wonder why the majority of PC users are using Windows and Apple.I am looking forward to having a play. Thanks for all the help so far, no doubt I will be asking more questions in the future as I can build a PC as it is a simple piece of slotting the bits and pieces to the motherboard, but software is a bit of a mystery or rather the black arts to me. Once thanks everyone for your input.

 

[bootneck02]

Well they arrived yesterday and have been playing, my favorites I think are Mint 16 Mate and Ubuntu 13.10, Ubuntu are bring a new long term version out in April but at the moment I am thinking of downloading Mint 16.as it seems to suit my needs. I will dual boot Mint for the time beginning..

 

[Abarbarian]

Sounds like you are having fun.

This posting may interest you,

http://forums.scotsnewsletter.com/index.php?showtopic=68683

When I get some time I will create a post over here. At the moment I am still doing some testing but I can say it is a very good tool for distro sampling.

 

[bootneck02]

Thanks for the link AB, I have trying to fill in the aplication form but it seems not to want me but I seem to have a problem. The article you wrote about E2B was very interesting. After using both Mint and Ubuntu I am now thinking of installing Ubuntu, the main reason the updates seem easier to install with Mint it would appear as if you have to save your files and the reinstall the files once the new editionhas been downloaded, am I right or have I got it wrong?

 

[Abarbarian]

I think you are slightly of track. Here is a link to the Mint user guide.

http://www.linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/english_15.0.pdf

Go to > Software Management on page 35 > it is worth reading > but you could > page 40 top of the page > then > page 42 bottom of the page onwards > refuel with tea and buns.



It should not be that difficult. I have never updated a Mint as I have only done quick try outs of it. Flops should be able to give some first hand info .

If you are having trouble joining Scots let me know and I'll see if you can get in touch with one of the moderators there direct to sort the hitch out. There are some very knowledgeable penguins over there better able to assist you. I only have a get by knowledge of Arch really with a smattering of other flavours.

 

[bootneck02]

I have realy cocked up, but never mind:dance it is a learning curve. I stupidly did not do a partision BIG MISTAKE!!!! So now have Ubuntu running and after a short while I decided to install Mint well after doing that realised that I needed to ensure I did a dual boot as I REALY needed to take my time to get used to Linux systems before taking the big step to religate Windows to the dustbin.. So reinstall W7. All went well until I tried to install service pack 1for some reason it will not install I have tried it use the help page etc but no success I am now guessing that MSE is make the service pack load slow and going to time out this is my 4 attempt and it is taking hours to configure and crashes out. I hope any of yo have not wet your selves laughing and going into histerics reading this disaster of ignaranceand if you have I am sorry

 

[Abarbarian]

No one is laughing as we all have done similar things.

Can not help with the Service pack problem.

When you do have a 7 installed do a back up. 7 has a simple to use backup program installed. You will need a external hdd or a very large usb stick. Aria were selling a 64 GB for about £15.

One of the distros you have might run as a live os from the cd/dvd you might find a program called "gparted" in their menues. Use this to partition your hdd easily before installing any os's.

You'll soon get the hang of playing. Do take the time to make backups though.