Linux V Microsoft

[Terry James]

I am sick to the back teeth with Microsoft who are now an insidious company trying to collect as much data from you as possible & forcing downloads on you, you don’t want.

I like many was tricked into installing Windows 10 as it was free, & giving up my Windows 7 which was a great operating system. But like other good operating systems, Microsoft will stop supporting Win 7.

Windows 10 was ok at first (providing you altered all of the ‘Privacy’ Settings’), but after the expiry of the window to go back to Win 7, Win 10 has got ever more intrusive.

If you don’t take steps to prevent Microsoft updates, you can return to your PC to find it has been ‘re-booted’ then have to go through the time-consuming process of recovering all of your work. In addition, some of the updates screw up my settings. I am now spending as much time trying to fix problems with my PC as I am using it for productive work.

I want to dump Win 10 & install Linux. I am however afraid that I will not be able to run my apps on Linux. I use Microsoft Outlook as an e-mail client, Microsoft Excel on which I have a massive amount of data I cannot afford to lose, Microsoft Word which again I have a lot of data. Also, many sound recordings created on Microsoft ‘Voice Recorder’.

My non-Microsoft apps are: -
Firefox browser,
Quicken accounts system,
Foxit PDF,
Dashlane password system.
NCH PhotoPad editing software.
Epson XP-900 Printer.
And several other infrequently used apps but I don’t want to lose them.

Can anyone tell me if I can dump Microsoft in favour of Linux and retain the fuctinality of my installed apps & programmes?

 

[floppybootstomp]

I'll comment on things I know will work in Linux that you've listed. And I will say that the easiest Linux Distro to try if you're used to Windows is Mint. I'd advise going for the 64 Bit Cinnamon desktop version.

Mint comes with Libre Office for free and it will open all Microsoft Office Word and Excel files and save them but with it's own file extensions of *.ods & *.odt. This means those saved documents will not open in MS Office anymore but this is only a problem if you want to send them to somebody who only uses MS Office. Although they could, of course, install Libre Office in their Windows OS.

I used to use Outlook as an email client but now use Thunderbird all the time which is not only easier to set up with email accounts but I also prefer it a lot to Outlook. Thunderbird also comes free with Linux Mint.

I don't know what the file extensions are of MS Voice recorder files but the Linux media player VLC should play them, you'll have to check.

Firefox browser - installed with Mint, no problems.
Quicken - probably not but I don't know.
Foxit PDF - I don't know, maybe, I'd say probably.
I'm not familiar with other apps you've listed.

My Epson 4490 scanner works ok with Linux and that's quite old. check with the Epson website to see if they supply a driver for your XP-900 printer. My Brother colour laser printer does not work with Linux as Brother don't supply a driver for it but Epson are pretty good with Linux support.

It's likely you may have to find alternative apps to some of your Windows apps but there's a host of free Linux apps available that will probably act as good substitutes or alternatives.

In fact just yesterday evening I discovered that Libre Office now opens MS Office Publisher files which came as a very pleasant surprise as I have hundreds of Publisher files.

I'd say try it, if you don't get on with Linux and you have a legal version of Windows 10 you can always go back to Windows 10.

 

[bootneck02]

All I can say is that I am running Linux Mint 18.2 and am a very happy bunny and glad I left Microsoft. If you need help with anything there is a good site called Foss Linux Mint Cinnamon on Facebook

 

[Terry James]

Many thanks floppy, you have come to my assistants yet again.

I will follow your excellent advice & run it on one of my two PC’s currently running Win 10.

Could you help me a little further?

I am told that you can install & run Linux on a PC already running Windows, without removing Windows?

How do I find ‘Linux Mint’ & download it?

If I leave Win 10 on the PC, how do I switch between the two OS?

If I am ok with Linux, how do I remove Win 10 from my PC?

TJ

 

[Terry James]

All I can say is that I am running Linux Mint 18.2 and am a very happy bunny and glad I left Microsoft. If you need help with anything there is a good site called Foss Linux Mint Cinnamon on Facebook

Thanks, bootneck but I am afraid that I avoid all social media sites for privacy & because they do more harm than good. With sites like PC Review, I don’t need them.

But any other advice, much appreciated.

 

[floppybootstomp]

I am told that you can install & run Linux on a PC already running Windows, without removing Windows?

How do I find ‘Linux Mint’ & download it?

If I leave Win 10 on the PC, how do I switch between the two OS?

If I am ok with Linux, how do I remove Win 10 from my PC?

TJ

Mint home page: Click on 'Download' top left.

Either burn to a DVD or load onto a USB stick then boot from that media.

Follow the prompts to install Mint alongside Win 10.

At boot you'll be given a choice which OS to start.

I don't know how you'd uninstall Win 10 from a dual Win 10/Mint install but I expect it can be done.

In a similar situation I'd just reinstall Mint and allow it to use the whole disk from the installation prompts.

 

[Terry James]

Got it.
Again, many thanks.
TJ

 

[Abarbarian]

Many thanks floppy, you have come to my assistants yet again.

I will follow your excellent advice & run it on one of my two PC’s currently running Win 10.

Could you help me a little further?

I am told that you can install & run Linux on a PC already running Windows, without removing Windows?

How do I find ‘Linux Mint’ & download it?

If I leave Win 10 on the PC, how do I switch between the two OS?

If I am ok with Linux, how do I remove Win 10 from my PC?

TJ

Trying to install a linux on to a pc with Windows already installed is no small task and there is a danger that you could loose the Windows install. This is due to the fact that you need to shrink the Windows partitions to make space for the linux partitions.

Your best bet is to download Mint or MX-16 and install to a usb stick. This is easily accomplished with Etcher,

https://etcher.io/

Try running the Live Mint MX-16 from the usb with the "toram" option if you have enough memory.

Firefox browser, works fine in linux
Quicken accounts system, Different versions work well with WINE on linux
Foxit PDF, works with linux
Dashlane password system. Do not think it works but KeePass works well and can be linked to Dropbox
NCH PhotoPad editing software. There are lenty of decent photo programs for linux
Epson XP-900 Printer. should work but it may not have full functionality

If your pc has enough memory you could install linux and run a VM with Windows on it to run your needed programs.

Good luck and welcome to penguin land.

 

[Terry James]

Thanks floppybootstomp, bootneck & Abarbarian, I am grateful for all the help.

I am just working through the ‘Introduction to Linux Mint’ (https://linuxmint.com/documentation/user-guide/Cinnamon/english_18.0.pdf)

My plan is to purchase the disk rather than download it as I have a very slow internet connection & if something goes wrong, I want to be sure it is not due to my downloading & creating the disc.

Also, the guide says “The live DVD is then bootable and provides a fully-functional operating system which you can try without affecting your PC. In layman's terms, when you put Linux Mint on a DVD and place it into your computer, you can try it out while leaving your current system intact.” So I intend to do that as a first step.

floppybootstomp said I could use Thunderbird instead of Microsoft Outlook. Can I import all of my e-mails, contacts & calendars from Microsoft Outlook into Thunderbird?

I have read some stuff about installing Microsoft Office onto Linux, would you recommend that?

Abarbarian said “If your pc has enough memory you could install linux and run a VM with Windows on it to run your needed programs” would you be good enough to explain that further?

TJ

 

[muckshifter]

I have read some stuff about installing Microsoft Office onto Linux, would you recommend that?

No! use Libreoffice instead.

 

[floppybootstomp]

What Mucks said.

I don't know if Thunderbird will import Outlooks contacts but I suspect it will. Something to search/Google for I suspect.

 

[Terry James]

Thanks all.
TJ

 

[Abarbarian]

Luckily, there are quite a few ways to run Windows applications on Linux.

This article will give you an explanation and some useful links.

 

[bootneck02]

I have to say that I will NEVER return to Windows I find Linux Mint Cinnamon absolutely BRILLIANT and is ideal for me and the things I want to do. I suppose the thing I like most is that Linux distro's do not consider that your PC is their property just because you have downloaded it onto your PC and if you want to tinker with it you can, not that I have the knowledge to do so and with Linux Mint Cinnamon it works out of the box.

 

[Terry James]

I suppose the thing I like most is that Linux distro's do not consider that your PC is their property just because you have downloaded it onto your PC!

Exactly why I want to get away from Microsoft. They tink they are the best in the world & everybody with a PC should pay homage to them.

Be a good thing if PC manufacturers & retailers gave purchasers a choice at the point of sale.
TJ

 

[bootneck02]

Unless you build your own PC you have to purchase from a store and the only have PC's with ether Windows or Mac as operating systems it seems that you cannot purchase a PC without a OS I wonder why???

 

[floppybootstomp]

An independent computer builder/seller will usually agree to install your choice of OS, it's just the major players who are in Microsoft's pocket.

 

[Terry James]

Hi All.

Have ordered Linux Mint 18.2 Cinnamon - Install/Live DVD (64-bit) from OSDisc.com. $9.9 inc international postage.

Will give feedback but not for a while, disc coming from US & got to learn Linux etc.

 

[bootneck02]

Hi Terry Linux 18.3 is coming out next Month when it does you will be able to download it and ether burn to a CD disc or pen drive. then you will be able to download at your leisure. It will be the last of the 18 distro's and will be supported to I think 2100. Any way good luck with Linux I love it and will never return to the Microsoft fold.

 

[Terry James]

Hi Guys, I have hit a problem.

Got the disc but thought I had better check Linux compatibility with my security system.

I am running Bitdefender Total Security 2018 bought & paid for. Bitdefender say it won’t work with Linux?